Inform Act aims to thwart third-party vendors reselling stolen goods

The Inform Act, which took effect today, requires online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay to verify the identities of high-volume vendors in an effort to stop crime rings from stealing from brick-and-mortar stores and reselling their loot. The act also requires online marketplaces to provide consumers with mechanisms to report suspicious listings. After that, a consumer confidence-consumer spending mismatch, and still-high housing prices and mortgage rates mean a still-tight housing market.