![]() 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. 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. The articles that drew the eBay executives’ ire included reports about the CEO’s salary and his comments on protecting e-sellers against fraud. 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. 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. 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 harassment campaign, starting with the fence spray-painting incident, was directed by James Baugh, who headed eBay’s Global Security and Resiliency unit. Their take on the new eBay was often, though hardly exclusively, critical.Īnd criticism didn’t go down well at the firm. The couple had pivoted their newsletter from how-to tips to reporting more on the changing strategy and new policies of the company. 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. 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. Particularly while eBay was run by Meg Whitman, small sellers flourished and EcommerceBytes offered a wide variety of useful advice. Thus was born AuctionBytes, later changed to EcommerceBytes, and running the advertising-based publication is the couple’s full-time occupation.įor years, the publication thrived. The Steiners initially created a paper newsletter with tips and tricks to help other sellers, but realized after one issue that an online publication made more sense, even in 1999. ![]() They quickly realized that a growing throng of like-minded sellers was struggling to figure out how best to auction their items. “We’d get up early, go through the classified ads, get your Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, and hit as many sales as we could,” Ina said. The couple also began haunting garage sales and yard sales to find collectible items they could sell online to make money. They married in 1988.Īround 1999, when eBay was still a young company and the World Wide Web was not the finely tuned commercial marketplace it is today, David decided to sell some of his video gear on the auction site. The two young students met at a party for a bandmate of David’s who was going away and immediately felt a connection and began dating. The couple met in the mid-1980s in Western Massachusetts at what was then called North Adams State College and is now called the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. They provided additional harrowing details of their experience beyond those disclosed in court documents, which include copies of e-mails and text messages of eBay employees that federal prosecutors say show how they conspired to terrorize the Steiners. In their first interview with the news media, the couple spoke to the Globe for several hours in the offices of attorney Rosemary Scapicchio, who is representing them in a civil lawsuit against eBay. Had the person who was Fidomaster painted their name on the fence? Or was someone accusing the Steiners of being Fidomaster? Or did the term have some other meaning? “I Googled right away to see if it was something kids might be saying,” Ina said. “This was very unnerving,” Ina recalled in an interview with the Globe this week. Ina recognized that the name matched an anonymous commenter on their newsletter, one who was particularly critical of eBay. He tried to clean up the mess before Ina, who was out paddle boarding, returned home but he failed. But that Sunday, Steiner was simply surprised and dismayed to see the word “Fidomaster” spray-painted across his fence.
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