Remodeling Challenge Finalists

"The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge" ("Contest") will consist of two phases. The first phase will be an essay contest where eligible participants will be required to submit an essay that addresses the topic described in Section 1 ("How to Enter") below. Three (3) winning essays will be selected from among all eligible entries received. The second phase will be a remodeling competition where the three essay finalists will be provided up to $10,000.00 each to purchase items listed on www.eBay.com (the "eBay Site") to be used to remodel the room indicated in the essay. Using the criteria identified below, Eligible Voters (defined below) will vote online for the best remodeled room and select a grand prize winner. The official contest rules including, but not limited to, entry requirements, how winners will be selected and prizes that will be awarded, are set forth below.

1. How To Enter: The entry period for the Contest begins at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) April 7, 2005 and ends at 11:59 PM PT April 27, 2005 ("Entry Period"). To enter the Contest, eligible participants must go to https://www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge and do the following: [1] Complete the registration form by providing the information required; [2] In the space provided on the registration form, write an essay describing what room in your home you would like to remodel and how you would remodel the room using items purchased on eBay.com, with a budget of $10,000 ("Essay"); AND [3] Using links provided on the registration form, upload one (1) photograph of the room that you wish to remodel ("Before Photo"). Your Essay must be two hundred and fifty (250) words or less. Your photograph submission must be in either JPG or GIF electronic formats and may not exceed 200K in size. Entry photograph must be of good quality, clearly depict the room described in the Essay and must be owned by the entrant. Examples of remodeling would include carpentry work, installation of bathroom fixtures, and installation of kitchen cabinets or appliances (such examples have simply been provided for illustrative purposes only and do not include all types of remodeling projects). Modifying, enhancing, retouching, or altering a photograph in any way will disqualify the entry. There is a limit of one (1) entry per person and/or eBay User ID. Entries may only be submitted online. By entering this Contest, winners agree to grant eBay Inc. ("Sponsor"), its agents, subsidiaries and affiliates an exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to exercise the copyright, publicity, database rights and any other rights entrant has in the Entry, in any media now known or hereafter devised (including without limitation, the Internet), without additional compensation. Sponsor's use of information submitted to Sponsor in connection with this Contest will be subject to the then-current terms and conditions of these Official Rules and the eBay User Agreement available on the eBay Site. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM PT on April 27, 2005 in order to be eligible. "Entry(ies)" as that term is used herein shall mean the Essay and all photographs and information provided by entrants to Sponsor and/or Marden-Kane in connection with the Contest.

2. Judging of Essays and Selection of Finalists: Three (3) winning Essays will be selected according to the following criteria: (i) Originality of idea - 30%; (ii) Clarity of expression - 30%; and (iii) Passion for using the eBay Site in remodeling - 40%. Finalists will be selected by Sponsor and/or home and garden specialists or designers that are selected by Sponsor (collectively, "Judges") under the supervision of Marden-Kane Inc., the Contest administrator and an independent judging organization ("Marden-Kane"). The Judges will select the top three (3) scoring Essays from among all eligible Essays received using the above judging criteria. Each of the three individuals that submitted a winning Essay will be referred to herein as a "Finalist". In the event of a tied score among the top three scoring Essays, the Essays involved in the tie will be reviewed by an additional judge who will serve as a tiebreaker and who will evaluate Essays according to criteria listed above. Decisions of judges are final and binding on all matters relating to this Contest. Becoming a Finalist is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules. Finalists will be determined on or about May 12, 2005 from among all eligible Entries received.

