Things That Are Bothering You, Got You All Hibbeldy-Jibbeldy, or just downright pissed, RIGHT NOW!

The reason Ebay gave me for pulling my auctions is that they feel Western Union, Google Checkout, and personal checks are not secure methods of payment. They feel that Paypal - and money orders - are the only trusted payment methods.

Now, while I state in my auctions that I accept Paypal and M.O.'s, I do receive a personal check or W.U. on occasion.

I have never had any problems with W.U., M.O.'s, or checks. In fact, the only time I have had problems was from Paypal transactions.

I don't have a problem with Paypal for the most part. 99% of ebayers use it; it's quick, easy, and reliable (again, for the most part). I could say a word or two about their fees, but the fact of the matter is that if paypal ceased to exist and people had to send or money orders, there probably wouldn't be as many bidders and users on ebay.

However, I am a Powerseller with around 2,000 transactions under my belt. I have been a paypal and ebay user for four years, never caused them any problems. I have near-perfect feedback. I have probably given Paypal $6,000 or so of my profits.

When they tell me they have proof I sent the package, then side with a relatively new ebayer who chose to have his package shipped without insurance or delivery confirmation, something is wrong.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

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Tying generally means you're requiring the use of the second product. Here, they're prohibiting references to competing products (competing against the "second" service, paypal). You're not required to use paypal.

Ah, I thought you had to use PayPal or a MO. It's just that you can't reference those other methods. Interesting.

But I would question the ability of competitors to enter the market. Though i suppose it's really just a name-recognition (for lack of better words) thing. A new auction site could pop up, but few would know about it. And the viability of such a marketplace depends on the number of users--EBay has that critical mass that other sites wouldn't have.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

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(Just my off-the-cuff thoughts, obviously. FWIW in deciding how much salt to take with my views, I'm not an antitrust expert although I've dabbled in it from time to time.)

Same here. Antitrust isn't my primary field, just a (more than passing) interest though I do deal with the level of competition in markets (not this one obviously).

bob

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

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Tying generally means you're requiring the use of the second product. Here, they're prohibiting references to competing products (competing against the "second" service, paypal). You're not required to use paypal. You can send checks or use a variety of other payment methods. You can probably also use Western Union, etc., but just can't explicitly list them on your ebay listing.
Also, while I'm assuming for argument's sake that ebay has market power given its large market share, the facts that ebay is not providing a unique product or service, and that presumably it would be relatively easy for a new market entrant to compete, may well run counter to that.
(Just my off-the-cuff thoughts, obviously. FWIW in deciding how much salt to take with my views, I'm not an antitrust expert although I've dabbled in it from time to time.)

I've never sold a good on eBay before, but for those who have, when you sell an item, is there an option for another competing internet payment system, or just PP? I see the market for internet payments as being seperate from that of cheques, money orders, etc. If they are seperate markets, and eBay is requiring that you use only PP for internet payments, then isn't it a case of product tying?

Because if you can only use Paypal, and eBay will not allow you to post listings that say you can use Google Checkout, or other type of internet payment system, I'm beginning to see similarities to the Microsoft-IE vs. Netscape thing and Apple-iTunes vs. the others where eBay is using it's market power in the auction market to squeeze out players in the internet payment market.

Or I could be completely wrong and missing a key puzzle piece... since anti-trust stuff isn't my bag, baby.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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Though i suppose it's really just a name-recognition (for lack of better words) thing. A new auction site could pop up, but few would know about it.

Google has the internet popularity, and more importantly, the credibility to start an auction website. I know that they have a no-fee promotion going on for G-Checkout, but it don't think it could last if they expanded it for use in an auction setting... eBay could cry predation.

Originally Posted by Bandwagonesque

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Google has the internet popularity, and more importantly, the credibility to start an auction website. I know that they have a no-fee promotion going on for G-Checkout, but it don't think it could last if they expanded it for use in an auction setting... eBay could cry predation.


Oh, blech, price predation--virtually impossible to prove, and probably not seen since the turn of the last century and the great trusts. And this couldn't possibly be a case of it.

bob

I absolutely despise eBay and wish them the worst.

At the moment, everything. Mostly the repetitiveness of life...and how trivial everything can be.

most_def, go smell a flower or something.

1. tiny rolling "luggage" (especially on the Metro) that weighs all of 5 lbs.

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This kills me. These people can't pick this crap up? It gets in the way, it's noisy on tiles/sidewalks, and it makes me think you suck. Most people aren't really bringing anything of substance to/from work anyway. Suck it up and carry it.

Also pissing me off: the Philadelphia Phillies.

Two to three hours of Russian homework a night is pissing me off enough to dig this thread out of the abyss.

Telephone customer service. Argh ... so useless.

Verizon.

Adults with back-packs (I'm only giving kids a break because they're meant for kids to carry school books).


b

Financial anxiety is making Bergdorf into Baddorf.

I know this is trite, but guys wearing suits with running shoes on the way to/from work...

Things I hate:

Cell phone companies. You, if you work for a cell phone company.

"Customer Support" that is so incredibly poor the only possible explanation is that it has been designed to make you want to stop using it as soon as possible.

The sad fact that the fast majority of customer support is described by the above sentence.

Having about 1/3 of a 1lb bag of tortilla chips that are broken so small they can't be used to convey delicious salsa to my mouth.

People who shove their hand into a bag of chips thereby breaking many of them.

People who roll the chips up super tight thereby breaking many of them.

People who mishandle my chips in any way leading to their being unnecessarily broken.

The fact that I still have another part-full bag of broken chips because they are too small to eat but I don't want to just throw them out and waste food.

What are you supposed to do with a bunch of broken chips? I was thinking of crushing them up and using them to bread something, or make a casserole or something. Ideas?