It's not mailed to you, it's mailed to your neighbors in your name (presumably so they'll ask you awkward questions when returning it). It does seem a little old-fashioned as an intimidation method, though.
They got their ideas from a movie. I'd say they lack imagination, but they clearly imagined that they knew what they were doing, and that the police did not. Delusions of adequacy.
Wow. Thanks Adam for such a detailed story. So. Many. Questions.
It's not uncommon for huge corporations to fuck people over but normally they aren't so specific and graphic. Why is this not front page news on the Washington Post? Seriously, why is Uhub "breaking" this story? (No offense to Uhub, but this isn't exactly a regional story.)
Hats off to the Natick PD. The police in general take a lot of well-deserved heat but that man earned his pay.
Why are the other executives who knew about this not being charged?
On Aug. 10, the couple got an Amazon.com package containing a bloody pig-face mask.
This is a thing Amazon sells? (Edit: This is a halloween gag apparently.)
Looks like eBay put out their own press release with this gem:
eBay apologizes to the affected individuals and is sorry that they were subjected to this.
It was announced by the US Attorney in Boston, so the Globe and WBZ got it early (others, too, I'm sure, but they're the only ones I know for sure), which is typical even for a national story. But it's filtering out beyond 128 now - see the Washington Post and CNBC.
And to be honest, I first heard about this on WBZ - if you can imagine, I'm not on the US Attorney's must-call press list (or call for any reason list, for that matter).
Fortunately, once I had the names of the two main alleged conspirators, I could get a copy of the affidavit, which is where the whole story (at least from the government's perspective) plays out, because the federal judiciary has an excellent (if expensive) document system, unlike certain state courts I could mention, which force you to go down to a courthouse just to look up a docket, except you can't because all the courthouses are closed now, harrumph.
This is probably too new to be there, but check out RECAP if you aren't familiar about it; it's a free alternative to PACER. Meanwhile, people are trying to get PACER opened up for free, but it's not easy.
You even have your choice (don't click on that link if you don't want to see people wearing bloody pig masks).
Also, as long as we're talking about commerce, I knew immediately which pizza place they called to get a pizza delivered in the middle of the night, since, of course, there is only one (I recently wrote about the company it shares a building with in Mattapan).
All we need is one of these guys to try and kill the other and chop up the corpse to get our very own local Fargo. We can even replace Minnesotan accents with Boston accents!
But my recent experiences have me getting fed up, too. I keep having to return things that don't work or are not as described, and orders get cancelled for unknown reasons.
eBay has been making a concerted effort over the past several years to squeeze out the truly amateur sellers in favor of businesses. Towards that end, they've continually raised fees and have changed and added rules regarding everything from shipping fees a seller can charge to mandating maximum delivery times.
Further, if a customer files a claim against a seller (and I've had personal experience with this due to unforeseen circumstances that delayed a shipment), their attitude is basically "well, why would the customer be lying?".
Imagine being the target of such a campaign, just because someone didn't like what you wrote in your e-commerce-consumer-report website. Even more remarkable because it's behavior by employees of a major publicly traded corporation, not some mob-operated front. Baugh and Harville come off as two low-life corporate thugs. By the time the investigation is complete, I wonder how many others at eBay will be implicated. I hope the editors at eCommerceBytes emerge with some recompense for the wear and tear on their nerves, much less any monetary losses they may have suffered. This is such a crazy chain of events, it seems like a paranoid conspiracy screenplay fit for a based-on-a-true story upcoming movie.
I'm actually surprised the number is that low. A CEO pulling that kind of scratch would usually command $50+ million to disappear quietly, even after pulling this kind of nonsense.
The moral of the story, kids, is that once you make it to the upper echelons of grifting venture capitalists, you can run the business into the ground while sending your private security team to make death threats to an e-commerce review site on the other side of the country, and still walk away with fuck-you money and never face charges.
Imagine having good jobs at Ebay and being 1, so dumb and 2, so reckless, that you are willing to commit serious crimes and put your entire future in jeopardy.
"The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Essentially, low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence."
Comments
Fascinating
That's nutz
Innocent, etc?
Innocent, etc?
Yes, indeed!
Thanks, added.
I don't know why this made
I don't know why this made national news..why is it even a story?
"I'll have Hustler mailed to you"
Don't threaten me with a good time.
To be fair
It's not mailed to you, it's mailed to your neighbors in your name (presumably so they'll ask you awkward questions when returning it). It does seem a little old-fashioned as an intimidation method, though.
Amateurs
They got their ideas from a movie. I'd say they lack imagination, but they clearly imagined that they knew what they were doing, and that the police did not. Delusions of adequacy.
Awkward questions
"Well, neighbor, sometimes a man likes a woman very much..."
Future employees of the Trump
Future employees of the Trump organization.
This is absolutely amazing
Wow. Thanks Adam for such a detailed story. So. Many. Questions.
It's not uncommon for huge corporations to fuck people over but normally they aren't so specific and graphic. Why is this not front page news on the Washington Post? Seriously, why is Uhub "breaking" this story? (No offense to Uhub, but this isn't exactly a regional story.)
Hats off to the Natick PD. The police in general take a lot of well-deserved heat but that man earned his pay.
Why are the other executives who knew about this not being charged?
This is a thing Amazon sells? (Edit: This is a halloween gag apparently.)
Looks like eBay put out their own press release with this gem:
Thanks, and no offense taken
It was announced by the US Attorney in Boston, so the Globe and WBZ got it early (others, too, I'm sure, but they're the only ones I know for sure), which is typical even for a national story. But it's filtering out beyond 128 now - see the Washington Post and CNBC.
