eBay BANS Google Checkout

eBay has updated it's "Safe Payments Policy" to specifically NOT allow Google Checkout.  I suspect sellers (especially multichannel) will be pretty upset about this.

It will be interesting to see what lame excuse eBay uses to justify this.  For example, they will probably say it's new so prone to fraud.  Well, in reality it's a credit card gateway (and the same one eBay spends millions with as the top google adwords user) and credit cards are specifically allowed along with gateways (verisign/cybersource/authorize.net, etc.)

Here's the relevent excerpt:

Payment Services not permitted on eBay: AlertPay.com, anypay.com, AuctionChex.com, AuctionPix.com, BillPay.ie, ecount.com, cardserviceinternational.com, CCAvenue, ecount, e-gold, eHotPay.com, ePassporte.com, EuroGiro, FastCash.com, Google Checkout, gcash, GearPay, Goldmoney.com, graphcard.com, greenzap.com, ikobo.com, Liberty Dollars, Moneygram.com, neteller.com, Netpay.com, Nochex.com, paychest.com, payingfast.com, paypay, Postepay, Qchex.com, rupay.com, scripophily.com, sendmoneyorder.com, stamps, Stormpay, wmtransfer.com, xcoin.com

The other relevent excerpt is that credit cards are allowed:

Permitted on eBay.com: Sellers may offer to accept PayPal, credit cards including MasterCard/Visa /Amex/Discover, debit cards and bank electronic payments online for eBay purchases. Sellers may also offer to accept bank-to-bank transfers, often known as bank wire transfers or bank cash transfers. Sellers may accept COD (cash on delivery) or cash for in person transactions. Sellers may offer to accept personal checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, certified checks and other negotiable instruments. Please see the “Some Examples” section of this policy for those evaluated payment services permitted in the eBay marketplace.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html                

This is eBay flexing their trust and safety muscles to control the way sellers take credit cards (and as a side-effect, limit their leverage with Google Adwords) if they feel it starts to infringe on the PayPal asset.

It's ironic they would do this here, and in the same breath go to Congress and fight the Net Neutrality battle.

You can't fight for an open internet one day and then implement policies that close the walled garden the next.

Coffee - eBay please wake up and smell it.  Trust and Safety is running (and ruining) your company.

Comments

[Bikini shop]

the best strategy is to sell with own shop, forget ebay

[Ruffle Bikini]

I hated Google checkout anyway. As a retailer of swimwear at http://www.brazilianbikinis.us, I really like the idea of a personal shopping cart. It gives a nice touch to the buying experience.

[microbikini]

I love google checkout I use it on my site as well as PayPal but always as a First Choice. Fee's are cheaper. I'm all up for what the guy below said, E-commerce stores of your own are the way forward. No fee's!

[tech news]

Google checkout is great only see the issue while calculate shipping with UPS and server call back time is only 3 sec.

[E-brazy]

I will stop to sell on ebay, because now the fees for international sellers will be 200% more expensive, because there are advantage for the owner of ebay stores but they are only for stores registered in that ebay.
So because I'am registered in France I will pay 200% more to list an item in buy it now to ebay.de, ebay.co.uk and ebay.it (where the store listing has been removed).....

So go to oscommerce and creloaded with SEO and google adwords... forget ebay...

Here my page where I'am selling more than on ebay:
http://www.brazilianbikinishop.com

[Litigation for the win]

Perhaps a class action lawsuit should be taken up against EBAY, for antitrust/monopoly practises. By limiting users to utilising their own 'paypal' system they are deliberately creating violating anti trust legislation.

[ruafairybuttercuptigi]

paypal is a CON !!

[Nightmare with eBay]

One quick fact: Ebay only suspends those who sell fake CD and brandname handbags, etc. But the profit share Ebay got from these sellers, they always keep it, eBay just don't give it back to anyone! That is why eBay does not come out to look for these sellers, as they say "we rely on reports" in their policies. Oh, what a good way to make illegal profit!!!!!

Someone needs to forward this to the attorney general or Congress.

