RBA joins chorus against eBay PayPal exclusivity claim

Stan Beer
Friday, 09 May 2008 15:04

Business IT - Technology

“We oppose eBay’s plans” says Simon Warner, CEO of Centricom. “It will severely limit competition, choice and innovation in the online payment space. Not only does it bar existing and potential competitors to PayPal in the sizeable eBay market, it will also stifle competition in the broader market by unfairly strengthening PayPal’s position with merchants who also operate outside eBay to the detriment of competitors and consumers.”

While this eBay and PayPal issue is seemingly confined to Australia, it has global implications. It is believed the worldwide eBay organisation is using Australia as a test case and intends to rollout PayPal enforcement globally if successful in the Australian market.

Many Australians are also viewing this as a test case for the ACCC, which has often been described as a toothless tiger.