EBay and three of its former senior executives have reached a $55.7 million settlement with a Massachusetts couple who were subjected to a shocking harassment and stalking campaign orchestrated by company employees — all because of how the couple covered eBay in their online newsletter.
David and Ina Steiner made the announcement late Monday, closing out a lawsuit they brought in 2021 in Boston federal court. The case stemmed from a disturbing scheme in which multiple former eBay employees targeted the couple, sending them cockroaches, fly larvae, and a bloody Halloween pig mask. Several of those employees also traveled from California to Natick, Massachusetts, to physically surveil the Steiners and attempt to attach a GPS tracking device to their vehicle.
Under the terms of the agreement, eBay will pay the Steiners $46.15 million directly, contribute $6 million to nonprofit organizations, and release a formal statement strongly condemning the actions of three of its former top executives.
“We believe this resolution sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences,” said Christopher Murphy, the attorney representing the Steiners.
EBay also issued a statement acknowledging the wrongdoing, saying what happened to the Steiners was “wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened.” The company added, “We continue to extend our deepest apologies to the Steiners. This agreement is consistent with our commitment to fairly compensate the Steiners and fulfills our efforts to make things right.”
Prosecutors have said the goal of the campaign was to silence the couple after senior executives concluded their publication, EcommerceBytes, was too critical of the company. The harassment began after then-CEO Devin Wenig sent a text message in August 2019 to Steve Wymer, who was then the company’s chief communications officer, saying it was time to “take her down,” a reference to Ina Steiner, according to prosecutors and the Steiners.
Seven former eBay employees pleaded guilty to taking part in the scheme and received sentences of up to 57 months behind bars. EBay itself faced criminal charges and agreed in 2024 to pay a $3 million fine.
Wenig, a former Thomson Reuters executive who left his role as eBay’s CEO in September 2019, was never criminally charged. His attorneys did not respond to requests for comment but have previously maintained that he had no awareness of or involvement in the harassment campaign. As part of the civil settlement, however, Wenig has agreed to pay the Steiners $2 million and donate $1 million to a charity focused on First Amendment rights, to be made in Ina Steiner’s name.
Two other former executives are also contributing to the settlement. Wendy Jones, who previously held the title of senior vice president of global operations, will pay the couple $500,000, while Wymer will pay $50,000. Neither of their attorneys responded to comment requests.
The Steiners’ legal team also confirmed that separate settlements were reached with all other eBay employees named in the original lawsuit.
