AuctionBytes TV Internet Television Video - AuctionBytes News in Review
California defeats new sales tax bill, New auction site WhaBam launches, ePier runs 2 contests for users, eBay runs "Shop eBay Stores" sweepstakes, Michigan drop-off store owner arrested.
Welcome to AuctionBytes Week in Review.
Today is August twenty-eighth, two-thousand five. I'm Ina Steiner.
In this week's news The Red Bluff Daily News reports that a California bill was defeated that would have forced people holding garage sales to collect sales tax. SB 607 would have required people who hold three or more sales in any 12-month period to fill out paperwork requiring Social Security, driver's license and bank account numbers along with personal references.
WhaBam has officially launched its new Online Auction Site at Whabam.com. The site offers auction and fixed-price format listings that can be up to 30 days in duration, as well as wanted listings. The site charges sellers fees ranging from $9.95 to 49.95 per month
Two online auction sites announced contests this month. For 10 weeks beginning August 15, ePier will give away one-hundred dollars to the seller listing the most items during each of the 10 weeks. The promotion is designed to get sellers to try the site and see the improvements ePier has made in the past 3 months. ePier is online at e-p-i-e r dot com.
And eBay is running a "Shop eBay Stores" sweepstakes Prizes include a 5-day Western Caribbean Cruise for two and 50 first prizes of an XM Radio Receiver. The Shop eBay Stores Sweepstakes runs through September 30. You can find out more about the Sweepstakes on the eBay Announcement board.
And in eBay drop-off store news,… Police arrested owners of The Drop Spot, an eBay drop-off store located in Traverse City, Michigan, on August 10. Police handcuffed President Steve Swaney and seized the store's business records. The owner was in a dispute with police over the need to comply with state statutes regarding second-hand dealers, which requires stores to fingerprint customers. Steve Swaney said he and his lawyer believe the laws do not apply to The Drop Spot since the business does not purchase the items brought in by customers. Instead, The Drop Spot sells the items on eBay on the customer's behalf. A hearing is scheduled for September 8th.
And that's it for this edition of AuctionBytes Week in Review. For all the latest online-auction industry news, visit AuctionBytes.com.
I'm Ina Steiner,
See you next week!