Auction watchdog says eBay is illegal in France

by admin December 5, 2007 at 5:46 pm

Broker? Auctioneer! What’s the difference …

A French Government watchdog is trying to shut down eBay in France. The Council of Sales regulates auction houses and has said that the site should be bound by strict French auction rules.

The French eBay site does not have one of the Council’s permits to operate as an auctions service and so does not have to abide by regulations which were made law in 2000. This, said the Council, gives it an unfair advantage and should change.

“This is unfair competition, because other auctioneers have to make sure they are transparent and that they provide guarantees,” Council chairman Christian Giacomotto told The Times. “Our ambition is not to regulate the world, but we want groups such as eBay to accept their responsibility.”

Full story: channelregister.co.uk