eBay Faces Billions in Fines
eBay is a world-renowned e-commerce platform and one of the oldest in existence. Despite the recent rise in online markets, it remains among the most popular online.
Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
However, their stock price could be set to plummet as they face billions in fines for the sale of devices that allow pickup trucks to emit toxic gas clouds.
Department of Justice Goes After eBay
The Department of Justice has recently filed a lawsuit against eBay, alleging in court documents that the e-commerce giant allowed the sale of ‘defeat devices.’
Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Defeat devices are specifically designed to cancel out vehicle emission controls. Anything like this is in clear violation of the Clean Air Act, according to the DOJ.
Over 300,000 Defeat Devices Sold
The DOJ claims eBay allowed the sale of over 300,000 defeat devices over an eight-year period.
Source: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
According to the lawsuit, eBay is subject to a $5,580 fine for each of the transactions that took place between 2015 to 2023.
What Is a Defeat Device?
Defeat devices are generally purchased to increase the overall performance of diesel engines. However, people also fit them onto their pickup trucks to produce “rolling coal.”
Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rolling coal is a term used to define a practice in which a driver revs their engine to blow out a thick cloud of smoke from the tailpipe.
Better Mileage With Defeat Devices
Defeat devices are generally advertised on e-commerce sites as items that can improve mileage and extend the lifespan of expensive components, ultimately saving customers thousands of dollars.
Source: Gado/Getty Images
However, many devices are considered aftermarket purchases, and their use on vehicles to bypass the Clean Air Act is considered a felony in the United States.
Thousands of Times More Pollution
Defeat devices force engines to release fumes and toxins that exceed the legal limit.
Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
According to the lawsuit filed by the DOJ against eBay, the devices allow a car to release “Thousands of times more pollution than a vehicle that has normally functioning emission reduction controls.”
Pollution and Toxic Emissions
A spokesperson for the DOJ claims the defeat devices produce an array of harmful side effects.
Source: Peter Macdiarmid/ Getty Images
They said, “Aftermarket defeat devices significantly increase pollution emissions, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and nonmethane hydrocarbons.”
Harmful Towards Human Health
While it’s clear they are horrible for the environment, the defeat devices can also have an adverse effect on human health.
Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
With regards to the dangers posed towards human health, the DOJ spokesperson claimed the toxic gas “Harms public health and impedes efforts by the EPA, states, Tribes, and local agencies to plan for and attain air quality standards.”
Time to Ban Rolling Coal?
While it’s considered harmful to the environment, only a handful of states, including New Jersey, Maine, Maryland, Utah, and Colorado, have laws that ban the rolling coal practice.
Source: Jim Raedle/Getty Images
However, other states may soon follow suit due to outcry from various environmental agencies.
When Rolling Coal Goes Bad
In 2021, a 16-year-old in Texas ran over a group of cyclists while trying to ‘roll coal’ past them. Four of the cyclists were taken to hospital for their injuries.
Source: Petar Milosevic/Getty Images
According to the local prosecutors, the teen was charged with six felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one for each cyclist he hit with his car.
Is it Really Worth It?
eBay has recently updated its terms and conditions, claiming it no longer sells such defeat devices.
Source: David McNew/Getty Images
The website says, “Products that bypass, defeat, or render inoperative emission-control systems are not allowed.” However, it appears the DOJ is still planning on suing the e-commerce giant.