This is an interesting one. As you may or may not know, Google have launched Google Checkout in the UK and USA. For sellers you have a fee free package until 31st December 2007 and some sites will have offers for buyers that include 'spend 30 quid and 10 quid free'. All good stuff and good for competition.

Now the nuts of it. Rumours abound amongst eBay sellers that eBay has an auto-blocker in place that prevents anyone putting anything about Google Checkout in their listings.

As I only registered a few weeks ago with Google I haven't fully integrated it yet, but can report that having had an email to confirm identity (that asked me to fax a form back but I have no fax) I HAD A REPLY IN UNDER TWO HOURS! Okay, okay, they might not yet have much to do, but pretty good compared to eBay and PayPal that generally take two days and then DON'T answer the query. Also some people are thinking they can't register with Google as it may ask for VAT registration - this only applies if you trade over a certain amount (don't shoot be but I think that is 61K pa).

Anyway, surely if eBay are blocking Google we are looking at anti-competition here?

PayPal has come in for a lot of stick recently with chargebacks affecting many sellers - a buyer pays via PayPal, gets goods and then says they haven't or that the transaction was not made with their consent. Result: Seller loses goods and payment with no comeback.

Many eBay sellers are now adding a regular prayer to their nightly vigil by the PC waiting for a sale - Please let Google open up a rival Auction site soon!