How ethical is eBay?
Our research highlights many ethical issues with eBay, including its approach to climate change, workers’ rights, supply chain management, animal rights, political activities, and anti-social finance.
Below we outline some of these issues. To see the full detailed stories, and eBay's overall ethical rating, please sign in or subscribe.
Anti-social finance
Tax avoidance and executive payment
eBay has holding companies in tax havens, such as The Netherlands and Switzerland. Holding companies are high risk company types for tax avoidance.
In 2019 eBay was criticised for paying less than £10m in tax in the UK, despite sales topping £1bn.
The company also provided excessive executive payment: eBay CEO Jamie Iannone earned $20,349,650 million (about £15 million) in 2024. This was £2 million more than in 2022.
People
Workers’ rights
As eBay is a selling platform it doesn’t have a supply chain in the traditional sense. Nevertheless, we expected policies to protect workers' rights.
Its “Third Party Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” only includes the bare minimum protection; it prohibits forced labour and discrimination, and respects freedom of association. It did not offer a living wage, and its child labour clauses were inadequate.
Anti-union behaviour
eBay was criticised by New York City and State comptrollers for altering its Human Rights Policy, removing the line: "eBay also respects workers’ rights to unionize and commits to bargain in good faith with any relevant associations or labor unions". New York City and State comptroller stated “It has been reported that management continues to delay and resist bargaining in good faith. For instance, according to the workers’ bargaining committee, it recently proposed 25 dates to eBay’s negotiating team, which accepted only one.”
Fined for harassment by senior employees
In 2024,eBay was fined for $3 million (£2.2m) and two eBay employees, including a senior director, were jailed after they harassed the authors of a newsletter which criticised the eBay brand and platform. This included sending them spiders and cockroaches. US attorney Josh Levy said: “Ebay engaged in absolutely horrific, criminal conduct. The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand.”
Political activity
eBay has been a member of multiple trade organisations which lobby the government for self-interest. These include the US Council for International Business and the National Foreign Trade Council.
Environment
eBay’s Recommerce Report claims, “Pre-loved and refurbished makes up 40% of eBay’s gross merchandise volume”.
However, the company’s website also claims 80% of its inventory is brand new.
Animals
eBay sells animal products without adequate policies on animal welfare or animal testing. It sells meat products such as beef jerky and leather and wool products which are not covered by any certifications. Its animal products policy only prohibits some specific items including ivory, and items made from certain species of animals that are already banned by the law.