But because of the anonymity issue, one person can shill their own account through different identities. It can work in reverse. A buyer can drive down the price using three accounts. According to the rules, the seller is bound to sell that item for way below market value. The way to avoid this is to put in a reserve price, rather than agreeing to sell it at the final auction value.
Competition is ultimately good for the consumer.
It's nice to have recognizable names. Sometimes on the Internet it's difficult to tell, as long as a person is good with graphics and has a decent server, how legitimate the seller is. That's why it's good to see larger names coming into the field. I know that eBay is interested in the Asian community, as well as Europe. I see no reason why it shouldn't be as popular in those communities if it's done right.