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eBay Says 'No' to Google Checkout

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

July 6, 2006, 12:20 PM

Merchants looking to sell their goods through eBay may not use Google Checkout as a payment method, the auction site now says in an updated Acceptable Payments Policy. Google's new service has launched as a potential competitor to eBay's own PayPal.

Although it does not offer person-to-person payments, Google Checkout does overlap when it comes to purchases from online stores, where PayPal makes a bulk of its revenue. "Sellers may not request payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy," eBay says, adding that it only supports established and safe payment services. Those who violate the policy can end up suspended from eBay.

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By Mark Gillespie

posted Jul 7, 2006 - 8:36 AM

They should have called Google's version of PayPal, GayPal :-)

Score: 0

By Velocition

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 10:35 PM

"Sellers may not request payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy," eBay says, adding that it only supports established and safe payment services.

Google, kill eBay please.

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 7:43 PM

PayPal has been pretty lame since it has been bought out by eBay. I find it very annoying because of its money-making scheme (money that is already in the system is still charged at the same rate). It's time for another leading power to take on this otherwise ebay is just another monopoly.

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 7:40 PM

True, it's auction house but again No.
It's unlike a conventional auction house that takes payment for buyer then pays the seller.

eBay is, as they have claimed, to be a intermediary for both buyer & seller.

So it's up to the buyer & seller to use any PAYMENT METHOD they desire. Not up to eBay.

Score: 0

By ZenWarrior

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 6:49 PM

Lawsuit? Anti-trust? Is this any different than a brick-and-mortar merchant deciding not to take Discover or American Express? Seems not.

It's up to the merchant, auction house or not. Does Christys accept just anything? No. They have their acceptable forms of payment, too. I also bet they'll not be accepting Google, either.

In fact, the following is from one of Christys' locations: "Christys accepts cash, local check, Visa and Mastercard at their weekly auctions. On-site auctions typically accept only cash and local check."

Again, it's really not the customers' call -- unless they can band and stick together enough to force a hand. That is not very likely to happen with eBay customers scattered all over everywhere, and essentially having no real common interest in doing so.

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

posted Jul 7, 2006 - 4:59 AM

There is a difference between the Christys' analogy.

In the Christy's case, the buyer pays the auction house. In the ebay sitaution, the buyer and seller deal direct, and the seller pays the fees seperately to ebay.

What ebay are saying, is that down the local market, run by ebay, I am not allowed to sell my items to people and accept payment from them by Google Payments.

I can understand ebay not accepting me paying my seller fee's by Google payments, but trying to dictate how I accept payments from other people is anti-trust as far as I am concerned.

Score: 0

By themanhimself

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 6:05 PM

Another thrust forward in the Google Monopoly.

Score: 0

By garou506

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 9:18 PM

You mean the PayPal monopoly... right? I don't see how this is a "thrust forward" for Google.

Score: 0

By ladylust

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 4:38 PM

I don't think ebay can stop users from using Google Checkout. I think the "NO" to google checkout is if ebay would intergrate it into the ebay system to make it much easier for users to use (i.e like paypal). If a user can still use google checkout for payment with Ebay, provided google check out is set up to take payments for anything and everything.

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

posted Jul 7, 2006 - 5:01 AM

Their acceptable use policy specifically prohibits Google Payments, so yes, they CAN pull your auctions, and delete your ebay account, if you take payments via Google Payments.

Score: 0

By PatMc

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:39 PM

I don't think eBay has a valid argument on this. You don't have to use PayPal at all on your eBay auctions. You can use an escrow service, you can accept checks or MO's, you can even use other master card and visa systems like bid safe, googles system is no different, you can do just about anything you want to on eBay. Hell, I "sold" an item on eBay once because the guy offered me a trade of another item that I wanted so we cross shipped the items and no money was involved save the fee's I had to pay on the item that was "bought" for $90.

Is ebay now going to say "No PayPal, no service period?" or ask for reciepts of payment on what ever form of currency that was exchanged?. Thats just plain stupid.

Score: 0

By Skyfrog

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 5:28 PM

They aren't saying that at all:

"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."

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 7:43 PM

They did, look down there, expand [Some Examples] You will see google checkout.

