E-commerce merchants, catalogers and direct marketers are partnering to fight a recently enacted Colorado law that requires online retailers to notify the state of all purchases made by residents so it can collect sales tax from them.   "We think it's unconstitutional," said Jonathan Johnson, president of online retail giant Overstock.com.   Retailers are questioning whether this Colorado law, which became effective May 1, violates the 1992 Quill Corp. v. North Dakota case in which the US Supreme Court ruled that retailers who do not have a physical presence in a state do not have to collect and remit sales taxes there.   "We think it's problematic for several reasons," Johnson said. "They're imposing a burden on an out-of-state retailer that has no footprint in the state of Colorado. Secondly, the costs are significant to us. We're going to mail out at the end of the year a notice to each of our Colorado customers and a list to the state. That's a burden that no [bricks-and-mortar] retailer doing business in Colorado has."   Chris Bradley, president and CEO of Cuddledown, a Maine-based e-commerce company specializing in home furnishings, said his company will comply with the law but expressed concern that future legislation could invade consumer privacy.   "We sell pretty pedestrian stuff — no one should be embarrassed that they get pillows — but there are a lot of companies out there that people buy from because they buy through the mail and don't want anyone to know about it," he said. "If we do it in Colorado, what happens with other states if they're successful? It seems to be a very problematic law from everyone's standpoint."   "Clearly the interstate commerce will be something that we're going to be using as grounds [to challenge this law]," said Jerry Cerasale, SVP of government affairs at the Direct Marketing Association.   The DMA sent members a call for contributions to fund a federal lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction on April 30, saying that "a suit in federal count is the next reasonable course of action."   In addition to concerns about the constitutionality of the law, most online retailers and direct marketers believe that the tax is part of the state's strategy to replenish its cash-strapped coffers, he added.   "The law itself was included in a budget package that was passed by the [Colorado] legislature and signed by the governor," Cerasale continued. "It's all part of the economic situation that all of us are finding ourselves in. It was likely the trigger for this law."   In a letter dated April 27, Hamilton Davison, American Catalog Mailing Association president and executive director, implored members and non-members alike to make monetary contributions that would fund litigation against the state of Colorado.   "What's worse than having to pay sales taxes in every state?" he wrote. "Having to report to every state every purchase your customers have made so the taxing authorities can start chasing your customers down and ordering them to pay back taxes."   Davison told DMNews that the law, which he says Tennessee and California are watching closely to possibly emulate, is "an opportunity to get revenue for the state without making the constituents angry."   "It's basically the government putting us against our customer. It's a dangerous precedent and an unfair tax," he said. "It's an egregious burden, and it is just very wrong on every level. It has to be opposed quickly and challenged quickly."   His plea has generated sympathy from Johnson, who said he not only will support the fight against the tax, but "we will participate in the funding of the DMA lawsuit."   "We'll be compliant with the law that's on the books but we'll fight to show it's not constitutional," he continued. "As more states [enact similar legislation], we are likely to see that we have no nexus in those states so we have no affiliates there, which is hurtful to the local businesses who are employing people there."   To strengthen its legal stance against the state of Colorado, the DMA has hired George Isaacson, a senior partner in the Lewiston, ME law firm of Brann & Isaacson, to act as attorney.   Davison added that the Multistate Tax Commission, an organization that coordinates state government policies on interstate commerce, is citing the Colorado law as a model for other states to consider. Tennessee and California, both of which are suffering fiscal difficulties, may follow suit with similar legislation, he said. North Carolina's Department of Revenue launched a program on April 23 that urged Internet retailers to collect sales taxes on products sold online in order to "resolve issues of tax liability."   The "Internet Transactions Resolutions Program," the result of several months of dialogue between the state and e-commerce merchants, is available to any e-commerce retailer with an affiliate program in the state. Merchants that complete the program will not be assessed tax penalties or interest prior to September 1.   The Colorado tax bill's sponsor, State Sen. Rollie Heath, a Democrat, told the Associated Press that "there's no new tax."   "We're just collecting what's already on the books," he told the AP. Monica Smith, CEO of Marketsmith, a marketing services company, said her firm is advising clients to consult with attorneys on the issue and formulate a state-by-state strategy for dealing with potential future taxes.   "Colorado's got through, but a company shouldn't just focus on Colorado. It should focus on the fact that each state needs to generate revenue," she said. "You should be prepared to manage e-commerce in each state." Smith noted that the Colorado law also affects eBay sales, commonly used by both companies and individuals.   Article Written By Iris Dorbian April 30, 2010

One of the biggest complaints I get, is the fact that our company is much more expensive than a lot of website design companies in the market.   It's said best by a recent complaint via email that I will share with you...   -----------------------------------   Sorry I haven't been able to answer your calls. Regardless, please note that I am not interested in doing business with your company for your exuberant amount of:   $3,499 One-Time Setup $99/mo Managed Services Fee That is absolutely LUDICROUS...   I have found another company to do business with at a far lower price with everything you offer with great discounts and flash thrown in at no price to name one.. Thanks anyway. Kim Henriksen    ----------------------------------- This was my reply.... -----------------------------------   I take it this is your first website? Buying a website is like buying a new or used car, you can buy a low end used car cheaply.  It won't get you very far and it is going to be expensive to maintain.   Low end websites just like used cars need a lot updates and maintenance to keep them going and eventually a complete need engine.   Many think a car is just a car, like a website is just a website.  