Major Online Retailers Form Lobbying Group

[mandy]

Some of the nation's largest online retailers launched on Friday a lobbying group formed to influence Congress as it tackles privacy, taxes, Internet access and other issues related to the Web, organizers said Friday.

The Online Retail Alliance is expected to serve as a collective voice for Internet retailers. ORA members include the Electronic Retailing Association, EBay Inc., InterActiveCorp and its subsidiary the Home Shopping Network, ShopNBC and others.

The group is scheduled to have its first meeting next week to outline its yearlong strategy on three issues: privacy, state sales taxes and Internet access.

full article: http://www.informationweek.com/story/sho...=172301288

[bargainbloodhound]

The Online Retail Alliance is expected to serve as a collective voice for Internet retailers.

I don't remember saying I wanted a group that includes eBay to serve as my "collective voice".    ..and then of course there's the whole "eBay is not a venue" when it is trying to avoid potential liability but it is an "Internet retailer" when the situation benefits it thingee...  :twistedevil:

My only question is whether ORA's lobbyists will push an agenda that benefits all online retailers, or whether they'll push one that primarily benefits their members at the expense of smaller merchants (like the PeSA group of eBay sellers does when it pushes for policies that primarily benefit its members).

[Angel]

Oh good god more initials to remember for yet another group  :  I think we are going to need some sort of glossary to keep up 

I don't remember saying I wanted a group that includes eBay to serve as my "collective voice". 

You dont remember saying it because I can pretty much guarantee that nobody even bothered to ask (big shock huh)


Angel 

[xppman]

So ebay considers itself an "Internet retailer".
No wonder Meg and company always refer to us sellers in her community as "their sellers" or I’ve heard her say “our sellers”. See they think we work for them, like representatives of the whole Internet retailer site known now as ebay.

Yep ebay became why more than a venue a few years back for
many reasons and moves they made.

Now that we all know ebay is an "Internet retailer" we must all be sub contractors to them.

We must be like Amway or Tupperware home party sellers or something.
Sell as much as you can to get to the higher sales status tier and receive higher commissions for your sales. (Yea right)..

But if we find you are also pushing Avon at those parties YOU ARE FIRED. (Or at least suspended for a while so you can re evaluate your selling approach and understand how it is a no no to try and push ANY competitors products that will make you (us) all loose commissions on ebay offered products)…

No wonder they feel it is right for them to DICTATE so many TERMS to us of how and what we will sell or what forms of payment we may "collect" (for them). Or not allow us to advertise competitors. (Like ourselves for instance at our websites or our presents on different venues).

SOME DO WORK FOR ebay. I've been saying this all along folks. And I know ebay believes that too.

I've yet to get my 1099 for the measly money they "pay" me in commissions for selling my items at the Internet retailer's  that I am “WORKING for. LOL

Hey ebay seeing as I am actually just another "contractor" and MUST abide by YOUR TERMS to be a contractor, at your “Internet retailer” site. By LAW you need to send me my 1099 every year so as I may file my taxes properly.