EBay Resellers vs. Retailers :: Who Will Win This Round?

Last month, retailers approached Congress and asked them to require internet auction sites, such as EBay, to share information on high volume sellers AND to make organized retail crime a felony.  All of this in an attempt to squash the ever growing problem.

Retailers claim that sites such as EBay have made selling stolen items much easier for criminals of all types.  Once they have a mass quanity of anything on their hands, whether it’s baby formula or Hermes handbags, they can put it on these online auction sites and have it sold and shipped in days. 

In fact, according to Tim Hammonds, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute an Arlington trade group, "These gangs of theives steal up to $30 billion in merchandise a year."

What makes this go from appalling to alarming is the fact that much of what is stolen is product that is used every day by normal consumers such as over the counter medications; product which the resellers aren’t properly caring for.  The end result is sometimes a danger to the greater public’s health.

Given the potential ramifications of this type of crime, I will be curious to see what Congress decides to do.  We all know that the American wheels of justice turn very slowly, but I would think this would be important enough to fast track.  I guess all we can do is wait and see.