Posted on 01/13/2024 8:49:10 PM PST by Red Badger
EBay is set to pay $3 million to make right criminal charges brought about after several former employees sent cockroaches, spiders, and a fetal pig to a Massachusetts couple who wrote a critical newsletter about the company in 2019, according to NBC News.
The online retail and auction juggernaut was charged with two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking by electronic communications services, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
As a result, eBay has agreed to pay the penalty, which is the maximum amount that can be fined for the six felonies. Reports mentioned that the company will have to retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for three years and make substantial changes to its compliance program.
“eBay engaged in absolutely horrific, criminal conduct. The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said.
“We left no stone unturned in our mission to hold accountable every individual who turned the victims’ world upside-down through a never-ending nightmare of menacing and criminal acts. The investigation led to felony convictions for seven individuals, all former eBay employees or contractors, and the ringleader was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.”
“Today’s criminal resolution with the company imposes the maximum fine that the law allows under the statutes, holding eBay accountable for a corporate culture that led to this unprecedented stalking campaign," Levy continued.
"The corporate monitoring of eBay will be in place for the next three years and will ensure that eBay’s senior leadership sets a tone that makes compliance with the law paramount, implements safeguards to prevent future criminal activity, and makes clear to every eBay employee that the idea of terrorizing innocent people and obstructing investigations will not be tolerated.”
EBay released a statement on Thursday, writing: "The company’s conduct in 2019 was wrong and reprehensible,” Jamie Iannone, Chief Executive Officer at eBay, said.
“From the moment eBay first learned of the 2019 events, eBay cooperated fully and extensively with law enforcement authorities. We continue to extend our deepest apologies to the Steiners for what they endured. Since these events occurred, new leaders have joined the company and eBay has strengthened its policies, procedures, controls and training. eBay remains committed to upholding high standards of conduct and ethics and to making things right with the Steiners.”
NBC News reported eBay admitted that from August 5 to August 23, 2019, eBay's former senior director of safety and security, as well as six other members of the team, took aim at the victims, who resided in Natick.
I heard about this horror story.
I thought it had been settled some 3 or 4 years ago.
A case study in how your next door neighbor can be turned into a psychotic sadist. quite willing to break the laws of linear logic and common sense.
What the heck? Some people are just wired poorly I guess. Hopefully the culprits have been fired and actually they should face personal liability and not hide behind corporate lawyers and money.
I saw it, too. Incredible to think that people at the highest echelons of corporate America could behave this way. If this had been suggested to me, I would not only have declined to approve the idea, I would’ve fired the people who thought it up.
RE: A case study in how your next door neighbor can be turned into a psychotic sadist.
Ha. Too late for me. My area is about 85% always Dem and they “turned into” that stuff decades ago.
Not kidding. Police were called to question one woman because a passerby heard what they thought was a violent clash inside. Turns out it was, as usual, the psychotic woman alone ranting loudly with no one there.
Another: a cranky white haired man who gave speeches outside on the back porch yelling about his obsessions. Police called several times but refused to do anything. Apparently no law applied. Had been in a mental facility before and finally, months later, was taken to one again.
For 3 mil eBay can send me all the fetal pigs they can find. I am transgender too, so I qualify for such abuse. Me born name was Eve, but you can call me Steve, now.
These Massachusetts clowns won the ghetto lottery
Fetal pig... Mmmm...
Regards,
I would hope that those fetal pigs were sent in boxes cooled with dry ice. Fetal pigs are tasty.
I stopped dealing with eBay years ago when they failed to honor their guarantee to monitor sellers. I bought a blouse and was sent a nasty dirty old straw hat. Nothing was done about it.
Hmm, I had a good experience on that front. Bought some shoes that on the first use started coming apart. Took photos, seller said I destroyed them. Sent the pics and our correspondence to customer service and they refunded my money.
People have a right to dislike you. And you have to be able to take no for an answer. That’s life.
This fine goes to the government.
The Steiner’s civil suit against eBay is scheduled for trial in 2025
Did eBay send live spiders?
Presumably................
“Incredible to think that people at the highest echelons of corporate America could behave this way.”
Many decades ago I had a boss tell me that I needed to call a radio station talk show (episode about our company) and pretend to be a member of the public praising it.
That was typical of his “lying and cheating” mentality.
There are a fair number of these sociopath types in corporate America.
(That incident was the last straw for me. I quit on the spot—and told him why.)
“I don’t like spiders and snakes
And that ain’t what it takes to love me
You fool, you fool
I don’t like spiders and snakes
And that ain’t what it takes to love me
But $3 million will do.”
Had to be management employee(s). Young ones. Why would a low-level worker care?
How many teenagers work at EBay anyway.
Same here, nothing but good experiences dealing with complaints to eBay about sellers. One seller reneged on delivery of an item costing $1,000. Turned out he sold the one item to several people without delivering it. I got a quick reinbursement from eBay. Another couple times it was disputes about the quality and type of goods, one was wrong color hat totally different than advertised picture and statements. I always kept good records of purchases and sales, sent the pics and got quick reimbursement from eBay.
There was the time I sent a vintage item to a buyer, 3 months passed and he then accused me of not sending the item I sold. I sent proof to eBay that it was delivered and accepted at the door by the resident, and eBay promptly dismissed the complaint against me. Not just bad sellers, there are also bad buyers. When I sell, I request signature at delivery.
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