Respond.com Finds Replacements for Missing Silver, Chipped China and Lost Crystal; Seller's Inventory of Six Million Pieces and 120,000 Patterns Helps Complete Any Set

Business Wire, Oct 29, 1999

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1999--

Within thirty minutes of registering as a seller on Respond.com(TM), Replacements, Ltd. had more than 70 inquiries from potential customers looking for new china, silver and collectibles. By the end of the month, the number increased to 137 inquiries and Replacements, Ltd. had 15 new paying customers, all because of Respond.com, the online shopping service that brings Buyers and Sellers together via email.

Founded in an attic in 1981, Replacements, Ltd. grew to hold the world's largest inventory of old and new china, crystal and silver and an assortment of collectibles. In addition to its Web site, www.replacements.com, which counts approximately 120,000 unique users each month, Replacements, Ltd. wanted to increase its customer base and turned to Respond.com.

Replacements, Ltd. found that the email-based service easily integrated with their existing customer support system, and with Respond.com interaction with customers was more direct and personalized. Upon signing up for the service, the company registered with 88 of Respond.com's unique categories in order to target customer requests as specifically as possible.

"Respond.com opens up a new venue for reaching customers, yet has the flexibility to allow us to continue to service buyers in our own way," said Jack Whitley, vice president of Internet Services. "Respond.com initiates the introduction and then it is our job to win the business and keep the customer happy."

Replacements, Ltd. has been impressed with the responsiveness and helpfulness of the Respond.com staff, which has provided tips on how to tailor responses to optimize sales. Now, Replacements, Ltd. personalizes each response which has helped to increase favorable results.

Respond.com changes the way people shop online. Respond.com's free online shopping service provides a way to shop for thousands of products and services without the time and effort of combing through phone book listings, search engine results, or waiting for the right item to appear for the right price on an auction site. Instead of spending hours or days surfing the Web or calling Sellers, Buyers simply tell Respond.com what they are looking for, and Respond.com goes to work finding Sellers that have exactly what they wanted. In addition, Buyers remain anonymous until they are ready to buy. Buyers can use Respond.com to comparison shop, describe a product in generic terms if they are not sure what they are looking for, and even track down hard-to-find or complex goods and services--something impossible with other e-commerce sites.

For Sellers, Respond.com offers a powerful new way to receive high-value sales leads at a low cost. Sellers can register to receive inquiries from thousands of categories of products and services and begin receiving Buyer requests immediately. The nominal fee charged for Seller category registration is significantly less expensive than other traditional means of meeting customers, such as online advertising, the phone book, or classified ads. Because the service is email-based, Respond.com allows Sellers to maintain a Web presence and capture the lucrative online market even if they do not have their own Web site.

About Respond.com

Respond.com(TM) (www.respond.com) is the leading online shopping service that connects Buyers with Sellers through email. Buyers can shop effectively for a wide range of products and services through a simple, anonymous descriptive email. Sellers are introduced to customers who are ready to buy, without the need for a storefront or a Web site. Based in Redwood City, California, the company is funded by The Barksdale Group, Benchmark Capital and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. Respond.com was founded in 1998.