B2B Initiative to Promote 'Transparent e-Commerce' in Asia Signed Between Singapore's CaseTrust and ePublicEye.com Far East

Los Angeles, June, 21 2000 -- ePublicEye.com, the leading guide to reliable boutique e-businesses around the globe, today announced ePublicEye.com Far East and CaseTrust Limited of Singapore have formed a strategic alliance to promote ``Transparent e-Commerce'' in Asia. Both companies independently provide services which allow businesses to earn the trust of online consumers and have now come together to promote a regional initiative that will rely on open disclosure of business practices and customer satisfaction ratings as a key component of their joint efforts.

Under the agreement CaseTrust's 700 merchants will be registered for ePublicEye.com merchant ratings. ePublicEye registered merchants will be referred to CaseTrust for consideration and possible application. The scope of cooperation will include the cross-promotion of trust services to registered members, interfacing of web sites, and joint promotion of their complementary services through out Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China. Further, CaseTrust and ePublicEye.com USA will explore global opportunities to extend their respective services world wide.

``We are honored to have the opportunity to work with CaseTrust in the region. Their collaboration with the Retail Promotion Centre, CommerceNet Singapore and Consumers Association of Singapore make them an ideal partner for extending the notion of 'Transparent e-Commerce' through out Asia,'' said Errol Smith co-founder of ePublicEye.com. ``We are convinced that adding open customer satisfaction reporting to merchant certification programs that rely on initial background checking, and codes of conduct adds an important dimension of reliability that strengthens the assurance offered to anyone making an online purchase,'' says Smith.

CaseTrust and ePublicEye.com share similarities in their objectives and plans. Both have an interest in promoting safer on-line shopping through merchant rating programs and in promoting good business practices through consumer awareness. Both are keen to expand their operations regionally and both see their role as being complementary, with a long-term goal of establishing merchant and consumer recognition of their merchant rating systems.

About CaseTrust

CaseTrust is a trust mark program set up jointly by the Retail Promotion Centre, CommerceNet Singapore and Consumers Association of Singapore in August 1999. It aims to serve two purposes: provide guidance to industry members on agreed retailing standards and conduct and to assure consumers that retailers will observe their rights through these agreed standards. The program, which successfully completed its initial pilot phase, has been well received by retailers and e-tailers. To date, more than 700 store-based and web-based merchants have been accredited under CaseTrust

There are two aspects to the CaseTrust program. Web-Accreditation is designed for web retailers. It entails Internet sites having in place good business practices and additional assurance on transaction integrity via information security and procedures. Store-based Accreditation is designed for retail stores to ensure that there is compliance with a code of good business practice.r

Web and Store retailers who wish to be accredited under CaseTrust have to pass the assessment criteria and agree to abide by a code of practice before they are admitted as CaseTrust members. They are also expected to make their trade practices known and transparent to consumers.

About ePublicEye.com

ePublicEye.com Far East is the Asia-Pacific subsidiary of US-based ePublicEye.com. Founded in 1996 , ePublicEye.com was a pioneer of online merchant ratings and developed the Open Customer Satisfaction Reporting System used by over 12,000 e-businesses to build trust with online consumers. Through a seal and monitoring link, ePublicEye.com captures customer satisfaction reports and ratings on participating e-business submitted by their actual online shoppers. Confirmed reports are displayed for each merchant at the point of purchase in real-time. As confirmed reports are unedited, participating merchants conduct their business in a ``transparent environment'' which raises the comfort level of consumers and helps to build trust. ePublicEye currently offers its services in 5 languages and has members in 74 countries world wide.

For more information Contact Wanda San Juan at 818/547-0222 or
wms@epubliceye.com
or visit http://www.epubliceye.com

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