EcommerceBytes-NewsFlash, Number 1402 - November 02, 2006 
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eBay Says Authorities Rule PayPal Explosion Intentional
By Ina Steiner
eBay spokesperson Hani Durzy said authorities have confirmed that Tuesday evening's explosion on the PayPal campus in San Jose, California, was not accidental. The device blew out a window, but there were no injuries, and all 45 employees were safely evacuated from the building.
Durzy said many employees had left early on Tuesday to take their children trick-or-treating. The explosion was reported at 7:34 in the evening Pacific time. The most important thing, Durzy said, is that no one was hurt. The next most important thing is that eBay is working with authorities who are conducting a detailed site inspection.
Durzy did not speculate on motive and said only that there was a "device" involved. He said Tuesday's occurrence caused the company to be even more aggressive in their security procedures, which are already stringent. "Employees should feel safe when they come to work." He confirmed that there are cameras on the campus, which is comprised of a handful of buildings, but would not comment on what may have been captured by the cameras.
eBay President of North America Bill Cobb posted a message on the company's online announcement board on Wednesday to report news of the explosion and to report that the eBay and PayPal teams were fully operational. He went on to state, "We're concerned, of course, about the cause of this incident, and needless to say, eBay is working closely with local and federal law enforcement agents in their investigation."
The of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a statement to report that special agents are assisting the San Jose Police Department and San Jose Fire Department with the processing of evidence at the scene. The ATF is expected to transport evidence to its laboratory for analysis.
Employees based at the building affected did not have to report to work on Wednesday, and are expected to be able to return to work on Thursday.
Durzy said he wanted the community to know that employees are on the boards every day, and could see that people in the community were concerned on Wednesday about their welfare. "That was pretty touching for us," he said.
About the author:
Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com.
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