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eBay
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{{Short description|American multinational e-commerce corporation}}{{Lowercase title}}{{For|the song by "Weird Al" Yankovic|eBay (song)}}{{Pp-move-indef}}{{Use American English|date=August 2015}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
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History
File:Pomidyarji.jpg|thumb|right|Pierre OmidyarPierre Omidyar1990s
eBay was founded as AuctionWeb in California on September 3, 1995, by French-born Iranian-American computer programmer Pierre Omidyar as a hobby to make some extra money.MAGAZINE,weblink The Small-Scale Story Behind eBay's Big Bucks, LILY, ROTHMAN, Time (magazine), Time, September 3, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 21, 2023,weblink live, One of the first items sold on AuctionWeb was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. Astonished, Omidyar contacted the winning bidder to ask if he understood that the laser pointer was broken; the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers."NEWS,weblink Eight Tips From The Pros For Selling On eBay, David, Seideman, Forbes, May 20, 2014, limited, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In February 1996, Omidyar's internet service provider informed him that he would need to upgrade to a business account due to the high web traffic of his website. The monthly price increase from $30 to $250 prompted Omidyar to start charging eBay users. The website made $1,000 in its first month, which was more than it cost to run, and $2,500 in its second month. Chris Agarpao was eBay's first employee; he processed mailed check payments.NEWS,weblink History of eBay: Facts and Timeline, Brian, O'Connell, TheStreet.com, July 16, 2021, February 26, 2024, January 14, 2024,weblink live, Jeffrey Skoll was hired as the first president of the company in early 1996. In November 1996, the company launched online auctions for airline seats, hotel rooms, cruise berths and other travel-related products in partnership with Electronic Travel Auctions. By that time, the company had hosted more than 200,000 auctions since its founding 14 months earlier.NEWS,weblink Airline tickets sold in Net auction, Jeff, Pelline, CNET, November 4, 1996, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, The company changed the name of its service from AuctionWeb to eBay in September 1997, after Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar's consulting firm. The echobay.com domain name was already registered by Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company, so Omidyar shortened it to eBay.com. In 1997, the company received $6.7 million in venture capital funding from Benchmark.The frequently repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade Pez candy dispensers was fabricated in 1997 by public relations manager Mary Lou Song to give the media a human-interest story and to generate publicity with toy collectors.The most purchased and sold items on the website were Beanie Babies, the most difficult toys to find in retail stores, accounting for 10% of all listings in 1997. Ty, the manufacturer, had set up a website whereby people could trade used Beanie Babies. However, it was overwhelmed with unsortable listings. With a user-friendly interface, eBay became popular with collectors.NEWS, Lessons from the Great Beanie Babies Crash,weblink Fortune (magazine), Fortune, Anne, Vandermey, March 11, 2015, subscription, February 13, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160213003204weblink">weblink live, Meg Whitman was appointed president and CEO in March 1998. At the time, the company had 30 employees, 500,000 users, and revenues of $4.7 million in the United States.NEWS,weblink The history of eBay: How the internet auctioneer rose to the top, The Daily Telegraph, April 15, 2011, subscription, November 22, 2020,weblink live, In July 1998, eBay acquired Jump, the developer and operator of Up4Sale, an advertising-supported auction website which at the time had 27,000 separate auctions and 50,000 registered members.NEWS,weblink eBay acquires Jump, CNET, July 16, 1998, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In September 1998, during the dot-com bubble, eBay became a public company via an initial public offering led by CFO Gary F. Bengier.NEWS,weblink On-Line Auctions Help Keep eBay's IPO Outlook Strong, George, Anders, The Wall Street Journal, September 17, 1998, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, Upon the initial public offering, which was priced at $18 per share and closed for trading on its first day at $53 per share, both Omidyar and Skoll became billionaires.NEWS,weblink eBay roars into public trading, Dawn, Kawamoto, CNET, January 10, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150110091731weblink">weblink live, In the risk factors section of the annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1998, Omidyar noted eBay's dependence on the continued strength of the Beanie Babies market.NEWS,weblink Pierre M. Omidyar: The Web For The People, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, December 5, 2004, subscription, August 27, 2020,weblink live,2000s
In June 2000, eBay acquired Half.com for $312 million in stock.NEWS,weblink COMPANY NEWS; EBAY TO ACQUIRE HALF.COM, A TRADING SITE FOR USED ITEMS, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, June 14, 2000, limited, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay acquires Half.com, Tim, Eaton, MarketWatch, June 13, 2000, limited, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In 2000, eBay partnered with Escrow.com to handle escrow for purchases and sales of motor vehicles, later expanded to other transaction types.NEWS,weblink eBay brings escrow aboard, CNET, May 2, 2002, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, By year-end, it had 22.5 million registered users and 79.4 million auctions per quarter.NEWS,weblink EBay's 4th-Quarter Earnings Exceed Analysts' Predictions, John, Schwartz, The New York Times, January 19, 2001, limited, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, In January 2001, eBay acquired a majority stake in Internet Auction Co. Ltd, operator of the largest internet auction website in South Korea.NEWS,weblink eBay gets Korea's largest auction site, ZDNet, January 7, 2001, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In February 2002, eBay acquired iBazar, a French online auction site founded in 1998, for approximately $112 million in stock.NEWS,weblink eBay says "oui" to purchase of French auction site, CNET, January 12, 2002, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, eBay entered the Chinese market in 2002 and shut down its Chinese site in 2007 due to competition from local rival Taobao.NEWS,weblink How Taobao bested Ebay in China, Financial Times, March 12, 2012, subscription,weblink" title="ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210weblink">weblink December 10, 2022, live, NEWS,weblink Tom Online: eBay's Last China Card, Frederik, Balfour, Bloomberg News, December 19, 2006, subscription, February 26, 2024, August 10, 2022,weblink live, In February 2002, eBay exited Japan due to competition from Yahoo! Japan and began operations in Taiwan with the acquisition of NeoCom Technology for $9.5 million.NEWS,weblink Internet: Ebay Exits Japan For Taiwan, Chris, Gaither, The New York Times, February 27, 2002, limited, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay Collects Taiwan Site, Forbes, March 1, 2002, limited, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In June 2006, eBay turned over its operations in Taiwan to a joint venture partner.NEWS,weblink EBay retreats from Taiwan, Dan, Nystedt, InfoWorld, June 26, 2006, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, (File:PayPal San Jose Headquarters.