However,  the technology in the lower end web site products are 5-10 years old and are not easily found in the search engines.   A customer that finds you in search engines is the most important part of having a website! It's like the fuel for your car.  No search engine listings -- No customers. A new WebsiteForge site is like buying a brand new car that gets the latest and greatest features every week!   We add over $200,000 in new technology to your site every year in the form of  2-8 software upgrades weekly.   We provide unlimited service.  Remember your car needs oil and maintenance.  WebsiteForge provides these upgrades at no extra cost!    Best of all -- we provide unlimited gas (search engine features) driving customers to your website to purchase your products and services!   And if there is a chance you doubt what we are saying -- we will guarantee the success of your business or we'll give you your money back. What everyone needs to know is -- There are no successful websites based on the "used car analogy".  Successful web sites spend 10x's more money to try to compete with a WebsiteForge web site! I talk to 600-1000 people a month, most are people who never had a website before.  Typically basing their buying decision on price.   Those who have actually had experience with at least one web site in their past realize the huge benefit of WebsiteForge and our methods.   The combined services and upgrades we provide typically start making money to moment they are found in the search engines! Not long after we set their site up the correct way.   Facts are stubborn things: - Our retention rate is 98.5% - Our cancellation rate is less than .05% which is the best in the industry. - Most web design companies have less than a 50% retention rate and a 25% cancellation rate.    This means, we know what we are doing!  Helping businesses just like you succeed online. Before choosing any business please check Ripoffreport.com and the BBB.org.  Ask for a copy of the company's "terms of use" or "contract".   One large web site company in Utah actually has a clause that states they have the right to sue you if you say anything bad about them.  They can sue you for $2500 per occurrence.   That type of policy conicides with a  "bait and switch tactic". Once you have purchased  you can't get your money back... and you signed a one year contract with them that says you can't voice your outrage. At WebsiteForge, we take the risk out of purchasing a website by giving you an unconditional 12 month money back guarantee for any reason and no contracts! Hopefully you'll find this e-mail useful like many others have over the years. If you do choose another company and learn the hard-way, please contact me so we can get you on the right path to online success. I do wish you the best.   ----------------------------------- This was the response back... -----------------------------------   WOW. You are so right. I did not do any research on this company and I am completely shocked at the reports against them. I have had websites before. I have never had 1 made for me. I have always done my own. Your price is just to far out of my reach. Thanks for the help. Kim Henriksen     ----------------------------------- Summary... -----------------------------------   Other website companies have much lower prices for a reason! They offer a low-end product that will not be found in the search engines, it will cost you a lot to update and maintain, plainly put... you just will not be happy with it because you won't make any money unless you are paying money in advertising to send them to your site.   It's kind of like being nickeled and dimed for everything you have.   Remember... You Get What You Pay For!   Don't be fooled in letting these companies tell you that they can offer you everything that we do but for less... if they did... they would cost the same or even more, because people would be willing to pay the price... instead they just pay the price!   If you can not afford to purchase a website from WebsiteForge, just let me know what your budget is and I will try to offer you a solution with a company that can meet your budget so you won't be Ripped-Off by what I call... the used car (website) salesperson.   I wish you nothing but the best in your online endeavor.   Thanks, Douglas A. Marks Website Marketing Consultant E-mail - dougmarks@websiteforge.com Business - (888) 558.2446 Ext. 208 Fax - (517) 338-5064 Business Hours: (Monday - Friday) 10 AM - 6 PM Eastern Standard Time  

This Package includes:   Brand Insights Analysis   Domain Accessibility Audit Content Quality Overview Online Brand Mention Analysis Competitive Research Report Inbound Performance Analysis Google Quality Compliance Check Social Media Visibility Analysis Brand Reputation Benchmark Integrated eMarketing Plan   Brand Reputation Management Plan Strategic Content Marketing Plan Inbound Marketing Plan Advanced on Page SEO Strategy Local SEO Promotion Plan Authority Link Acquisition Plan Search Engine Compliance Audit Conversion Rate optimization Plan Social Media Branding Strategy Onpage Optimization   Unique Meta Title Tag Writing CTA based Meta Descriptions SEF Unique Meta keywords Page Geo locale management Custom build advanced metatags Domain, IP, URL Canonicalization 301 Redirect via .htaccess 404 Page optimization strategy Keyword Proximity Management Website Link Structure Optimization Outbound link Policy Management Visual, Video Elements Optimization Proper Anchor text management Html,XML Sitemap Installation Google,Piwik analytics Integration   Architecture Management   SEF URL Optimization for Pages Keyword Rich Titles Management Persuasive Copy writing for Home Rich media Widget Integration Corporate White Paper Creation Page and Hierarchy management Blog Setup and Content Integration W3C XHTML/CSS markup Validation Fix Broken links , Crawling issues Mobile Redirect Page management Page Loading speed optimization Custom Robots.txt File installation Contact Page structure Optimization NAP Structure optimization for pages Server side optimization via .htaccess Business Local Listing   Google , Bing Local search Listing Foursquare, Manta, Yelp Listing Facebook,LinkedIn,Google+ Pages Local Citation Directory Listing Local listing Page Re-Optimization Business Review site validation Local search Review Optimization Local Brand Mention optimization Social media NAP Optimization Local Search Results Analysis NAP markup & KML file installation Offpage Optimization   Text links from Business Directories Authoritive backlinks from Review Sites Premium PR Reference Link Source Featured Contextual Links from Blogs Reference based Local Directory Links Awareness Content Reference Links Brand mention links from infographics Link Acquisition via Inbound Marketing Contextual Links via Content Marketing Relationship Level Social Media Links Authorship Level Profile Backlinks Link Acquisition from Edu,Gov Blogs Contextual Links from Blog Mentions 2015 Google Quality Guidelines Audit All above mentioned task activities will be done by Certified staff members