In a message dated 9/26/2008 10:38:09 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, jknotzke@xxxxxxxxxx writes: If that's the case, how can Ebay dictate the terms of the contract between me and the seller ? If Ebay forced me to use Paypal to pay for Ebay fees, fine. But Ebay is forcing me to use Paypal for a legal contract that they have nothing to do with. Actually, they're not-- the give themselves an out here by saying that cash or money orders are OK for personal pick-up of the item. Here's a bigger problem for EBAY: poor or lower income people don't have credit cards and can't get PayPal as such. Many minorities are lower income. Thus, EBAY is actively discriminating against lower income residents of, say, California, by denying them the opportunity to use their services. It's as if they just put up a big sign saying "Blacks and Browns not wanted." This could be a BIG problem for them legally. Discrimination can take many forms in the law; mere policies that have discriminatory outcomes can be easily ruled unlawful. I think this might be a fruitful avenue to pursue. For those concerned, file a formal Web complaint with Attorney General Jerry Brown's office, in EBAY's home state of California. They might investigate it. **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)