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[lisaj]

Four years ago I took in a long time trusted "friend" who was on the verge of becoming homeless. I had an extra room in the house as one of my kids had just moved out. I had been given support in the past during difficult times and was now in the position to do the same for someone else. I believed that I was doing the right thing. Life moved along very well for 2 years. I had valuable items that I was no longer using boxed up in the house. The "friend" suggested that I sell these items on eBay. My business took off immediately. I consistently worked 7 days a week 18-20 hours a day between my day job and eBay and built a successful eBay business that earned as much as my full time job.

Fast forward to the present. Things went horribly wrong 18 months ago. The "friend" beat one of my children badly in a fit of rage which necessitated his removal from the household. The "friend" had also been robbing my children and I over time, of cash from my bank account (he is a financial whiz and handled the household finances) and personal property with monetary value, removing it from the household and storing it elsewhere. He was also selling my belongings, clothing etc on his personal eBay account while he was still living in the house! I have a very extensive wardrobe and did not notice jeans, and off season clothing items missing. My work ethic borders on unhealthy, I was exhausted and worn down. I did not monitor his personal eBay account. This guy was slick. He never even raised so much as an eyebrow in the wrong direction, I never saw any of this coming down the road at me. When I reported all of this to the local police an investigation was done and the "friend" was arrested and charged with two counts of felony larceny a year ago this month, one of them directly related to his eBay sales.

Somehow, eBay seems to see me as this persons accomplice, and not the victim of the crimes that he committed using their platform. My once successful business has gradually all but dried up over the course of the past year. I have offered to provide eBay with official documentation from the District Attorneys office in regards to these events. Not only is eBay not interested, they allow this person to sell successfully on the account in question, as well as numerous bogus accounts created with items freely flowing back and forth between the account being investigated, and the bogus selling accounts created. How can this possibly be happening?