Former eBay executives allegedly sent live spiders and a bloody pig mask to critics.
Now it’s costing them $56 million It sounds like the eBay delivery from hell: live cockroaches and spiders, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath and a book about grieving a spouse’s death
Yet that’s what a civil lawsuit alleges former eBay executives sent to the home of David and Ina Steiner, a Massachusetts couple who publishes the e-commerce trade publication EcommerceBytes, after their reporting drew criticism from the company. Must Read – – Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP – The 2021 civil lawsuit against the former eBay execs, which alleged “a coordinated effort to intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence the Steiners, in order to stifle their reporting on eBay,” was finally settled on July 27, resulting in a total payout of nearly $56 million. “There’s no doubt that there is a sense of relief because of the protracted nature of the litigation,” David Steiner told Moneywise. “It took a physical, mental, emotional and financial toll on Ina and myself. We hope that the size of the settlement amount will act as a deterrent to corporations in the future.” Under the settlement, the Steiners will receive $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from former CEO Devin Wenig and $550,000 from two other ex-executives.
The agreement also includes $7 million in charitable donations, including $1 million honoring Ina Steiner’s support of First Amendment rights. It’s a definitive conclusion to a harassment campaign that allegedly began in 2019, details of which the lawsuit says “shock the conscience and demonstrate the utter depths eBay would stoop to in order to take the Steiners down and end their reporting.” How an alleged intimidation campaign led to a $56-million settlement The couple alleged, in their lawsuit, that “eBay, through its Chief Executive…