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Aussie Reserve Bank Eyeing eBay's PayPal Policy
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."
I am guessing eBat/PayPal forgot there are regulatory bodies they should consult before doing such things.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
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.
Ummmm
Or, is any regulation or the Right And True Free Actions of Companies communist nowadays? Reining in companies does not communism make.
Basically, EBay has said "We, through a subsidiary, get a cut of all sales
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
eBay should be able to run their business as they see fit, but then that leaves it open to collusion and other kinds of ugly. grey area, any in site?
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?
Hey. We've had 12 years of Howard, almost. Imagine if you have another 4 years of Bush ahead of you. The US would be screwed too.
That said, AUSTRALIA is not in the least bit communist. We are, however, voting strongly for more worker and consumer rights these days, where previously its all been about business. We've seen how well thats worked out for us for the past 12 years so, screw that.
I hear that in Britain, if it weighs roughly the same as a duck, it's most likely a witch.
Isn't is about time that google put out a auction site and linked it into the search. EBay needs a real competitor.
thank God the internet isn't a human right.
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.
How's Rudd working out, now you've had him a bit? While he seemed to be a really big improvement over Howard at first (of course, a decaying rat corpse would have been an improvement over Howard), he's kind of dropped off the internation news since then, and I'd be interested to hear what he's like now.
Rudd is still having his "honeymoon period" in government. This has been extended by the ineptness of the Opposition and some toadying on behalf of the media. He has said a lot about what his government will do and has not made a complete fool of himself overseas. The budget comes out next month and it will be the first real test of policies and practice.
The major worrying factor is that he will have to make deals with a number of people in after June when the new Senate sits. Most have dubious track records. Steve Fielding (Family First) is the biggest worry. We have already seen ISP filtering being declared an essential service for all Australians. The morons have also caved into pressure from Fielding to arrange for an Internet filter to be installed in Parliament House so members can no longer visit reproductive health sites and a whole bunch of other sites that are essential for staffer research.
He may also have to try to do deals with the Greens. They have shown little aptitude for deal-making or legislative creativity so we may even see a double-dissolution of Parliament within a year. They generally vote with the ALP on social and economic issues however so the threat may be small. Headline-grabbing environmental issues will be the sticking point.
Finally there is the Independent Nick Xenophon who ran on a popular anti-poker machine campaign. Already Rudd has made noises about limiting their spread which is a bit late. I for one see benefits in limiting these discretionary taxation devices.
Slashdot: Where nerds gather to pool their ignorance
If you look at our constitution and society structure, it is pretty much a democratic socialist state. We have Federally mandated Free Health cover and hospitalisation (which is close to collapse - thanks Mr Howard), Free Education (although not quite so free in Queensland), real Social Security (although that was weakened by the previous Government - why oh why do I, a disabled person, have to stand in lines at Centerlink until I collapse to the floor, when I've been in the system for 10 years, with over 20 documents from doctors and specialists?), reasonable protection from the worst abuses of Capitalism (although Prof Fels departure from the ACCC seemed to pull its teeth somewhat - thanks again Johnny).
So we aren't Communist, but even our right (the Liberals) neo-cons are generally way left of yours, and some of our right is left of your Democrats.
The previous government (under John 'Bonsai' Howard) was possibly the most right wing we've ever had. The Rudd Labor Government is way left of Johnny, but is dominated by the Labor Right and Centre factions. This is possibly a good thing, as I don't think that an immediate massive swing to the left would be good for the country's stability. That being said, there are quite a few far-reaching social justice reforms being put up, and Rudd seems to be looking at some far reaching long-term economic reforms, although not to the extent of a completely centrally planned economic model.
Mostly he's making a lot of noise, with actions that seem to be going to follow through, but are still at the token stage. The only critics I've seen are anachists and die-hard Howard fans; the rest are mumbling and grumbling that he can't be popular forever. He seems a little like Obama (as I see it) but with a race issue hounding after him.
Semi-automatic amateur armchair Australian philosopher; conjecture ready at any moment...
Wow, what an amazingly ignorant, and foolish remark!
Australians funny enough generally don't like to be pissed on their backs, and then be told it's raining!
Standing up for our rights to have choice, and not be forced to endure extra fee's at the whim of some organisation, is considered a natural right. How you confuse this with communism makes me wonder what brand cool-aid you've been drinking?
somebody needs to brush up on their political terms... Communism and Socialism, although vaguely similar, are not the same thing.
In Australia, citizens are guaranteed the right to free or cheap healthcare (including subsidised medications), to Social Security when we fall on hard times, and to not get shafted by large companies intent on leveraging their monopoly or near-monopoly position for even greater profits at the expense of their customers and competitors.
>>>"democratic socialist state"
The two worst evils. Democracy == tyranny of the majority to squash the minority underfoot & treat those persons like dirt.
Socialism == theft of money from your neighbors' wallets so you can enrich yourself with free goods (somewhat akin to U.S. Slavery wherein the blacks' labor was stolen to enrich the white master).
The government is not your daddy. Its purpose is not to raid middle-class neighbors' wallets and give it to you.
Socialism is only theft if you have nowhere else to live. As I was told when I lived in the USA, "If you don't like it here go live somewhere else". So I did. People here in Oz have the same choice. People in the former Soviet Union didn't.
Some people believe that issues of social justice prevail over issues of personal prosperity, and that the prosperity of the nation outweighs that of the individual. These people are quite happy to see their taxes being paid and spent. Other people see things a bit differently. They are called Americans.