Press Releases

With the holidays just around the corner, and shopping already underway, the Sears Blue Electronics Crew launched a new trade-in and recycling program that allows Sears.com shoppers to turn-in used electronics, such as cell phones, cameras and MP3 players and redeem them for Sears gift cards that are valid online and in-store. The new program is in partnership with Gazelle, which specializes in providing practical, responsible, rewarding ways for consumers to get value for used, working electronics, and gives customers the flexibility to trade-in unwanted gadgets from more than 20 product categories, including cell phones, laptops, MP3 players and digital cameras. Electronics items that no longer work will still be accepted at no cost for recycling, but consumers will not receive value for these items.

The program is free, easy to use and helps customers avoid the worry and hassle of selling items themselves. Interested customers can follow these easy steps to participate in the program:

“Sears Blue Electronics Crew’s trade-in program is a great option for customers who want to turn their used electronics into potential buying power, while also helping conserve the environment,” said Karen Austin, president, Home Electronics, Sears Holdings. “We are proud that through this partnership with Gazelle, approximately 90 percent of the home electronics items that costumers send in are expected to be reused and the remainder will be responsibly recycled. This prevents products from ending up in landfills, making Sears a leader in eliminating e-Waste.”

Every item that Gazelle receives during the trade-in transaction is hand inspected by a trained member of their gadget lab team. During this process, item value is confirmed, and all personal data is removed, providing Sears customers with the peace of mind that comes with a secure, online service. Payment to participants will be determined by the type of product, its age and condition. Payment will be sent within seven days of items being inspected.

"With this program, Sears customers will now be able to turn last years cell phone into this years holiday gifts, said Israel Ganot, CEO of Gazelle. "That is what reCommerce is all about. Redefining consumption by rewarding consumers for responsible consumption behavior, extending the life of products and keeping electronics out of landfills. We applaud Sears for their commitment and look forward to bringing their customers this new service and Gazelle's industry leading customer experience."

To see the full selection of home electronics from Sears, visit www.sears.com.

BOSTON – August 10, 2009 – In an effort to improve the lives of orphans with AIDS who reside in Lesotho, Africa, SHARED, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving global health by increasing access for the world's poorest people to medicine, medical supplies, medical equipment and community gardens, is today launching the “Technology for Tots” fundraising campaign. The campaign will employ Gazelle for Good for the drive’s fundraising efforts, an innovative online tool developed by Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), the nation’s largest online consumer electronics reCommerce service.

Instead of asking for cash, SHARED, with the help of Gazelle for Good, will raise funds by asking individuals to donate their used consumer electronics on http://shared.gazelle.com/. More than 20 categories of electronics will be accepted including laptops, MP3 players and cell phones. Gazelle will match all donations by five percent. The fundraising drive will take place online from August 10-24, 2009. Donations can also be made in person at a special event at SHARED’s office on August 17 from 5:30-7:00 PM at 1018 Beacon Street in Brookline, Massachusetts or at local businesses including XX.

“Working in partnership with private and public organizations as well as individuals, SHARED is always looking for new and creative ways to raise funds to support our mission,” said Elizabeth Ziemba, President, SHARED, Inc. “So many potential donors have unused gadgets collecting dust in closets and drawers. Through the ‘Technology for Tots’ campaign, they can make special use of those unused items and help provide the resources necessary to improve global health.”

“When we launched Gazelle for Good in May 2009 we wanted to create a unique platform for nonprofit organizations and individual fundraisers to raise money and access a broad base of donors,” said Israel Ganot, Chief Executive Officer, Gazelle. “This is exactly the way we hoped organizations would use our platform and our work with SHARED is one of more than 150 examples of ongoing fundraising campaigns that support a number of nonprofit organizations throughout the country. We feel privileged to have been chosen by SHARED to help them reach their fundraising goals.”

BOSTON – July 22, 2009 – For years, the missing link in the lifecycle of electronic gadgets was what to do with them once consumers were done using them. That gap in the lifecycle meant that old cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and other gadgets congregated and gathered dust in drawers and boxes in houses across the U.S. Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), the nation’s largest online consumer electronics reCommerce service, has stepped into that gap to enable consumers to earn cash by easily trading in electronics for cash or to be recycled. Gazelle is helping consumers clean out their drawers and boxes while preventing more than 20 tons of e-waste from entering landfills to date and rewarding their customers an average of $100 for each transaction.

