Quote from: Slingshot on May 20, 2014, 12:09:20 AM

This is the Free Marketplace. Like it or not this is as good as it gets.

Yes many of us believe that Ebay/Paypal's have high fees, too high of fees.

Okay.

But they were the 1st to the Marketplace that ended up capturing the vast majority of the Online Auction Marketplace. They Won. Simple as that.

It's tough to compete with them too. Very, very, very tough, now that eBay/Paypal grabbed such a strong foothold of the Marketplace.

Let that be a lesson for Bitcoin, and all the other Competitors of Bitcoin.

I finally came to the opinion that Bitcoin has Won Grand Prize in the Cryptocurrency Marketplace. Although that remains to be seen in the longest terms already it's a rapidly gainly widely shared opinion today.

Sure I still have a marginal amount in other cryptocurrencies, being I much prefer to hedge my investments, but from here out the vast majority of my own crypto savings is safely tucked into bitcoins. That wont be changing anymore, not like it did until 2014. Previously, well lets just say I used to think of the Decentralized Cryptocurrency Marketplace as evolving. Starting in early 2014 I look upon it as now in it's Growth Stages instead.

2013 - Bitcoin Arrived, along with other Cryptocurrencies, into the Mainstream.

2014 to 2015 - The Years of Bitcoin.

2016 & Later - Bitcoin is very likey, in fact extremely likely to keep dominating the Decentralized Cryptocurrency Marketplace, and deservedly so, in my own opinion, all things considered.

Still, there are many undetermined things as well as things not well considered. So things are still up in the air and still to be determined.

Many out in the wild very likely and falsely believe the price of Bitcoin per bitcoin is too costly. So sad. So very sad for them, most likely, imo. The odds are extremely high that today's valuations for bitcoin's per bitcoin are extremely wonderful valuations compared to the cost of them in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years from today.

Yes, in terms of months the valuation per bitcoin can swing wildly during Bitcoin's present Growth Stages. But on a yearly basis it so far has does nothing to but go upward. Many of us see no reasons why that wont continue to be the direction for many years to come, and then growth in valuation finally tampering down, but still in a positive direction, until finally, in the very distant future something finally gradually or not so gradually out distances Bitcoin. Of course maybe not. But believe it or not:

Bitcoin is The Future

Not to hijack this thread:

The point is that Ebay/Paypal "is what it is". And all that comes with a "Free Marketplace". Thank goodness for that!

And even though it was like pulling nails out of my feet I did claw back $300 of the $400 from Butterfly Labs that they tried not to refund to me upon their failures to relieved in any reasonable fashion whatsoever. And NO, Paypal did NOT agree at first, or the second time around with them either. But finally eBay relented $300 worth That last $100 ? Yea, I forced that back by pulling more nails out of my feet (so to speak) through my credit union's Visa debt card that I used with Paypal to order from Butterfly Labs. But they refused at first too, directing me back to Paypal of course.

People learn not to fight me on some things. Just like eBay and my Credit Union learned. Lesson here is first try to go over hurdles, if that fails then around them, or then under them, and if nothing else try plowing right through them. In other words; Stand up and keep trying but be most respectful and calm fashion. But be insistent in the end, figure a way to a reasonable final solution. Now in the case above I could have pulled more nails out of Paypal, but not wanting to burn any bridges I took the path of least resistance for the last $100. And in doing so at least a Fraud Report was also officially filed as well. 2 birds, 1 stone, path of least resistance. Check.

In other words I didn't take NO for an answer from Anyone unless alternative pathways were more acceptable for a complete resolution. And Paypal finally relented about 75% worth. So did my Credit Union finally for that last 25%. And in the latter case it took a Fraud Report and not accepting NO, same for Paypal. I got it all back. Took a few hours. I consider that earning about $100 per hour all things considered. Sadly I don't earn more than that per hour so Get It All Back I Certainly Did! I didn't want to do all that, but it was certainly worth the efforts.

But without them (Paypal & my Visa Debit from my Credit Union) I would have had no chance for Justice unless I filed a small claim in Kansas, USA against Butterfly Labs, Inc., and that wouldn't be reasonable since I don't live anywhere near Kansas. That's why I used my Debit card together with Paypal in the first place. Learn from all that if one doesn't fully understand all the why's already!

Ebay/Paypal - I have used them when it was appropriate. I will continue to do so.

But Paypal wont ever even remotely likely have any "lock" on any Bitcoin Transactions, just like it doesn't have a "lock" on fiat currency transactions. But it would be extremely wise financially for eBay to transact in Bitcoins too. And offer them for sale themselves too.

One Doesn't always have to use Paypal on eBay, but yes some Sellers require it for their own safety or convenience.

Like it or not eBay has a "lock" on Online Auctions for many goods, maybe even certain services?

Bitcoin is developing that same type of "lock" today on the Cryptocurrency marketplace because other cryptocurrencies are floundering even though they care to often fully disagree.

It takes a lot of effort to get things done. One thing that helps greatly is never, ever giving up. That and lots of effort whenever required. And sometimes knocking down all hurdles.

eBay did that.
Paypal did that.

Bitcoin did that.

I do that.

I recently compared eBay and Bitcoin. I too finally after a lot of internal debate and thought realized that yes Bitcoin is likely to develop and earn the "lion-share" of the marketplace for itself.

All while the rest of the cryptocurrencies (Decentralizsed or Not) battle it out for runner up slots, or different Marketplaces altogether, much like BitShares, Counterparty, Mastercoin, and Nxt battle it out in their common Marketplace, and Ripple attempts to win the marketplace for transactions and payments of all types of currencies (fiat and crypto) and many types of financial instruments too, with settlement at their Ripple Gateways compared to traditional means.

eBay? It is what it is. The Free Marketplace. The Grand Prize Winner in it's Own Marketplace. Simple as that.

Note: already I seriously doubt my prior 2013 predictions that up to 16 or so cryptocurrencies that now exist will survive in the longer term of say Decades. Now I still believe a few will make great headway. But that Bitcoin will become roughly as dominate as say eBay currently is thought of in the Online Auction Marketplace.

Bottom Line:

Like it or not eBay earned it's position, and now it prices it services at the higher amounts that it believes the marketplace will still tolerate.
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Yes, they could be a bit more reasonable and still very likely generate a solid set of net profits. But it is what it is. And they have a fuduciary duty to their own shareholders 1st and foremost to earn as much as they can.

I just used them again to locate often ridiculous priced computer parts at a very reasonable cost instead, that otherwise I would have paid far too much for, in my opinion. I also had to use Paypal in some of those instances since some Sellers required it. I also recently sold some Video Cards there too, since that was the logical place to do so. eBay wins, like it or not. And I am not complaining one bit.

eBay, like it or not. It's here for quite some time to come, perhaps an extremely long time. In fact it was AGAIN at the top of a short list of Buy's back in late 2009 / early 2010, before it's stock valuation went straight back up in valuation over the next years directly ahead. Now it's priced at full value and then some..., imo. http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=EBAY+Interactive#symbol=EBAY;range=my

The Free Marketplace - it is what it is. No since getting upset over things we cannot change and darn sure shouldn't want to change. After all Bitcoin is part of the Free Marketplace. The REAL Free Marketplace, where winners win, and Losers NEVER get Bailouts. The Free Marketplace Never Rewards Failure. Don't ever forget that.

It would NOT be prudent to slap any regulations on what eBAY or Paypal is "allowed" to charge. Often, very often, regulations are terrible, but at the same time sometimes their prudent and absolutely required. This isn't one of those times.

Bitcoin is The Future.