From Internet Retailer.com:
Jewelry e-retailer Blue Nile Inc. today joined Amazon.com Inc. in severing its referrals from Rhode Island online affiliates because of legislation that would require the collection of sales tax. The two retailers recently took similar action in North Carolina and Amazon today cut off its affiliates in Hawaii.
“This is a result of the tax collection legislation passed by the Rhode Island state legislature, and expected to become law,” Blue Nile said in a letter sent today to its Rhode Island affiliates. “Blue Nile regrets the need to take this action. As the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1992 Quill decision makes clear, the proposed bill is unconstitutional as it requires sellers with no physical presence in the state to collect sales tax on sales to buyers in that state.”
Blue Nile made a similar announcement to its online affiliates in North Carolina on Saturday, June 27.
Amazon also sent similar messages to its Rhode Island affiliates yesterday, to its North Carolina affiliates on Friday and to its Hawaii affiliates today. “This is a direct result of the unconstitutional tax collection scheme passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly with a veto-proof majority,” Amazon said in the message yesterday. “As a result, we will no longer pay any referral fees for customers referred to Amazon.com or Endless.com after June 29. We were forced to take this unfortunate action in anticipation of actual enactment because of uncertainties surrounding the legislation’s effective date. The governor could sign the bill—or have his veto overridden—any day now.”
Both Blue Nile and Amazon said they would pay their affiliates for all referral fees earned until the recent terminations. Amazon notes that its referral fees can run as high as 15% of the value of a sale transaction, and that it will make final payments to affiliates by Sept. 1.