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|PayPal San Jose Headquarters)eBay acquired PayPal on October 3, 2002 for $1.4 billion.NEWS,weblink It's Official: eBay Wed PayPal, CNET, October 3, 2002,weblink June 12, 2018, live, NEWS,weblink EBay completes PayPal acquisition, Joris, Evers, Computerworld, October 4, 2002, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay Completes PayPal Deal, Gaining Web-Payments Heft, Nick, Wingfield, The Wall Street Journal, October 4, 2002, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Diana, Samuels, October 29, 2012, PayPal lays off 325 in effort to speed innovation, American City Business Journals, September 10, 2020,weblink live, On May 28, 2003, in the case of eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C., which had implications for the treatment of business method patents, a United States district court jury found eBay guilty of willful patent infringement and ordered the company to pay $35 million in damages after MercExchange accused eBay of infringing on three patents, one of which is used in eBay's "Buy It Now" feature. The decision was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). The CAFC affirmed the judgment of willful infringement, and reversed the lower court and granted a permanent injunction. eBay appealed the permanent injunction to the Supreme Court of the United States, which on May 15, 2006 found an injunction is not required nor automatic in this or any patent case where guilt has been established. The case was sent back to the Virginia district court for consideration of the injunction and a trial on another MercExchange patent.WEB,weblink EBAY INC. ET AL. v. MERCEXCHANGE, L. L. C., Supreme Court of the United States, February 26, 2024, January 16, 2024,weblink live, In August 2004, eBay acquired 25% of the classified advertising website Craigslist for $32 million.NEWS,weblink EBay Buys 25% Stake in Craigslist, an Online Bulletin Board, Matt, Richtel, The New York Times, August 14, 2004, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay buys into Craigslist, CNET, August 16, 2004, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, Former disgruntled Craigslist executive Phillip Knowlton was the seller.NEWS,weblink EBay buys 25% stake in Craigslist / Ex-employee sells equity to online auctioneer, but founder says deal won't change site, Carolyn, Said, San Francisco Chronicle, August 14, 2004, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In December 2004, eBay acquired Rent.com for $415 million.NEWS,weblink Brief: eBay snaps up Rent.com for $415M, James, Niccolai, Computerworld, December 17, 2004, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In March 2005, eBay launched Kijiji, a classified advertising website, in international markets.NEWS,weblink EBay launches Kijiji classifieds, MarketWatch, March 9, 2005, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, It launched in the United States in July 2007.NEWS,weblink eBay launches Kijiji classifieds in US, TODD, HASELTON, Ars Technica, July 5, 2007, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay launches Kijiji classifieds in U.S., Steven, Schwankert, InfoWorld, July 5, 2007, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, MAGAZINE,weblink EBay Launches Kijiji In The United States, ADARIO, STRANGE, Wired (magazine), Wired, July 5, 2007, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In May 2005, eBay acquired Gumtree, a classified advertising website in the United Kingdom.NEWS,weblink eBay buys London ads website Gumtree, Stephen, Brook, The Guardian, May 19, 2005, February 26, 2024, March 25, 2017,weblink live, In October 2005, eBay Inc. acquired Skype Technologies for $2.6 billion.NEWS,weblink EBay to Buy Skype, Internet Phone Service, for $2.6 Billion, Ken, Belson, The New York Times, September 13, 2005, limited, February 26, 2024, January 14, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay to Buy Skype for $2.6 Billion, Mylene, Mangalindan, Christopher, Rhoads, The Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2005, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay buys Skype in US$2.6 billion deal, ZDNet, September 12, 2005, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, ProStores was an e-commerce website hosting company owned by eBay. Formerly known as Kurant StoreSense, ProStores was acquired by eBay Inc. by the end of 2005 changing the name to ProStores by eBay.BOOK, Cheryl Lynn Russell, John N. Peragine, EBay Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, And/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business with EBay,weblink 2010, Atlantic Publishing Company, 978-1-60138-441-6, 25–, Looking for a new ... Another company eBay has acquired and put to work servicing its own users is Kurant, a leading-edge company that specializes in software for e-commerce on small business Web sites. eBay used its products to create a new service for sellers that debuted in summer of 2005: ProStores. This extra-fee service ..., ProStores' feature set included simple wizard-driven website, e-commerce capabilities, site design tools and e-business management. Smaller merchants could also manage the entire process of posting and selling products on eBay using the ProStores interface. It also offered inventory management, supplier communication and integration with Quickbooks and Dreamweaver. eBay announced on July 1, 2014 that support for the platform would end February 1, 2015.WEB,weblink Archived copy, 2014-07-02, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140712033935weblink">weblink 2014-07-12, In February 2006, Intuit launched a web-based version of ItsDeductible, a donation tracking service, using data from eBay to help users assign a market value to the items they donate.NEWS,weblink Tax Break, S., Dumenco, New York (magazine), New York, February 8, 2006, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, (File:Ebay express.png|thumb|eBay Express logo)In April 2006, eBay launched eBay Express, a site that was designed to work like a standard Internet shopping site, with fixed prices and no bidding involved. The website had 10 million items listed upon its launch.NEWS,weblink eBay launches online store, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 24, 2006, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay plans instant-buying service, NBC News, January 18, 2006, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Whitman's eBay Launches 'Express' Service, Forbes, April 25, 2006, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay launches online store for new, no-bidding items, Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 24, 2006, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, The site was shut down in October 2008.NEWS,weblink Amid the Gloom, an E-Commerce War, Stone, Brad, The New York Times, October 11, 2008, limited,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081014062432weblink">weblink October 14, 2008, live, In January 2007, eBay acquired StubHub, an online marketplace for ticket resale, for $310 million.NEWS,weblink eBay Buys StubHub Ticket Broker For $310M, CBS News, January 11, 2007, February 26, 2024, January 19, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay buying StubHub for $310M in cash, Associated Press, China