[L8 2 The Party]

I don't understand the comments suggesting that this is an issue of eBay choosing, as a private company, who they'll do business with. Why is eBay sticking their fingers into a seller's transaction with a buyer? If the market -- the market between buyers and sellers -- wants to use a new payment option, why is it any of eBay's business? What can't sellers offer whatever terms they choose, and buyers can then accept or reject these terms with their bids?

[paypalh8er]

heh i use google checkout on ebay every day hell im makeing loads of cash cause google is doing free processing till new years and u think just becuse ebay put it in the payments not premited section that thats relly going to stop us from useing it? its like posting a no tresspassing sign up in the middle of the boondoxs just cause theres a sign up dosent mean i wont go past it.

just like the ps3 sales gaybay rules for listing a ps3 u must use paypal only Oo !!! and guess what all these people who sold ps3s u know what happen they went to w/d there money and guess what (Notification Of Account Limation)So all there suckers had to ship there ps3s off and then only to find out that fucking shitpal has there money held hostage and now there waiting weeks to get it back and playing paypals run around game while in the mean time paypals useing this money for there credit severice and makeing shit loads off the intrest of there poor saps who sold ps3s and i dont know about u but if im going to buy a ps3 and pays 1000's of $$'s theres no way in hell i will pay your suck a pethice Co. as paypal and only way i would pay is by credit card were i could file a charge back if i was scammed and if i sold a ps3 theres no way in fuck i would send it off unless the cash was in my hands.

so all you paypal lover boys out there who has a problem with how it talk about shitpal and jewbay ya can suck my dick.

Fuck ebay and Fuck paypal and hope the next 9-11 happens to your ass's

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[paypalh8er]

and ebays is relly going to be fucked when google launchs its free auction severice :) they need a new severive to knock this monkeys off the high horse cause they think sence there #1 they can do what every the fuck they want well shitbay u got another thing comeing and your days are numberd and stocks are still falling :)

and for the faggot theslimone you can quite pretending why ebay has banned googles payment system cause we all know why its cause of paypal loseing its customres and fuck i trust ebay with my info any day over fuckpal which can goto into your bank and take money out with out even getting your ok paypal is fucked up and i will never trust such a shity severice with the keys to my finances

btw you should read www.paypalsucks.com and maybe learn a thing or to about your so called trusted paypal.

[paypalh8er]

Notice on payments accepted Paypal is the first listed sounds like to me EGay is affried of compation and knows if people signs up and uses google that shitpal would be doomed cause

A. google checkout is easier to pay with then paypal
B. google checkout has hella lot cheaper fees
C. google checkout dose not collect inrest off peoples money that the frezze cause they dont limt accounts

them are just a few reason and google in my book is 1000x better then ebays pethice Co. paypal

and for the nerdy ebay workers here reading this u can smd and i use google to accept money on all my auctions and im letting as many people as i can know about google ;)

[ruafairybuttercuptigi]

I have been an ebay member and give good honest business as a buyer and a seller,no shill bids,no fake feedback etc,( i sold one item mainly bought items,clothes etc),and anyway im a disillusioned ebayer.Recently i have encountered a fraudulent seller from the UK she sold me a karen millen jumper,i paid within the given timeframe,and have still not recieved the item,in the meantime the seller about 2 weeks later has relisted(without consulting me the winning bidder of that exact item)she got feedback from a buyer on the 10th of august showing the jumper i paid for!!!In the meantime i emailed(and reported this seller)every shread of evidence i could get on this person to ebay customer support team,her address,name,past emails,etc..It took three days for ebay to respond and when they did i got a reply saying UNKNOWN SITE..They are extremely evasive,and as an auction site refuse to acknowledge responsibility for fraudulent shennanigans..even though they are happy to charge the fee..where is the customer service in that??Ebay is a sham there is absolutely no protection for customers eventhough the y are the very reason sellers on ebay exist!!!

[Da Man]

eBay has not updated ebay.co.uk cus Google checkout is only available in the USA for the moment.

"um did anyone happen to notice that google does not accept paypal as a payment method on their google checkout? why is the focus all on ebay? hmmm?"