Forward-thinking retailers are taking notice. Gazelle today announces that Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco") (NASDAQ: COST) is partnering with the company to power its electronics trade in and recycle program. With the program, Costco members are provided with a fast, safe and easy way to trade in their unused electronics for Costco Cash Cards, which can be used for purchases at Costco stores or Costco.com, or if the devices are no longer valuable, to have them responsibly recycled for free. The program will accept consumer electronics in a growing number of nearly 20 categories including digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players, cell phones and more.

The Gazelle Electronics Trade-In and Recycle Program involves three simple steps:
1. Visit costco.gazelle.com to determine the value of the electronic device
2. Ship the item(s) to Gazelle for free
3. Receive a Costco Cash Card for the value of the item(s)

Costco cited Gazelle’s superior technology and operations, excellent customer experience, and impressive track record as reasons for selecting Gazelle as their partner. As the leader in electronics reCommerce, Gazelle provides a simple and trustworthy service that rewards consumers for responsible behavior. Gazelle customers can rest assured that their personal data is safely erased before an item is put to reuse and that items without value are responsibly recycled thanks to the company’s zero landfill policy.
“With the average home filled with dozens of electronic gadgets, we applaud Costco for its leadership in reducing e-waste,” said Israel Ganot, CEO of Gazelle. “At Gazelle, we believe that recycling starts with reuse. By rewarding Costco’s members with cash for their unwanted electronics, we hope to encourage more people to join the reCommerce movement rather than storing gadgets in their junk drawers or dumping them in the trash.”
For more information on how Costco members can participate in this new Electronics Trade-In and Recycle Program, please visit costco.gazelle.com.

ABOUT COSTCO
Costco currently operates 554 warehouses, including 407 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 76 in Canada, 21 in the United Kingdom, six in Korea, five in Taiwan, eight in Japan and 31 in Mexico. The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada.

ABOUT GAZELLE
Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), a service of Second Rotation, Inc., is committed to providing an easy, fast, and safe way for consumers to get cash for selling unwanted electronics or to recycle them responsibly. To date, thousands of consumers have used the service as a way to clean out closets, get cash and help out a good cause. In addition, Gazelle empowers consumers to avoid time consuming and risky online experiences associated with peer-to-peer selling. Consumers can rest assured that all personal information is thoroughly removed from their item while benefitting from conveniences like free shipping and packaging. Based in Boston, Gazelle is backed by premier venture capital firms Venrock Associates and RockPort Capital Partners.

Gazelle (gazelle.com), the nation’s largest company rewarding consumers for responsibly trading in their electronics, today announced the launch of its Gazelle for Good fundraising service (gazelleforgood.com). This new service enables fundraisers to raise money for a good cause by collecting used gadgets instead of cash – allowing everyone to get involved and support causes in their community regardless of financial means. Dozens of organizations and individuals have signed on to use the free service, including the Epilepsy Therapy Project, Little Red Wagon Foundation, and Pluta Cancer Center.

Gazelle for Good connects NPOs, fundraisers and donors by providing them with a simple, customizable tool that enables them to raise funds without collecting cash. Using the service, anyone from a single marathon runner to the nation’s largest nonprofits are able to start a personalized online gadget drive. Donors simply visit the online drive to discover the donation value of their electronics and send them into Gazelle. Gazelle turns the electronics into cash and sends a check to the fundraiser to support their cause. Individuals can add Gazelle for Good to fundraising efforts and give supporters a new way to donate, and non-profit organizations can leverage this complimentary service to subsidize cash donations, which have suffered from the weak economy. According to the recent “State of Fundraising Survey” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, only 28 percent of all charities nationwide expect to raise more money in 2009 than in 2008.

Drives can be done in conjunction with other fundraising initiatives, as an ongoing program, and leading up to a fundraising event. Currently, Zachary Bonner, a 5th grader from Tampa Florida and founder of the Little Red Wagon Foundation, is walking from his home to the White House to raise awareness and money for underprivileged kids. He will use Gazelle for Good as one of the fundraising options for people to donate to his Foundation. The Epilepsy Therapy Project, committed to advancing new treatments for people living with epilepsy, has also added Gazelle for Good to its mix, giving donors a new way to support epilepsy research and the development of new treatments. Visit their gadget drive webpage - epilepsy.gazelle.com/. Pluta Cancer Center, New York’s first independent, not-for-profit cancer center, has also started a Gazelle for Good gadget drive to support its mission to create a unique treatment program for each patient that revolves around their life, rather than their cancer. Visit the Pluta Cancer Center gadget drive at plutacancercenter.gazelle.com.

“Gazelle for Good gives individual fundraisers a new tool while bringing together NPOs who need to raise funds with donors who are seeking non-monetary ways to support their favorite cause,” said Israel Ganot, CEO of Gazelle. “We want everyone across the country to know that it’s simple to help out in your community and with Gazelle for Good anyone can start a fundraiser.”

