Shoppers browse a yard sale in Alexandria, Va.
People hauling their unwanted items to the yard early on a Saturday are hoping to bring in a few extra dollars. Now, due to new government regulations, setting out the wrong items could lead to fines of $100,000 or even up to $15 million for repeat offenses.
The fines are part of the "Resale Round-up," an initiative from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which puts new limits on lead in children's products, and also makes it illegal to sell those items, or any products that have have been recalled for any other reason.
How to know what's verboten? People selling used goods -- and that extends to stores, flea markets, and charities, as well as individuals selling used items, whether in person or online, are evidently expected to check the commission's 24-page Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers (a pdf document) and its Web site for a breakdown of what they can't sell.
If you are caught selling something on the recall list, you could face fines of up to $100,000 per infraction and up to $15 million for a series of infractions.
Discussion of the new restrictions on radio shows today included everything from outrage over more government intrusion, to approval over rules intended to prevent children's deaths, to valid questions over how difficult this initiative will be to enforce.
What are your thoughts on the regulations? Post a comment here. Or follow me on Twitter and send a shout out there.
Comments
This is ridiculous.
This has nothing to do with consumer safety.
It is ALL ABOUT TAXES. The government thinks it isn't getting it's share.
AGAIN the government is lying to us and is using the "consumer safety" issue as a ploy to get more money out of us.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the first person caught selling an "illegal toy".If these things are illegal why were they allowed to be manufactured and sold?
How many children have died from 2nd hand equipment? Or is the Gov't providing a solution to a problem that isn't around.
Everything has a defect, nothing is perfect. Will the Gov't then force everyone to stop reselling?
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