MBE Launches National Sweepstakes
For Immediate Release
SAN DIEGO (November 1, 2000) - Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) today
announced the launch of its new strategic alliance with eBay by offering eBay members the
opportunity to win one of 12 luxury cruises to the Caribbean aboard a Princess Cruises
luxury ship. The MBE "Pack & Ship Your Cares Away" sweepstakes encourages
eBay sellers to pack and ship with MBE. Customers can visit the Mail Boxes Etc. Web
site, www.mbe.com/goebay, for
details.
MBE, a leader in fulfillment commerce, is the preferred shipping solution for eBay, the
world's largest online trading community. By using MBE services, eBay sellers can
take advantage of preferred pricing, with the assurance that their items are properly
packed, insured and shipped to arrive safely and on time - a benefit to sellers whose
buyer ratings can make or break a trade. Online auction revenues continue to increase
(from $3.1 billion in 1999 to an estimated $6.5 billion this year), due to
the many small businesses created by online trading and by numerous individuals looking to
augment their revenues. MBE provides these sellers with the packing and shipping tools
to keep those businesses running smoothly and profitably.
As an example, MBE's new online Desktop Shipping Station, powered by iShip, enables
eBay users to compare shipping costs among various carriers and complete most of the
necessary paperwork before taking their packages to a local MBE center for shipping.
This helps sellers to maximize their profits by managing shipping costs and freeing up
their time to focus on selling more items online.
"We are pleased to team up with eBay as the preferred retail shipping
solution for eBay users," said Jim Amos, MBE president and CEO. "The
combination of our Desktop Shipping Station and more than 3,400 domestic
retail locations offers eBay members added value, providing the knowledge
and the infrastructure necessary to ensure successful, convenient transactions.
eBay sellers can now leave the packing and shipping to us, while they focus
on what they do best."
eBay sellers who use MBE's Desktop Shipping Station and complete transactions
at participating MBE retail outlets can enter the sweepstakes. Twelve
grand-prize winners and their travel companions will set sail for seven-day
Grand Class Caribbean Cruises from Princess Cruises. Round-trip airfare
and $2,500 in spending money are also included. One hundred first-prize
winners will receive $100 American Express Gift Cheques. To qualify for the
sweepstakes drawing, shipping transactions must be completed through the
MBE Desktop Shipping Station and shipped from an MBE retail outlet by November
27, 2000. There is no purchase necessary to enter the sweepstakes.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE), the world's
largest retail business, communication and postal services franchisor. MBE, a
wholly owned subsidiary of US Office Products Company (OTCBB: OFIS), has more
than 4,300 locations operating worldwide, and master license agreements in
nearly 70 countries around the world. In the United States, MBE centers are
owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc. USA, Inc. Outside
the United States, MBE centers are owned and operated by MBE master licensees
or their franchisees. MBE maintains a Web site at http://www.mbe.com. |