2(a). Finalist Notification: On or about May 12, 2005, Marden-Kane will notify potential Finalists by mail and/or email and/or telephone. Each Finalist will be required to sign and properly execute the following documents and return them to the address provided within seven (7) days: (1) An affidavit of eligibility and liability waiver; (2) Where legal, a consent to publicity; and (3) An agreement between the Finalist and eBay requiring each Finalist to (a) use the Cash Allowance (defined in Section 2(b) below) to purchase items on eBay.com (such items to be referred to herein as "eBay Items"), (b) use such eBay Items to remodel the room indicated in their Essay and Before Photo, and (c) return all unused portions of the cash allowance to the Sponsor as further described herein. Each Finalist will also be required to furnish his/her social security number that will be used only for the purpose of reporting his/her earnings to the Internal Revenue Service, as required by law. If the Cash Allowance or Cash Allowance notification is unclaimed or returned as undeliverable, or if a potential winner fails to properly execute and return all forms described herein, the Cash Allowance will be forfeited and awarded to the next runner-up. Sponsor reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, modify, or dispose of any Entries, proper names, likenesses, photographs, and/or city/states for advertising and promotional purposes in all media (including and without limitation, the Internet) without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. If an entrant changes his/her telephone number, email address and/or street address after he/she enters the Contest, it is his/her sole responsibility to notify the Sponsor by (postal) mailing notice to Marden-Kane's address (listed below) to be received by the end of the Entry Period.

2(b). Awarding of Cash Allowance to Finalists to Purchase eBay Items: On or about May 26, 2005, Sponsor will award each of the three (3) Finalists $5,000 in cash to be deposited into each Finalist's account on PayPal.com, which must be used to purchase items on the eBay Site for the purpose of remodeling the room indicated in the Essay and Before Photo. An additional $5,000 in cash will be deposited into each finalist's PayPal account on or about June 26, 2005 under the condition that the finalist has used the Cash Allowance to purchase at least one (1) item on the eBay Site between May 26, 2005 and June 26, 2005 for the purpose of the remodeling project. The total $10,000 cash allowance made available to each Finalist shall be referred to herein as the "Cash Allowance". Please note, you will be disqualified from this Contest if you do not use a portion of the Cash Allowance to purchase at least one eBay Item between May 26, 2005 and June 26, 2005. Approximate Retail Value (ARV): $10,000 each. Total Approximate Retail Value of funds to be awarded to Finalists: $30,000. TAXES, AND ALL OTHER COSTS AND EXPENSES, ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FINALISTS. The funds that are awarded to Finalists may only be used towards the purchase of items on the eBay Site for the purpose of the remodeling project. Without limiting anything set forth herein, any finalist found to be in violation of the aforementioned requirements may be disqualified from participating in the Contest and will be required to return any unused portion of the Cash Allowance to Sponsor. Each Finalist must have a verified PayPal account on PayPal.com in order to receive the Cash Allowance (or any portion thereof). If any Finalist does not have a verified PayPal account, the finalist will be required to go to www.PayPal.com and create a verified PayPal Account, subject to the terms of the then-current PayPal User Agreement at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside. Any and all guarantees and warrantees of items purchased on the eBay Site are subject to the seller's and manufacturer's terms and conditions, and Finalists agree to look solely to said sellers and manufacturers for any such warranty or guarantee claim.

PLEASE NOTE: UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE CASH ALLOWANCE MUST BE RETURNED TO THE SPONSOR VIA A PAYPAL TRANSFER INTO THE SPONSOR'S PAYPAL ACCOUNT (SPONSOR SHALL PROVIDE EACH FINALIST WITH SUCH ACCOUNT INFORMATION), IN THE EVENT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCUR: (A) A FINALIST FAILS TO PURCHASE EBAY ITEMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE REMODELING PROJECT BETWEEN MAY 26, 2005 AND JUNE 26, 2005; (B) PORTIONS OF THE CASH ALLOWANCE REMAIN UNUSED AT THE END OF THE REMODELING PHASE ON AUGUST 18, 2005; AND/OR (C) THE FINALIST IS DISQUALIFIED FROM THE CONTEST FOR ANY REASON.

