You are welcome to do something we don't like (later)

What a nasty sneaky trick: pretend that customers are welcome to do something, but then do your utmost to make sure they don't.

My local County Council announces public consultations, pretending that they want to know residents' views. But it is careful to make sure that the consultation doesn't open until a couple of weeks after the press coverage that would prompt people to think of responding. Result - few pesky dissenting voices.

And now eBay are at it. They are bouncing sellers into having their items sent abroad (with substantial extra hassle and obligations on the seller) by opting everybody in to their "Global Seller Programme". They've told users about this in mid-August: the policy applies from mid-September. And if I don't want to be opted in? I can opt out, with pleasure. But the ability to opt out doesn't appear to on their website be where they tell me it should be at the moment - presumably it won't appear until the new rules actually come in, a month ahead: by that time virtually everyone will have forgotten about it.

I guess someone feels clever for having manipulated millions of people like this. And probably got rewarded generously for doing so.