A Special Message for EcommerceBytes Readers

by: OnlyPollyPocket

Bless your hearts!  You have found the strength to weather the horrific abuse you suffered and then the entire legal process. I pray that you can now begin to heal and find your trust again.

A million thanks for all you do for the online trading community.  It is SO appreciated!

by: Whatever

I think that from the first exposure of this horrific event - we were all utterly shocked and saddened that someone - anyone - everyone of them could do this to you.  It's really hard to imagine living thru this nightmare and right here in the USA. Not knowing what was happening to you - being terrorized in your own home. It felt like a personal attack on so many not just you and to further compound the impact Wenig seemed to have skated from justice. It is gratifying to know you have progressed in that direction as well. I sincerely hope you will be able to expose the entire story for us in the future.

Ebay has injured so many people on their way to they own demise I feel like you are the champions for so many of us. I hope that you two will not disappear entirely as so many look to you for news and direction for so long. Although I do understand after the "movie" you might want to stay out of the limelight. Ever think who will play you on Netflix? You guys deserver every stinking penny you can get outta these suckers - remember it's our money they play with every day and we all hope you get a hell of alot some peace and the trauma does not follow you where you go in life.

by: iheartjacksparrow

Whatever writes: "Ever think who will play you on Netflix?"

Since I've only seen David in his V for Vendetta mask, I guess Hugo Weaving is a lock for the part.

by: Michael in BC

As Valaset has said above ''write a book''.  Not only will I buy a copy but also will advocate that it be required reading in business administration courses at every post-secondary institution in North America.

eCommercebytes and the information it provides is a daily much anticipated go-to.

Thank you Ina and David from the former Crown Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia and your many supporters in all the rest of Canada.

by: gregtoys

It's appalling what you had to go through. All I can do is hope and pray that this process going forward is as painless as possible for the both of you.  

by: Get OFF my LAWN!

Bleed them like the vampires that they are.

This story seems buried to me. How is it possible it doesn't have more exposure than it has??

A Lifetime movie in the least. EbAy is very sorry I am sure. ''SORRY TO HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT''  

Someone needs to do a media blitz and aggressively verify that the folks in middle America are aware of this incident. Out on the ranches in a 400 person populated Wyoming town, in the backwoods mechanic shops with a proprietor named ''Cooter'', out within the strip malls on desolate roads with tumbleweeds, out in the far desert flats where people dwell in the missle-silo living community - - - EVERYWHERE.

Oh, and one more thing -
If you and your husband have to serve subpoenas to anyone at Ebay corporate, . . . BE SURE AND TAX THEM 10% the amount on what it costs to serve the papers.  

by: R.B.

Thanks for all you do for the online trading community. Prayers have been sent out for you and are on their way.  

by: mindelec

i wish you and david the best result in all of this and i'm glad that you are going after the people at the top, there is no way they didn't know about this.  others have stated it better, but i think you are both heroes to everyone here!

best wishes to both of you as you go through the process of getting justice.

by: QueenMab

I read Ecommerce Bytes faithfully. I hope you & David get everything you deserve and then some.  This horrific event left me shocked, stunned and saddened. Ina, both of you have been very helpful over the years and I look forward to many more years of EcommerceBytes.

by: Amberlin

Jim Baugh got a 57 month sentence in prison.
David Harville got 24 months.

Justice is served.

by: petest

It's made at least one newspaper over this side of the pond anyway. What they did was absolutely horrible Ina, hopefully once this is all over you can move on but I realise it will take time. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/29/ebay-executive-sent
enced-couple-harassment-newsletter

by: ShortSeller

Thank you for going through such an ordeal. If there is one good thing that comes out of this (other than a rather large future settlement) it's that you exposed Wenig and all the other ebay lifers for exactly what they are, a bunch of cowardly criminals.

by: ECGifts

Hated them for it!  You are very brave I'm not sure how well we would do in a similar situation.
We are a constant reader and we support you.
Good on you and we wish you well.
StevenPB  

by: quirkyantiques

We just read that one of the perpetrators-James Baugh- has been handed down a sentence of 57 months! Phillip Cooke (former Police captain) sentenced to 18 months. Keep up the good fight Ina and David-you have both been amazingly strong to have weathered this, what can only be described as an absolute nightmare right out of a bad movie script.

by: woundedtiger

Good luck Y'all are very brave

by: AngelaTC

I too have been here since 1998, back when OTWA and Honesty had the best boards and AuctionBytes had the best news.  Those names are long gone, but you're still here, and that is a testament to how much the community values your contribution to the online selling world.  