You idiot, It up to Google how they get paid. Just like it should be up to us how we get pad. Not unless the service is well known for fraud like western union money grams. Another thing you idiot, Google has said many times that if there were any fraud issues they will cop the bill personally which means they are insured for it. Basically Google are saying how they want to get paid on their own site. Unlike eBay who are telling you who to use or else. eBay say that Moneybookers is ok to use which I agree with but then they say the Nochex another UK company is not. Well my site accpts both Moneybookers and Nochex. I've never had a problem with them unlike paypal with their stolen credit card peoblems. Nochex is a bigger UK company than Moneybookers with more users, thats why Nochex are bannes on eBay. Moneybookers have got 1'975'386 million user to date and €1'489'458'014 processed transactions. Nochex has got more with a lower fraud rate. Basically I'm trying to say that the bigger the competition the better the chance of being banned on shitbay.

[JiveBay]

I couldnt believe they would do this, well then again I can :(

[Patrick]

so what if ebay banned google. i'd do the same thing if that was my company. Why should they open the doors to google and provide them with business. Google has there Froogle crap to use if they want to compete with ebay. If Google Checkout can't compete with Paypal without being on Ebay well then they should give the whole service second thoughts. As for Google suing HA!... look at the list of BANNED processors. it's not just google, they're not special. there is a list of other banned processors that everyone seems to over look and only see google checkout. Ebay owns Paypal they have the right to say only uses this processor. If you don't like it then don't use ebay.

[Tricia]

Just one more time, lol, to give a more precise quotation, it's actually about imposng higher fees for thse who sell adult products:

[quote]Just FYI: PayPal policy is actually a reaction to restrictions imposed by VISA. PayPal has gone overboard, yes, to cover their butts, but they didn't start this. They're just playing (VERY) safe.

VISA have generally made it VERY difficult for anyone who wants to sell "adult" products by imposing very high annual fees and setting incredibly low charge-back ratios, among other things.

As for eBay, you will notice that "mature" items can't be purchased with PayPal (IIRC).[/quote]

Sorry to take up so much space, I didn't want to mistakenly spread any more misunderstanding...

[Tricia]

*Correction of the above, sorry, it is a Visa thing, but only affects you if you wish to retain a "family-friendly" rating, which I would assume eBay would wish to do. I had to look up some of the info again on another board. ;)

[Tricia]

While I would love to skewer eBay over this, and rightly so, I'm still inclined to point out that Google Checkout will still limit what you can and cannot pay for with their services, just like Paypal does. While eBay has an adult section that allows their users to sell adult items, you cannot use Paypal to pay for them! It is much the same way with Google Checkout, as the Prohibited Items list is virtually the same, and even more ambiguous! Check out http://checkout.google.com/seller/content_policies.html and then try and figure out which literature might be considered sexuall suggestive (banned as Adult Goods and Services). It's the same for security books, which could be banned under Hacking and Cracking Materials.

So, great! eBay has created a PayPal killer that'll cost me less, but has policies that are even more draconian than paypal's and completely ambiguous. Why am I supposd to get excited about that?

Just wanted to point out that the prohibition of selling sexually-related and/or -explicit things is actually a restriction of Visa, so anyone who accepts credit card payments must abide by those terms or risk having that priveledge revoked.

As far as eBay, well, they do have a right to do what they like with their business, and maybe before jumping the gun, we should wait and see if they change their policy if and when Google Checkout proves itself before painting them as an evil monopolistic entity. Of course, I for one welcome our new auction overlords (lol).

[captainfepa]

One of my biggest concerns about the eBay payments policy and coordinated PayPal procedures is the option - and in many cases, the requirement - to login to PayPal via a link or redirected screen supplied by some 'approved' checkout service. Reasonable security practices suggest that one log in to financial services only after personally typing the expected URL into a newly-opened browser screen. PayPal, however, provides interfaces to merchants such that the PayPal account knows of the billing when the user logs in through a link or redirected screen provided by the merchant or various checkout services. This makes it impossible for the average user to be certain that the screen into which the PayPal passwords are entered is actually that of PayPal and that these data are not collected by the service. Beyond being outrageous in itself, this opens one more step (several more steps, actually) to potential hacking, and trains users to ignore best security practices, increasing vulnerability to spoofing.

