‘Michael Malone filed an antitrust class-action lawsuit against eBay this week under the Sherman Act, alleging eBay "utilizes its nationwide monopoly of the on-line auction market to monopolize the available forms of payment that sellers can use on eBay." eBay controls which payment methods sellers may advertise in their listings, and this year, it eliminated buyer-protection for non-PayPal transactions. eBay owns the PayPal payment service.’
The article also references the old conflict between PayPal and eBay. Before eBay purchased PayPal, PayPal’s management team prepared an anti-trust lawsuit against eBay and threatened to pursue the action. Ultimately, PayPal did not file the anti-trust lawsuit, but it is ironic given the current lawsuit’s claims.
Very interesting stuff. We will have to keep an eye on how this develops.
walter sulowski
HELLO; I STARTED TO BYE FROM PERSONS ON EBAY IN 2001. ORIGINALLY MOST PUR-CHASES WERE PAID BY PERSON CHECKS. NOW (11-10), ALMOST NO SELLERS ON EBAY AGREE
TO ANY TYPE OF PAYMENT EXCEPT PAYPAL OR POSTAL MONEY ORDERS. U.S.P.S. M/O’S ARE
A PAIN BECAUSE YOU MUST PURCHASE THEM AT POSTOFFICE. I DONOT WANT PAYPAL BE-
CAUSE, I DON’T WANT MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER BEING “SHOWCASED”. IF EBAY GIVES ME
THIER CREDIT CARD NUMBER, I’LL GIVE THEM MINE. HAS ANY ONE READING THIS EVER
HEARD OF THE REVEREND ‘JIM JONES’? IF EBAY SENDS OUT ANY KOOLAID DRINKS, DON’T
DRINK THEM, NO MATTER WHAT. THANK YOU, PERHAPS THIS WILL HELP IN FORMING AN
OPINION. WALLY.