(1) When you are opening the "sell item" page to start a listing, make sure you uncheck "List with popular options" and instead check "List with all options (recommended for experienced sellers)" - that will display options ofr checks, money orders, etc.

(2) When you are reviewing the final listing, always double check to make sure the computer did not automatically switch "PayPal" on as a payment option.

(3) When you write out any description, never badmouth PayPal. In your public written descriptions, you have to appear to either accept all PayPal payments of any kind, or reject them entirely. Do not add any written descriptions stating that you will accept certain types of PayPal payments. Do that only in private communications with prospective bidders. You can state in your written payment descriptions that you accept "other types of internet payments," but you can't say that you accept only one type of PayPal payment.

Lengthy Editorial Comment -
When you guys started complaining about eBay and PayPal, I took it with a grain of salt - but then I tried opening a listing myself as an experiment, and found that you guys were 100% accurate. It is clear that eBay is trying to force people to use PayPal, even making it look like you can't list an item for sale unless you accept PayPal.

It is up to all of us to not only publicize how you can get around these measures, but also complain to eBay and PayPal when the opportunity arises, and let them know that these tricks (and that's all they are - tricks to get you to use PayPal) will deter buyers and sellers and eventually harm eBay as the most popular auction marketplace on the web.

Both eBay and PayPal, when run right, give us great opportunities to sell and buy. It also gives us a great opportunity to use electronic payments and to accept credit card payments when bank-run systems required too much volume to make it worthwhile. Many of us remember the days (not so long ago) when a winning bidder in Europe or Japan would have to send a special money order - which usually took at least a week to arrive. Now, within minutes of an auction's close, I can have payment in my account and the auction item is on its way overseas - cutting a week off the usual lag time.

The good parts of these systems can easily be overrun by negative aspects that have been cropping up recently - that is, the specific things you have all been complaining about. When eBay and PayPal get so big they think they can control the entire market, the opportunity will arise for another company to exploit customer dissatisfaction and fill the void. EBay took over the market from Yahoo and Amazon auctions by delivering an easy to use and reliable auction service. Likewise, PayPal put other on-line payment services (including one run by eBay) out of the running. Competitors will always being waiting in the wings for eBay to stumble and leave an opening. But when eBay and PayPal convince their own loyal customers to consider the alternatives, eBay will have shot itself in the foot.

When I used to hear complaints about eBay and PayPal, I treated the complaints as unwarranted. Now that I have done my own investigations, I treat the complaints as legitimate. How many more otherwise loyal eBay customers will start questioning the emperor's clothes?