Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Online retailer eBay has sued three Amazon managers for allegedly infiltrating eBay’s platform to poach sellers. The lawsuit, filed earlier this week in California, claims Amazon employees signed up for eBay under false names and pretenses. Then, they would allegedly send private messages inviting sellers to Amazon, actively circumventing eBay’s rules and filters.
eBay has accused Amazon of poaching before. It sent a cease and desist letter last October, alleging that 50 Amazon sales representatives sent over 1,000 messages to eBay sellers. Amazon promised a “thorough investigation,” but eBay proceeded with a lawsuit that was later sent to arbitration. This new suit focuses on a few higher-up figures that eBay accuses of racketeering and…