Daily, January 11, 2007, February 26, 2024, February 7, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200207213959weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink$310M.aspx, That's The Ticket: eBay To Acquire StubHub For $310M, Advance Publications, January 11, 2007, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink$310M.aspx, live, NEWS,weblink EBay to buy StubHub for $310M, American City Business Journals, January 11, 2007, subscription, February 26, 2024, February 26, 2024,weblink live, In April 2008, eBay sued Craigslist, claiming that in January 2008, Craigslist took actions that "unfairly diluted eBay's economic interest by more than 10%", making eBay lose its seat on the board of directors of Craigslist.NEWS,weblink EBay sues Craigslist ad website, BBC News, April 23, 2008, August 12, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100812172840weblink">weblink live, Craigslist countersued in May 2008 alleging that eBay used its board seat to gain insider information about Craigslist that was used to compete against the company.NEWS,weblink Craigslist strikes back at eBay, BBC News, May 13, 2008, September 16, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090916224915weblink">weblink live, In September 2010, Delaware Judge William B. Chandler III ruled that the actions of Craigslist were unlawful and that the actions were taken by Craigslist founders Jim Buckmaster and Craig Newmark had "breached their fiduciary duty of loyalty", and restored eBay's stake in the company to 28.4% from a diluted level of 24.85%. However, the judge dismissed eBay's objection to a staggered board provision, citing that Craigslist has the right to protect its own trade secrets.NEWS,weblink eBay Gets Partial Win in Craigslist Poison Pill Lawsuit, Dawn, Kawamoto, AOL, Yahoo! Finance, September 10, 2010, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ruling Restores Ebay's Stake in Craigslist, Michael, Baron, TheStreet.com, September 9, 2010, September 12, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100912125040weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay wins legal ruling against Craigslist, John, Letzing, MarketWatch, September 9, 2010, limited, September 13, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100913041529weblink">weblink live, In January 2008, Meg Whitman resigned as president and CEO of eBay to enter politics, and was replaced with John Donahoe. Whitman remained on the board of directors and continued to advise Donahoe through 2008.NEWS,weblink eBay's Whitman out; guidance hurts, Goldman, David, CNN, April 13, 2023,weblink live, In May 2008, eBay announced the opening of a building on the company's North Campus in San Jose, California, the first ground-up structure in the city to be built to LEED Gold standards. The building, the first the company had built in its 13-year existence, uses an array of 3,248 solar panels, spanning {{convert|60000|sqft|m2}}, and providing 650 kilowatts of power, 15–18% of the company's total energy requirements, reducing carbon dioxide usage by 37 million pounds over 30 years. The building also has energy-efficient lighting and water system and most waste is recycled.NEWS,weblink EBay opens building with largest solar roof in San Jose, The Mercury News,weblink" title="archive.today/20130128165432weblink">weblink January 28, 2013, live, In April 2009, eBay agreed to acquire a controlling stake in G-Market, a South Korean online retailer, for $413 million.NEWS,weblink EBay buys Korean rival's stake for $413 mln-report, Rhee, So-eui, Reuters, April 12, 2009, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ebay to take over Korean auction website, Financial Times, April 16, 2009, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In May 2009, eBay launched the Selling Manager Applications program (SM Apps). The program allows approved developers to integrate their applications directly into the eBay.com interface.NEWS,weblink Ebay Launches Selling Manager Applications Beta, HuffPost, May 2, 2009, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In November 2009, eBay sold a 70% stake in Skype to a consortium led by Silver Lake Partners and Marc Andreessen at a $2.75 billion valuation, while retaining a 30% minority ownership interest in Skype, after failing to integrate Skype into the company's online marketplace.MAGAZINE,weblink Ebay Sells 65% of Skype For $1.9 Billion; Andreessen Among Investors, JOHN C., ABELL, Wired (magazine), Wired, September 1, 2009, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Breaking: eBay Completes Skype Sale At $2.75 Billion Valuation, Wauters, Robin, TechCrunch, November 19, 2009, October 26, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Why Did eBay Sell Skype?, Derek, Thompson, The Atlantic, September 1, 2009, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, Microsoft acquired the entire company for $8.5 billion in May 2011.NEWS,weblink Microsoft Buy Skype for $8.5 Billion. Why, Exactly?, Peter, Bright, Wired (magazine), Wired, May 10, 2011, limited, November 18, 2020,weblink live,2010s
In June 2011, eBay acquired GSI Commerce for $2.4 billion.NEWS,weblink eBay Closes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of GSI Commerce, Rao, Leena, TechCrunch, June 20, 2011, February 26, 2024, August 18, 2023,weblink live, In June 2013, it was renamed eBay Enterprise.NEWS,weblink Protalinski, Emil, Two years after the acquisition, eBay rebrands GSI Commerce as eBay Enterprise, The Next Web, June 20, 2013, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In May 2012, RentPath, then known as Primedia, acquired Rent.com from eBay for approximately $415 million.PRESS RELEASE,weblink PRIMEDIA to Acquire Rent.com from eBay Inc., Business Wire, March 22, 2012, February 26, 2024, November 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay Sells Off Real Estate Listings Site Rent.com To Primedia, Leena, Rao, TechCrunch, March 22, 2012, February 26, 2024, December 6, 2023,weblink live, In September 2012, eBay introduced a new logo using a thinner variation of the Univers typeface. It replaced the thicker Univers logo that had been used since eBay's inception in 1995.NEWS,weblink eBay redesigns its logo after a decade and a half of overlapping colors, Vlad, Savov, The Verge, September 13, 2012, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ebay reveals its first new logo since 1995, SALVADOR, RODRIGUEZ, Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2012, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink After 17 Years, eBay Debuts A New, Sleeker Logo, Leena, Rao, TechCrunch, September 13, 2012, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, File:EBay former logo.svg|1995–2012File:EBay logo.svg|2012–presentIn October 2012, eBay launched an international shipping partnership with Pitney Bowes whereby a seller of an item to be shipped internationally can send the item to a Pitney Bowes facility in their home country, which then forwards it to the international buyer, taking care of all international shipping requirements.PRESS RELEASE,weblink Pitney Bowes and eBay Renew Partnership to Help Millions of eBay Sellers Reach Buyers Internationally, Business Wire, May 1, 2018, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, The company also launched a partnership with FedEx to offer discounted shipping options to sellers.NEWS,weblink EBay Teams Up With FedEx on Shipping to Compete With Amazon, Danielle, Kucera, Bloomberg News, October 23, 2012, subscription, February 26, 2024, May 5, 2021,weblink live, In November 2012, eBay