Small Traditions LLC/SCANDAL UPDATE

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Of course I don't know, but like Adam my assumption would be that a corporation with a 50 billion dollar market cap would have internal controls such that a statement accusing a customer of shill bidding to be widely disseminated would be subject to rigorous review.

Agreed. Though I have seen some pretty bone-headed moves by in-house counsels in my career...

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Agreed. Though I have seen some pretty bone-headed moves by in-house counsels in my career...

Yes but at the level of an ebay for the most part in my experience you're dealing with very good lawyers.

[Lorewalker]

I would also have to assume eBay's move was with the FBI's "nudging" too. Highly doubt eBay was just now able to identify shill bidding with PWCC--whether it as by consignors, employees or both.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

I would also have to assume eBay's move was with the FBI's "nudging" too. Highly doubt eBay was just now able to identify shill bidding with PWCC--whether it as by consignors, employees or both.

And could very well be a contributing factor as well, with Ebay being proactive in their actions towards PWCC to protect their customers/buyers as well as themselves. Look how proactive Ebay was in regards to state sales taxes.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

I would also have to assume eBay's move was with the FBI's "nudging" too. Highly doubt eBay was just now able to identify shill bidding with PWCC--whether it as by consignors, employees or both.

Didn't specifically address your point about "nudging" before, but can definitely see (and know) that can happen. Would have thought the government could have just gone in and got any records and data they would need, but maybe they didn't have enough to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant?

[ALBB]

If you nudge..you get the judge

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by BobC

Didn't specifically address your point about "nudging" before, but can definitely see (and know) that can happen. Would have thought the government could have just gone in and got any records and data they would need, but maybe they didn't have enough to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant?

I think it's entirely possible that the FBI came sniffing around for exactly these records. Search warrant or not, I'm not sure it would matter. If the feds contacted eBay, asking about records pertaining to PWCC, then that very well could have prompted a response like this. And they wouldn't have even needed proof of PWCC themselves doing the shill bidding to want to cut ties. They already know that the consignors shill those auctions. That's all they needed to craft the email they sent out. Cut ties and blame it on the "individuals associated with PWCC". I think there is certainly a strong possibility that this is precisely what happened. What leans me more toward the other theory though is just the timing of it all. It's been years since the FBI opened its investigation against PWCC. Perhaps they're just this far behind because of covid, but as others have recently pointed out, they did not have a presence at this year's National. And it might not be entirely coincidental that this email came on the heels of PWCC having successfully launched their competing auction platform. Or perhaps it's actually a combination of both. Perhaps they were contacted by the FBI quite some time ago and PWCC was just on their last straw, and the fact that they were so brazen to now want to take eBay's business away from them and bring them to their own new platform was the straw that broke the camel's back and they just thought, enough is enough. We're done with these clowns. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Perhaps someone slept with someone else's wife. It wouldn't be the first time lol.

[Republicaninmass]

Oh yea, PWCC said "we dont need Ebay anymore".

But what about the millions of dollars in PWCC 'Ebay sales' you're quoting?


Keep trying, you're not changing the PWCC sentiment here on N54.

Just devil's advocate here with a lot of time on his hands

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Oh yea, PWCC said "we dont need Ebay anymore".

This is pretty well documented though. I don't think anyone is contesting that PWCC was already planning to leave eBay and create their own platform prior to the email blast.

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Keep trying, you're not changing the PWCC sentiment here on N54.

Just devil's advocate here with a lot of time on his hands

That's perfectly fine with me. I'm under no illusions that I'll change anyone's mind about PWCC. I'm not sure that I even care to. I just want to challenge people to think critically and to not draw conclusions based on assumptions.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Yes but at the level of an ebay for the most part in my experience you're dealing with very good lawyers.

Skilled lawyers, yes.

I'm not so sure they're good.