[pure-silver] Re: OT Ebay to take Paypal only..

Hi,
Maybe the word "monopoly" is the wrong word to use but the fact remains that if you want to use eBay, they are forcing us to use PayPal as the only acceptable method of payment and it's inherent bias against the seller and other problems it raises. I would hardly consider "Craigslist, Amazon, KEH, Midwest Photo Exchange, B&H, Adorama, my local classifieds, whatever" as viable alternatives to ebay. Where else do you have such a wide selection of photographic items, if we restrict ourselves solely to photography.... look at all the other categories that are available. Unfortunately, they are the only interesting game in town.
On top of that, B&H and Adorama imposes UPS on me as the sole acceptable shipping agent and for cross border shipping, UPS, FEDEX are a rip-off. They charge an extra 10% for unnecessary brokerage fees ( there no duties between Canada and the US due to the Free Trade Agreement yet they insist on brokerage and they charge the Canadian tax on incoming goods which the Post Office only rarely does). So, with UPS, I pay a 15-25% extra. If you don't believe me, next time you buy something from Canada, ask to have the item sent by UPS and you'll see the surprise you'll get when the item arrives at your door. 

Cheers,
Bogdan


Charlie Thorsten wrote:


--- On Fri, 9/26/08, Richard Knoppow <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


    There is something subtley wrong with this logic.
First of all they ARE trying to create a monopoly, namely the method of paying for stuff. The first part of the argument assumes that government is the only way of forcing something: its not. If eBay takes payment only throught Paypal _that_ is force and you have no choice. Of course one can simply refuse to use eBay and I think people should. eBay is not quite a monopoly but probably comes pretty close. 

Problem here is, you can't monopolize your own business.
I think the definition of "monopoly" is being greatly
exaggerated.  We're not talking about a railroad, or
Standard Oil, or Microsoft.   A monopoly tries to dominate
an entire market with its product or service, forcing
others out of business or controlling their products. What exactly is Ebay trying to monopolize? Buying and selling used stuff? Hardly. Method of payment for online shopping, with Paypal? 

Ebay is not forcing other businesses to use Paypal.  They
are not forcing other online retailers, auction sites, or
classifieds to use Paypal, although I'm sure it's available.
Let's use this as a comparison: I think it's annoying
that I'm forced to use iTunes to manage my iPod.  Apple
decided to make the device incompatible with all other
software, forcing me to use their own.  Does that make Apple
a monopoly? Of course not. It's their product! If they tried to force all other MP3 players (Sony, Creative, Dell, etc.) to only work with iTunes, that would be different. 

Similarly, I agree it's annoying that Ebay will only allow
Paypal on their site. But Ebay's decision doesn't affect any other retailers, classifieds or auction sites. If I want to buy used gear with check, money order, etc., I can shop on Craigslist, Amazon, KEH, Midwest Photo Exchange, B&H, Adorama, my local classifieds, whatever. The best way to protest their decision is to stop using their service. In addition, write to them and let them know how you feel. But in this case, I think the word "monopoly" is incorrect. 

-Charlie
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--
________________________________________________________________
 Bogdan Karasek
 Montréal, Québec                     bogdan(at)bogdanphoto.com
 Canada                               www.bogdanphoto.com

                    "I bear witness"
________________________________________________________________ 


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