Ebay faces up to $2 billion in fines over selling "rolling coal" devices

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

October 16, 2023 / 5:22 PM


Ebay may have to cough up as much as $2 billion in fines for allegedly allowing the distribution and sale of hundreds of thousands of products that significantly increase pollution spewing from diesel pickup trucks.

The e-commerce giant is accused of letting more than 343,000 aftermarket "rolling coal" devices — made to neutralize motor vehicle emission controls — be sold through its platform in violation of the Clean Air Act, according to a Justice Department complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court.

EBay sold the products between November 2015 and January 2023, with each device that was sold subject to a $5,580 fine, the federal agency said in its lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency. Products that override autos' emissions controls are used to boost a diesel truck's power and to enable it to spew a plume of black exhaust in what's known as a "roll coal."

Some drivers seemingly use the devices as an anti-environmental protest of sorts, targeting electric or hybrid vehicles like Teslas and Priuses or bicyclists. According to the EPA, coal rolling is a major source of air pollution because of the nitrogen oxide released into the air. Exposure to exhaust fumes also puts people at risk of developing respiratory troubles such as asthma and bronchitis, research has shown.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebay-rolling-coal-devices-epa-justice-department/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Also, "rolling coal" spew is sometimes used by angry truck drivers, etc.

to harass drivers of EV's. Not only does the smoke obscure the latters' vision of the road, the toxins envelop those vehicles.

[hlthe2b]

2. And cyclists/pedestrians. These a'holes are often not covered by local ordinances so I joined other

"sane" people in getting the state legislature to address this issue. Same a'holes who mount the massive Trump signs in the back of their gargantuan pick-up trucks doing this shit. They love to come into Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder, and other overwhelmingly progressive areas of Colorado to harass.

[multigraincracker]

3. If you report a license plate and/or

Capture it on a dash camera, can it be reported it to the EPA?

[dembotoz]

4. wouldn't ebay have purchase records?

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Hope FTC looks into crooked "free" marketplaces too

Increasingly dependent on industries and big sellers. SEO can't even produce lowest cost items anymore. Sellers' rights pruned in seller updates and policies. Day of reckoning ahead.

[NBachers]

15. What is SEO?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. Search engine optimization. NT

[csziggy]

6. Good - I was targeted by one of these jerks while driving my Prius

He'd tried to force his way in from a merge where he had no priority. When I wouldn't let him in, he got ahead of me and kept "rolling coal" for a mile or so.

I was laughing at him since he had a bumper sticker on his massive toy truck that said, "Yes I am compensating for something." I figured it was for his tiny dick.

[3Hotdogs]

7. THe purchasers of the devices ought to be charged, also.

[IronLionZion]

8. Yes own the environmental libs during high fuel prices by wasting diesel fuel

super genius plan

[FakeNoose]

9. Since 2015? Really EPA, it took this long to shut them down?

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Remember that the GOP has been trying to get rid of the EPA

ever since one of their own (Nixon) created them.

Democrats lost control of the House (the "funders" ) after the 2010 election and only regained it (briefly) in 2018.

[kimbutgar]

11. We got smoked one time in Arizona near the Grand Canyon because we had California license plates

The guy trailed us for awhile, then cut us off, got in front of us and smoked us. My husband wanted to go after him and I had to beg him not to( he didn’t) the guy had a bunch of orange maggot stickers in his car and a gun was in his back window.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. I wonder what else on eBay isn't on the up and up

During the pandemic I posted about a man who owned a computer repair shop in NYC. He said he stopped buying used computers off the street because without exception every one proved to be hot, and licenses and inspections forced him to provide an accounting for tax purposes. Not that he was up to no good, but he said it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Now we have all these retailers closing stores due to theft. Where does that merchandise wind up? I'm suspicious when I see a totally new item that goes in Walmart for 180-200 and it's on eBay for $120. Not that I'm not tempted to buy the 120 item, but is it worth it? Will it be tracked and I have to go through the hassle of coughing up eBay receipts and logs? Is it worth it? Is the item warranteed?

eBay is moving toward bigger sellers with guaranteed items, and they do offer add-on guarantees for a fee, but how good are those?

[BumRushDaShow]

13. (Fl)e(a)Bay

has been around a long time as a "public-facing" site (initially doing auction-style retail). So you can only imagine.

I know there have been many smaller brick and mortar retailers who used eBay as their "store front". Some may have eventually moved over to Amazon but I expect a bunch are still there.

[mahina]

18. What does the headline mean please? I dont understand. Thanks.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. I know there are some posts from people in the thread who describe what this is

and I had no idea what it was either until I did some research because it's bad enough to have something similar with drag car enthusiasts doing burnouts in the middle of an urban area...

But apparently a truck can be modified, including with devices (that apparently have been available on eBay) that do this -

It's done for intimidation by hoodlums IMHO, like purposely flooring it through a puddle on the street making sure that you splash any innocent person standing on the sidewalk nearby.

And as an offtopic sidenote about the "burnouts", they can even add color to the smoke.

[mahina]

20. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it. I didn't explain clearly...what does "(Fl)e(a)Bay" mean?

If you're out of time or patience, it's cool. Thanks again.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Oh sorry!

That was a nickname ( "Fleabay" ) that people would call eBay back in the day to disparage them!

[mahina]

23. Aha! Of course. I had not heard the term before. Thanks a bunch.

[miyazaki]

22. Ebay is also a massive bootleg emporium

Cd's, dvd's, software, everything.

Been reporting bootleggers for years with no response.

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Unbeknownest to me I think I bought one of those 2008 or so

it will play in a DVD player pretty good, but on VLC or equivalent it either won't boot, takes 14 minutes to boot, or is grainy.

[Novara]

14. I'm actually surprised it's still a thing

Talk about overcompensation. Way to tell the world you have a tiny penis, asshole.

[TheBlackAdder]

17. Offer a $1,000 bounty on each vehicle spewing smoke using an anonymous tip line.

[doc03]

24. We have all these pipeliners and drillers from mostly Texas, Louisiana and

South Dakota that pull that stunt all the time. That comes standard along with a Trump and NRA sticker.

[chouchou]

26. Rollin' hillbillies