As stated, it is against ebay policy to use googlecheckout. They explicitly prohibit it in their "policy".
Someone hit the nail on the head earlier in this thread, why does google not sue?
If you look at ebay's policy page on accepted payments (I don't have the link handy, but I'm sure someone will dig it up), they list out their accepted payments and their not accepted payments. The few accepted payment methods they allow are all lousier and/or way more expensive than PayPal. Anything that remotely is competitive with PayPal, they disallow.
Now, if this is not against US Antitrust laws, folks, I don't know what is. They are forcing you to use the services of their "affiliated company" in order to do business with their "other company". They are marrying up two unrelated businesses, and forcing you to use one in order to use another. Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer anyone? Granted, Microsoft basically prevailed, but it was a helluva fight. I think this issue is even more serious than the Microsoft Antitrust case, and hence should be even more winnable in court.
Ebay touts itself as a free marketplace for all, and they are stifling competition to their PayPal business, in my mind, illegally. I for the life of me, do not understand why there have been no lawsuits filed in this matter that I know of? Can anyone explain that?
I'm going to write a letter to google and ask them, and we'll see if they bother to respond. Bottom line is, and I think someone else here said it, Google has a responsibility to its shareholders to maximize revenue. Why they haven't gone after ebay's throat on this, I don't know. I encourage everyone reading this to email google and ask them. I'm also going to suggest that we start a letter writing campaign to the attorney general in California (that is where ebay is Hq'd, right?), and complain to him that ebay is unlawfully sniffing out the competition. Might be a good idea to write a 2nd letter to the US Attorney General. You know guys, it may sound stupid, but if enough of us get on it, sooner or later, we will be heard. Perhaps if the moderators of this forum agree, post a sticky and post the contact information of the California Attorney General and the US attorney general (I don't have it here at the moment, but I'd be happy to look it up and post it back here if there is enough interest.)
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