BOSTON — A married couple from Massachusetts has resolved their legal battle with eBay following a terrifying harassment ordeal that involved former company workers sending them live bugs, death threats, and other disturbing items to their home.
David and Ina Steiner, residents of Natick who operate EcommerceBytes, an online publication covering the e-commerce sector, filed their federal lawsuit in Boston back in 2021. The couple alleged that eBay orchestrated a campaign designed to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence them” as retaliation for their news coverage of the online marketplace giant.
According to court documents, the Steiners endured digital stalking, threats on their lives, and physical surveillance conducted by former eBay staff members. The harassment campaign included anonymous packages containing live cockroaches and spiders, a funeral arrangement, and a bloodied pig mask delivered to their residence.
Boston federal Judge Patti Saris officially closed the case Wednesday following the settlement agreement, though either party has 60 days to reopen proceedings if the deal falls through. The financial terms of the resolution remain confidential.
eBay representatives declined to provide additional comment beyond referencing the court’s dismissal order. However, when the lawsuit was initially filed, the company acknowledged that “the misconduct of these former employees was wrong” and pledged to “do what is fair and appropriate to try to address what the Steiners went through.”
The harassment scheme came to light in 2020 when federal authorities brought charges against seven ex-eBay workers. Prosecutors alleged the group launched their intimidation campaign after becoming upset over the couple’s newsletter reporting. The majority of those charged entered guilty pleas to conspiracy and cyberstalking charges, resulting in prison sentences or home detention.
Beyond the disturbing deliveries, investigators revealed that the former employees also had adult magazines sent to a neighbor’s address with the husband’s name attached and plotted to secretly place a tracking device on the couple’s vehicle by breaking into their garage.
eBay Corporation agreed to pay $3 million in criminal penalties to federal prosecutors in 2024 as part of a deferred prosecution arrangement.
