RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

June 25, 2008

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

By: Ina Steiner

Wed June 25 2008 025:01:43

The ACCC told interested parties they had until noon on Friday to RSVP to a conference being held on Monday to discuss eBay's PayPal-only policy.

The ACCC had told eBay and interested parties on June 12 they could request a conference to discuss the draft notice and gave them a deadline of June 26 to make such a request. On Monday, the ACCC reminded eBay of Thursday's deadline. Today, the ACCC published notice that there would indeed be a conference on Monday, June 30, held at the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney.

Interested parties (composed of eBay sellers, eBay and PayPal competitors, banks and other entities) now have until noon on Friday to RSVP to the ACCC.

Interested parties wishing to attend must notify the ACCC of their intention by noon on June 27 by contacting Lauren Roy at (02) 6243 4940 or via email at adjudication@accc.gov.au. A record of the discussion will be published to the ACCC website.

See background in today's Newsflash article.

Comments (24) | Permalink

Readers Comments

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Kal

Wed Jun 25 09:52:21 2008

I get the bad feeling eBay is going to win this anyway, even though the ACCC already told them "no"...

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Ben

Wed Jun 25 10:23:44 2008

Hi,

You may have noticed that eBays search page layout has changed recently, and that the opt-out function to keep the old layout is being removed in four weeks time.

If you've not seen it yet you can check it out at http://playground.ebay.co.uk/. It's based around lots and lots of very annoying pop up java windows. It looks and feels like an interface that's in Alpha testing, let alone a finished product.

This topic has caused a massive stink in the eBay community over the past couple of days, and if you use eBay a lot and this really annoys you, and you would like to keep the old layout, or at least keep the option to opt out of the new layout then maybe you'd like to sign this petition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/eBaySch/petition.htmlR>
Hope you don't mind me posting this here, but we need to get as many signitures as possible.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: dimes

Wed Jun 25 10:30:48 2008

We can only hope that eBay's verbal plea is made by the same individual who compared paypal to a seat belt, and people who prefer not to use paypal as being akin to heroin addicts.

Soundbites galore!

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: bonni

Wed Jun 25 10:41:37 2008

The individual who compared PayPal to seat belts and said that not offering it is like selling heroin was none other than Simon Smith, the president of eBay Australia. I don't know if he'll be there personally or if they'll just send a bunch of lawyers and suits, but it'll be interesting to read the transcript.

I cannot imagine what sort of argument they're going to pull out of Simon Smith's... uh... hat in order to persuade the ACCC that they should be allowed to violate Australian commerce law. The ACCC's initial ruling was pretty scathing and very clear. They were just as unimpressed as Australian consumers.

Mind you, Australian consumers are too stupid to know what's good for them, according to eBay...

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Upset

Wed Jun 25 14:06:06 2008

Bonnie, get it straight. As of ''right now'' they haven't violated any Australian law. The ACCC's ''NO'' was a preliminary, and Paypal is appealing it. If it comes down as a final ''NO'' (and I hope it does) you can be sure Paypal/eBay will not violate any law. I hate eBay and it's executives as much as the rest of you, but they aren't that stupid to go ahead and do it anyway.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Randy Smythe

Wed Jun 25 15:51:08 2008

If this blogging thing paid better I would fly out and attend. I would love to hear the argument first hand.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: angryjim

Wed Jun 25 16:28:31 2008

Perhaps John Donahue should state eBay's case if person to the ACCC. He could take his parents along for moral support. He could also let ACCC members walk through the eBay "clapping tunnel" - that really out to impress the hell out of them.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Ming the Merciless

Wed Jun 25 18:13:11 2008

Ebay has demonstrated little if any respect for the law.

They do and take what they want when they want it and arrogantly make their victims sue to get justice. Just ask Merc Exchange and Michael Malone to name just two.

Ebay is a rogue corporation that successfully pulled the wool over most sellers' eyes until this year when they revealed their real nature clearly and unequivocally.

Meg Whitman was no "rock star." She was and is an evil, consummately greedy CEO Republican who smoozed and hynotized most of the rabble into becoming willing participants in her fraud.

