Particularly while eBay was run by Meg Whitman, small sellers flourished and EcommerceBytes offered a wide variety of useful advice. One time, David explained to readers how he’d shipped a large item by Greyhound bus instead of a typical package delivery service, saving hundreds of dollars.Īfter Whitman left in 2007 and was replaced by former Bain & Co. consultant John Donahoe, eBay began to cater to larger sellers and established retailers, a trend that continued when Devin Wenig was promoted to CEO in 2015. The couple had pivoted their newsletter from how-to tips to reporting more on the changing strategy and new policies of the company. Their take on the new eBay was often, though hardly exclusively, critical.Īnd criticism didn’t go down well at the firm.
Prosecutors said the harassment campaign, starting with the fence spray-painting incident, was directed by James Baugh, who headed eBay’s Global Security and Resiliency unit. Along with other participants in the scheme, Baugh was charged last year with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Prosecutors said the 2019 campaign was sparked by complaints about articles in EcommerceBytes from eBay chief executive Wenig to his senior vice president and communications director, Steve Wymer.
Wymer in turn complained to Baugh, who directed the team of eBay employees who worked for him to move against the Steiners, according to the federal criminal complaints. The articles that drew the eBay executives’ ire included reports about the CEO’s salary and his comments on protecting e-sellers against fraud. Prosecutors revealed angry text messages about an April 10, 2019, article titled “eBay CEO Devin Wenig Earns 152 Times That of Employees,” as well as “eBay CEO Says Sellers Can Expect Greater Protections,” from May 31, 2019. Such articles generated reader comments that were highly critical of the company’s leadership and its treatment of smaller sellers, who felt left behind in favor of larger retailers.įrom the Steiners’ point of view, not much happened for a few weeks after the graffiti.
0 kommentar(er)