was charged in the High-Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation, accused by the United States Department of Justice of entering into non-solicitation agreements with other technology companies involving highly skilled employees.NEWS,weblink After Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, Pixar, and Intuit, Antitrust Employment Charges Hit eBay, Bill, Singer, Forbes, November 19, 2012, limited, July 30, 2020,weblink live, The litigation was settled in May 2014, with eBay required to end anti-competitive practices.PRESS RELEASE,weblink Justice Department Requires eBay to End Anticompetitive "No Poach" Hiring Agreements, United States Department of Justice, May 1, 2014, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, On September 30, 2014, eBay announced it would spin off PayPal into a separate publicly traded company, a demand made nine months prior by activist hedge fund magnate Carl Icahn.NEWS,weblink PayPal Spinoff Day Has Arrived -- What Does It Mean for Investors?, Borison, Rebecca, July 20, 2015, TheStreet.com, October 24, 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay And PayPal Formally Split On July 20, techtimes.com, June 29, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150702074414weblink">weblink July 2, 2015, live, The spinoff was completed on July 18, 2015. eBay's then chief executive, John Donahoe, stepped down from that role.NEWS, De La Merced, Michael, Sorkin, Andrew Ross, Andrew Ross Sorkin, EBay to Spin Off PayPal, Adopting Strategy Backed by Icahn,weblink The New York Times, September 30, 2014, limited, November 14, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, EBay follows Icahn's advice, plans PayPal spinoff in 2015,weblink Deepa, Seetharaman, Supantha, Mukherjee, Reuters, September 30, 2014, January 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160102221610weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Cheng, Roger, eBay, PayPal to split into separate companies in 2015, CNET, September 30, 2014,weblink June 12, 2018, live, In January 2015, eBay acquired Vivanuncios, a classified advertising website in Mexico.PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Classifieds Expands in Mexico, Acquires Vivanuncios, eBay, January 28, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In June 2015, eBay sold its stake in Craigslist back to the company, ending the litigation.NEWS,weblink EBay Ends Ties With Craigslist, Sells Minority Stake Back To Craigslist, Ryan, Mac, Forbes, June 19, 2015, limited, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay Sells Stake Back to Craigslist, Associated Press, Inc. (magazine), Inc., June 19, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay sells a coveted prize back to Craigslist, ending long legal tussle, LEENA, RAO, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, June 19, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay Divests Craigslist Stake, Ends Litigation, Greg, Bensinger, The Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2015, subscription, February 26, 2024, June 20, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150620022758weblink">weblink live, In August 2015, eBay sold a portion of its stake in Snapdeal.NEWS,weblink eBay Sells Part of Its Stake in Snapdeal, the Alibaba of India, Jason, Del Rey, Vox.com, August 18, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay cuts stake in India's Snapdeal; Foxconn unit invests $200 mln, Nivedita, Bhattacharjee, J.R., Wu, Reuters, August 18, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In September 2015, Propay and Skrill were eliminated as payment methods on the eBay website, citing low usage.NEWS,weblink UPDATE: eBay bans PayPal payment rivals, Daphne, Howland, Industry Dive, September 1, 2015, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, Flipkart and eBay entered into a strategic partnership in July 2017 under which eBay acquired a 5.44% stake in Flipkart in exchange for the contribution of its India business unit valued at $211 million and a $514 million cash investment in Flipkart. Flipkart launched a program to allow its sellers to sell to customers globally in partnership with eBay. eBay reported a gain of $167 million on the sale of its India operations.NEWS,weblink Flipkart to buy eBay India as part of $1.4 billion fund-raising deal, Dalal, Mihir, Anirban, Sen, Mint (newspaper), Mint, April 10, 2017,weblink June 12, 2018, live, NEWS,weblink Flipkart raises $1.4 billion from eBay, Microsoft and Tencent at an $11.6 billion valuation, Russell, Jon, TechCrunch, April 10, 2017, September 8, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Flipkart's products now available to global customers, The Economic Times, August 21, 2017, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay secures 5.4% stake in Flipkart, Varsha, Bansal, The Economic Times, October 25, 2017, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In May 2018, eBay sold its stake in Flipkart to Walmart and relaunched its operations in India.NEWS,weblink eBay to relaunch India operations after earning $1.1 billion from Flipkart stake, The Nikkei, May 10, 2018, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In August 2017, eBay shut Half.com.NEWS,weblink Half.com Shutting Down, Where to Buy Used CD's, DVD's & Books?, Brandi, WRRV, August 8, 2017, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, In October 2017, eBay released image retrieval capability allowing users to find listings on the site that match an item depicted in a photo, using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.NEWS,weblink eBay launches visual search tools that let you shop using photos from your phone or web, Sarah, Perez, TechCrunch, October 26, 2017, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ebay to launch visual search tools for finding products using photos from your phone or web, Sarah, Perez, TechCrunch, July 26, 2017, August 17, 2020,weblink live, On January 31, 2018, eBay announced that it would replace PayPal as its primary payments provider with Netherlands-based start-up Adyen, resulting in lower costs and more control of merchants.NEWS,weblink Why eBay abandoned PayPal for a smaller European competitor, Browne, Ryan, CNBC, February 1, 2018, November 9, 2020,weblink live, In May 2018, eBay acquired the Japanese e-commerce platform Qoo10 for $573 million.NEWS,weblink EBay paid $573M to buy Japanese e-commerce platform Qoo10, filing reveals, Ingrid, Lunden, Jon, Russell, TechCrunch, July 20, 2018, August 17, 2020,weblink live, PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Completes Acquisition of Giosis' Japan Business, ebayinc.com, May 2, 2018, September 27, 2020,weblink live, In July 2018, eBay announced support for Apple Pay as well as a partnership with Square for seller financing loans of up to $100,000.NEWS,weblink Ebay to add support for Apple Pay, partners with Square Capital on seller financing, Sarah, Perez, TechCrunch, July 24, 2018, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay to Accept Apple Pay and Offer Merchant Loans With Square, Spencer, Soper, Bloomberg News, July 24, 2018, subscription, February 26, 2024, January 30, 2022,weblink live, In September 2018, in response to the YouTube headquarters shooting, eBay announced plans to install a security fence around the perimeter of its San Jose headquarters to protect employees.NEWS,weblink Depuy, Emily, eBay to install fencing at San Jose HQ to protect employees, The Mercury News, September 21, 2018, April 14, 2021,weblink live, In March 2019, the company paid its first dividend following