And to be honest, I first heard about this on WBZ - if you can imagine, I'm not on the US Attorney's must-call press list (or call for any reason list, for that matter).
Fortunately, once I had the names of the two main alleged conspirators, I could get a copy of the affidavit, which is where the whole story (at least from the government's perspective) plays out, because the federal judiciary has an excellent (if expensive) document system, unlike certain state courts I could mention, which force you to go down to a courthouse just to look up a docket, except you can't because all the courthouses are closed now, harrumph.
Washington Post Article
The Post's article notes that one of the people charged is:
But I'm sure he was a great cop.
This is probably too new to
This is probably too new to be there, but check out RECAP if you aren't familiar about it; it's a free alternative to PACER. Meanwhile, people are trying to get PACER opened up for free, but it's not easy.
Recap is great
I've had it installed for years, but it only gets you stuff for free if another user downloads the document you want first.
As for bloody pig masks ...
You even have your choice (don't click on that link if you don't want to see people wearing bloody pig masks).
Also, as long as we're talking about commerce, I knew immediately which pizza place they called to get a pizza delivered in the middle of the night, since, of course, there is only one (I recently wrote about the company it shares a building with in Mattapan).
Here's the part I don't
Here's the part I don't understand: How do you order a $70 pizza without having to give a credit card in advance?
Corporations and Organized Crime
Together again.
Did they ever part ways?
n/t
Sounds like a cross
Between a Godfather movie and Mel Brooks.
I was thinking Coen Bros
All we need is one of these guys to try and kill the other and chop up the corpse to get our very own local Fargo. We can even replace Minnesotan accents with Boston accents!
I finally got fed up with eBay and cancelled my account
about a year and a half ago. This makes me doubly glad I did.
I still use it
But my recent experiences have me getting fed up, too. I keep having to return things that don't work or are not as described, and orders get cancelled for unknown reasons.
I used to both buy and sell
eBay has been making a concerted effort over the past several years to squeeze out the truly amateur sellers in favor of businesses. Towards that end, they've continually raised fees and have changed and added rules regarding everything from shipping fees a seller can charge to mandating maximum delivery times.
Further, if a customer files a claim against a seller (and I've had personal experience with this due to unforeseen circumstances that delayed a shipment), their attitude is basically "well, why would the customer be lying?".
Yep, I don't miss eBay one bit.
I've heard some other pretty awful stuff about eBay, as well.
At least a couple of people (my brother-in-law included) attempted to sell stuff on eBay, and never got paid by who they sold their merchandise to.
What a nightmare...
Imagine being the target of such a campaign, just because someone didn't like what you wrote in your e-commerce-consumer-report website. Even more remarkable because it's behavior by employees of a major publicly traded corporation, not some mob-operated front. Baugh and Harville come off as two low-life corporate thugs. By the time the investigation is complete, I wonder how many others at eBay will be implicated. I hope the editors at eCommerceBytes emerge with some recompense for the wear and tear on their nerves, much less any monetary losses they may have suffered. This is such a crazy chain of events, it seems like a paranoid conspiracy screenplay fit for a based-on-a-true story upcoming movie.
So many questions, but I'll start with this one
What the heck did the Natick couples' website say about eBay?
More to the point
How much clout has that site got?
They must be the owners of Consumer Reports crossed with the JD Powers awards or something!
phrasing!
Was it a bloody-pig face mask? A bloody pig-face-mask would be next level horrifying, not to mention unkosher.
But let's not ignore the most tragic part of this tale, which is employees of eBay using Amazon to purchase such crap.
Yeah, was it actual blood, or
Yeah, was it actual blood, or an image of blood?
It's a rubbery mask ..
With red paint or dye made to look like blood.
The ex-CEO lost about $18M a year in total compensation, but
still walked away with about a $6.5M payout to go away quietly. Not bad for inept criminality.
Only $6.5 million?
I'm actually surprised the number is that low. A CEO pulling that kind of scratch would usually command $50+ million to disappear quietly, even after pulling this kind of nonsense.
The moral of the story, kids, is that once you make it to the upper echelons of grifting venture capitalists, you can run the business into the ground while sending your private security team to make death threats to an e-commerce review site on the other side of the country, and still walk away with fuck-you money and never face charges.
coincidence
That is exactly what the Natick couple's lawyer will be suing him for. Better file fast and get a freeze on it before it disappears offshore.
Evil, yes, but also really dumb?
Imagine having good jobs at Ebay and being 1, so dumb and 2, so reckless, that you are willing to commit serious crimes and put your entire future in jeopardy.
"The Dunning-Kruger effect is
"The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Essentially, low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence."
Cough, cough
Bar business, cough
Cough, cough
Capitalism, cough cough
Right
But what does that have to do with my point? Are you actually trying to use capitalism as an argument against a Libertarian voter?
Maybe
Someone can make this into a mini series, like Tiger King.
eBay responds
eBay Inc. Issues Statement Regarding Indictments of Previously Terminated Employees.
Is there supposed to be a quote or a link here?
Because I don't see anything below the subject line.
Sorry, fixed
You can now actually follow the link.
Q. Do you know why the 'B' in eBay is capitalized?
A. Because Barnum is a proper noun.
This. Is. Insane.
I'm REALLY starting to think that something happened to our timeline when they first fired up CERN collider awhile back.
Like clockwork, each new morning is an adventure in absolute absurdity.
Who needs legal weed when every day feels more and more like a Sally Cruikshank cartoon?
https://youtu.be/E4unyZNh84M
Truth is
Stranger than fiction. Holy crap. This needs to become a movie