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WOW, just WOW! 60 Minutes expose
I am absolutely flabergasted. I'm not one to watch a lot of TV so I hadn't seen it before, but this 60 Minutes expose is damning. 7+ employees mount a campaign in a conference room to harass and threaten an independent journalist? If you have been on eBay long enough you know this king-like behavior, we've seen it before. 21 years of my eBay account thrown in the toilet by a bunch of juveniles seeking school yard retribution. I have to wonder if this is the reason for such a drastic slowdown in sales this summer. I have put up with an awful lot from eBay over 21 years, but this is the final straw.
33 comments
kh-vince
·1 year agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
arcwelds
·1 year agoHi I was researching how to expose eBay for their fraudulent crimes against the community/sellers. I myself am a seller and have done everything eBay has asked and my money is still being held, and my account restricted. To say the least, I truly feel eBay needs to be exposed ...who polices eBay, when they hold thousands of dollars that adds up to tens of thousands on many individuals how is that lawful. My husband and I are determined to get eBay exposed for their unlawful policies and procedures against sellers. Upon searching everything goes back to eBay. I feel we need to expose them through local news, investigative journalists and any other means. It would take getting together a handful of sellers who have dealt with similar issues from eBay, who tell their story and expose eBay for what it really is. It has been going on 4 months and they have held over $30,000 of my HARD EARNED money. I'd like to know the percentage they make off of that, how is it fair and just I've done everything they've asked of me to get my account in good standing status still they are holding my funds and keep giving me another runaround or story. My account was linked to a another ebayer, THEIR account was on hold Ddue to fees owed. I have purchased this person's inventory therefore linking my account to theirs and now putting my account on hold I was told that the original account from this individual needs to be paid in order to release the restrictions and funds. I contacted this person, they paid the amount due and now eBay is saying they need to respond to an email this individual has called daily to get an email sent no email has been sent... constant story constant run around and yet they're sitting on my hard-earned money. I don't blame the individual. I blame eBay!! My story is just one of many, I believe if we can get our stories out there to expose eBay for their fraudulent involvement, that maybe, we can put a stop to these ridiculous eBay policies. If anything, I can understand your frustration. Something needs to give!
mam98031
·1 year agoIf you believe all that, why do you sell on this site?
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoThat's quite a reach to 'explain' sales slow-down, even for this forum.
dryophelia
·2 years agoIf we canceled our connection to every company, business, friend, employer, government, etc., who did someone wrong along the way, we couldn’t buy the ax required to chop down the trees needed to build a lean to off grid.
monica-sells
·2 years agoPeople still watch 60 minutes?
LOL
If a tree falls in the forest with no ears to hear does it make a sound. It matters not for the tree has fallen
not sure if that is the demographic that matters.......
like you said....
"... I'm not one to watch a lot of TV..."
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·2 years agoOf course it does... It's just that Birds, Squirrels, Deer and other living critters dont have Internet yet and Google Translate is stifling their voices which overwhelmingly say, "Hey we live here too!"
monroe67
·2 years ago"If you have been on eBay long enough you know this king-like behavior, we've seen it before. 21 years of my eBay account thrown in the toilet by a bunch of juveniles seeking school yard retribution. I have to wonder if this is the reason for such a drastic slowdown in sales this summer. I have put up with an awful lot from eBay over 21 years, but this is the final straw."
Ancient history. The harassment goes back to 2019, about 4 1/2 years ago. A lot has happened in the past 4 1/2 years.
Some of those patterns that you have listed? My selling ID has copies of several of them in boxes in the closet of her 2nd bedroom.
If you decide you must leave eBay, though, well, you must leave.
It would mean less competition for me -- right?
argentphil
OP2 years agoLess competition? You could look at it that way, but the platform is contracting. ebay lost millions of users last year. Amazon has exponentially more potential customers than eBay. And that will become my focus.
bennotbill
·2 years agoHere's a bit of interesting new news.
