Google and eBay have been decently friendly to each other over the years despite their competing services. Recently eBay pulled their ads from Google’s AdWords program in the U.S. saying that it was part of an experiment “to look at how we market across all media channels.” However, there’s more to the story than just an experiment.
The likely reason that eBay made this decision is in response to a “Protest Party” that Google scheduled in Boston to promote their Google Checkout program during the same time that the eBay Live Conference was to start. If you’re not aware by now, Google Checkout and PayPal are competitors, and in other words, Google decided to start a catfight with their competitor much like what a child would do.
eBay acknowledged that they were disappointed, but never linked the cancellation of ads with the “Checkout Freedom Party.” Google was probably just joking around, but eBay took it seriously, and they should. Google ended up cancelling the party saying “eBay Live attendees have plenty of activities to keep them busy this week in Boston, and we did not want to detract from that activity.” (Yeah right) “After speaking with officials at eBay, we at Google agreed that it was better for us not to feature this event during the eBay Live conference.
I wonder how Google feels about the prank now that their stream of revenue from eBay has been cut-off? They always say not to bite the hand that feeds you, but apparently Google hasn’t heard that cliche’ before. Place nice Google! Don’t be evil.
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Google grow up?!? Aren’t eBay the childish ones for banning their competitors from their site?!
I think that it is both of their faults, Google kind of started it all by scheduling their show at the same time as eBay’s…and in the same city for that matter.