3. The Remodeling Phase: The remodeling phase will take place from May 26, 2005 through August 18, 2005 ("Remodeling Period"). Each Finalist will be required to (i) use the Cash Allowance to purchase eBay Items on the eBay Site during the Remodeling Period, (ii) remodel the room described in the Essay during the Remodeling Period, (iii) use the eBay Items when remodeling the room, AND (iv) submit the following items via email to Marden-Kane by August 18, 2005 in accordance with instructions that shall be provided by Marden-Kane, Inc.: [1] Five (5) "after" photographs of the remodeled room that incorporates the eBay Items purchased on the eBay Site (the eBay Items must be visible in the photograph); [2] the eBay Item number, description and price of each eBay Item purchased during the Remodeling Period using the Cash Allowance; AND [3] a verification statement confirming that each eBay Item identified as having an eBay Item number was purchased on the eBay Site using the Cash Allowance. Examples of remodeling would include carpentry work, installation of bathroom fixtures, and installation of kitchen cabinets or appliances. Such examples have simply been provided for illustrative purposes only and do not include all types of remodeling projects. Finalists must clearly identify two (2) of the five photographs they want posted to the Voting Site (defined below) for the purpose of final judging. Only two of the five "after" photos will be judged by the eBay Community as further described below. All photographs submitted by Finalists may be used by Sponsor for advertising, publicity and promotion purposes in Sponsor's sole and exclusive discretion without additional compensation to Finalists. Modifying, enhancing, retouching, or altering a photograph in any way will disqualify the entry. A Finalist will be disqualified if he/she fails to identify which two of the five photographs he/she wishes Sponsor to post on the Voting Site for final judging. Note that the electronic photographs must be in either JPG or GIF electronic formats and may not exceed 200K in size. Entrants agree that if selected as one of the Finalists, they grant Sponsor and its designees the right to film and later publish footage of the remodeled room within the winner's home. Sponsor may, in its sole and exclusive discretion, disqualify any Finalist if Sponsor reasonably believes such Finalist did not remodel the room described in the Essay and or the Before Photo, with the understanding that Finalists may use or hire third parties to assist in the remodeling. Each Finalist hereby grants Sponsor its agents, subsidiaries and affiliates an exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to use, in Sponsor's sole and exclusive discretion, Finalists names, images, likenesses, photographs, voices and biographical materials, and any photographs and/or videos that may be taken or produced by or for Sponsor that include footage of the remodeled room, for advertising, publicity and promotion purposes including posting the photographs or videos online for any other purpose or on a winner's list and other online announcements, and for sharing the photographs or videos with the press for viewing, whether TV or print, without additional compensation to Finalists, unless prohibited by law. Finalists shall receive no compensation or credit for Sponsor's use of any photographs or Essays submitted to Sponsor in connection with the Contest. Sponsor shall have no obligation (express or implied) to develop, produce, distribute or otherwise exploit the photographs, or continue the development, production, distribution or exploitation thereof.

4. Voting Site and Selection of Grand Prize Winner: The three (3) Finalists will appear on the "The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge" community voting site ("Community Voting Site") located at https://www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge from 12:00 AM PT September 8, 2005 through 11:59 PM PT September 21, 2005 ("Voting Period"). During the Voting Period, all confirmed registered members of the eBay Site who are U.S. residents and 18 years of age or older may vote for the best remodeled room using the following judging criteria: Originality of idea - 30%; Degree of Transformation - 40%; and Use of items purchased on the eBay Site within the room - 30%. The following materials and information will be posted for each Finalist entry on the Community Voting Site: (i) One (1) "before" and two (2) "after" photographs of the remodeled room; (ii) The Essay provided for the essay competition; and (iii) A list and brief description of items purchased on the eBay Site with the Cash Allowance and the total amount spent on the eBay Site to remodel the room (not to exceed $10,000). Votes may only be submitted online. Upon conclusion of the Voting Period, Sponsor will tally the votes and determine the potential Grand Prize winner based on the greatest number of valid votes. Voting is limited to one (1) vote per eligible confirmed registered member of the eBay Site. The Finalist whose remodeled room receives the highest number of valid votes will be the potential Grand Prize winner. Winning is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all terms and conditions set forth in the Official Rules. In the event of a tie, the entries involved in a tie will be reviewed by an additional judge appointed by the Sponsor who will serve as a tie-breaker and who will evaluate the tied entries according to the criteria listed above. Finalists may not solicit the eBay community or share additional photos or information about the remodeled room anytime during the Voting Period. Solicitations would include, but are not limited to, postings within emails, on eBay discussion boards, within item descriptions or on any other website. Any Finalist found to be in violation of the aforementioned requirements will be disqualified from further participation in the Contest and will not be eligible to win the grand prize.

5. Grand Prize: One (1) Grand Prize: $10,000 to be deposited into winner's account on PayPal.com. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $10,000. Prize to be awarded on or about October 11, 2005. TAXES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. No substitutions or transfers of prize permitted, except at Sponsor's sole and exclusive discretion.

