buySAFE® and TIAS Join to Launch Bonded Shopping™ Program for Largest Antiques and Collectibles Site

ARLINGTON, Va. (September 10, 2005) – buySAFE®, the world’s leading e-commerce bonding service, and TIAS, the Internet's largest antique and collectibles mall, today launched buySAFE on TIAS. This new program allows qualified TIAS.com merchants to become Bonded Sellers with buySAFE, a distinction that allows sellers to post the buySAFE Seal on their listings and enable their transactions to be guaranteed up to $25,000. For Bonded Sellers, this leads to more shoppers, better results, and a stronger brand.

Bonded Sellers must pass the comprehensive buySAFE Business Inspection, which ensures they are trustworthy, reliable, and committed to delivering on the promises they make to their buyers. Once approved, Bonded Sellers must allow buySAFE to continuously monitor their performance in every transaction with their buyers. This ensures that shoppers purchasing from Bonded Sellers have the most positive buying experience possible. Additionally, every TIAS.com listing with the buySAFE Seal will automatically be displayed on buySAFE’s new Bonded Shopping Network – www.buySAFEshopping.com – thus providing increased exposure and traffic to Bonded Seller listings.

“Having started their business in 1995, TIAS is an e-commerce pioneer that is again leading the way by being the first niche e-commerce site to integrate buySAFE into its business,” said Jeff Grass, CEO, buySAFE. “When shoppers see the buySAFE Seal, they know they can buy with confidence. For sellers, buySAFE on TIAS can help increase the amount of buyers, drive sales, and build brand.”

TIAS merchants who have been testing the buySAFE system have reported an increase in average sale amounts on their Web sites: “I believe some of my customers are much more at ease making larger purchases from my Web site now that all of my merchandise is bonded through buySAFE,” said Lon Strickler of Strickler’s Celebrity Autographs (www.tias.com/stores/stricklersports).

TIAS merchants have been serving online customers for more than ten years. “We have a great group of merchants on the TIAS system,” said Phillip Davies, President of TIAS.com. “For customers that are not familiar with us, buySAFE helps assure them that every purchase they make with a bonded dealer is safe and guaranteed.”


About buySAFE
buySAFE, Inc. helps to create a safe and stress-free online shopping environment through Bonded Shopping - the only program that qualifies merchants, identifies reputable online businesses with the buySAFE Seal, and uses surety bonds to provide protection for individual buyers from online transaction risks. buySAFE also benefits online merchants by signaling that they are reputable and trustworthy, thereby increasing profit opportunities. All Bonded Items can be found at buySAFEshopping.com. buySAFE is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. More information is available at www.buysafe.com.


About TIAS.com
TIAS serves approximately 190,000 unique customers a day. About 800 merchants sell through the TIAS system, listing well over half a million items for sale online. The company has been building e-commerce systems for merchants since 1995. For more information, visit http://www.tias.com

Contact:
Whitney Fleming
(847) 259-4178
whitneyf@whitneyfleming.com