British Museum stolen artefacts sold on eBay.
Apparently they didn't fetch a very good auction price. No surprise there.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67680391
maxine*j
·2 years agoThanks. I hadn't seen that. What a sorry tale.
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a_c_green
·2 years agoTheir listing title of "BRITISH MUSEUM STOLEN ARTIFACTS" was probably not the best choice of wording. ðŸ˜
There's an interesting screenshot in the BBC article showing what is said to be a 2016 listing of one of the stolen items. The seller ID is plainly visible in the screenshot, though the person holding that ID today is based in Spain, and has a lower feedback count than that in the screenshot, so it does not seem to be the same person. Possibly he changed his user ID to that name sometime after 2016 (and after it presumably became available when the British Museum suspect was pinched). He might want to change it to something else now that that article has come out.
ckimodog
·2 years ago@argentphil
This is old news from way back. Yes, unfortunate. I believe most of them were punished. Several went to jail.
Thanks for posting
Happy Holidays
dirk12955
·2 years agoI'm under the impression that these criminals, While they were at the time ebay
employees, The crimes they committed were NOT sanctioned by ebay corp itself
or ebay corp management.
Is that accurate?
valueaddedresource
·2 years ago@dirk12955 I wouldn't say that is exactly accurate. It would be more accurate to say that is still to be determined.
6 eBay employees and 1 analyst who was employed by a security firm and contracted to eBay all pleaded guilty to multiple federal felonies due to their respective roles in the crimes that were committed.
The Department of Justice has so far not brought criminal charges against eBay (the company), or any other employees (including executive management) or the board.
However, eBay disclosed in a filing with the SEC earlier this year it had set aside $64M for ongoing legal expenses in this matter and unrelated litigation from the EPA and DEA about items that are sold on the site.
As part of that disclosure eBay said they were still in communication with DOJ regarding potential criminal liability of the company. So while it seems unlikely at this juncture, it is still possible they could choose to pursue the company and/or executives criminally in this matter as long as it's still within the statute of limitations for these crimes - especially if additional evidence comes out in the civil case.
As to whether or not the actions of these eBay employees were "sanctioned" by the company and/or the executives...in essence that is a big part what the ongoing civil case was brought to determine and we are far from any actual judgement on that as at this point a trial date is set for March 2025.
inhawaii
·2 years agoI knew it!
That's why my sales are slow!
argentphil
OP2 years agoI have to think that too. It tanked around the middle of July, and has never recovered. That 60 minutes piece was re-aired in May I think? People either love or hate eBay. There doesn't seem to be any middle road with buyers. All the haters have left. But haters money is as green as anyone else's, there is no reason for them to have been alienated.
maxine*j
·2 years agoThis "news"is so old it has whiskers on it. Happened in 2019. People arrested and criminal charges brought against seven eBay employees in 2020 by U.S. Department of Justice. Trials. Convictions. Sentences, two lengthy, and off to federal prison with them.
Steiners not satisfied, because no monetary awards to them, so in 2021 they brought civil lawsuit which is still making its slow way through the courts -- and through 60 Minutes so-called "expose" and re-runs of same.
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a_c_green
·2 years agoAyup, it appears that the "60 Minutes" segment was in fact a re-run of a broadcast originally aired back in March of 2023.
Ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUf9ID2Gnfw
b86fiero
·2 years agoWhile the history of this legal case began a few years ago, new rulings by the judge overseeing it has brought it back into the limelight.
A few aspects dismissed, a potential trial date in 2025 and potential discovery between the parties set for sometime in 2024. (I think).
As long as there is movement in the case it will continue to be news.
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·2 years agoAmericans have a soft spot for the little guy unless the little guy costs them directly or the little guy gets to be a big guy in which case all the envy and whatall enter the fray.