6. Eligibility: This Contest is open only to confirmed registered members of www.ebay.com who are legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia, and who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Employees of eBay Inc., The Hearst Corporation, and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, including Marden-Kane, Inc., prize suppliers, and their immediate families (spouse, parents, children, siblings and their respective spouses) and individuals living in the same household as such employees are ineligible to enter or win the Contest or to vote in the selection of Contest winners. Void in Colorado, Vermont, Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, local laws and regulations.

7. Grand Prize Winner Notification: Marden-Kane will notify potential Grand Prize winner by email and/or mail and/or telephone on or about September 22, 2005. The Grand Prize winner will be required to sign and properly execute an affidavit of eligibility and return it within seven (7) days of issuance. The Grand Prize winner will also be required to furnish his/her social security number that will be used only for the purpose of reporting the winner's prize earnings to the Internal Revenue Service, as required by law. If the prize or prize notification is unclaimed or returned as undeliverable, or if a potential winner fails to properly execute and return all forms described herein, the prize will be forfeited and awarded to the next runner-up. Sponsor reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, modify, or dispose of any proper names, likenesses, photographs, entry information and/or city/states for advertising and promotional purposes in all media (including and without limitation, the Internet) without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. If an entrant changes his/her telephone number, email address and/or street address after he/she enters the Contest, it is his/her sole responsibility to notify the Sponsor by (postal) mailing notice to Marden-Kane (listed below) to be received by the end of the Entry Period.

8. Limitation of Liability: BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES AND THE DECISIONS OF THE JUDGES, WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO CLAIM AMBIGUITY IN THE RULES, AND RELEASE, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE SPONSOR, THE HEARST CORPORATION, PRIZE SUPPLIERS, MARDEN-KANE, INC., AND EACH OF THEIR AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION AGENCIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS AND EMPLOYEES, (COLLECTIVELY, "RELEASEES") FROM AND AGAINST ANY INJURIES, LOSSES, DAMAGES, CLAIMS, ACTIONS ANY LIABILITY OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM OR ARISING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST, THE REMODELING PROJECTS, OR ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, MISUSE OR NONUSE OF THE CASH ALLOWANCE AND PRIZE THAT MAY BE AWARDED. ENTRANTS AGREE THAT ANY AND ALL DISPUTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

9. Additional Terms and Conditions: Releasees are not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any Contest related materials; or for transactions (including Entry submissions) that are lost, misdirected, fail to enter into the processing system, or are processed, reported, or transmitted late or incorrectly or are lost for any reason including computer, telephone, human or other error; or for electronic, computer, or telephonic malfunction or error, including inability to access any web site associated with this Contest, or process any transaction thereon. If in the Sponsor's opinion, there is any suspected or actual evidence of electronic or non-electronic tampering with any portion of the Contest, or if computer virus, bugs, unauthorized intervention, fraud, or technical difficulties or failures compromise or corrupt or affect the administration, integrity, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Contest, the judges reserve the right at their sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and or void any Entries submitted fraudulently, modify or suspend the Contest, or to terminate the Contest and award the remaining prizes using all eligible, non-suspect Entries received as of the action requiring such termination. Sponsor reserves the right to modify or terminate the Contest in its entirety at any time and at its sole discretion. Should the Contest be terminated or modified prior to the stated expiration date, notice will be posted on https://www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge. Any attempt by an entrant or any other individual to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any attempts by an individual to access any web site associated with this Contest via a bot script or other brute force attack or any other unauthorized means will result in the IP address becoming ineligible. Use of automated entry devices, or Contest entry services or programs are prohibited.

10. Winners List: For the Grand Prize winner's name, available after October 11, 2005, send your request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge" Winner, P.O. Box 4319, Manhasset, NY 11030-4319. Requests must be received by October 11, 2005. Or you can visit the "The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge" Grand Prize Winner Page after October 11, 2005 at https://www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge to view the Grand Prize winner.

11. Sponsor: The Sponsor of this Contest is eBay Inc., 2145 Hamilton Ave. San Jose, CA 95125. Administrator: Marden-Kane, Inc. 36 Maple Place, Manhasset, NY 11030. © 2005 Marden-Kane, Inc.