The U.S. Justice Department filed a civil case against eBay, alleging that the online retailer sold and distributed hundreds of thousands of items that were illegal, including pesticides and devices that cheat on vehicle emissions.
According to the accusation filed on Wednesday, eBay is responsible for the sales of more than 343,000 aftermarket products that attempt to circumvent motor vehicle pollution standards.
Additionally, it claims that the business distributed or sold at least 23,000 pesticides that were mislabeled, unregistered, or for restricted uses illegally.
According to the Justice Department, the pesticides include a highly toxic insecticide that has been outlawed in the US, a pesticide with limited use that may only be applied by certified applicators, and a product that makes deceptive claims about protecting users from the virus that causes COVID-19.
Aside from that, the complaint asserts that eBay sold more than 5,600 methylene chloride-containing paints and coating remover goods. “eBay’s sale of emission control defeat devices, pesticides, and other unsafe products poses unacceptable risks to our communities, which are disproportionately impacted by environmental and health hazards,” the U.S. Breon Peace, an attorney, stated this on Wednesday.
“This office will zealously enforce federal law against those whose conduct endangers public health and the environment, together with our partners.”
The government’s measures, according to eBay, were “entirely unprecedented,” and the company vowed to forcefully defend itself.
eBay stated in a prepared statement that “maintaining a safe and trusted marketplace for our global community of sellers and buyers is a fundamental principle of our business.”
“To prevent prohibited items from being listed on the market, we devote significant resources, employ cutting-edge technology, and ensure that our teams are properly trained.”
More than 99.9% of the listings for the goods mentioned by the Justice Department, including millions of listings annually, are being blocked and removed, according to eBay.
The Justice Department speaks for the United States. In federal court in Brooklyn, the Environmental Protection Agency filed a complaint against eBay Inc. eBay has already been the target of EPA orders.
The organization demanded that the business stop selling 170 counterfeit and unregistered products in 2021.
eBay has already been the target of EPA orders. The company was told by the EPA in 2021 to stop marketing and selling 170 pesticide products that were not authorized and were mislabeled. The United States has already targeted harmful substance sales.
The EPA and Amazon reached a $1.2 million settlement for the marketing and distribution of prohibited chemicals in 2018. Federal officials stated at the time that the agreement resolved claims that the Seattle-based e-commerce giant had sold and distributed imported pesticide chemicals that were not authorized for sale in the United States between 2013 and 2016.
In 2021, the EPA issued a “stop-sale” order requiring Amazon to remove listings for a number of products it claimed constituted a health risk to consumers and their pets.
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