They sure took a page out of Monsanto's intimidation handbook (see "Seeds of Reprisal" ).
eBay gets away with everything, hiding behind their claim that THEY never sell anything, but merely act as an agent to get buyers and sellers together. This is fine as long as there is good faith on both sides, but their model is custom made for fraud. I rarely even look, but I have seen fake examples of legal tender US currency on eBay, and when I pointed it out to them, they said their usual, "we only act as agents, and are therefore blameless." I gave up and told them it was now between them and the U.S. Secret Service.
Uncaring mid-level management is one thing, though. Having a secret terror brigade ready to spring into action anywhere is another level entirely. The CEO declared ignorance, but there is a huge expense involved in maintaining and engaging such a division. They have to be trained and coordinated. This is a step beyond just a "dirty tricks team." This is targeted harassment on a level approaching terrorism.
The Steiners should receive a settlement in the tens of millions. This went on for over a year, and they will never feel fully safe in any home they live in--not fully. I am quite confident that were they to be awarded and receive such a settlement, they would use a good part of it to fund the legal fees of other victims of such harassment around the country. I'm sure that not just eBay and Monsanto have such large budgets for organized intimidation of individuals. This is not the complaint of someone who received a used Beatles LP when a new one was offered. eBay would have to have spent hundreds of thousands if not millions to maintain and deploy this troop of goons. The whole practice, along with personnel, battle plans and costs, needs to be made public.
I'll bet their shareholders are not going to be thrilled, even now that the CEO was forced out. The $57 million for his severance package will not sit well with those who ended up financing it, either.
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