MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
TechnologyOct 19, 2018
EBay Goes After ‘Unscrupulous’ Amazon in Lawsuit
It alleges Amazon representatives opened eBay accounts for the sole purpose of poaching the site’s sellers.
Santa Clara, California—Ebay is suing rival Amazon, claiming representatives of the retail giant opened eBay accounts for the sole purpose of poaching the site’s sellers.
In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in California Supreme Court, eBay Inc. alleges that since 2015, dozens of Amazon representatives have become eBay members but with no intent of selling anything on the online marketplace.
Instead, they used their membership status to access eBay’s member-to-member (M2M) email system and use it to try to convince hundreds of eBay sellers to move to Amazon’s third-party marketplace.
According to the lawsuit, the representatives would send solicitation emails to eBay sellers within minutes of opening their accounts, all the while writing email addresses and phone numbers in ways that could escape detection, i.e., jdoe AT amazon DOT com or 2.0.6.-5.5.5.-5.5.5.5. (This email address and phone number are both generic and merely used as examples in the complaint.)
Amazon’s alleged scheme violated the user agreement and policies that parties agrees to when they sign up to sell on eBay, the company said in its suit.
The policies dictate that sellers cannot use M2M to solicit people to sell off the platform and cannot use the platform to exchange personal information. The company has automated programs in place that are designed to detect if people are swapping email addresses and/or phone numbers.
EBay specifically cites a handful of eBay sellers’ accounts that it said were found to be linked to Amazon IP addresses and that began sending solicitation emails to sellers almost immediately upon creation.
One individual appears to have opened up three accounts tied to two different addresses in Seattle and all containing the word “savvy” within the span of a few weeks in 2016. These accounts, the lawsuit states, “sent more than 120 solicitation emails while making zero bids, zero purchases, zero listings, and zero sales on the eBay platform.”
Ebay and Amazon are rivals, and competition between the two West Coast companies has only intensified in recent years as Amazon has begun to eat into eBay’s business by expanding its third-party marketplace. According to the suit, items sold by third-party sellers accounted for half of Amazon’s total unit sales in 2017.
RELATED CONTENT: Amazon Launches ‘Storefronts’ to Promote Small BusinessesIn its lawsuit, eBay points to Amazon’s alleged seller poaching as being one in a series of ethically questionable incidences, citing media coverage of Amazon’s
attempt to hire away employees from one of its own customers and the 2015 report by The New York Times painting Amazon as a cutthroat corporate environment where employees are not valued.
“Amazon’s illegal efforts to lure eBay sellers appear to be part of a larger pattern of aggressive, unscrupulous conduct,” the suit states.
Amazon did not respond to National Jeweler’s request for comment on eBay’s allegations by deadline.
Ebay’s suit brings a total of five counts against Amazon: intentional interference with contractual relations; intentional interference with prospective economic relations; fraud; violation of the California penal code (eBay is based in San Jose); and violation of the California business and professions code.
The company is asking for an unspecified amount in damages as well as a permanent injunction on Amazon representatives using M2M or the eBay platform to solicit sellers.
A PDF of the full lawsuit can be accessed here.
“Amazon’s illegal efforts to lure eBay sellers appear to be part of a larger pattern of aggressive, unscrupulous conduct,” the suit states.
Amazon did not respond to National Jeweler’s request for comment on eBay’s allegations by deadline.
Ebay’s suit brings a total of five counts against Amazon: intentional interference with contractual relations; intentional interference with prospective economic relations; fraud; violation of the California penal code (eBay is based in San Jose); and violation of the California business and professions code.
The company is asking for an unspecified amount in damages as well as a permanent injunction on Amazon representatives using M2M or the eBay platform to solicit sellers.
A PDF of the full lawsuit can be accessed here.
More on Technology
The Latest
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe Waldorf Astoria New York’s grand reopening this past summer means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event.
Weekly QuizSep 04, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingSep 09, 2025
Anglo American to Merge With Canadian Copper Miner Anglo plans to merge with Teck Resources Ltd. to form Anglo Teck. The deal changes nothing about its plans to offload De Beers.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
‘The Mellon Blue’ to Return to Auction, This Time at Christie’s The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which set two world auction records at Sotheby’s in 2014, is estimated to fetch up to $30 million.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
Phillips Names Dianne Batista Head of Jewels, New YorkThe industry veteran joins the auction house as it looks to solidify its footprint in the jewelry market.
MajorsSep 09, 2025
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersThe nonprofit awarded four students pursuing a professional career in jewelry making and design with $2,250 each.
IndependentsSep 08, 2025
Take a Look Inside the New Korman Store in AustinThe Texas-based jeweler has also undergone a brand refresh, debuting a new website and logo.
MajorsSep 08, 2025
MJSA Is Officially Now Under JA’s UmbrellaThe two organizations have finalized and signed the affiliation agreement announced in May.
AuctionsSep 08, 2025
Sotheby’s To Auction ‘Exceptional’ Collection of JAR, Suzanne Belperron JewelsThe single-owner sale will headline Sotheby's inaugural jewelry auction at the Breuer building, its new global headquarters, this December.
Events & AwardsSep 08, 2025
27 Can’t-Miss Converge Sessions, Events From sunrise yoga to tariffs talks, these are some events to check out at the upcoming inaugural event.
ColumnistsSep 05, 2025
Peter Smith: A Lasting Lesson From Maurice Tempelsman Smith recalls a bit of wisdom the industry leader, who died last week, shared at a diamond conference years ago.
CollectionsSep 05, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jamie Turner’s ‘Victoria’ Necklace The “Victoria” necklace features a labradorite hugged by diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold.
Policies & IssuesSep 05, 2025
Trump Takes Tariffs Case to the Supreme Court Two lower courts have moved to block the import taxes, which will remain in place as the legal battle continues.
WatchesSep 05, 2025
Patrick Mahomes Is the New Hublot Brand AmbassadorThe Kansas City Chiefs quarterback shares Hublot’s dedication to pursuing greatness, the Swiss watchmaker said.
SourcingSep 04, 2025
Lucara Unveils Unusual 37-Carat Pink DiamondThe Type IIa stone, recovered from Botswana’s Karowe diamond mine last month, features unique coloration.
WatchesSep 04, 2025
Breitling Takes Its NFL Game to the Next Level Breitling is now the NFL’s official timepiece partner, a move that puts the brand in front of the millions of Americans who watch football.
Events & AwardsSep 04, 2025
The NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Returns in NovemberNYCJAOS is set for Nov. 21-23 in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.
SourcingSep 03, 2025
Gemfields Confirms Completion of Fabergé SaleU.S.-based investment company SMG Capital LLC is the new owner of the luxury brand.
MajorsSep 03, 2025
These Are the Nearly 300 Claire’s Stores Set to CloseA new court filing details the locations of the stores that will close, as well as the 830 that will remain open.
MajorsSep 03, 2025
Stuller Releases 2 New Catalogs The new catalogs are “Tools, Equipment, & Metals” and “Findings & Metals.”
TrendsSep 03, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: A Perfect BirthstoneSapphire’s variety of colors make it the perfect birthstone for September.
FinancialsSep 02, 2025
Lab-Grown Diamonds, Lower-Priced Fashion Jewelry Drive Signet Jewelers’ Q2 SalesThe retailer has raised its guidance after seeing total sales increase 3 percent in the second quarter, beating expectations.