The perpetrators of this particular "Terror" as they care deem it faced the law. The victims want company pay up yet dont say how much or hey, whadda do with the money? If it were me, I'd be donating every red cent awarded to a worthy charity proper and let the world know that's what I'm gonna do. Whilst my anxiety or whatall I endured is what it is thats a far far far lesser damage than folks puking and getting ill on Toxic Chlorides from a rail disaster where a company refuses to take care of those folks proper. Heck, I'd donate whatever my settlement be to East PalesTEEN residents and announce it right away. But I understand as well why someone might think differently.
Now this media thing in America... Well, different deal. Say same with politicians.
Lets see, I can run for high public office without proper skills, credentials on and on yet to become a Line Cook there are qualifications. Huh? Hello? Knock... Knock... Anyone?
Media, the web is chock full of self-declared media. Ya know, like comes with responsibility? Credentials maybe? Something? Nope...
Let's see, "Yesterday I was shipping Burgers at McDonalds Window and the little lady was working the register at Walmart! But today! Oh yes today! We are now news reporters online, we ARE the media! See? In America one can just do that! Let's go BRONCOS! Oh, I didn't mean the Football Team... I mean the Ford Truck I'd love to have but can't afford shipping Burgers at the window."
"Gee, ya' know I wonder why Saudi Arabia doesn't allow it? I mean like there I'd like be umm... Dead? They are SO backwards!"
Sure are right? Except for the fact that 98% of their population don't appear to be like some human beings whom just landed on the planet appearing like a pallet full of unshucked peanuts.
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years ago"Lets see, I can run for high public office without proper skills, credentials on and on yet to become a Line Cook there are qualifications. Huh? Hello? Knock... Knock... Anyone?"
Maybe that's because politics was never meant to be a career?
luckythewinner
·2 years agoLets see, I can run for high public office without proper skills, credentials on and on
This is one of the basic premises of the Constitution.
Voters decide who holds a public office.
yet to become a Line Cook there are qualifications
This is another basic premise of the Constitution.
Private companies decide who they hire.
Media, the web is chock full of self-declared media
Freedom of the press is also a basic premise of the Constitution.
In your world where you threw out the Constitution, who would you suggest should be in charge of issuing "credentials" for public office, line cooks, and media?
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·2 years agoIt's old news, yea, wrong doing but far far far from that which in both time and history, even to this day happens is a variety of money oriented arenas or power based arena, both...
This isn't a civilized world in fact sometimes it appears gains humanity makes towards being a civilized world takes two steps back until enough people die in conflict to reset and take another step forward.
Energy/Oil industries, people disappear and/or found dead. Do any of us think for a moment that in the Middle East as an example people don't get unhinged from being proper? Or even the USA? Maybe January 6th or 9/11 seem to have been deleted from memory? Or the history in America or the coal mines? Railroads? Automobile companies? Military actions? Military contractors? Business who enslaved people, brutalized them along with their children only to be told now, "Well it wasn't me..." versus taking onus to repair, CHANGE and LEARN how to be BETTER than, "Well it wasn't me?"
I don't see anyone being unhinged by the fact say The Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill in which Corexit was used to disperse the spill resulted in every single worker who worked the cleanup died. I dont see the outrage that the exact same chemical banned throughout the world was used in the Mocando Well Oil Distaster in the Gulf of Mexico. That trace elements were found in peoples swimming pools as far as Michigan or perhaps East Palestine Rail disaster (PalesTEEN how to change up annunciation 101).
Heck, where I live some years back School District Staff went terrorizing owners of News Blog reporting on the district. People such as Chris Cuomo, Sean Hannity, this one/that one get threats ALL THE TIME, LITERALLY ALL THE TIME some even credible threats. This is a problem in "media" and ALWAYS HAS BEEN long before any of us, literally any of us were born, in fact, before you're Grand Parents Grand Parents were born. Doesn't make it right or justifiable but its a fact even long long long before a certain entity was crucified on a cross for speaking.
Tunnel vision results in tunnel thinking and tunnel thinking results in blind stupidity.
Civilization is in the eyes beholder
fab_finds4u
·2 years agoYou seek money when monies are due, or justice when justice is due.
