The leaders of North Dakota say that bringing in new business and keeping young people in the state is a top priority, but sometimes their actions don’t match those words. The latest: North Dakota’s Public Service Commission is debating whether or not people selling items for others on eBay on consignment should have to obtain an auctioneer license to do business in the state.
When I first heard about this on the radio during lunch today, I couldn’t believe it. How in the world does taking an auctioneer course to learn how to talk really fast have any relevance to eBay? Honestly – I want to know what they’re thinking. Why would they require this except for a severe lack of understanding in how eBay works? If they want to create a new license similar to Tennessee’s to help protect consumers, by all means, but don’t try to cram a new business model into something designed for the 19th century. You won’t be doing any favors to the state’s business environment with stupid, unnecessary red tape like this.