LUZERNTECH is one of a growing number of Irish companies that carry out most of their business on global auction site eBay, writes Joe Brennan.

The Blanchardstown-based firm, set up in 2002 by Ken Doyle, former general manager at Marconi Ireland, with partners Shane Manton and Patrick Sherlock, sells new and refurbished consumer electronics such as laser printers and employs 40 people.

Ireland’s position at the bottom of the European broadband penetration stakes is making it difficult for online traders, said Doyle. “Dial-up connections just don’t do it when you are chasing an item in an auction.”

At a recent eBay “power sellers” summit in Brussels, Doyle outlined to Irish MEPs Gay Mitchell and Avril Doyle the challenges facing eBay entrepreneurs.

“The different Vat rules across the continent make distance selling difficult to manage. Warranty periods and customer protection laws also vary. The lack of EU-wide legislation can make things confusing,” he said.

LuzernTech, which mainly sells to clients in Ireland, Britain, France, Germany and Spain, plans to expand into other European markets this year and add 15 people to its payroll.

“We have five people working in our distribution and customer service hub in Hamburg and two people in Madrid. Most of the new jobs will come as we develop more hubs across Europe,” said Doyle. “Our plan is to have more than €1m in monthly sales on eBay by the end of this year.”