press releases

First Bonded Online Auction For Antiques and Collectibles To Run April 27th - May 2nd at BondedSale.com

buySAFE with The Hartford joins Tias.com and ePier for First-of-its-Kind Event

Alexandria, Va. (March 16, 2004) - buySAFE, Inc. (www.buysafe.com), which offers one of the highest levels of protection from online auction risks through the buySAFE with The Hartford program, today announced it is joining with online antiques-mall Tias.com and auction site ePier to launch BondedSale.com, a special five-day auction of antiques and collectibles. The auction, which will run from April 27 to May 2, 2004, marks the world's first online auction event that will offer only bonded listings.

buySAFE with The Hartford is the only service that enables approved sellers to present a credibility seal on their online auction listings and provides surety bonds to guarantee the seller's performance and protect the financial interests of buyers. buySAFE performs a rigorous background check on sellers and issues the buySAFE Seal only to the most reputable online merchants. The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE: HIG) issues the surety bonds, which ensure that The Hartford will refund the item's sale price or replace the item should a bonded seller fail to fulfill the terms of the sale.

For BondedSale.com, buySAFE will pre-screen all auction sellers free-of-charge. The Hartford will underwrite the sellers and issue a bond for every item that is sold. Each bond protects the purchase according to the terms of the sale for up to $10,000.

Sellers have agreed to list only antiques and collectibles that they have not previously listed for sale online. The event is expected to feature a variety of interesting, fresh merchandise and present several truly unique bidding opportunities for collectors.

"Buying antiques and collectibles online can be challenging. Often a buyer is unsure of the quality of the merchandise or its authenticity," said Jeff Grass, CEO, buySAFE. "Bonding online auctions, particularly for antiques and collectibles, makes incredible sense. Buyers can feel confident that they are dealing with trustworthy merchants, thereby enabling sellers to increase the amount of potential customers and profit opportunities. This is an important milestone for the online auction world, and we're thrilled to be a part of it."

NOTE: Buyers and sellers must pre-register at www.bondedsale.com or call 1-888-OLD-STUF (1-888-653-7883) to participate in the auction.

about buySAFE

buySAFE makes online marketplaces safer, resulting in reduced risks for buyers and increased profit opportunities for sellers. buySAFE with The Hartford is the first and only service to guarantee online transactions for buyers by using surety bonds to provide protection from risks, such as fraud, misrepresentation, refund failure and seller default. Using the latest advances in business assessment techniques and technologies, buySAFE comprehensively qualifies online sellers and provides the buySAFE Seal to approved sellers for display on their auction listings, which informs buyers that they are dealing with a reputable and trustworthy seller. Approved sellers can guarantee their online transactions with surety bonds issued by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., buySAFE is on the Web at www.buysafe.com.

about The Hartford

The Hartford is one of the nation's largest investment and insurance companies, with 2003 revenues of $18.7 billion. The company is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property-casualty insurance. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

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