posted on July 6, 2006 03:42:11 PM new
eBay is banning sellers from requesting payment through Google Checkout. The online auction giant updated its Safe Payments policy this week to add Google's new payment service, Google Checkout to its list of online payment methods not permitted on eBay.
posted on July 6, 2006 04:11:00 PM new
I seriously doubt that Ebay will ever allow any payment service affiliated with Google to be used on their site.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on July 6, 2006 05:05:09 PM new
No biggie. Don't sweat it but Google quietly changed the page ranking downwards for all eBay auctions and promoted Amazon who do accept Google Checkout. Probably just a coincidence...
posted on July 6, 2006 09:47:30 PM new
This could backfire on Ebay. Now that Google is the largest search engine, Ebay sellers could take a hit. With other auction venues showing up on Google, sellers will slowly move their items as buyers will find them in google. I can speak to all of my small auction site sales, that the bidders find them in google search mode. Ebay will have Yahoo, at least for now, but ask.com seems to follow the google platform. This could get interesting.
posted on July 7, 2006 07:17:20 AM new
Banning Google is so petty and childish, I have to wonder the age mentality of those in charge of eBay. I hope this comes back to bite them in the arse.
posted on July 7, 2006 12:25:17 PM new
I wouldn't be surprised if someone doesn't sue eBay for restraint of trade. I just don't see how ebay can stop a seller from accepting payment from Google. There might be something about putting it in the listing, but if I send an email to a buyer & tell them that I will accept Google Checkout, how can Feebay stop the transaction?
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
[ edited by sanmar on Jul 7, 2006 12:27 PM ]
posted on July 7, 2006 12:52:31 PM new
"I wouldn't be surprised if someone doesn't sue eBay for restraint of trade. I just don't see how ebay can stop a seller from accepting payment from Google."
Once again I say as I did in another post. It's their venue and they can do with it what they like. When you walk into let's say McDonalds to get a artery clogger burger do you expect to pay with Google? No, didn't think so. It's their decision what payments they accept and which they don't.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
I'm not 100% sure that the court's would agree with you. eBay constantly hides behind the defense that they are acting as a "venue". Basically, you can compare that to the owners of a mall. The mall can rent out space to store owners (in this case eBay sellers) and can even enforce certain general policies (such as no bare feet, no shirts, etc...). However, I've never heard of a traditional legitimate venue ever enforcing restrictions on payment methods for their vendors. A mall does not have the right to say that only Mastercard will be accepted in their mall... and that American Express can't be used.
Now that said... eBay has every right to decide what payments THEY accept for their services. If they want to be paid their listing fees only by Money Order... I suppose they could require that. But, I don't think that they have a right to enforce those kinds of restrictions on other sellers. Especially since US cash is considered legal tender for all debts within the United States. If I'm willing to accept it, and my bidder is willing to send it... eBay shouldn't get involved.
I'm no lawyer, or judge... but I bet that if this issue was ever taken to court, eBay could find themselves in dangerous waters...
[ edited by eauctionmgnt on Jul 7, 2006 01:07 PM ]
posted on July 7, 2006 01:19:06 PM new
A couple big differences, Mike. Even though it's Ebay's venue, and they set the rules of that venue, it does not in any way exempt them from Federal law when it comes to anti-trust or restraint of trade matters, most of which are felonies and all of which lead to huge civil lawsuits in addition to criminal prosecution. Also, Ebay has every right to specify what they will accept from you when you pay your monthly fees, the same as McDonalds. However , what we are looking at here is not monetary transactions between Ebay and sellers. There is a question as to whether Ebay can regulate the method a seller will use to accept payment from a buyer. That payment does not pass through Ebay's sticky fingers. It's strictly between the buyer and seller. Until Ebay starts listing and selling their own merchandise, they really have no legal right to specify an acceptable payment method.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
[ edited by sparkz on Jul 7, 2006 01:58 PM ]
posted on July 9, 2006 10:56:03 PM new
Sparkz; This is exactly what I was refering to. What goes on between the buyer & selle is out of eBay's jurisdiction. How can they determine how I am paid by the seller?
posted on July 10, 2006 05:16:01 AM new
Sparkz is correct in a way, however if the seller uses a banned payment method and then buyer reports the seller for a bad transaction and requests assistance under buyer protection, what do you think eBay will do at that point? I am guessing all remaining auctions shut down and seller gets a vacation. Buyers are not required to look at banned payments, unless when the auction ends eBay somehow figures it out and then alerts the bidder.
posted on July 10, 2006 11:10:26 AM new
Ron...That is true. Ebay doesn't even have to invoke their sham "buyer protection plan" They can shut down any and all auctions they see fit and suspend the seller at their sole discretion without even providing a reason. But the fact remains, Ebay is neither a public utility or a part of Major League Baseball, so they have no exemptions from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. They are very vulnerable. The closer to the top of the Fortune 500 list a corporation gets, the more attention they draw and the more vulnerable they are. Ebay may be the Holy Grail to many buyers and sellers, and they may be the darlings of Wall Street, but to the Justice department, they are a big fat duck in a shooting gallery, waiting to get plucked.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS