This morning I have recived in my inbox an ebay announcement, part of which details that checks and money orders will NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED ON EBAY!?!?!?!  Let me quote exactly from the announcement board:

Starting this fall, we're moving to an electronic checkout process that's faster and more reliable for sellers and buyers. As part of this move, checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay, although buyers can still use these payment methods for item pick-up, at the seller's discretion. In addition, the electronic payment methods will be fully integrated into eBay checkout. For example, if a seller has an internet merchant account, a buyer will be able to directly enter a credit card and never have to leave the site.

In my opinion, this is an absurd move, based on greed.  Many years ago, sellers and buyers could transact on ebay electronically with no fees involved on the "money transaction" end via bidpay.  Well, ebay bought out Paypal and now we have all been forced to use that system.  Some have opted out of using Paypal, by only taking check or money orders.  This saves gigantic fees on the Paypal end (if you buy something from a seller for 1000 dollars, not only do they owe ebay up to 10 percent of this, but they owe paypal another 40 dollars or so of the 1000).  I have a feeling a lot of buyers don't realize this.  Ebay also does not allow sellers to offer incentive for buyers to use a check!  Those who do not accept paypal these days run the risk of losing those buyers who don't feel like sending out a check in the mail (I would estimate this could be up to 30 percent of potential buyers).  Lets see what eBay says about why they have made this new policy:

Today, items paid with check or money order are 80% more likely to result in an item not received (INR) than those paid with credit card or PayPal. Also, buyers who pay with check or money order are 50% more likely to leave negative feedback than those who pay with electronic methods. So starting in late October, 2008, we are moving to 100% electronic payments - credit cards, ProPay, or PayPal.

This may all be totally correct.  However, I feel like the new discounts on listing fees are the pretty wrapping that distracts us from this catasrophe.  Simpy put, not allowing sellers to accept checks or MOs is BAD for sellers (sellers will pay more fees, sellers will lose money on those who prefer to use only check and will leave ebay) and BAD for buyers (less options for payment).  Maybe if eBay admitted that this is just more fees for sellers, and huge fees at that, and did something about that on the Paypal end, this wouldn't be so awful, but that isn't what they have done here.