Moreover, PayPal/eBay promotes these practices aggressively. CircuitCity, for example, selling its excess on eBay as TradingCircuit, requires checkout through a third-party service called 'kyozou' which requires login to PayPal only through a form which it generates. After days of correspondence with TradingCircuit I was (at least by implication) finally offered the option of paying in the normal PayPal manner, using their email address as payee. However, PayPal intercepted the SEND MONEY button refusing the transaction with a message that THIS VENDOR REQUIRES USE OF THEIR OWN PAYMENT PROCEDURES! I believe that these 'safe payment' policies go beyond incautious to the point of unconscionable.

[dimes]

eBay using the excuse that google checkout is "too new" is simply specious.

If that was the real reason it's delaying approval of checkout, eBay would not have been so quick to restore bidpay to the "appropriate" payment list. WU shut down the Bidpay service at the end of last year, and later sold it to Cybersource.

The "new" bidpay has been completely retooled - it no longer issues money orders and restricts payments to direct deposits into seller bank accounts.

It was launched less than a month ago.

I agree with an earlier poster - a lot of the antagonism being directed at eBay is because it's so obviously lying about its reasoning, and people naturally resent companies that lie to them.

[Kinglink]

So we should expect Ebay, the largest online only auction house, to accept any and all new payment systems in the world, when they already have Paypal?

I mean we all know Google Checkout's track record of a year with.. wait no. We know that Google is secure, wait too new for that too.

The fact is Google Checkout has yet to EARN the approval that we are assuming Ebay should just give it? Why don't we wait until google is properly tested before attacking Ebay. Not that Ebay should ban it with out a statement as to why, but perhaps they don't want everyone to use googlecheckout, a system they have no control over, and after they are screwed ebay would have to refund everyone's money if google checkout doesn't.

Btw in reference ebay can do anything they want, they can say they will not accept any credit cards any more and it all has to be a cash transaction, or they could say it's all going to be done in ebay bucks. It's up to them to choose. This isn't about "net neutrality" this is about a business supporting the practice it wants to.

Bloomingdale's has the right to refuse any card they want. That's why many of them don't take american express or Discover because of higher than average fees. Ebay doesn't accept credit cards, Ebay accepts payment reciepts from Paypal that says the money was transfered. Yes they own paypal but it's a different business.

And Btw, Google doesn't accept paypal because why would they? Paypal isn't a payment form. It's a payment clearing house to use when using bank accounts and credit cards. You give your info to paypal it takes the money hides your personal info and hands the money to the next person. Google does the same thing. There's no reason for paypal or google to even accept each other because they don't accept money from outside sources, they work with banks and credit cards. They arn't a credit card, nor a bank.

[The Slim One]

All of you saying boo ebay are just on the Googl bandwagon. I love the big G and all of its software and tools (Gmail, Froogle, GChat, etc). GCheckout is dead in the water to me right now for two reasons;

1. Nobody uses it yet (nobody means non bleeding edge geek sites, that want all the web 2.0 hype they can get), so why bash ebay over it, its Ebays choice.

2. Unlike some other comment here, I lve the fact that PP links to my bank, that way I pay for it now, not later. Why pay interest in such on a $50 purchase off ebay if you got the money in the bank account

One more note, just like any other Google tool/software, how long till someone finds a way to google search it/hack it. Do you want your CC info Google'ed??? I know I dont.

Blast me all you want, sticks and stones people, sticks and stones.

[Just someone]

Interesting Jonathan Rosen thinks this is unfair. He runs his own payment service, perhaps not the most ummm objective commenter?

There's no monopoly power for PP on eBay when dozens of other payment services are accepted.

General truism about eBay and PP; the people who whine the loudest are usually the people caught for selling things they shouldn't: kiddie porn, guns, alcohol, etc. Or they got scammed once in a hundred auctions by buying a fake Fendi for $20 and now think eBay is the devil. Or they're about to go out of business and blame eBay for their bad decision making.

So long as people are so angry and upset by all the furor, eBay will survive. The only thing that will kill it, is indifference, and I don't see much of that around here.