How it Works:
1. Gazelle for Good allows anyone to raise funds for a specific cause by facilitating a gadget collection drive to gather donations.
2. In less than five minutes, fundraisers can log on to www.gazelleforgood.com to create a personalized Web page by uploading photos and setting their financial goals.
3. Promotional tools help fundraisers promote their site to friends, family and other supporters.

ABOUT GAZELLE
Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), a service of Second Rotation, Inc., is committed to providing an easy, fast, and safe way for consumers to get cash for selling unwanted electronics or to recycle them responsibly. To date, thousands of consumers have used the service as a way to clean out closets, get cash and help out a good cause. In addition, Gazelle empowers consumers to avoid time consuming and risky online experiences associated with peer-to-peer selling. Consumers can rest assured that all personal information is thoroughly removed from their item while benefitting from conveniences like free shipping and packaging. Based in Boston, Gazelle is backed by premier venture capital firms Venrock Associates and RockPort Capital Partners.

Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), the online service that offers a fast, safe and practical way to sell or responsibly recycle unwanted electronics, today announced a partnership with StandUp For Kids (www.gazelle.com/standupforkids) as its featured charity during this holiday season. Not surprisingly, this year charitable donations are down in comparison to 2007. In fact, 35 percent of charities have reported significant declines according to the annual GuideStar Nonprofit Survey. However, Gazelle provides an economical way for individuals to help their favorite charities such as StandUp For Kids, even when money is tight. By simply selling their unwanted gadgets such as laptops, MP3 players and cell phones to Gazelle, supporters can donate the money they earn directly to the cause of their choice.

Founded in 1990 by Rick Koca, a retired naval officer, StandUp For Kids aims to seek out and assist the 1.5 million homeless children across the U.S. that are living on the streets. Serving more than 1,000 kids a week across 35 cities in 20 states, this national non-profit organization – which greatly depends on charitable donations to support their mission of helping children in need, is utilizing Gazelle as a fundraising platform. During the months of December and January, StandUp For Kids is encouraging its supporters to clean out their closets and drawers to turn their electronics into cash. On average, Gazelle users can earn approximately $115 by selling their unwanted gadgets, which if donated, translates into more than a week’s worth of meals for a child in need.

“We understand that monetary donations can be difficult to make especially during an economic downturn, which is why we decided to ask people to support StandUp For Kids through Gazelle rather than their wallets,” says Keith Sanders, national director of corporate development. “It is estimated that one out of every seven kids will run away by the age of 18. The money that our supporters can donate through Gazelle, will be used to provide hot meals, clothing, counseling and many more much needed services for our kids, as well as allow StandUp For Kids to start new programs in other cities.”

Gazelle offers a supplemental way for non-profits to fundraise without impacting consumer’s pocketbooks or businesses’ bottom line. Through Gazelle, charities, foundations and schools are empowered to offer their supporters a win-win opportunity to earn money for their organization by encouraging them to use Gazelle. This not only provides them with the benefit of helping a cause they care about, but also fosters an environmentally-conscious approach to preventing eWaste.

“StandUp For Kids addresses so many important issues—hunger, homelessness and education. We were compelled by their mission and are proud to help a great cause by providing a fast and easy way for individuals to help homeless at-risk children,” said Israel Ganot, president and CEO of Second Rotation, the company behind Gazelle. “We envision Gazelle becoming an important fundraising tool for charities and schools – and we’re committed to simplifying this process so that more time and focus can be spent on causes such as StandUp For Kids.”

To learn more about StandUp For Kids and how consumers can make a donation with their unwanted gadgets, please visit http://www.gazelle.com/standupforkids.

ABOUT GAZELLE: Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), a service of Second Rotation, Inc, is committed to providing an easy, fast, and safe way for consumers to get cash for selling unwanted electronics or to recycle them responsibly. To date, thousands of consumers have used the service as a way to clean out closets, get cash and help out a good cause. In addition, Gazelle empowers consumers to avoid time consuming and risky online experiences associated with peer-to-peer selling. Consumers can rest assured that all personal information is thoroughly removed from their item while benefitting from conveniences like free shipping and packaging. Based in Boston, Second Rotation is led by a group of consumer Internet veterans from companies like eBay, BuyerZone and Fairmarket and is backed by venture capital firms Venrock Associates and RockPort Capital Partners.

PRESS CONTACTS: Colleen Wickwire SHIFT Communications | (415) 591-8414 | cwickwire@shiftcomm.com