investor pressure to improve shareholder return.NEWS, Thomas, Patrick, January 29, 2019, EBay to Pay Its First-Ever Dividend,weblink The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2024, January 24, 2024,weblink live, On July 31, 2019, the company acquired a 5.59% stake in Paytm Mall.NEWS,weblink Tech Top 5: EBay buys stake in Paytm Mall, E-comm sales boom despite lower discounts & more, The Economic Times, July 18, 2019, August 11, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay logs into Paytm Mall with 5.5% stake, eyes pie of online retail, Deepti, Chaudhary, Mint (newspaper), Mint, July 18, 2019, February 26, 2024, January 17, 2024,weblink live, In September 2019, facing pressure from activist shareholder Elliott Investment Management, Devin Wenig resigned as CEO. Scott Schenkel, senior vice president and chief financial officer since 2015, was appointed as the interim CEO.NEWS,weblink EBay CEO steps down, cites differences with board, Amal, S, Vibhuti, Sharma, Reuters, September 25, 2019, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay CEO Devin Wenig is stepping down as the company continues review of potential sale of assets, Kim, Jasmine, CNBC, September 25, 2019, November 4, 2020,weblink live, In November 2019, eBay agreed to sell StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion in cash; the sale was completed in February 2020.NEWS, Rubin, Ben Fox, eBay is selling StubHub tickets marketplace to Viagogo for $4 billion,weblink CNET, November 25, 2019, live,weblink December 23, 2020, PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Completes Sale of StubHub, PR Newswire, February 13, 2020, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink The Worst Deal Ever: The Inside Story Of The Epically Bad, Noah, Kirsch, Forbes, May 27, 2020, limited, February 26, 2024, February 13, 2024,weblink live,2020s
In April 2020, Jamie Iannone became the CEO of the company.NEWS,weblink Repko, Melissa, Walmart executive picked as eBay's new CEO, CNBC, April 13, 2020, July 30, 2020,weblink live, In June 2020, Fred D. Anderson and Thomas J. Tierney resigned from the board of directors of the company; both had been directors since 2003.WEB,weblink Ebay Inc. Schedule 14A Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In July 2020, eBay sold its classifieds business to Adevinta for $2.5 billion in cash and 540 million shares of Adevinta. To gain regulatory approval, Gumtree was further divested. eBay sold its shares in Adevinta in 2023, when that company was acquired by private equity firms.NEWS,weblink eBay to gain $2.2B from sales of its shares in classified biz Adevinta, Sarah, Perez, TechCrunch, November 21, 2023, February 26, 2024, February 2, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Adevinta wins auction to buy eBay's classified ads unit for nearly $9 billion, Barbaglia, Pamela, Greg, Roumeliotis, July 20, 2020, Reuters, April 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Adevinta, eBay clear final hurdle in $13 bln advertising tie-up, Solsvik, Terje, Reuters, June 18, 2021,weblink June 18, 2021, live, In September 2020, Pierre Omidyar resigned from the board of directors, after resigning as chairman in 2015.NEWS,weblink EBay Founder Pierre Omidyar Steps Down From Board, The Wall Street Journal, Armental, Maria, September 10, 2020, subscription, December 19, 2020,weblink live, In November 2021, eBay sold its South Korean business to Emart for $3 billion.PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Completes Transfer of its Businesses in Korea to Emart, PR Newswire, November 14, 2021, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Report: E-Mart to buy majority of Ebay's South Korean business for $3b, Deepti, Sri, Tech in Asia, June 25, 2021, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In May 2022, eBay acquired a stake in Funko and became the preferred secondary marketplace for Funko.PRESS RELEASE,weblink The Chernin Group-Led Consortium to Acquire $263 Million in Funko, a Leading Pop Culture Lifestyle Brand, PR Newswire, May 5, 2022, February 26, 2024, February 3, 2024,weblink live, In June 2022, the company acquired KnownOrigin, a marketplace for non-fungible tokens.PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Acquires Leading NFT Marketplace, KnownOrigin, PR Newswire, June 22, 2022, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay acquires NFT marketplace KnownOrigin for an undisclosed sum, Aisha, Malik, TechCrunch, June 22, 2022, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In August 2022, the company acquired the myFitment group of companies, specializing in online sales of automotive and powersports parts and accessories.PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Acquires the myFitment Group of Companies to Enhance Part and Accessories Listing Experience, PR Newswire, August 23, 2022, February 26, 2024, January 16, 2024,weblink live, In October 2022, the company acquired TCGPlayer, a marketplace for collectible card games, for up to $295 million.PRESS RELEASE,weblink eBay Acquires TCGplayer, PR Newswire, October 31, 2022, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay is acquiring trading card marketplace TCGplayer for up to $295M, Aisha, Malik, TechCrunch, August 22, 2022, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In July 2023, the company acquired Certiligo, a provider of artificial intelligence-powered digital IDs and authentication for apparel and fashion goods.NEWS,weblink eBay Acquires Certilogo, PR Newswire, July 11, 2023, February 26, 2024, January 18, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay acquires AI-powered product authentication company Certilogo, Aisha, Malik, TechCrunch, July 11, 2023, February 26, 2024, February 2, 2024,weblink live, In January 2024, the company announced plans to lay off 9% of its workforce after hiring outpaced growth projections.WEB, Vanian, Jonathan, 2024-01-24, EBay to eliminate about 1,000 jobs, or 9% of full-time workforce,weblink 2024-01-24, CNBC, en, February 24, 2024,weblink live,Financial history{| class"wikitable float-left" style"text-align: right;"
!Year!Revenuein mil. USD$!Net incomein mil. USD$!Total Assetsin mil. USD$!Price per Sharein USD$!EmployeesPhilanthropy and charity auctions
Using MissionFish as an arbiter, eBay allows sellers to donate a portion of their auction proceeds to a charity of the seller's choice and charges discounted fees for charity auctions.NEWS,weblink eBay update adds a Sell for Charity option for US and UK markets, The Next Web, Jackie, Dove, June 9, 2015,weblink September 24, 2020, live, High-profile charity auctions facilitated via eBay include the "Power Lunch" with investor Warren Buffett for 8 people at the Smith & Wollensky restaurant in New York City, with all of the proceeds going to the Glide Foundation. Auctions were held annually in 21 years between 2000 and 2022, with no auctions in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, auctions on eBay for lunch with Buffett raised $53.2 million for the Glide Foundation, with winning bids ranging from $2 million to as high as $19 million for the final auction in 2022.NEWS,weblink UPDATE 1-Warren Buffett lunch sells for $2.63 mln on eBay, Elinor, Comlay, Jonathan, Stempel, Reuters, June 11, 2010, January 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160102221610weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Cost to lunch with Warren Buffett: $3.5 million, Associated Press, NBC News, June 9, 2012, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Warren Buffett charity lunch fetches winning bid