[widmerpool]

"Really, as sad as it is to see ebay do this, let us not forget that they are a private company and they can freely chose who they wish to do business with."

sure, that's how it works. we have an anarcho-capitalist society.

it's not like Bloomingdale's is refusing to accept a Nordstrom credit card. eBay is supposed to be independent of PayPal. PayPal could legitimately not accept Google checkout.

it will not be long before we see Google Checkout on eBay.

all eBay did was create bad PR in the interim.

[Cotillion]

There are no "anti-trust" or monopolistic practices going on. Paypal should not be forced to allow specific types of payment. It's their company, welcome to capitalism. Offering Google Checkout might be convienient for some but it is still beta. If something goes wrong with Google Checkout and someone doesn't get money, they will blame eBay. People (myself included) don't generally think well when upset. eBay made the right decision to not allow beta services.

To Voice of reason:
The "Wild West" was not like a wild west movie. There were not gunfights at noon every other day. Guns don't cause violence, people do. People intent on violence will pursue that violence by whatever means (upset people don't think well). If you remove all guns (legal and illegal) then they will use a bow, sword, or knife. If you remove those, they will use a club. If you remove clubs, they will use a pipe or stick. And on and on. Sudan, Iraq, and Congo are in states of war. The armies and militia have guns but it is tough for the average citizen to get one. It is not easy to get a gun in the USA. And I believe that "civilized" France has had more violent riots in the past couple of years than the USA--even though the USA has many more people.

And have you ever tried to take a gun from someone pointing it at you? It isn't that easy without getting shot. Most attackers who see a gun run. Please provide references if you have proof that most guns get turned on their owners by attackers.

[Voice of reason]

LOL at firearms comment. A gun will not help a woman defend herself against a sexual predator; he's more likely to turn it on her. And the "civilized" parts of the world are the ones that have taken more steps to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and children. The places where guns are easy to buy are rough, violent, uncivilized places like Sudan, Iraq, Congo, and the United States of America.

eBay has my eternal gratitude for their very sane policies on buying and selling dangerous items with few, if any, legitimate uses.

[Marcus]

Has anyone here signed up for Google Checkout?

I did. I noticed they don't offer PayPal as a payment option in their Checkout. Only credit cards and not all of them either. Maybe that's why eBay doesn't allow them on the site. What is the point of Google taking a credit card and not PayPal if they are not building their own proprietary cart or payment system?

[william]

Mr. Wizard,

The reason you can't sell firearms on eBay is due to U.S. federal laws enacted in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson(1) signed the Gun Control Act, thereby prohibiting sales of firearms by dealers or individuals in one state to individuals from other states. It has nothing to do with eBay. eBay does however allow the selling of firearm parts and components.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZherbsgunshopQQhtZ-1

In the future you should do some research instead of blindly pointing fingers or making stuff up next time. Just a thought...

[Jason Cliford]

So if Google decide to reprioritise ebay ads so they do not appear prominently or just block ebay ads altogether can we all assume that ebay will be happy with the move as it's much the equivilent to Ebays move.

How about if to match it properly Google set up a competing service and push that for all auctions.

[Mr. Wizard]

I quit using eBay a few years ago for two main reasons:

1) eBay is not secure, safe, or fraud-free, despite all its highly touted, very annoying efforts to appear that way. I was almost ripped off by a scammer on eBay who tried and succeeded in fleecing about six other buyers. The scammer was not even very bright, as he accepted a personal check as payment. I stopped payment on the personal check (my banker was amused and didn't charge me a fee for that) minutes after I had used it to pay for the COD delivery at a USPS office and discovered that what I had been shipped was not what I had bid on. The seller had not thought to specify cash or cash equivalent only as a means of covering the COD delivery, and the postal clerk had actually preferred I write a check to save myself the expense of having her create a Postal Money Order for me that she could send back to the seller, as I initially started to pay with cash. I tried to contact the seller, even though I knew he had tried to swindle me, but, not surprisingly, he had disappeared. So much for eBay's safety and security measures!

