Negative eBay Feedback Leads to $15,000 Lawsuit

[Horhay]

When you take to eBay for your shopping needs, you know you're taking a certain amount of risk. You have faith in the description of the goods for sale, digital photos, and, more importantly, the seller's morals. Apparently, another risk you might be taking, if you react negatively to being burned by a seller, is that of being sued. Michael Steadman, a business owner in Florida, discovered this danger the hard way after leaving a negative comment for a seller that resulted in a $15,000 defamation suit.

Steadman won an auction for a time clock from Elliot Miller, a lawyer from the Miami Beach area. Miller was offering what he described as a "sturdy time clock with all the fixings" that had been tested and confirmed to print on employee time cards. But as Steadman told Florida Today, the item that arrived did not match the description on eBay. The clock in question was actually pieces of three different models that didn't fit together, was not capable of being mounted on a wall and the printer didn't work. Even the key included didn't fit in the clock's lock.

According to Steadman, when he initially contacted Miller about his problems the seller's response was to encourage him to try and dump the clock on another unsuspecting buyer. Steadman had to resort to filing a formal complaint through PayPal to get his money back. Understandably he then left a negative comment on Miller's feedback page that read: "Bad seller; he has the ethics of a used car salesman."

Miller's response was to file a defamation suit that required Steadman to borrow $7,000 from a second mortgage to pay for legal fees, but those funds have since run out and his lawyer has quit. If Steadman's story is true, Miller deserves the negative comment left on his page and more. Here's hoping someone steps up to defend Steadman against what sounds like an eBay bully.

http://www.switched.com/2010/04/12/negative-ebay-feedback-leads-to-15-000-lawsuit/

 

[mobius387]

would this seriously hold up in court??

i cant believe someone can bring you to court over this. another reason why i despise the legal system here.

if the seller win the suit, ebay better hustle to add a line to their user agreement saying "seller agrees not to sue buyer for feedback," otherwise, i see lots of sales dropping.

 

[Goodguy818]

What is this world coming to!?? I hope other guy counter sues or something, sucks he's already lost out on 7000 dollars...

 

[mobius387]

What is this world coming to!?? I hope other guy counter sues or something, sucks he's already lost out on 7000 dollars...

i always wondered that. if you win your suit can you file a counter suit that seeks damage costs against the person who filed the original suit? id hope so. that guy could sue the other guy then for not only the money it cost him to defend himself, but then the money it cost him in time lost and then emotional damage

stupid legal system

(i'm double angry because ive come to the reality that i WILL get sued sometime in my life, and it will most definitely be over something REALLY STUPID )

 

[Horhay]

I just found this really hilarious!

 

[DaMexiRican]

hahahaha