eBay reaches $56M settlement with e-commerce newsletter writers it terrorized in 2019

Probably the most weird episodes in e-commerce historical past has come to an in depth. eBay and several other former eBay workers have agreed to pay $56 million to a newsletter-writing couple who have been focused by the corporate’s former executives in a horrific targeted harassment campaign that befell in 2019.

Ina and David Steiner, a married couple and the co-authors of EcommerceBytes, impressed the ire of high-level eBay executives after sometimes criticizing the corporate of their e-newsletter. In 2019, a plot was concocted to intimidate the couple into halting their detrimental protection.

Executives used sock puppet social media accounts to harass the couple, whereas additionally sending them nameless threatening letters and weird gadgets within the mail — together with stay spiders and cockroaches, pornographic magazines, a bloody pig masks, a funereal wreath, and a e book about surviving the loss of life of a partner.

Based on beforehand released court documents, a plan that was tried however by no means efficiently carried out concerned affixing a GPS tracking device to the couple’s automobile. Yet one more internally broached plan concerned sending a “Samoan gang” to the Steiners’ dwelling.

The settlement this week resolves a 2021 civil case introduced by the couple towards eBay. The legislation workplace representing the Steiners writes that the settlement includes $46.15 million paid to the couple by eBay itself, in addition to $2 million from former eBay govt CEO Devin Wenig.

Moreover, $500,000 will probably be paid out to the couple from former eBay govt Wendy Jones, in addition to $50,000 from former eBay govt Steve Wymer. Further funds are being paid to varied non-profits.

In 2022, seven former eBay workers have been criminally charged and pled responsible in relation to the plot, together with the corporate’s former safety chief, James Baugh — who was sentenced to almost 5 years in jail. Others indicted by the U.S. Division of Justice embrace David Harville, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, Philip Cooke, and former eBay contractor Veronica Zea.

In a statement revealed Tuesday, eBay disavowed its former workers’ habits as “not consultant of eBay’s tradition” — which is reassuring, I suppose.

“As we now have lengthy said, what the Steiners have been subjected to by former eBay workers in 2019 was flawed, reprehensible and may by no means have occurred,” eBay continued. “We condemn, within the strongest phrases attainable, the workers who perpetrated and pled responsible to prison costs for the misconduct towards Ina and David Steiner.”

“We proceed to increase our deepest apologies to the Steiners. This settlement is per our dedication to pretty compensate the Steiners and fulfills our efforts to make issues proper.”

“This case was all the time about greater than acquiring monetary restoration,” said Christopher Murphy, one of many Steiners’ attorneys. “From the start, our purchasers needed to uncover the reality, shield journalists and publishers, maintain these accountable accountable, deter future company misconduct, and assist guarantee others would by no means should endure what they skilled.”