This holiday season, smart shoppers will turn to eBay, The World's Online Marketplace, to find great deals on brand new products and finish up their last-minute shopping using new features recently unveiled by the company. People can also go to eBay to take part in a time-honored gift-giving tradition with the launch of the eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange. The new programs are designed to make eBay the online destination for better gift-giving this holiday season.

With more than 19 million items available on the site worldwide every day -- from vintage jewelry to brand-new personal electronics; from one-of-a-kind collectibles to new-release books and DVDs -- eBay is the one-stop shop for practically any gift imaginable. For the past three holiday seasons, Nielsen//NetRatings has ranked eBay as the number one online shopping destination based on the number of average daily unique visitors. Shoppers visiting eBay this holiday season are able to take advantage of the following new programs and features:

eBay "Hot Toy Picks"

eBay worked with renowned toy expert Chris Byrne to create the eBay "Hot Toy Picks," a list of 20 fun and educational toys that are sure to be among the most popular toys of the season. Now buyers can consult the list to see what the kids in their lives really want. Should they find that the toys are sold out in their local stores, they can buy them on eBay, since eBay's toy sellers are using this list to make sure they stock up early. The list can be found at www.ebay.com/hottoypicks.

eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange

Forget pulling a name out of a hat this holiday season. The time-honored tradition of "Secret Santa" gift exchanges, where groups of friends, co-workers or families select a person to secretly give a gift, is now online, thanks to a first-of-its-kind exchange unveiled by eBay.

The free eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange, available at www.ebay.com/secretsanta, allows participants invite their friends and family to join their gift exchange groups. Participants set up wish lists of gifts they hope to receive, and eBay automatically draws names among the participants of the group. Next, eBay sends each participant the name of the person for whom he or she will buy a gift, along with that person's wish list. Participants can follow the suggestions or search eBay to find a special present -- and be a great gift giver.

The eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange is part of a growing trend of traditionally offline interpersonal activities migrating online. From fantasy football leagues, to dating, to just making new friends, people are moving real-world community-driven activities to the Internet in huge numbers. The eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange is the next evolution, one that brings groups of people together to share the joy of the holidays -- even if they can't physically pull a name out of the hat.

"The eBay community is filled with some of the most passionate and active people of any Internet-based community. Many eBay members have forged and maintained close friendships with others whom they have never physically met," said Jim Griffith, Dean of eBay Education. "eBay is an ideal destination to bring the great holiday tradition of Secret Santa groups to the online world."

Users can also go to eBay and choose to be a charitable "Secret Santa", donating directly to three organizations: Toys for Tots, a United States Marine Corps charitable program that collects and distributes new toys to needy children; Second Harvest, a non-profit organization that distributes food to food banks and food-rescue groups nationally; and UNICEF.

December 18, 2003 will be the last day to create a Secret Santa group, and the eBay Secret Santa Gift Exchange will run until January 15, 2004.

eBay Gift Certificates

For the first time ever, eBay is offering gift certificates, enabling gift-givers to simplify their holiday shopping and give people gifts they truly want. They can be purchased in a variety of denominations, from as little as $5 to as much as $200. Each certificate can be sent via email, or printed and hand delivered, giving last-minute shoppers a chance to come through with a great gift. eBay gift certificates are available at http://certificates.ebay.com.

"Easy To Buy"

The eBay "Easy to Buy" program lets shoppers find and instantly purchase products easily, safely, and affordably. "Easy to Buy" products are all brand-new, and offered at a fixed price -- no bidding and waiting to see if you have won your listing. Plus, all the "Easy to Buy" products come with $500 PayPal Buyer Protection, helping shoppers buy with confidence. "Easy to Buy" products can be found in popular holiday gift categories such as electronics/technology, home, toys, fashion, and others. For sellers, "Easy to Buy" offers high visibility for products.

1-Day Listings

eBay is introducing 1-day listings, extending the buying season for shoppers by letting them bid on listings that have only a 24-hour duration. Shoppers can look for great deals on eBay right up to the last few days before the holiday.

Sellers on eBay also have their share of new tools to make this holiday season a happy one. The eBay Seller Newsflash is filled with information designed to help sellers maximize their selling strategies and stock up on the right inventory. Delivered monthly via email, the Newsflash is personalized based on the level and the primary category of the seller. It includes selling tips, case studies, and a "hot list" of the most sought-after items based on recent bidding and listing activity.

About eBay:

eBay is The World's Online Marketplace(R). Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online community.