of $19 million, Jonathan, Stempel, Reuters, June 18, 2022, February 26, 2024, November 3, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink How much does lunch with Warren Buffett cost? Just $19 million., Natalie Neysa, Alund, USA Today, June 20, 2022, February 26, 2024, December 8, 2023,weblink live, Charity auctions via eBay are planned for lunch with Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.NEWS,weblink Exclusive: Warren Buffett's $53 Million Glide 'Power of One' Lunch Auction Taken On By Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, JOE, KUKURA, Gothamist, November 10, 2023, December 8, 2023, December 8, 2023,weblink dead, Also benefitting charity, a letter sent to Mark P. Mays, CEO of Clear Channel Communications by Senator Harry Reid and forty other Democratic senators, complaining about comments made by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, sold for $2,100,100, with all of the proceeds going to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, benefiting the education of children of men and women who have died serving in the armed forces. The winning bid was matched by Limbaugh.NEWS,weblink Critical Letter to Limbaugh Fetches $2 Million, The New York Times, Stephanie, Strom, October 20, 2007, limited, November 24, 2020,weblink live, In 2022, more than $163 million was raised for charities via the platform.Criticisms and controversies
Failure to combat fraud
Fraud committed by sellers includes selling counterfeit merchandise / bootleg recordings, shill bidding (undisclosed vendor bidding that is used to artificially inflate the price of a certain item by either the seller under an alternate account or another person in collusion with the seller), receiving payment and not shipping merchandise, shipping items other than those described, giving a deliberately misleading description and/or photo, knowingly and deliberately shipping faulty merchandise, denying warranty exchange after pre-agreeing to return merchandise authorization of (wikt:Defective on arrival|defective on arrival) merchandise, knowingly fencing (selling stolen goods), misrepresenting the cost of shipping, using bulk shipping prices to knowingly mask much higher costing, individual return shipping, and using pseudo-accounts to make high nonpaying bids on similar items that competitors are selling. eBay has been criticized for not doing enough to combat shill bidding. There are techniques such as auction sniping, which let buyers avoid shill bidders.NEWS,weblink Net sleuth calls eBay on carpet over shill bidding, Cade, Metz, The Register, 10 July 2009, February 26, 2024, December 14, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink 10 Most Common eBay Scams to Look Out For, Johanna, Neeson, Reader's Digest, September 1, 2023, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, Fraud committed by buyers includes filing a false shipping damage claim with the shipping company, friendly fraud (receiving merchandise and claiming otherwise), returning items other than received, removing parts from an item and returning it for a refund, sending a forged payment-service e-mail that states that he or she has made a payment to the seller's account as proof of payment, making a low bid then using pseudo-accounts to make high nonpaying bids in an attempt at gaining a low second chance offer price, damaging a non-refundable item to get a refund by claiming that the seller sent the item already damaged (in cases of buyer's remorse), and a package redirection scam, in which the return package is filled with garbage and sent to the wrong address.NEWS,weblink Exposing the top 10 eBay scams and how to detect them, Saulius, Griškėnas, NordVPN, August 16, 2023, February 26, 2024, February 26, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink 17 common eBay scams and how to spot them, Clare, Stouffer, Norton AntiVirus, July 20, 2023, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, In March 2008, Professional Coin Grading Service issued an alert noting counterfeit PCGS slabs and various United States and Chinese coins originating from the People's Republic of China being sold on eBay.WEB,weblink Counterfeit pcgs holders, Professional Coin Grading Service, March 27, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080410071556weblink">weblink 2008-04-10, live, In 2004, Tiffany & Co. filed a lawsuit against eBay claiming that over 70% of the Tiffany silver jewelry offered for sale on eBay was fake and that eBay profited from the sales of counterfeit Tiffany items that infringed on its trademark.NEWS,weblink Tiffany and eBay in Fight Over Fakes, Hafner, Katie, The New York Times, November 27, 2007, limited, February 26, 2024, January 25, 2024,weblink live, On July 14, 2008, a Federal District Court judge ruled that eBay does not have a legal responsibility to monitor users selling counterfeit items.NEWS,weblink Court Clears eBay in Sale of Counterfeit Items, Stone, Brad, The New York Times, July 14, 2008, limited, February 26, 2024, April 21, 2023,weblink live, In 2010, the Second Circuit affirmed this decision in Tiffany (NJ) Inc. v. eBay Inc.NEWS,weblink The Second Circuit's Decision in Tiffany v. eBay, Mark, Sommers, Naresh, Kilaru, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, May 2010, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, In June 2008, a court in Paris awarded damages of €40 million to LVMH over eBay auctions of counterfeit bags, perfumes, and other items sold by non-authorized retailers and entered a permanent injunction against eBay auctions of LVMH perfumes, whether counterfeit or not. eBay banned such items from its site.NEWS,weblink Business | Court fines eBay over fake goods, BBC News, June 30, 2008, February 26, 2024, April 25, 2023,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20230425151832weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay denied stay in LVMH case, ROGER, PARLOFF, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, July 11, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090215021429weblink">weblink February 15, 2009, live, Also that month, a court in Troyes, France awarded eBay to pay luxury goods maker Hermès €20,000 due to the sale of two counterfeit bags on eBay in 2006. The court also ordered eBay to post the ruling on the home page of eBay's French website for three months.NEWS,weblink Dan, Goodin, French court fines eBay for sale of counterfeit handbags, The Register, June 5, 2008, February 26, 2024, June 18, 2023,weblink live,Criticism of feedback / rating system
eBay allows buyers to rate any seller with positive, neutral, and negative comments. However, the option for sellers to leave anything other than positive feedback to buyers was removed in 2008.NEWS,weblink BBC, 5-Feb-2008, eBay to ban negative seller views, BBC News, February 5, 2008, March 9, 2008, February 8, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080208151149weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Sellers Give Negative Feedback on eBay Changes, Saul, Hansell, The New York Times, January 29, 2008, limited, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, Criticism of the feedback system includes:NEWS,weblink eBay Feedback: Fatally Flawed?, Alice, LaPlante, Forbes, January 2, 2007, limited, June 18, 2023, April 26, 2023,weblink live,- Small and large transactions carry the same weight in the feedback summary. It is therefore easy for a dishonest user to initially build up a deceptive positive rating by buying or selling low value items, such as e-books, recipes, etc., then subsequently switch to fraud.
