Press Release

Leading online marketplace Freeads Classifieds is braced for an influx of disillusioned eBay users this week as a global eBay boycott is planned for May 1.

The US giant has introduced new rules and fee rises which it's claimed mean the auction site is ditching individual sellers in favour of corporate users.

For Freeads Classifieds this week's boycott is likely to see new users more than treble, further supplementing its rapidly expanding customer base of 1.4 million users per month.

Duncan Horton, chief executive of Windsor-based Freeads Classifieds, said: "The eBay backlash is already underway. eBay should realise that this consumer mutiny is not a threat it's a reality, consumers are sick of being pushed around by big brands."

"This could be a huge opportunity for eBay to garner even more support from its users as the credit crunch continues and mortgage fears soar, people are looking to make their money stretch further. This latest move from eBay is a massive slap in the face for its users."

Horton said the move away from the US giant is one that's been gaining momentum for months - with the global boycott acting as the final straw for some consumers. This has also had an effect on Gumtree.com, the eBay-owned classified site, which has seen its marketshare drop by 20% in March compared to its peak in June 2007.

He said: "In the UK we're continually told through the media that we should be buying locally to support the businesses in our area. Thanks to the ability to search by area rather than item at Freeads.co.uk consumers can see what's for sale in their community.

"We can already see that a significant proportion of new customers are coming to Freeads Classifieds from eBay, and this new stance will only further fuel the transition of the historic eBay user to the tried and tested classified model of trading.

"In the past 12 months we've completely revamped our site and our technology is quicker and slicker than ever, we are completely confident we can show disgruntled eBay users there is a viable alternative when it comes to buying and selling online."

ENDS

About Freeads Classifieds

Freeads (www.freeads.co.uk) launched in 2001 and had just a few hundred ads in its first month of trading. It now hosts more than 300,000 unique ads on a daily basis. Freeads.co.uk has more than 1.4 million users per month making it the biggest independent classified site in the UK.

For more media information contact Louise Prior at Prior PR on 07786 227572 or louise@priorpr.com.