IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
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
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
MajorsAug 11, 2026
Signet Jewelers Selects Mattel Exec to Lead Zales, BanterJamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.
IndependentsAug 11, 2026
Polly’s Fine Jewelry Co-Owner Richard Moore Dies at 69Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.
ColumnistsAug 11, 2026
Creative Connecting: How to Sell Colored Gemstones to Gen ZDuvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2026
NAJA Announces Lineup For 2026 Fall Virtual ConferenceThe mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
QVC Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Names New Interim CEOQVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.
CollectionsAug 10, 2026
State Property Puts a Ripple in the ‘The Voyager’ CollectionThe brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
And IJO’s 2026 Vendor of the Year Is … Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.
Supplier BulletinAug 07, 2026
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsSponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Retail Veteran Pam Cloud Appointed President of Blue NileCloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Pandora Appoints Paulo Garcia as New CFO Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.
