Travelers Pairs With buySAFE To Increase Protection For Online Shoppers

  
    
  
  
    
      Travelers announced today that it has joined with buySAFE and its other 
      financial institution partners to provide greater security to online 
      shoppers. Consumers who purchase online products with the buySAFE seal 
      are protected by surety bonds that guarantee each bonded transaction for 
      its full value – up to $25,000.
    
    
      As more people shop online, fraud and poor experiences increase. Among 
      the thousands of consumer fraud complaints the Federal Trade Commission 
      (FTC) receives every year, those dealing with online auction fraud 
      consistently rank near the top of the list. Online buyers need to know 
      which merchants or sellers they can trust. The combination of Travelers’ 
      trusted name and financial stability with buySAFE’s 
      unique and comprehensive risk management approach brings confidence to 
      these buyers, as well as higher sales revenue and transaction security 
      for the merchants. The buySAFE seal indicates that an online seller has 
      been financially pre-qualified and rigorously investigated, and that the 
      seller’s sales activity and online reputation 
      will continue to be monitored.
    
    
      “We’re very pleased 
      to join buySAFE in guaranteeing online transactions from bonded sellers, 
      and in furthering mitigation of the risks associated with online 
      shopping,” said George Thompson, Senior Vice 
      President of Bond – Commercial Surety. “With 
      this partnership, Travelers continues its tradition of delivering 
      progressive insurance and surety solutions to the marketplace that will 
      also fortify protection for its customers“.
    
    
      Arriving in time for the holidays, this new pairing - that offers 
      greater security for e-commerce transactions - can raise the comfort 
      level of consumers who purchase from buySAFE Merchants. Online shoppers 
      gain the confidence that all terms and conditions of the sale will be 
      met.
    
    
      “With a strong partner such as Travelers, 
      buySAFE continues to pursue its mission - to make every online 
      transaction reliable, trusted and virtually risk-free,” 
      said Jeff Grass, buySAFE’s CEO. “Online 
      shopping is moving into new territory, accelerated by search engines and 
      comparison shopping sites. As these new sales streams develop, we’re 
      pleased to add the strength of this leading surety bond provider as we 
      grow.”
    
    
      About buySAFE
    
    
      buySAFE, Inc. helps to create a safe and stress-free online shopping 
      environment. buySAFE qualifies merchants, identifies reputable online 
      businesses with the buySAFE Seal, and uses surety bonds to provide broad 
      protection for individual buyers from online transaction risks. buySAFE 
      has issued more than 9,000,000 surety bonds on individual online 
      purchases. buySAFE also benefits online merchants by increasing trust 
      and confidence with their shoppers, thereby increasing profit 
      opportunities. There are currently more than two million items bonded 
      with buySAFE that can be found at www.buysafeshopping.com. 
      buySAFE is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. More information can be 
      found at www.buysafe.com.
    
    
      About Travelers
    
    
      Travelers understands that life and business are inherently dynamic and 
      that the best way to serve agents and policyholders is to deliver 
      insurance that evolves to stay in-synch with life and business as they 
      change. For more information on being in-synch, visit www.travelers.com.
    
    
      Travelers is a business of The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc. 
      (NYSE:STA), a leading property casualty insurer selling primarily 
      through independent agents and brokers. The company’s 
      diverse business lines offer its global customers a wide range of 
      coverage in both the personal and commercial settings, including 
      automobile, homeowners, construction, small business, oil and gas, ocean 
      marine, financial and professional services, global technology and 
      public sector services. St. Paul Travelers is ranked 85 in the Fortune 
      500, with 2005 revenues of $24.4 billion and total assets of $113.2 
      billion. The company has approximately 32,000 employees.
    
    
      For more information about this offering, visit us online at www.travelersbond.com.
    
  
Travelers announced today that it has joined with buySAFE and its
other financial institution partners to provide greater security to
online shoppers. Consumers who purchase online products with the
buySAFE seal are protected by surety bonds that guarantee each bonded
transaction for its full value - up to $25,000.

   As more people shop online, fraud and poor experiences increase.
Among the thousands of consumer fraud complaints the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) receives every year, those dealing with online
auction fraud consistently rank near the top of the list. Online
buyers need to know which merchants or sellers they can trust. The
combination of Travelers' trusted name and financial stability with
buySAFE's unique and comprehensive risk management approach brings
confidence to these buyers, as well as higher sales revenue and
transaction security for the merchants. The buySAFE seal indicates
that an online seller has been financially pre-qualified and
rigorously investigated, and that the seller's sales activity and
online reputation will continue to be monitored.

   "We're very pleased to join buySAFE in guaranteeing online
transactions from bonded sellers, and in furthering mitigation of the
risks associated with online shopping," said George Thompson, Senior
Vice President of Bond - Commercial Surety. "With this partnership,
Travelers continues its tradition of delivering progressive insurance
and surety solutions to the marketplace that will also fortify
protection for its customers".

   Arriving in time for the holidays, this new pairing - that offers
greater security for e-commerce transactions - can raise the comfort
level of consumers who purchase from buySAFE Merchants. Online
shoppers gain the confidence that all terms and conditions of the sale
will be met.

   "With a strong partner such as Travelers, buySAFE continues to
pursue its mission - to make every online transaction reliable,
trusted and virtually risk-free," said Jeff Grass, buySAFE's CEO.
"Online shopping is moving into new territory, accelerated by search
engines and comparison shopping sites. As these new sales streams
develop, we're pleased to add the strength of this leading surety bond
provider as we grow."

   About buySAFE

   buySAFE, Inc. helps to create a safe and stress-free online
shopping environment. buySAFE qualifies merchants, identifies
reputable online businesses with the buySAFE Seal, and uses surety
bonds to provide broad protection for individual buyers from online
transaction risks. buySAFE has issued more than 9,000,000 surety bonds
on individual online purchases. buySAFE also benefits online merchants
by increasing trust and confidence with their shoppers, thereby
increasing profit opportunities. There are currently more than two
million items bonded with buySAFE that can be found at
www.buysafeshopping.com. buySAFE is headquartered in Arlington,
Virginia. More information can be found at www.buysafe.com.

   About Travelers

   Travelers understands that life and business are inherently
dynamic and that the best way to serve agents and policyholders is to
deliver insurance that evolves to stay in-synch with life and business
as they change. For more information on being in-synch, visit
www.travelers.com.

   Travelers is a business of The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc.
(NYSE:STA), a leading property casualty insurer selling primarily
through independent agents and brokers. The company's diverse business
lines offer its global customers a wide range of coverage in both the
personal and commercial settings, including automobile, homeowners,
construction, small business, oil and gas, ocean marine, financial and
professional services, global technology and public sector services.
St. Paul Travelers is ranked 85 in the Fortune 500, with 2005 revenues
of $24.4 billion and total assets of $113.2 billion. The company has
approximately 32,000 employees.

   For more information about this offering, visit us online at
www.travelersbond.com.