Justice Department Accuses eBay of Selling Illegal Products

By Dean Seal

The Justice Department has accused e-commerce giant eBay of selling and distributing hundreds of thousands of products, including potentially harmful pesticides, that violate environmental laws.

In a complaint filed on Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn, the department alleges that eBay sold or permitted the sale of 343,000 after-market defeat devices, which are used to illegally override motor vehicle emission controls and increase emissions of pollutants like carbon monoxide.

The department claims eBay has also distributed at least 23,000 unregistered, misbranded or restricted-use pesticide products, violating a stop sale order that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued to eBay in 2020. eBay is also accused of having violated a rule that prohibits the distribution of products containing methylene chloride for paint and coating removal.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company fired back and said that the department's actions are "entirely unprecedented" and that it plans to fight the allegations.

"eBay is blocking and removing more than 99.9% of the listings for the products cited by the DOJ, including millions of listings each year," the company said in a statement. "And eBay has partnered closely with law enforcement, including the DOJ, for over two decades on identifying emerging risks and assisting with prevention and enforcement."

The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and an order prohibiting eBay from further violations.

Write to Dean Seal at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 27, 2023 12:07 ET (16:07 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.