How do I know he'd scammed others? I contacted everyone else who had a winning bid on any of his recent (only) auctions under that username and warned them. They sent me back their horror stories about being defrauded/scammed on eBay by that seller. I got one email from a guy in law enforcement whose wife had been ripped off by the seller on eBay. He was going to contact a buddy of his in the city in which the seller purportedly resided, but did not have high hopes that that city's police department would catch the scammer.

2) eBay is far too politically correct and is happy to impose harsh restrictions or outright bans on listings for things that might annoy the sorts of mindless drones who get all excited about buying/selling "collectible" faux depression era Cobalt blue miniature tea sets.

Don't believe me? Try to bid on or list firearms on eBay. Since eBay is not a party to the transaction itself, why did it prevent firearms from being listed? They are legally bought and sold all the time in the U.S. and most civilized parts of the world. I guess eBay has something against a woman who might want to defend herself effectively against sexual predators, or a father who wants to sell the youth-sized .22LR rifle he bought for his daughter to learn how to shoot with, now that she is an adult and buys her own firearms.

As a rule, one can find better, safer deals elsewhere on almost anything non-trivial than one can on eBay. Some fantastic (read: more useful, less noisy and less obnoxious) auction sites have sprung up all over the Web because eBay is so bad.

FractalZone
esotriv.blogspot.com

[me]

Really, as sad as it is to see ebay do this, let us not forget that they are a private company and they can freely chose who they wish to do business with. Like it or not, it's their right to do so. I've worked with several companies that refused to do business with certain countries for no reason other than politics, sure it maybe lost them some money- but in the end it's their choice.

[William]

hi

um did anyone happen to notice that google does not accept paypal as a payment method on their google checkout? why is the focus all on ebay? hmmm?

google wants you to do everything you do online through them. search, blog, email, voip, news, maps, software etc...doesn't this sound familiar? everyone one hates microsoft for attempting this...Can you say the M word? the one that stirs the justice department? mmmmmMonopoly? just cause they are smart and they do it with a smile, they make slightly more secure products than microsoft, and they have a stanford educations doesn't make it any less of a monopololy. it's still a monopolistic behavior they have going there.

remember google has a god-given right to poach everybody else's business with a free service supported by advertising.

hey wait isn't that what microsoft did to netscape?

where's my google browser?

[Chuck]

KermodeBear,

This response is in reference to your comments below.

"I can't see PayPal losing much, of any, market share there. It's integrated into the whole system and super easy to use. If there isn't a compelling reason to change, people won't."

Even though PP is integrated into eBay, most Powersellers use their own third party checkout to complete and track sales. Channeladvisor has already integrated GC into their system. If eBay had not banned GC and Google was able to provide some kind of benefit to BUYERS for using GC you can bet PP would lose marketshare.

Chuck

[dimes]

"If Google was just a payment gateway we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

You sure about that? Isn't cardserviceinternational.com the company that owns the linkpoint gateway? Isn't CCAvenue.com also a gateway?

Looks like eBay is trying to tell sellers which merchant account services are "appropriate".

[Gillian]

http://checkout.google.com/seller/content_policies.html
I believe that some of these policies may be affecting ebay's descision to not use Google checkout. While many of these are also on ebay's prohibited list, others are not. Notably, "Satanic and sacrificial goods: Materials, goods or paraphernalia for use in satanic, sacrificial, or related practices". While I'm not saying that we should be condoning human sacrifice, a lot of products relating to different religions fall into this category and it could in theory cover everything from jewellery to books to pretty much anything they decide is "related" to an alternative religion.
This is why personally I won't be using Google checkout, although I normally respect them a great deal. I can only hope that this is part of the ebay's broader view.

[Peter]

It surprises me that some of you are surprised by this.

[shaka]

I think Ebay just violated anti-trust regulations.

[matt]

I hope Google cries antitrust and gets the payment system opened up a bit more.
I am just tired of getting squeezed by Ebay on both ends. Espically since they wont cross help on problems. I have had people cry to Paypal they want a refund, then cry to Ebay that they still want the item. Which leave me getting suck with Ebay feee and no way to get it fixed. Even though they have all the proof in their system.
Paypal says its an Ebay problem and vise versa.

Even worse is Paypal will not dispute a CC charge back on your behalf. Even with proof of shipping and delivery using the paypal system to ship, Paypal will not block a false charge back.

