LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Return Assured Incorporated, (Nasdaq:RTRN), developers of the world's first proprietary B2B and B2C "Web Seal of Approval," today announced that it has signed an agreement with celebrity-driven lifestyle and e-commerce site, OneWorldLive.com. The purpose of the agreement will be to test market Return Assured's e-commerce purchase guarantee with a large number of active Web surfers that visit the popular OneWorldLive.com site. The celebrity sponsored and co-founded site will introduce Return Assured's e-commerce protection services to thousands of new consumers, who will enjoy the added protection of the company's Web Seal of Approval offers for free.
"The joint project with Return Assured should increase our conversion rates by providing comfort to consumers that any purchase made on our site is risk free. By having a third party assure our return policy we are going the extra mile in providing our consumers with a bullet proof fulfillment system," said Nancy Duitch, Co-Founder and President of One World Live. "The commitment Return Assured is making to our customers is unique in the e-commerce world. What they offer makes them a valuable partner for us as we expand our operations both nationally and internationally."
One World Live is an integrated marketing company, committed to enriching people's lives by offering content and a variety of products that help people look better, feel better, and come one step closer to their goals in support of a healthy lifestyle. These products are often co-branded and promoted by a number of well-known celebrities. One World Live was co-founded by award winning actress, Melanie Griffith. Other celebrities that are featured on the site include: Antonio Banderas, Daisy Fuentes, Cindy Crawford and Donna Mills.
"The celebrity star-power, high traffic and e-commerce success of One World Live makes them an ideal partner to gather valuable feedback about conversion rates, and other e-commerce transaction statistics." said Matt Sebal, President and Chairman of Return Assured Incorporated. "One World Live's successful Internet presence and ability to produce significant revenue, a rarity in this business, puts us in front of tens-of-thousands of new customers, enabling us to produce meaningful usage statistics, consumer feedback and valuable market research to apply towards our services."
The Return Assured seal of approval on a Web site instantly signifies to consumers that their online purchases are backed by Return Assured. The seal also shows that the vendor has met Return Assured's stringent customer service standards and has agreed to live up to its clearly posted return and exchange policies. The seal guarantees that if, for any reason, the vendor cannot or will not honor its return policy, Return Assured will provide a full refund to the customer.
As Internet usage and e-commerce continue to explode, Return Assured is positioned to stand behind and profit from a growing percentage of retail transactions conducted online. According to Forrester research, by 2004, worldwide e-commerce is expected to hit $6.8 trillion, with 8.4 percent of all retail sales expected to be generated via the Internet. However, 54 percent of online users and 37 percent of e-commerce buyers indicate that they would buy more products online if it were easier to return merchandise.
About One World Live
One World Live is a global marketing and distribution company that provides end-to-end branding solutions for new media businesses. As part of its strategy, the company partners with celebrities and high profile experts and utilizes all channels of offline and online channels of distribution. One World Live is committed to making a difference in people's lives by delivering transformational content, products and solutions in the high-margin areas of health, fitness, beauty & personal growth. Founded in 1999, One World Live is privately held and headquartered in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.OneWorldLive.com
About Return Assured
Strategically partnering with Lloyd's of London (www.lloyds.com) and IBM (NYSE:IBM) (www.ibm.com), Return Assured Incorporated, has developed a proprietary B2C and B2B value-added "Web Seal of Approval" for the electronic retail community that vets retailers with high standards and then indemnifies the consumer with a "no-hassle" guarantee in support of that particular Web retailer's return and customer service policy. For more information of Return Assured Incorporated and its exclusive Web Seal of Approval, please visit the company's Web site at www.returnassured.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, and government regulation and approvals. In addition, statements concerning the completion of the proposed merger are forward-looking in nature. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by, or on behalf of Return Assured Incorporated, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, Return Assured Incorporated, "the Company" disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. The information contained on any Web site referenced in this press release is not a part of this press release. Merger Communications (Merger) is a media relations firm employed by the Company. Merger and the Company believe that all information in this release has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but cannot guarantee that the statements presented herein are accurate or complete. Merger, its officers, directors and employees currently do not own any stock in the Company, but have a contract under negotiation with a third party that could award stock to Merger for its services. According to an existing three-month agreement between Merger and the Company, Merger's compensation for its financial media relations services, which includes the preparation and distribution of press releases, consists of five thousand dollars per month.