Ebay: America's most despicable corporation.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: simply

Wed Jun 25 19:09:25 2008

The time has come to STOP ebay. There are many threads to show support, the whole worldwide ebay community is most welcome, on the Australian RT forum http://forums.ebay.com.au/forum.jspa?forumID=18&anticache=121443464172
3 and the boards full of complaints (& unanswered questions) which ebay tried to hide http://forums.ebay.com.au/forum.jspa?forumID=500000001

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Jane

Wed Jun 25 19:15:16 2008

Let's not bring Merc Exchange into this. Merc Exchange is nothing but a bunch of scummy Patent Trolls. They invent NOTHING, they make NOTHING, they exist solely to sue companies that are using the acquired IP that they bought. They exist ONLY to sue to make money.

They are a lower form of life than even eBay is.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: AussieS

Wed Jun 25 23:46:04 2008

Upset - actually Ebay ARE breaking the law in the form of the Trade Practices Act. They only have temporary immunity while ACCC decides on their case - but they are contravening the exclusive dealing section of the Act with immunity from prosecution while the issue is decided finally. Let's be absolutely clear about this - they are breaking the law and if they persist with the plan after the ACCC says NO finally, it shows they have utter contempt for the laws of Australia.

Since they have already flagged their intention to appeal the decision and are at this moment pushing full steam ahead with the changes (despite telling ACCC it was put off till 15th July), then I think they probably are that stupid to keep going with the plan despite its illegality.

In fact, I hope the directors responsible for this lose big time and have to take personal responsibility for it like any other company director who flouts the law.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: LegendsOfBatman

Thu Jun 26 00:18:31 2008

Thank you Ina.

Please, everyone email the ACCC and let them know why Ebay and payPal should not be allowed to be given exemption.
If you are unsure why, try this:

1. Ebay CLAIMS that PayPal only will be used to protect buyers.
Lie.
Buyers are only protected so long as the seller has a feedback rating of 98% or above. If your seller has 25 million feedback, and one negative that would put the seller at 97.9% you are not protected.
2. Coverage does not include ebay motors.
3. If ebay cannot recoupe the money, the buyer will receive nothing.
Just read the PayPal user agreement, there are more exclusions.

Tim
http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/start
www
.myspace.com/boycottebay

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Craig S

Thu Jun 26 02:43:41 2008

As an aside to this, and the above response regarding the Protection program, what happens if the sellers rating is ABOVE the acceptable level for protection at the time of the auction close, but BELOW the acceptable level at the time of making a claim ? Does this mean you need to take a screen shot of each item you buy at the time of the auction close ?

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Ming the Merciless

Thu Jun 26 02:57:34 2008

@Jane

Better brush up on your facts. Merc Exchange is a highyl relevant example of ebay's flagrant disregard for law.

Merc Exchange PATENTED the Buy It Now technology which ebay stole. A court found in Merc Exchange's favor. Ebay LOST and fially settled by purchasing the patent rights,

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: greg

Thu Jun 26 06:08:08 2008

good luck to accc

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Jane

Thu Jun 26 07:58:11 2008

Merc Exchange doesn't patent ANYTHING. They BUY THE PATENTS and then go after companies using the technology in those patents to obtain licenses (IE: extort money) under threat of lawsuit.

OK, eBay was violating a patent, that is undisputed. My bitch is against Merc Exchange and any other PATENT TROLL company that buys IP for the sole purpose of suing to make money.

Merc Exchange are a different breed of greedy businessmen, and are worse than eBay on the despicable scale.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: dimes

Thu Jun 26 09:41:52 2008

Not to derail this ACCC thread, but Thomas Woolston did not 'buy' the auction technology he patented in 1995; he invented it. He created MercExchange to commercialize it.

Back to topic, Aussie Aussie Aussie OI OI OI!!!!

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Ming the Merciless

Thu Jun 26 15:54:14 2008

@Dimes

Thank you!

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Ming the Merciless

Thu Jun 26 16:05:53 2008

If ebay thumbs their lengthening nose at Australian law, they should receive the corporate death penalty there.

Given the utter lack of ethics of American corporations, I'd like to see a return to business law the way it was after Teddy Roosevelt got through breaking up the hopelessly corrupt corporations of his time. For example:

1. Corporations could engage in one pursuit only.
2. Corporation charters had an expiration date.
3. Corporate charters could be permanently and irrevocably revoked for wrongdoing.

Ebay: America's most despicable corporation.

RSVP by Friday to Attend ACCC eBay-PayPal Conference

by: Henrietta

Thu Jun 26 17:12:39 2008

ACCC has strict guidelines for conferences, no lawyers is one.

I have them posted on RedINKdiary.blogspot.com

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