[matt]

I hope Google cries antitrust and gets the payment system opened up a bit more.
I am just tired of getting squeezed by Ebay on both ends. Espically since they wont cross help on problems. I have had people cry to Paypal they want a refund, then cry to Ebay that they still want the item. Which leave me getting suck with Ebay feee and no way to get it fixed. Even though they have all the proof in their system.
Paypal says its an Ebay problem and vise versa.

Even worse is Paypal will not dispute a CC charge back on your behalf. Even with proof of shipping and delivery using the paypal system to ship, Paypal will not block a false charge back.

[Chris]

Google Checkout is not a payment gateway. It is a third party billing service. The different is that a payment gateway is used to process payments through a merchant's own merchant account. Third party billing services use their own merchant account to process payments on behalf of a merchant.

If Google was just a payment gateway we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

[George]

My questions is, how long was the paypal virtual terminal banned for before Ebay accepted it as an payment method with a good track record? Is the VT any different from google checkout?

[Jonathan Rosen]

Actually, the point was that net neutrality is about keeping the Internet "open" or "free." eBay has been spending lots of money lobbying for this. However, their actions regarding Google Checkout are anything but promotion of a "free internet."

The point being that you can't wear the cape of freedom fighter all the time and then turn around and make discriminatory policy without raising some eyebrows.

[Byron]

"Can someone explain to me how limiting the payment options for eBay has anything to do with net neutrality??"

Nothing. Bad analogy/comparison. Limiting payment options on a proprietary service, while perhaps somewhat anticompetitive, is a far cry from the telecoms attempting a power-grab of the entire Internet. The author is just trying to emphasize the anticompetive nature of Ebay's move, but overreaches a bit at the end.

[Joseph]

While I would love to skewer eBay over this, and rightly so, I'm still inclined to point out that Google Checkout will still limit what you can and cannot pay for with their services, just like Paypal does. While eBay has an adult section that allows their users to sell adult items, you cannot use Paypal to pay for them! It is much the same way with Google Checkout, as the Prohibited Items list is virtually the same, and even more ambiguous! Check out http://checkout.google.com/seller/content_policies.html and then try and figure out which literature might be considered sexuall suggestive (banned as Adult Goods and Services). It's the same for security books, which could be banned under Hacking and Cracking Materials.

So, great! eBay has created a PayPal killer that'll cost me less, but has policies that are even more draconian than paypal's and completely ambiguous. Why am I supposd to get excited about that?

[gordoste]

Can someone explain to me how limiting the payment options for eBay has anything to do with net neutrality??

[Fazookus]

I'd have no problem with PP if they didn't require access to my bank account. There's no way I'm going to do that if I have an alternative (google, for example) and I suspect a lot of people who've hit PP's US$2,000 limit (or whatever it is now) would feel the same.

Major scum job, eBay, keep up the bad work.

Faz

[KermodeBear]

I don't see a problem with eBay doing what it is doing. It is well within its rights to determine the terms of service for its website. Most people who use eBay are probably unaware of Google Checkout (have you asked Average Joe about it?) and don't care. PayPal is there, everyone uses it, and it works. GoogleCO not accepted? So what?

Even if it wasn't banned from eBay, I can't see PayPal losing much, of any, market share there. It's integrated into the whole system and super easy to use. If there isn't a compelling reason to change, people won't. eBay fell to its own FUD.

[dimes]

Even eBay isn't calling it a "safe payment" policy anymore, just an "accepted payment" policy.

As a long-time customer who wants to use google checkout on eBay as a credit card alternative to paypal, it's irritating to see that while eBay has no problem banning google, it also has no problem accepting something called "Canadian Tire Money" that isn't actually money at all, in the legal tender sense of the word. Please.

Since Whitman is quoted as saying "As Google (Checkout) gets a little bit of history we will evaluate them", I plan on helping build that history by buying eBay items only from sellers who have uploaded their inventory to googlebase and who accept google checkout there.

It's the least I can do.

