Amway Sues Man For Selling Amway Products

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-m..._to_be_su.html

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Ken Hankinson says he has never been contacted by Amway. So the fact that the multi-billion corporation is suing him in federal court came as a huge surprise. “I don’t know anything about it,” Hankinson told MLive when asked about being named in lawsuit filed by the Ada-based Amway. The 49-year-old Grand Rapids man is accused of re-selling more than 5,200 Amway products on eBay under the alias “hankinsonk.” He doesn’t deny he made the sales. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Hankinson, adding he got the idea when he went to an auction in Muskegon that sold someone’s cache of Amway products. His eBay page shows his account was opened in 2003. At that sale, he bought up a lot of Amway product that he sold over several years. He doesn’t think he is doing anything wrong. “There’s no rules against it,” said Hankinson said. “I checked with eBay. I know you can’t use their photos and you can’t use stuff from their text.”

And Mr. Hankinson's response:

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Yes, it's me....the accused. Some on here are in question to who we are, where we get the products to sell and what our affiliation is with Amway. We are just normal people trying to scratch a living out of this economy. I got the whole idea selling these products on ebay from other ebayers selling the same stuff. I bought some at a good price ON ebay and figured out that I could resell it back through ebay and never stopped. To start off.....I am NOT a member of Amway....never have & never will. I have NOT signed ANY agreement(s) with Amway as an IBO or as a retail customer that would require me to comply with their Rules & Regs that govern Amway IBO's and their customers. I do not re-package any of the products that would cause any concern to any buyer. Just look at my ebay feedback. A lot of happy buyers. Nothing I sell is altered or counterfeit etc. ALL of my supply chain has come from ebay contacts. Here is how I work......Some ebayers lists Amway products on ebay. I contact them through the ebay message system...."How much product do you have & what is the best price you will sell it to me? If they reply with a good quantity of product and we can agree on a price I buy all of their product and list it on ebay. ebay doesn't loose any fees because it all ends up on ebay anyhow through a Stellar Seller. Most of these ebayers have been past IBO's that have left Amway. Some have just come across some product. I have no idea where they get it. They have product they want to move. Most of which are not that interested in the ebay format. ebay does take quite a bit of time to make it work. Honestly I do not know any of these people personally and don't make any effort beyond acquiring their excess product. I'm just trying to make a living. Major back surgery & 2 knee surgeries plus the bad economy has limited my ways of making a living. I'm just buying and selling. I guess I could have gone on Welfare. Not sure why we are getting singled out when there are so many other ebay sellers selling the same products most of which ARE Amway IBO's. So.....since Amway has bigger ROCKS to throw its better that I just step out of the way or get crushed. So I have pulled all of my ebay listing to avoid further issues.

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