- Sellers can attempt to boost their own feedback by buying their own items with alias accounts, and leaving positive feedback for their main selling account.
- Sellers can request feedback be removed and eBay will sometimes do so.
- When eBay removes feedback, the buyer is not informed.
Requirement to use PayPal
In 2007 and 2008, during the period of eBay's ownership of PayPal, eBay required sellers to accept and buyers to pay with PayPal in many instances. This resulted in scrutiny by several regulatory agencies worldwide.NEWS,weblink ACCC puts eBay's PayPal plans under scrutiny, Fran, Foo, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 17, 2008, NEWS,weblink RBA wary of eBay's PayPal push, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 8, 2008, February 26, 2024, January 20, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay stands firm despite user discontent, Darren, Osborne, The Age, May 9, 2008, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay, PayPal face court action, John, Oates, The Register, April 26, 2007, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live, The company later changed its payment requirements.NEWS,weblink eBay backs down on PayPal changes, Asher, Moses, The Sydney Morning Herald, July 3, 2008, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live,Agreement with Buy.com
In 2008, eBay reached a deal with Buy.com to list millions of items for sale by the retailer, angering sellers who faced additional competition.NEWS,weblink Buy.com Deal With eBay Angers Sellers, Brad, Stone, The New York Times, July 14, 2008, limited, February 26, 2024, January 14, 2024,weblink live,2010 survey criticizing eBay customer service
In January 2010, Auctionbytes.com held an open survey in which sellers could rate eBay, as well as competing auction and marketplace sites. In the survey, users were asked to rank 15 sites based on five criteria: profitability, customer service, communication, ease of use, and recommendation. eBay was ranked 13th, after other large sites such as Amazon.com and Craigslist, as well as lesser-known selling sites such as Atomic Mall, eCRATER, and Ruby Lane. In individual category rankings, eBay was rated the worst of all the 15 sites on customer service and communication, and average on ease of use. Some respondents stated they would have given eBay a rating of 10, three to five years ago. eBay was rated twelfth out of fifteen in the Recommended Selling Venue category.NEWS,weblink Seller's Choice: Merchants Rate Ecommerce Marketplaces, Ina, Steiner, January 24, 2010, Auctionbytes.com, June 29, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100629034631weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Seller's Choice Marketplace Ratings: eBay, Ina, Steiner, January 24, 2010, Auctionbytes.com, July 10, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100710082216weblink">weblink live,Overcharging fees
In 2011, eBay agreed to pay $30 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it overcharged seller fees for sales of auto parts and accessories between April 2005 and August 2009. Members of the class received a refund of 6.67% of the fees paid in this category.NEWS,weblink eBay Motors Fee Class Action Settlement, Sarah, Mirando, topclassactions.com, January 14, 2011, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live,Low tax rate paid in the United Kingdom
eBay has been criticized for arranging its affairs so as to pay a low level of taxes in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times reported in October 2012 that eBay paid only £1.2 million in tax on sales of over £800 million in 2010. eBay responded that it "complies fully with all applicable tax laws".NEWS,weblink EBay 'pays £1.2m in UK tax' on sales of £800m, BBC News, October 21, 2012, November 27, 2020,weblink live,2014 security breach
On May 21, 2014, the company revealed that the consumer database of usernames, passwords, phone numbers, and physical addresses was breached between late February and early March. Users were forced to change their passwords. The Syrian Electronic Army took responsibility for the attack and said that it would not misuse the data; however, in a move of website defacement, replaced the front pages of the websites with their own logo.NEWS,weblink EBay customers must reset passwords after major hack, Jose, Pagliery, CNN, May 21, 2014, November 12, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay urging users to change passwords after breach, Brett, Molina, Elizabeth, Weise, USA Today, May 21, 2014, March 18, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EBay asks 145 million users to change passwords after cyber attack, Jim, Finkle, Karen, Freifeld, Reuters, May 21, 2014, February 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160222232655weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay Suffers Massive Security Breach, All Users Must Change Their Passwords, Forbes, May 21, 2014, limited, November 12, 2020,weblink live,Stalking scandal
In June 2020, five employees were terminated and were subject to charges of cyberstalking after they were accused of targeting Ina and David Steiner, the editors and publishers of EcommerceBytes, a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company. In addition to sending harassing messages and doxing, the defendants "ordered anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, including a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask, a funeral wreath, a book on surviving the loss of a spouse, and pornography". The defendants also vandalized the couple's home in Natick, Massachusetts.PRESS RELEASE, eBay Inc. Issues Statement Regarding Indictments of Previously Terminated Employees,weblink PR Newswire, June 15, 2020, December 6, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Former eBay security director arrested for harassing journalist with live cockroaches, Robertson, Adi, The Verge, June 15, 2020, November 6, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink 'We are going to crush this lady': Six former eBay employees charged in federal cyberstalking case targeting Natick couple, The Boston Globe, June 15, 2020, October 27, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, 6 eBay Employees Charged With Sending Bloody Pig Mask To Natick Couple,weblink WBZ-TV, June 15, 2020, December 15, 2020,weblink live, PRESS RELEASE, Six Former eBay Employees Charged with Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign Targeting Natick Couple,weblink United States Department of Justice, June 15, 2020, December 13, 2020,weblink live, The conspirators pleaded guilty and most were sentenced to prison terms.PRESS RELEASE,weblink Former eBay Employee Sentenced for Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign, United States Department of Justice, November 3, 2022, February 26, 2024, January 30, 2024,weblink live, Wenig, the company's CEO at the time of the harassment campaign, who was frequently targeted by the newsletter and was described as