The news program 60 minutes is milking this story to keep ratings up for mo money. It is old news. People have been fired, jailed, sued, etc., but they like beating that dead horse.
Not only do they beat a dead horse, they bury it and keep digging it up.
maxine*j
·2 years agoYep.
And I'd say justice was done. The seven employees (now ex-employees, of course) got some heavy sentences by current standards, on various charges of criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, conspiracy to tamper with witnesses, harassment, etc.
-- James Baugh, sentenced to 57 months in prison.
-- David Harville, sentenced to 24 months in prison.
-- Philip Cooke, sentenced to 18 months in, followed by 36 months of supervised release, including 12 months of house arrest.
-- Stephanie Popp, sentenced to 13 months in prison.
-- Stephanie Stockwell, sentenced to 24 months of probation.
-- Veronica Zea, sentenced to 24 months probation, the first 12 to include house arrest.
-- Brian Gilbert, sentencing delayed because he had / has cancer and I don't know current sentencing status.
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css2001
·2 years agoNo wonder I can't get any eBay employee on the phone!
dirk12955
·2 years agoTagging on:
I keep thinking about the McDs customer and the hot coffee. They don't sue
the 16 year old kid that handed them the coffee. They sue McDs corp which
has much deeper pockets.
Somebody posted that ebay has set aside 64M to litigate this mess. Wouldn't it be cheaper
to pay off the victims and make it go away?
Course, Pay em off and it makes ebay look guilty.
A real puzzler.
maxine*j
·2 years agoRight, but that was a civil lawsuit so, of course, the person who brought it went after Deep Pockets.
This was not a civil lawsuit. The U.S. DOJ brought criminal charges against the eBay employees responsible for the criminal actions, and each case was successfully prosecuted.
Since the Steiners are still deeply concerned about justice, they are now bringing a civil lawsuit against former eBAY CEO David Wenig, et al. [The case is Steiner v. eBay Inc, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No. 21-cv-11181.]
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chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI'm actually fine with them going for the money - corporations really don't work on the principles of 'justice.'
valueaddedresource
·2 years ago"Pay em off and it makes ebay look guilty" - @dirk12955 there's the rub...depending on the terms of any eventual settlement, it may not just make them "look" guilty, it may in fact actually include admitting or acknowledging liability for some or all of the claims being made.
That $64Million was not provided as a possible settlement figure, it was just the amount they have set aside (so far) to cover expected expenses (which could include legal costs, government fines, additional compliance costs etc.) related to this case and several other unrelated legal issues eBay is currently facing.
We have no idea what has actually been offered in settlement talks as that is not yet part of the public record.
Also, keep in mind that whatever millions (tens of millions?) may be on the table for a potential settlement of this case are not the only millions (or even billions) eBay may be worried about.
There are also a bunch of shareholders carefully watching this all unfold and you can be absolutely sure if this goes in any direction that assigns liability to the company as a whole, the executive leadership and/or the board, the sharks will circle very quickly, especially if it significantly negatively impacts the stock price.
There was already at least one shareholder rights firm that opened up in investigation when this news first came out in 2020.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wolf-popper-llp-investigates-ebay-dirty-tricks-and-former-ceos-57-million-exit-package-301085164.html
eBay is also currently being sued by the EPA in an unrelated matter having to do with the sale of prohibited pesticides, restricted chemicals, and emission control cheat devices on the site and there are at least 3 shareholder rights firms currently investigating potential breach of fiduciary duties by eBay officers and directors in that matter as well.
I have no inside information but it would not surprise me at all if the sticking point in negotiations isn't entirely about the dollar figure.
Whether or not the settlement payout would be covered by corporate insurance, what exactly they would have to admit or acknowledge being liable for and how much risk/exposure there would be to a possible class action shareholder lawsuit that could potentially reach in the hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars are also likely weighing heavily on eBay's side of the table.
bonjourami
·2 years agoOld,old, news.