TopBanana

I think so.

You can narrow your search down to 'only items payable by paypal' now.

Sith

I like the idea of being able to do that. I can't be bothered to write a cheque. So generaly only bid on auctions where Paypal is an option.

Freak

well
As ebay OWN paypal, id say its not a problem really......
I find it so easy- cant be bothered posting cash or whatever- especially to the states

Tentenths

Ebay might well be extraordinarily successful but they certainly don't have the monopoly in online auctions. There are several others operating in the UK e.g. QXL and eBid.

As far as Paypal is concerned, I'm all for it. As others have already said it is by far the easiest and most convenient way to pay for most items.

gsm1

I think it's unfair the way Ebay have tried to force everyone to use Paypal but what choice do we have. There are other auctions but they're not very popular.

Freak

what i do hate however, is their charges.

mart360

I look at it this way...

i want rid of the stuff... its in my loft doing **** all

if i sell it its more than i would have got with it being in the loft..

any money made is a bonus...


so the ebay charges arnt worrying me..



Mart

Freak

yes but i buy stuff to sell, and whan yout have to pay listing, gallery, designer, final value fees and then give a cut of the payment it adds up to quite a lot.

Warwick-hunt

you were able to look for 'only items payable by paypal' before they owned paypal,

Jaybird-UK

I only buy if paypal is an option

Spoon

It's fine for buyers but it can get dear for sellers. Certain things, I find, I have to offer Paypal to attract buyers, other closer margin items I won't.

Still doesn't stop someone paying that way though, listed on the advert or not!!

However, it is quick and easy even if it isn't guaranteed payment.

TopBanana

Exactly - because it's a pain in the **** to use anything else. Ebay should be forced to properly integrate with other payment systems like nochex.

Mica Blue

Paypal is also easier to sellers too. It is often quite inconvenient to go to the bank just to cash a £5 cheque!

ScoobywagonGl

They have been doing this search facility for at least 2½ years AFAIK

TopBanana

PayPal is just one way of doing what you're talking about. They're owned by ebay (a monopoly), so everyone is forced to use them.

Sith

ebay is not a monopoly because there are other auction sites all free to do as they wish. ebay have just got large through advertising and ease of use.

You are not forced to use Paypal. You can use any number of other payment facilities. If ebay only used Paypal after buying them then yes they could be donr as there Paypal fees.

If ebay made hostile take overs of the other auction sites then they could be classified as a monopoly.

TopBanana

I don't think you and I have the same understanding of a monopoly. Everyone knows you'll get the best price selling something on ebay because of the number of people who use it so other sites can't compete.

With comments like the above 'i'll only buy if the seller offers paypal' because PayPal is treated specially in ebay, you are effectively forced to use it as a seller.

Sith

I used Paypal before ebay owned it. I also used what was ebay payments. I use what is most convienient. Ebay bought Paypal because it was the most successful online payment provider used through ebay. It therefore makes sense to intergrate Paypal into ebay's inner workings.

Spoon

It's quite clear to see that you haven't a true understanding of what a monopoly is.

Go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect £200.

TopBanana

If you're talking to me then

Monopoly - A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service, e.g. Micosoft, eBay

Spoon

You are confusing monopoly with popularity.

Ebay don't own nearly all of the market, they merely have the biggest share of users.

There are plenty of alternatives that just aren't as popular, so eBay only have the most used site, they don't own the majority of auction sites.

There is a choice!

paulr

What percentage of online sales are through ebay.
There is a difference between a technical monpoloy and a "usage" monopoly.

TopBanana

Spoon you're talking crap. You don't need to own a large number of companies to be a monopoly. Their competitors can't compete on equal terms. It's a monopoly.

TopBanana

At least it is in most countries. They were too late getting into China and someone else beat them to it.

Spoon

Unfortunately for you, I never talk cráp, just factual.

Where there's a choice, there's no business monopoly.

Try telling the Mergers and Commissions board that they hold a monopoly, you'll receive the same answer.

Next you'll be saying SN hold a monopoly on car sites because of its popularity.

Bless you for trying though.

paulr

Do you think microsoft hold a monopoly?

TopBanana

You're confusing pure monopolies with monopolies.

I wouldn't receive any answer at all because they don't exist. I think you mean the MMC who have now merged with the OFT into the Competition Commission. (Factual.)

No I won't.

Spoon

Paul, you're confusing the true sense of a monopoly but I can see what you are getting at.

Microsoft hold the lions share of the market but are only allowed a certain stranglehold. They have been told to dispose of, or cut back, afaik, operations because they were monopolizing.

Different Supermarkets offer choice until one supermarket owns more than it's fair share.

Morrisons have bought out Safeway but sold some of the stores to Asda because they had to, not because they necessarily wanted to.

eBay have aquired Paypal. eBay is popular, it's hardly a business monopoly in it's true sense.

Spoon

No confusion from where I am.

There's certainly an attempt to change your tune though without actually admitting it.

So it's pure monopoly now is it?

gsm1

I've no issue with Ebay having a greater market share. The problem is that, like Microsoft, they are using that position to force people to use their own products.