Is eBay Facing a New Marketplace Rival? Meta's AI-Powered Seller App Signals a Shift in Online Commerce

Editor's more: Meta's expansion of Facebook Marketplace with new AI-powered selling tools could mark a turning point in online commerce and provide a serious alternative to eBay. The new Seller app is designed to make listing products faster, simplify inventory management, and help users find buyers more efficiently. While eBay still has a large global marketplace, many sellers are frustrated with fees, competition, and platform restrictions. As Meta combines AI technology with its massive user base, more consumers and sellers will begin looking elsewhere, raising the question of whether eBay's era of dominance and its ruthless tactics are coming to an end. In today’s marketplace, users are increasingly looking for a better deal, easier tools, and platforms that better serve their interests.
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eBay to pay $56 MILLION to elderly couple after staff sent live cockroaches, fetal pig to their home in retaliation against critical newsletter coverage

The Steiners ran an e-commerce industry newsletter called EcommerceBytes that had run negative coverage of eBay.

By Thomas Stevenson | July 31, 2026

E-commerce giant eBay has settled a lawsuit and agreed to shell out $56 million to a couple that its staff targeted with live cockroaches, a fetal pig, death threats, as well as in-person surveillance.

The shop and selling platform and several of its top executives have agreed to pay $56 million in compensation to David and Ina Steiner, an elderly couple in Massachusetts that were targeted by staff at the company in 2019 with anonymous deliveries that included a fetal pig, live cockroaches, live spiders, a bloody pig Halloween mask, a funeral wreath, and a book about surviving the death of a spouse.

The Steiners, who ran an e-commerce industry newsletter called EcommerceBytes that had run negative coverage of eBay, alleged in a lawsuit that the anonymous deliveries and death threats were part of a coordinated campaign from the company to silence them into stopping their reporting on eBay.

This is the most insane story I’ve read in a long time. According to this article the execs also sent a fetal pig, a book on how to survive after a spouse dies and they posted their address on X rated sites to invite people over for "adult activities." All over criticizing eBay. https://t.co/A9yupWp5p5

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 30, 2026

Additionally, their home address was posted online with public invitations for adult activities, and threats were posted against them on then-Twitter. The executives also reportedly turned up at the Steiners’ home to put trackers on their cars.

With the settlement, the company admitted that the situation "never should have happened" and that what the Steiners had to deal with was "reprehensible" and "wrong."

Please go to PM to continue reading.
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Editor's note: eBay has faced growing criticism over its business practices, with the company's reputation damaged by a series of controversies involving corporate misconduct, seller disputes, and complaints about platform policies. The most serious incident came when former eBay employees, including members of its security team, were involved in a criminal harassment campaign against critics of the company, resulting in federal charges, a $3 million criminal penalty, and a major settlement. Beyond that case, many sellers have voiced frustration over fees, account restrictions, payment issues, and what they view as a lack of support. While eBay remains a major player in online commerce, these controversies have encouraged some users to consider alternatives such as Meta Marketplace and other emerging platforms that promise a more user-friendly experience. What needs to take place is a mass boycott of eBay to put them in their place.

eBay, former executives to pay $56 million to settle couple's harassment case 7 former eBay employees charged in harassment campaign against journalists