It has been a while since we first heard about states requiring eBay sellers to get an auctioneers license. In this case Pennsylvania was one of them and it seems they were very serious, they are in fact now suing a woman who decided to sell on eBay.
Mary Jo Pletz originally decided to use eBay as a way to earn an income and also be able to stay home with her daughter who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mary Jo cooperated and immediately closed shop when she was notified in December 2006 that was she was doing was illegal. She went back to an out-of-the house job that required her daughter to go to day care.
The state however is not backing down on the prosecution. According to her attorney she faces a possible $10 million in fines, she is credited for selling 10,000 items and could be fined $1,000 for each violation. Some state officials have since acknowledged that “with her heart-tugging story, was not the best person with whom to make a legal point.” What makes this story worse is that Mary Jo also now worries that because of this legal trouble she could also have her state issued dental hygienist license revoked.
Had Mary Jo had or gotten and Auctioneers License this could have been avoided, but you would think that if she closed down it would have made it OK also. An Auctioneers License is typically used by the larger auction houses and many argue that selling on eBay and using an auction house have little in common.
Read [Philadelphia Inquirer]
she was a mom that will do anything to keep her daughter survive!!! where the father that also must have the responsibility to raise the child not just only know how to make her!!
She sold 10,000 items…. She's running a business from her home. If it's casual selling it's no big deal, but in this case, she should have known better…
This is pretty ridiculous. In my opinion, if you have no idea you're breaking the law — and you haven't hurt anyone — then as long as you stop RIGHT when you're notified it's illegal, you should be safe from prosecution.
It's tricky though since I'm sure eBay has this notice plastered all over their site. If she was spending enough time on eBay to be selling 10,000 items, she would've had to of seen it. Right?
Thanks for the comments,
Doug Berger
Executive Editor | Gadgetell
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