Score: 0

By Skyfrog

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 9:30 PM

I know, I was responding to "Is ebay now going to say "No PayPal, no service period?". That is they still take many forms of payment besides Paypal. True they don't take Google, but in a way I can't blame them. Why should they be reponsible for some third party payment program. I like Google but trusting them with my money? Nah. Paypal has one and only one business. Google seems to have no idea what they want to do; they started out as a search engine and are now sticking their hands in every category they can think of.

I think the main issue is that if eBay accepts Google Payments they'll have to accept all the others, and I can just see fake payment services popping up like flies.

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 7, 2006 - 3:19 AM

No they won't pop up like flies.

Besides, we only trust brand name, and google is a big one. :P

Score: 0

By ghammer

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:29 PM

Good for eBay.

Let Google create and operate their own auction site if they want to make an extra buck.

Some stores accept Visa, some MasterCard, some don't accept AmEx. There is no 'right' to form of payment.

Score: 0

By Arakiel

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:57 PM

Your analogy is flawed since eBay isn't a store. This is more like the people running a flea market telling the people who sell there what they can and cant accept for payment. If eBay itself was actually doing the selling then yes, they have the right to accept whatever payment methods they want. However, eBay isnt the seller, the individual people are. They may be able to get away with it legally since they are providing the seller's market (equiv to the land and lots of a flea market) but it wont go over well with sellers and its the sellers who are eBay's life blood.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:56 PM

You are absolutely correct, but every decision has consequences (good and/or bad). I think eBay is about to feel some consequences that they might not like.

Score: 0

By flake

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:15 PM

...and I smell Sherman Act litigation on the horizon if they persist in whoring their own PayPal service...

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 2:13 PM

eBay is an auction site, its users have the RIGHT to choose whom to use to pay!!

I dislike PayPal for a long time already.
eBay & PayPal both charge tons of fees.... leaving sellers little room to profit.

Score: 0

By dimes

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 1:52 PM

eBay's biggest sellers are able to use google checkout because major 3rd party auction management services - channeladvisor and marketworks (with others to follow) - are integrating it into their service platforms. It's only the individual small-time sellers who are in effect being "banned", although if you search eBay listings for "google checkout", there are thousands of items that already offer it as a payment method.

Because checkout is cheaper for sellers than paypal, it looks like eBay's action will drive more sellers to list their merchandise on googlebase. If google tweaks 'base to make it more product-search friendly, eBay could be in real trouble.

Score: 0

By Black-Wolf

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:55 PM

I smell lawsuit again!

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:34 PM

It's anti-competetive ofcourse, but that's just business especially when it comes to digital life. Comparing bank atm cards in this case doesn't work, since you can withdraw money with most if not all ATM bank cards from most if not all banks - you just can't deposit. And really, it's your fault if you pick a 'lonely' bank. So that point is really moot.
In the perfect scheme of things, Ebay would allow any checkout portal, certified to be safe. IE: Yahoo, Google, MS Wallet/Passport (or whatever it's called these days) but offer some kind of perk or 1-up deal with Paypal.

I hope google makes their own auction site.

Score: 0

By 33Nick

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:25 PM

Too bad because PayPal could learn a lot from friendly customer service, something it seems totally incapable of doing. I avoid Paypal like the plague. I'd rather send a check and wait for it to get cashed and get my merchandise. I fought years with PayPal to have my information removed, which they never did, remove my credit cards, addresses and name.

A financing service that doesnt respect basic privacy wishes does not make me trust it one bit.

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:22 PM

now who told anyone that it had to be that way? is there any real logical reason why ebay SHOULD let people pay using google checkout? can you use one banks atm card on another banks atm machine? didnt think so, then why do you think that you should be able to use another companies pay service, on ebay's site? Letting people use google checkout just wouldn't make any type of sense at all.

Score: 0

By Arakiel

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 4:01 PM

"can you use one banks atm card on another banks atm machine? didnt think so"

ROFLMAO of course you CAN thats just silly!

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 3:04 PM

atm cards, not credit or debit cards.

Score: 0

By guitarguynboston

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:14 PM

"can you use one banks atm card on another banks atm machine? didnt think so,"

Hahaha. Are you really serious or are you being sarcastic? Haha That is just too funny.