[Robertson]

I would invite others to join me in cancelling their SKYPE accounts in protest over eBay's short-sighted policy. Ebay owns Skype and if enough folks do the same, it may not continue to behave like a monopolistic bully. (Note: eBay owns Skype, which is a security nightmare anyways.)

[Bob]

Google will threaten an anti-trust lawsuit.

[Matt]

I think it's time for us to get together and contact our attorney generals about them banning Google Checkout. It's an obvious anti-trust violation, since eBay is an obvious monopoly, and they're using it to protect their PayPal business.

This is unacceptable.

[Glich]

Of cource google could just blackhole ebay. I wonder how that whould effect people who find ebay actions via google.

[David DeLella]

eBay can suck a fat one...who are they to deny a payment option which could essentially provide more security to sellers and buyers. They haven't even given google a chance. I know PayPal has many great loopholes in their policies which can be exploited and have been by many people. You would think with PayPals fraud case record of reported problems it would be about time to find something new. Down with eBay...I think google should release a competitor for eBay and put them out of business!

[BenSchiendelman]

In Washington State, I suspect that violates RCW 19.86.020, but there's a lot of case law I haven't slogged through to know, and IANAL.

[Darren]

can anyone say "anti-trust" or "monopoly".

[John]

As much as I dislike dealing with monopolies, I dislike infinitely more being lied to. If eBay were to simply tell the truth instead of constantly spinning for temporal effect, I would like dealing with them a whole hell of a lot more. If Meg or whoever were to simply state that eBay believes it to be in their own and their shareholders' best interest not to allow Google's system to be marketed on their site, I would give them ten gold stars and a ticket out of the basement.

Fat flipping chance....

[Jonathan Rosen]

Their spokesperson, Hani Durzy said, "Google Checkout is, what, a week old?! At this point we're saying it does not meet the factors needed to allow it as an accepted payment." (http://news.com.com/2061-10812_3-6091240.html) So, then eBay normally is in the practice of going out and searching for new payment services, and then banning them until they are proven? Anybody really believe that? Was there some due diligence put in here to discuss the security of Google Checkout with Google? Probably not. I don't think this is that much of a Trust & Safety issue.

I think that perhaps the bigger issue here is why is eBay- a company that for myriad reasons proclaims itself a "venue-" making rules about what forms of payment are acceptable?? This seems a bit hypocritical to me. One the one hand eBay can't stop talking about community and the power of us, delivering kinds of lines about people connecting with other people. Great! Let them connect... But, on the other hand they want to dictate how the community participants can interact with each other. I remember a time when barter wasn't out of the question on eBay even. Now, I can't use 40 services to accept payment?

I think that one thing that has made many communities successful in the long run is a sense of empowerment among its community members. As a member of the eBay community, I'd like to feel empowered to make the choices that I think are best for myself and my business. Doing so will help me chart my course better, make me a more content member of the community and I think will lead to growth in the long term for both myself and the community. Isn’t that what we all should be striving for?

[Chuck]

Scot,

I blogged on this earlier. Honestly I feel this is more of a "Board of Directors" that are ruining a company than T & S. On cases of this magnitude I believe the addition of Google Checkout to the "unaccepted" payments list came right from the top. I felt that eBay had already made their decision long before Google Checkout was launched. Hani Durzy's comments were well rehearsed. And who is to say that the Accepted Payments policy was not created with Google CHeckout in mind?

I think at this point that eBay has become so big that the ones currently running the company do not remember what ebay was founded on or have chosen to forget. It is much easier to change your policies to hedge against another company taking market share away from your other holdings than it is to do what is right for the community.

When reading the accepted payments policy I can't keep myself from hearing Don Corleone from the Godfather movies reading the following excerpt;

"eBay STRONGLY encourages sellers to offer payments through PayPal"

[Dargus]

eBay hasn't updated their safe payment policies for ebay.co.uk. Does this mean they plan on allowing Google checkout for international sites or does it mean UK has more restrictions on what payments eBay can deny?

Under the above criteria, eBay does not permit sellers to solicit payment for eBay items through Greenzap.com, e-gold payments, eBullion, Stormpay, Auctionchex and Auctionpix. Sellers may not solicit payment through “topping off” of a seller’s pre-paid credit or debit card.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html