eBay Gives Its Sellers a Voice in Washington

eBay has an active government relations team in Washington DC that lobbies congress on the company's behalf. eBay knows the power of public relations when it comes to swaying legislators, and it's now running a contest to encourage sellers to share their stories about their eBay businesses.

The eBay Government Relations video contest is called, "My Business, My Voice." It's asking sellers to submit a short video sharing their views on regulatory and legislative issues. The grand prize winner will win an all expenses paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., a chance to visit their senators' and members' offices and meet eBay Government Relations staff, and a spot in the eBayMainStreet.com "featured members" section. A first prize winner will receive a $100 eBay Gift Certificate and the chance to be a featured member.

The first topic eBay sellers can choose to weigh in on is the Internet sales tax. "Do you agree that small businesses should have protections over large retailers? How much time do you currently spend on tax related matters for your business and how much projected time would you be spending if this legislation passed? What would your response be to claims that appropriate software would make this easy for you?"

The second topic is the first sale doctrine. "Do you sell any legitimate goods purchased overseas? How would such a change in the current first sale and ownership rights' laws impact your business? Do you see this affecting the inventory or price point of your products? How do you think the buyers of your products will be affected?"

And the third topic is cross border trade. "What's the hardest part of selling across borders? Do you find that international trade is easy or hard for a business of your size? What do you suggest policymakers focus on to increase the ability of small businesses to access global markets? Even though technology and the Internet are clearly breaking down barriers for businesses, what else can be done?'

Sellers must submit a video no longer than 2 minutes long. They must provide information about themselves and the nature of their business, including the types of items they sell, and how they got started using eBay. They must also "Take us on a short tour of your office, warehouse or facility," and, "you must tell us which of the below regulatory and legislative issues you care most about when it comes to your business and why."

"We're looking for bold, creative, and exciting videos to help us understand what our customers care most about," eBay GR wrote. Read details on the eBay Main Street website.