Score: 0

By tankist

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 2:57 PM

Actually you can, you would pay a fee but you still can.

it would make perfect sence - one would be able to use his preffered service, there are a lot of people very upset with paypal to say the least

Score: 0

By Joe Public

edited Jul 6, 2006 - 1:18 PM

It's Ebay's site. They can choose what they want for payment. It's no different than my local restaurant accepting Visa & Mastercard but not AMEX. It's just stupid to say that Ebay should allow Google's payment method and also compare it to the I.E./Netscape feud. If you don't like the way Ebay does business, then exercise your freedom and shop somewhere else.

Score: 0

By Intrusive_Rogue

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 2:23 PM

Right, and that same restaurant should have the right to issue its own form of money. They will only accept this type of money, and the only way to get it is to wash dishes or cook your own meal in the back.

:Rolleyes:

Score: 0

By Skyfrog

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:12 PM

If a restaurant wanted to do that they could. It is not like they would be forcing people to eat there. Likewise no one is forcing people to use ebay.

Score: 0

By Intrusive_Rogue

edited Jul 7, 2006 - 9:33 AM

Umm...NO they can't. They can issue coupons that look like money, but they in fact can not issue their own form of currency.

It's called counterfiting if you issue it with it's own monetary value. (The reason for the small print stating "actual value is less than .xxx of a cent.")

If everyone was able to mint their own currency, our economic system would be a nightmare (well, more than it already is.)

Score: 0

By debonair

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:09 PM

or just move to use yahoo auctions? They're crap now, but if everyone started using it instead because of ebays nasty policies, including it's paypal which sucks... (*hate*)

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:17 PM

so i guess you have a real reason your willing to post as to why paypal sucks and why ebay has nasty policys?

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 12:53 PM

Isn't this anti-competitive behaviour? Similar to Microsoft vs Netscape.

If I use ebay, I am forced to use PayPal, just like if I use Windows, I used to be forced to use IE and Mediaplayer.

I don't see how this differs, but then I am not a lawyer, and am applying common sense to the issue..

Score: 0

By JayP

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 3:16 PM

I could be wrong here...But isn't it upto the seller what service to use? It is easier for a seller to use Paypal because of its integration with eBay and quick fund transfer. Still, a seller is free to accept other methods of payment - personal check, MO, etc. I haven't used Google Checkout but as it becomes more popular, sellers may switch to save some $ (although they will lose some services offered by ebay such as linking the auction to Paypal etc - unless Google creates a portal to transfer such info from ebay).
As long as ebay is NOT forcing the sellers to use paypal (only), it is not being anti-competitive.

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:25 PM

so google can make profits off of ebay's service, yep thats common sense for you.

Score: 0

By Arakiel

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 4:03 PM

Do you even KNOW what Google Checkout is?

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 3:05 PM

yes and i know that when you sell something, and accept payment by paypal, paypal charges you a fee. therefor google= profiting from ebay.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:03 PM

Yeah... We all know common sense gets you nowhere when it comes to law.

Score: 0

By banstyx5

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 12:31 PM

No surprise there, Ebay doesnt want any competition. Google just needs to start there own auction site....

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 1:24 PM

yeah then they might have a stump to stand on, instead it seems they are just trying to leach profits from ebay, without any real work.

Score: 0

By Silver Moon Xtreme

edited Jul 13, 2006 - 1:15 PM

Like eBay has been leeching profits from their sellers for years now.

Score: 0

By Silentmaster101

posted Jul 13, 2006 - 3:09 PM

you didnt expect to get a internet auction where ebay is responsable for some cases of fraud for free did you? how would they pay for the webhosting, or hardware, or people to monitor it, or the claims against it when people get ripped off. news flash all that costs money, and i dont know where you get this sense of entitlement from, but let me tell you, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO s*** MORON! nothing it free, dont expect it to be. you want a auction site for free? then go make one yourself jackass.

Score: 0

By Arakiel

posted Jul 6, 2006 - 4:02 PM

Yea the ONLY use for Google Checkout is for eBay :rollseyes:

Score: 0

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