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Aussie Reserve Bank Eyeing eBay's PayPal Policy

Posted by timothy on from the jealous-eye dept.

Bulldust writes "Regular readers will recollect the recent story that eBay is forcing Australian users over to PayPal or COD as the only forms of payment in June 2008: eBay Australia Makes PayPal Mandatory. It now appears that the Australian Reserve Bank will consider throwing its weight behind users, should the eBay policy be deemed to breach trade practice and competition laws."

4 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. why all the greed by mnslinky · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why do so many people/companies insist on squeezing every last dime possible out of people. What's wrong with being content with a reasonable profit? I own my own business, have all sorts of toys, and pay my bills. I do so just fine by charging reasonable rates for what I provide. No nickel-and-diming required.

    I really despise greedy people. You can't take it with you.

    1. Re:why all the greed by chrome · · Score: 2, Interesting

      something like 1% of males are psychopathic, and about 90% of those end up in positions of power in large corporations, where most of the traits in psychopathy are looked for in top executives ... and yet people wonder why our corporations are all greedy inhuman unfeeling monsters.

  2. so the wheel turns again... by apodyopsis · · Score: 2, Interesting

    nothing to see really. its just your classic instance of internet suicide. goes something like this:

    1. new website offers cool technology
    2. people browse over, see it, like it, use it
    3. it becomes a "defacto" standard and charges more money
    4. because there is perceived to be a market, and people are frustrated with the charges from the original an alternative website is launched
    5. as alternative website gains more custom it becomes a more viable alternative, more people hear about it, more people leave original site
    6. the tipping point when the hassle of changing to the alternative is less then the annoyance of the charges charged by current website begins to slid in favor of the alternative
    7. the original collapses like a flan in a cupboard and people move en masse to the alternative
    8. realizing what an ass hat it has been the original makes desperate offers and price cuts to regain favor, hoping it has not pissed off its clientèle too much.
    9. the alternative service decides that now it is the "defacto" standard, it can raise prices.. ...

    hell we've all seen it again, and again.

    any bets on what the alternative will be?

  3. This has implications for ebay in the US by prgrmr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In March ebay very quietly started requiring paypal as a payment option for certain categories for items listed on ebay.com. Computers, for one. I discovered this when I tried listed some Unix system admin books I no longer need, as I do not have and do now want a paypal account. I complained to ebay about it, and they sent me their boilerplate propaganda about "makeing ebay a safer place for buyers". In June, paypal will be required for all new ebay sellers, and for all currrent sellers with under 100 feedback, in the US.

    What they refuse to acknowledge is that paypal offers no protection to sellers. Stolen credit cards and reversed-charges are still a potential for any transaction done via paypal. Until ebay gives me as a seller the option to wait 35 business days to ship an items paid for via paypal, there is no seller protection.