having paranoia over the criticism, was not charged, instead leaving the company in September 2019 with a $57 million severance package.NEWS, Feds: eBay staff sent spiders, roaches to harass couple,weblink Durkin Richer, Alanna, Associated Press, June 15, 2020, December 15, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, US attorney details eBay employees' harassment campaign, including live roaches and a pig fetus,weblink Heater, Brian, TechCrunch, June 15, 2020, December 18, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Inside eBay's Cockroach Cult: The Ghastly Story of a Stalking Scandal,weblink Streitfeld, David, The New York Times, September 26, 2020, limited,weblink September 26, 2020, live, NEWS,weblink Four former eBay employees set to plead guilty to cyberstalking charges in US, Kwan, Campbell, ZDNet, October 20, 2020,weblink live, Steve Wymer, chief communication officer, who had ties with local politicians, was fired "for cause" for alleged involvement but was not charged and was hired by the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.NEWS,weblink Investigation continues after couple became the target of harassment, stalking by eBay employees, CBS News, March 26, 2023, April 16, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Disgraced eBay exec wielded power at San Jose City Hall, Brian, Howeyand, Tran, Nguyen, San Jose Spotlight, January 4, 2023, April 11, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink At eBay, Lurid Crimes and the Search for Punishment, Streitfeld, David, The New York Times, September 16, 2022, March 28, 2023,weblink live, PRESS RELEASE,weblink Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley Names Steve Wymer President and Chief Executive Officer, September 10, 2020, March 28, 2023,weblink live,Sale of controversial items
Items prohibited to be sold on the website include illegal items such as child pornography, counterfeit products; or items that require licenses to sell such as tobacco, alcoholic beverages, firearms and ammunition, certain knives,NEWS,weblink eBay bans trade in knives in UK, BBC News, February 9, 2008, June 11, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110611080008weblink">weblink live, human body parts,NEWS,weblink eBay bans sale of human skulls, Max, Diekneite, KTVI, July 13, 2016, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay Just Nixxed Its Human Skull Market, Dan, Vergano, BuzzFeed News, July 13, 2016,weblink live, drugs, tarot readings and spells,NEWS,weblink Ebay Bans The Sale Of Spells, Potions And Psychic Readings, Frederic, Lardinois, TechCrunch, August 20, 2012, February 26, 2024, December 7, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, tarot readings and spells,weblink BBC News, August 20, 2012, October 17, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121017121122weblink">weblink live, virtual in-game items;NEWS, Anderson, Nate,weblink eBay bans the auction of in-game items, Ars Technica, January 30, 2007, December 12, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101212051737weblink">weblink live, as well as offensive items such as Nazi memorabilia, flags of the Confederate States of America, and used sex toys. Regulations vary by jurisdiction.Human kidney
In late 1999, a man offered one of his kidneys for auction on eBay, attempting to profit from the potentially lucrative (and, in the United States, illegal) market for organ transplants.NEWS,weblink Harmon, Amy, Auction for a kidney pops up on Ebay's site, The New York Times, September 3, 1999, November 8, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20201108091222weblink">weblink live,Animals
Two previously undiscovered species, including the Coelopleurus exquisitus sea urchin in 2006, have been listed for sale on eBay.NEWS,weblink New urchin leaves eBayers all at sea, Helen, O'Brien, The Guardian, August 17, 2006, February 26, 2024, January 18, 2024,weblink live,Nazi memorabilia
In January 2010, eBay withdrew a listing of a Dad's Army board game since the box graphics contained images of swastikas, claiming that it was Nazi paraphernalia and, as such, breached the terms of service. eBay was accused of pandering to political correctness.NEWS, Palmer, Richard,weblink Dad's Army board game banned 'for being racist', Daily Express, January 29, 2010, February 26, 2024, January 23, 2024,weblink live,Items stolen from the British Museum
Items stolen from the British Museum in 2013 were auctioned on eBay in 2016. The museum reported that several items of jewelry made of gold, semi-precious stones, and glass, dating from between 1,500 BC and the 19th century AD, were among those missing. One piece of ancient Roman jewelry made from onyx – valued between £25,000 and £50,000, or US$32,000 and US$63,000 – was listed on eBay with a minimum price of £40 (US$50) in 2016. There were no bids made for the treasure. The police are investigating this case.NEWS,weblink South China Morning Post, August 19, 2023, Stolen British Museum jewelry worth US$63,000 sold on eBay for US$50, August 21, 2023, August 21, 2023,weblink live, The company said that it is supports local police in investigations and removes listings containing stolen property.NEWS,weblink Media reports identify objects allegedly stolen from British Museum and posted on eBay, Gareth, Harris, The Art Newspaper, August 18, 2023, August 21, 2023, August 21, 2023,weblink live,Dr. Seuss books
In 2021, the estate of Dr. Seuss requested from eBay, and the company complied, to ban the sale of six Dr. Seuss books due to concerns that some images contained therein were racially insensitive. This led to backlash from followers of right-wing politics and ignited a surge of interest in the discontinued books.NEWS,weblink Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay, Jeffrey, Trachtenberg, The Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2021, subscription, February 26, 2024, December 24, 2023,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay is removing listings for discontinued Dr. Seuss books citing 'offensive materials policy', James, Crowley, Newsweek, March 4, 2021, February 26, 2024, February 20, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink eBay is removing listings for the Dr. Seuss books that the author's estate pulled due to their racist imagery, Steven, Tweedie, Business Insider, March 5, 2021, February 26, 2024, April 25, 2023,weblink live,Sale of illegal items
In September 2023, the United States Department of Justice sued eBay, accusing it of violating the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws by allowing the sale of several illegal products, including devices that defeat automobile pollution controls, restricted-use pesticides, and paint and coating removal products containing methylene chloride.NEWS,weblink U.S. sues eBay over sale of harmful products, Jonathan, Stempel, Reuters, September 27, 2023, February 26, 2024, December 9, 2023,weblink live,See also
References
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