- A couple has sued
eBay , saying in a complaint that the company harassed them. - The couple said eBay employees sent them spiders, cockroaches, and porn, according to the lawsuit.
- Five people have pleaded guilty in connection to the case, the complaint said.
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David and Ina Steiner have accused eBay of engaging in "a systematic campaign to emotionally and psychologically torture" them, according to a 93-page complaint filed on Wednesday in Boston federal court.
The online retailer brought its employees and contractors together "to intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence the Steiners" to stifle their critical reports in their newsletter called EcommerceBytes, the complaint says.
eBay previously said it terminated "all involved employees" in September 2019.
In 2019, employees started sending "disturbing" packages to the Steiners' home in Massachusetts, including live spiders, cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, pornography, and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse, the complaint said.
Some of the former employees traveled from California to Massachusetts where they "stalked and tailed the Steiners in a black van," the complaint said. The ex-employees also tried to break into the couple's garage to attach a GPS tracking device to their vehicle, the complaint said.
When the former employees realized that the Natick Police Department in Massachusetts was investigating the couple's situation, they tried to destroy evidence, according to the complaint.
Five employees charged in connection with the case have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyber stalking, the complaint said. Three also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and two pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
The couple is seeking legal fees, damages, and monetary relief from eBay.
Insider reached out to eBay for comment, but didn't immediately receive a response.
eBay told Reuters in a statement: "The misconduct of these former employees was wrong, and we will do what is fair and appropriate to try to address what the Steiners went through. We are very sorry for what they endured."