17/01/2002 QXL and MSN announce pan-European marketing partnership London, 17 January 2002 – QXL ricardo plc (‘QXL’) (LSE:QXL.L; Nasdaq:QXLC; Frankfurt: QXL.F) today announces that it has signed a strategic marketing partnership with MSN, Europe’s number one web destination. This agreement is effective in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The agreement gives QXL strong presence across several properties, including where available, the MSN Auction Channel and the Shopping home page. QXL will also offer its auction services to MSN and Microsoft to provide special auctions of Microsoft products or unique items. As a result of endorsement by QXL of the .Net alert service, QXL will have a presence on MSN Messenger in Germany, France and the UK, and in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden once the MSN Messenger programme is localised in those countries. Neil Mason, Chief Marketing Officer of QXL ricardo, said, "This is a significant partnership for QXL, providing us with an excellent opportunity to reach the greatest number of people across Europe through MSN’s extensive network. In addition, it also provides us with a cost-effective method to offer and introduce the excitement of online auctions." Mark Garland, Business Development Director for MSN EMEA added:“Our partnership with QXL follows MSN’s recent announcement of a $30 million investment in a digital marketing programme – MSN Advantage Marketing. We’re really excited to be working with QXL as the company has a solid European foothold and is investing in numerous innovative technologies, particularly around .Net, to offer a better service to our users." - ends - About QXL ricardo plc QXL provides access to the QXL trading community in: About MSN
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This press release may contain forward-looking statements that relate to the Company’s plans, objectives, estimates and goals. The Company’s business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with: funding requirements; acquisitions; only having a limited operating history; regulation of auctions and the Internet; probable variability in the Company’s quarterly operating results; the Company’s results of operations not being indicative of future performance; significant losses being incurred as a result of expansion of the Company’s business; dependence on growth of online consumer-to-consumer commerce market; risks associated with development and growth of the Company’s foreign language web sites; intense competition; failure to develop the Company’s brand; failure to expand the Company’s systems; risks associated with managing internal growth and retaining and recruiting personnel; international expansion; online commerce security; risks associated with not developing new services, features and functions; risks associated with intellectual property rights; fraudulent activity of our members and suppliers; and seasonality. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Company’s Registration Statement dated 7 October 1999, on Form F-1 and Annual Report dated 1 October 2001 on Form 20-F filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in the Company’s prospectuses and listing particulars filed with the UK Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales (the most recent being dated 22 May 2001), in the German Sales and Listing Prospectus dated 23 October 2000 filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (as supplemented on 10 November 2000), could cause the Company’s actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements. |