Nashville, Tn - 4 June, 2005 -

Concerns about cybercrime are growing, with words like "identity theft," "phishing," and "spam" becoming household phrases. Suspicion regarding the potential for cyberfraud has even reached online auctioneer eBay, as well as businesses affiliated with the site. Snappy Auctions, a Nashville, TN-based chain of eBay drop-off centers, has taken note of the growing concern surrounding eBay-related crimes, and has taken steps to prevent itself and its customers from being victims. Snappy Auctions works with customers who want to sell products on eBay but who lack the time or internet-related knowledge to do so. The company, founded by Debbie Gordon in 2004, offers customers a place to bring their goods to be evaluated, photographed, and auctioned-off on eBay, and shipped to buyers. In order to prevent customers from offering stolen goods to Snappy Auctions, Gordon has established a number of different "safeguards" to ensure fair, legal auctions. Individuals working with Snappy Auctions are never given payment for their goods until the sale has been finalized with the end customer. "The buyer has to be satisfied with the product before we ever offer payment to the seller," said Gordon. "If there are ever any questions regarding the item, or if the buyer believes the product may be stolen, Snappy Auctions will investigate the suspicion and resolve the issue." But Gordon comments that the situation almost never reaches this point. Snappy Auctions attempts to verify the ownership of all items to be sold as soon as potential sellers enter the store. Workers take driver's license numbers from sellers, and only mail checks to sellers' home addresses after sales are final. "Thieves aren't going to give us driver's license numbers and home addresses if they are trying to sell stolen merchandise," says Gordon. "If we suspect that there is a problem with one of the items, we already know how to contact the seller and can easily turn them over to the police." State governments are beginning to respond to concerns regarding eBay drop-off centers and the authenticity of auctioned goods. Lobbyists in states like California are pressing state governments to require online auctioneers and the drop-off centers that work with them to obtain licenses as if they were pawnshops, while twenty-six other states currently require auctioneers to be licensed. Late last year, Gordon was contacted by the Tennessee Auctioneer Commission and ordered to submit to mandatory training and licensing. Gordon completed an auctioneering course as requested, but found that most of what was taught pertained specifically to physical auction houses and pawnbrokers, which are distinctly different from virtual drop-off centers like Snappy Auctions. "90% of what we were taught was specific to traditional 'live' auctioneers," said Gordon. "If the state wants to regulate drop-off centers like Snappy Auctions, it needs to construct new courses that directly address concerns associated with the virtual marketplace." Until that point, Gordon plans to continue to provide her customers with the best protection from cyberfraud that she can, and to help them sell their wares in the burgeoning online community that is eBay. About Snappy Auctions Snappy Auctions was among the first to launch the eBay drop-off center concept in the U.S. and took a lead role in tapping into this emerging market. eBay drop-off centers such as Snappy Auctions are wholeheartedly supported by eBay. Most of eBay's 114-million registered users are buyers, not sellers, offering a huge international market for unused items gathering dust in closets, jewelry boxes, and attics. In fact, an eBay-commissioned consultant has estimated that drop-off stores have the potential to generate $10 billion in annual sales, not only providing a new outlet for consumers with items to sell, but also generating a huge opportunity for net-savvy entrepreneurs attracted to the concept of mixing retailing with high-tech Internet selling.

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