What they did is absolutely crazy. These are grown adults, some making six and seven digit figure salaries.  And they did this over a blog?  I am so glad that they didn't win.  You are always my blogging hero, and the online world would fare far worse without you and your commentary in it.

by: pace306

The entire episode was just so stupid.

This blog did NOTHING that effected eBay (eBays pocket) in any way shape or form.

Ina didnt invent anything new, she and her husband merely reported "all the news thats fit to print" and gave space for others to speak their mind.

If you hated eBay, you did so already - ecommercebytes didnt "teach you" to hate it, and if you like eBay (as some here do), then it didnt/doesnt matter what she wrote - you arent/didnt change your mind.

So what was the point?

If anything - they should have come to MY house - lord knows Im the band leader on holding eBays feet to the fire (and not the Steiners).

What this all teaches you is - the same sloppiness that eBay applied to this "operation", is the same they use to run the rest of the company (which is why it stinks).

Im just happy that eBay sent incompetent boobs and not someone 1/2 capable - and that the Steiners are ok.

eBay needs to be taught a lesson and while its unfair for me to "cheer them on to do so just because I want it to be so", I cant help feel that even if they got only 1 thin dime - its a win for EVERY seller that eBay hurt over he many years.

by: Acline444

I have been doing ebay since 1999 and used my proceeds to travel all over the world.  It has been a great run, but lately as many others commented it is getting too difficult to make money on ebay.  I hope to phase out and in the process of starting another business over the next year.   Ebay has been abusing sellers for a long time!   With the Steiners, ebay really took it to the extreme.   I am so glad that those people are paying for their crimes and I hope you get some of eBay’s money in compensation.

Ebay is not what it used to be!

by: Snapped

“ And they did this over a blog?”

Not just any “blog”; that’s the point.  Over time, and coincident with eBay’s earliest greed motivated unethically contemptible and now criminally wrought ham-handed machinations, this particular blog became a place - the place - where the disenfranchised could bear witness and testify to the truth of eBay’s increasing wretchedness without fear of on-topic censorship.  And thus, ECB became an undeniably un-ignorable spike in the “noise” eBay would prefer all believe it to be instead.

People read. And when there is truth to it, they heed what they read. And the discussions that evolved.  That’s the power of the 1st Amendment.  It lights the path to truth through the darkness of deceit.  

When you don’t have a valid rebuttal though, or answer, or concern for the truth, and when that truth (or digging for it) might serve to reveal hypocrisy, dishonesty, misdeed, malfeasance or incompetence - when that truth reveals a naked disdain for law and fair trade - and there IS no ‘excusing’ it, then all that’s left is to discredit, diminish, or eradicate the source.  It’s the oldest debate trick there is.  

eBay didn’t ‘innovate’ that mindset of course.  ‘Silencing’ the opposition has been around awhile.  That’s why there are laws to try to deter it.  It’s just fortunate eBay’s minions exhibited their typical incompetence in trying to strong-arm dissent.  

Because, without places such as this “blog” (et. al.), sometimes the lie’s disguises work - for awhile.  Long enough to wreak havoc.  Long enough to scrape another handful off the top.  

Reason enough for a beast that would now seek to save it’s face by denying ownership of it’s tail to escape the jaws of justice.

by: toolguy

I'm happy to have been part of this forum for so many years.

I think I've been here for about 20 years!

I often wonder what happened to "DOC" Ed Koon, he was a colorful poster back in the day. Kind of like our Pace306 is now but 10x the bitterness if that's even possible. . . .


I hope you both get millions in the end, eBay did you wrong! Way wrong!