"It's going to be a bloodbath," says Cheryl Johnsen, a platinum-level seller on eBay. Last month war was declared in the online auction community and how this battle plays out may have broad implications in terms of opening up the concentrated world of electronic auctioneering.

At issue are changes in eBay's selling policies, introduced by new chief executive John Donahoe, which began taking effect last month. They include fee hikes of up to 66 per cent; a 21-day hold on some monies received through eBay's payment partner, PayPal; and barring sellers from leaving negative feedback on buyers with whom they've had a bad experience. According to sellers on DelphiForums, Allspark Forums and within eBay's very own discussion boards, it is the latter that causes the most concern.