Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ebay deal ‘risk for consumer’
REGULATOR FEARS FEES WOULD GO UP
CONSUMERS could suffer higher fees and less choice if the £7billion sale of ebay’s classified advertising arm to rival Adevinta gets the green light, it is feared.
The Competition and
Markets Authority warned the deal would create the world’s largest online classifieds group and that its only significant competitor would be Facebook.
ebay owns Gumtree and motors.co.uk, while Adevinta is best known for its Shpock online and mobile marketplace.
The CMA raised concerns that the deal would involve ebay taking a 33% stake in Adevinta and seats on its board, which could give it undue influence.
Because ebay already has the largest person-to-person marketplace in the UK the regulator believes the tie-up will hit competition.
It also noted that internal documents from ebay indicate at the time it made the decision to sell its classifieds arm, it was prepared to offload it to a different group without taking a stake in that firm.
CMA senior director of mergers Joel Bamford said: “It is important that people have choice when it comes to selling items and that they can enjoy competitive fees and services.
“There’s a realistic chance that, without this deal, Gumtree and Shpock would have been direct competitors to ebay.”
Adevinta and ebay have a week to provide solutions to the CMA’S concerns.
Dear Coleen
New neighbours moved in next door to my property recently. Right from the start they played loud music constantly. I’m young and felt this was OK during the day, but not at night when I want to get some sleep.
Initially, I thought that it was a lockdown ‘house warming’, and they were just excited to be in their new place, but it carried on.
I spoke to other neighbours who go out to work, so aren’t often at home and they haven’t heard any noise whatsoever.
I decided to call my local authority to make a complaint and was instructed to keep a list of dates and times when they played music. I was also advised not to get involved with them, so I just kept my head down.
After my complaint, the music stopped for a fortnight, then started back up again, so I kept a note of the dates, times and so on.
I also found out that the housing association had received several complaints from various residents about the same noisy neighbours.
Since then the loud music has stopped completely and these noisy neighbours have actually been good to me. We are of a similar age and we get on quite well.
My problem now is that I feel really bad – and guilty – for making the complaints, and I’m wondering if they know I was the one who complained about them. What can I do to smooth things over?
Coleen says
Well, this sounds like a case of all’s well that ends well to me! You are perfectly entitled to make a complaint if your neighbours are being anti-social and it sounds as if other residents complained, too.
So, I don’t think you should feel bad or guilty about that. Your home is your sanctuary – now more than ever – and you are entitled to feel content and safe there.
I doubt the local authority would have revealed which neighbours complained, so I don’t think you have to worry about that. And, if it did come out that you were one of the complainants, you can just explain that the noise was pretty bad, but you’re glad you all get along now.
These neighbours sound like decent enough people – they changed their behaviour once they realised it was a problem and they haven’t knocked angrily on people’s doors to find out who dobbed them in.
They might not have realised they were making that much noise and I’m sure they want to get along with their neighbours, too. So, my advice to you is, don’t feel guilty and be glad that you’re all getting along.
It turns out they are nice people and I feel so bad
GORDON ELLIOTT yesterday pleaded with Ryanair boss Michael O’leary to give “horse of a lifetime” Tiger Roll the chance to seek his place in Grand National history.
The 11-year-old will be asked to carry 7lb more than when completing backto-back victories in the Randoxsponsored marathon in 2019 if he bids to match the legendary Red Rum’s feat of three National triumphs – gained in 1973, 1974 and 1977 – at Aintree on April 10.
After a war of words with British Horseracing Authority handicapper Martin Greenwood over
Tiger Roll’s Aintree burden, the O’leary camp, who have threatened to snub the National and retire the gelding at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, offered a terse “no comment” as the weights for the race were unveiled yesterday.
But the gelding’s trainer (left), denied an attempt at a National hat-trick last April by the coronavirus pandemic, said: “I just hope his owner lets the horse run in the race for the public.
“That’s what we have these horses for, isn’t it?
“He’s the horse of a lifetime – a dual Grand National winner – and it will be very disappointing if he doesn’t turn up and have a go for three in a row.”
Tiger Roll, found to be lame after he was pulled up at Cheltenham in November, is due to return to action in Sunday’s Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle at Navan.
Coral go 4-7 Tiger Roll, a general 14-1 to win the National, will swerve Aintree, but Paddy Power make his history bid a 1-5 shot.
■ WILLIE MULLINS has ruled Benie Des Dieux out of the Cheltenham Festival next month, saying ‘time just ran out’ with last year’s Mares’ Hurdle second. Paddy Power’s Grand National betting (NRNB): 10 Tiger Roll, 14 Burrows Saint, Cloth Cap, Santini, 16 Any Second Now, Kimberlite Candy, Presenting Percy, 20 Bristol De Mai, Easysland, Lake View Lad, 22 bar.