| Too good to be true?The pros and cons of
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| | identified and appreciated at the
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| internet trading, a brief guide by Ed
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| | session; the ability to browse, compare,
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| Baker.A new market has emerged.It is now
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| | search and research, and the lack of
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| commonly known that the last five years
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| | overheads driving down prices, one thing
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| has seen an unprecedented rise in
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| | became clear: people want an end-to-end
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| internet shopping, both in terms of
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| | experience. This means they want
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| commercial sales and private
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| | satisfaction from the first -
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| transactions. The online retail giant
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| | confirmation emails, detailed tracking of
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| Amazon, who began life selling books,
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| | delivery, fast shipping, reliable
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| reported a 20% hike in sales in the first
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| | handling, guarantees, human and helpful
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| quarter of this year, to the tune of
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| | customer service, a check-back and
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| $2.28 billion. On average in the UK, 2.5%
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| | continuing support from the business.
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| of household spending is now online, and
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| | These comments applied not just to ebay
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| this figure is rising.The phenomenon of
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| | of course, but to the thousands of other
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| search - the internets' ability to
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| | online businesses that provide goods and
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| deliver potential answers to our infinite
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| | services to shoppers everyday.The issue
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| questions - has been the key benefit to
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| | of shopper security has become so
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| the online trader. Search engines bring
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| | important that the Office of Fair Trading
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| the market to the marketplace.
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| | commissioned a study in 2004, scheduled
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| Increasingly, they are being paid to do
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| | to mature in 2007, which will examine
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| it. Google's AdWords program accounted
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| | awareness amongst shoppers and traders.
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| for over 30% of its income last year, as
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| | It will look closely at whether
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| it promises to deliver targeted "traffic"
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| | businesses are aware of regulations, and
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| to online business. One cannot perform a
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| | whether individuals are aware of their
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| search nowadays, it seems, without
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| | rights. Did you know, for example, that
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| happening upon a sponsored result near
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| | as consumers we are entitled to a
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| the top of that little green column to
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| | "cooling off period" of 7 days, within
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| the right of your screen that says,
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| | which we can expect a refund if we are
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| "get cheap '*******' on ebay, buy it now
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| | not satisfied? Try telling that to the
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| for '£***!'"A new market brings new
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| | bloke you just bought a dodgy Ford Sierra
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| challenges.So it is that ebay has become
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| | from over ebay last week.The advice is
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| the prominent location for people to buy
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| | simple - do your homework. The internet
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| and sell their wares online. Implicitly
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| | is the single greatest resource for an
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| transferring Harrods' "anything from a
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| | individual to research a given topic.
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| pin to an elephant" claim to the ether,
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| | Spend some time comparing prices,
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| the buyer is assured that he will be able
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| | services and market value. You can use
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| to find literally anything for sale in
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| | to check ratings of vendors posted by
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| the auction sites' vast virtual
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| | their customers, and you can read
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| stockroom. It is this very vastness
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| | independent reviews of products before
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| however that has begun to spell trouble
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| | you buy at Examine the companies
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| for the company, and its consumers.The
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| | carefully - are there any hidden costs?
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| lack of human interaction, guarantees, a
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| | How do they make their money? Honest
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| bricks-and-mortar existence, and the
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| | businesses will be upfront about
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| absence of strict and comprehensive
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| | commission and delivery charges. They
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| regulations have allowed unscrupulous
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| | should also have an address or at least
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| dealers to flourish online, particularly
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| | phone number, preferably toll-free, where
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| on the larger auction sites. People
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| | you can talk to a customer service
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| create an identity, advertise a product
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| | representative for your own peace of
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| they may not even have, collect the money
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| | mind. A money back guarantee is a must if
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| and simply vanish. More disturbingly,
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| | you can get it, and if buying from an
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| sophisticated criminals are now able to
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| | individual, find out as much as you can -
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| use sensitive credit card information
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| | do they have a number or email address?
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| from other online consumers to assume
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| | Strike up a dialogue and don't buy
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| identities and buy goods. Witness the
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| | blind!Trust - the key to success.As a
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| recent case of Terrill D Johnson of
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| | seller, all of the above must be taken
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| Ilyssa Way Ohio, who used credit card
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| | into account, with one concept at the
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| receipts to obtain $18000 worth of
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| | front of your mind - trust. Businesses
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| merchandise through Amazon.The global
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| | especially must strive to build trust
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| nature of ebay has brought its own
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| | into their reputation. They must meet the
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| pitfalls. Many buyers and sellers are not
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| | needs of the consumer in providing a real
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| aware of the cultural or legal
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| | physical identity to back up their online
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| differences governing trade outside the
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| | presence -the website is not enough. Be
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| borders, with the result that buyers foot
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| | open, be honest, keep it simple. It is
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| huge premiums for the processing of
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| | better to specialise in one type of
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| foreign orders and often end up
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| | product or service than to have a
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| empty-handed if they unwittingly attempt
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| | free-for-all; imagine how impossible it
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| to purchase something prohibited in their
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| | must be to police ebay and how confusing
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| country.One of the common misconceptions
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| | it is to a first-time buyer.For variety
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| about ebay is that if the seller has lots
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| | and value, not to mention freedom from
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| of feedback, the majority of it positive,
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| | the old-fashioned "hard-sell", the
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| they are a safer prospect. Recent studies
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| | internet is becoming the number one
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| have shown this is simply not true.
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| | choice for today's consumer, and it is
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| Satisfied buyers on the whole don't
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| | beginning to produce its own code of
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| bother to leave feedback, they just get
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| | business practice. For companies in
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| on with enjoying whatever they bought,
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| | particular, the goal must be to set new
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| hence the presence of a dialogue between
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| | standards of service with a simple,
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| buyer and seller can often indicate some
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| | clear, guaranteed and reliable service,
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| problem or lack of clarity somewhere in
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| | underwritten by an accountable, human
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| the transaction.In April of this year I
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| | presence offline.For more information on
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| attended a market research evening for
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| | internet trading you can read "Don't get
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| ebay, run by the company Saros, who
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| | burned on ebay" by Shauna Wright,
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| source everyday consumers to give
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| | O'Reilly press, and "ebay - the missing
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| detailed information and constructive
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| | manual" by Nancy Conner, Pogue press.Ed
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| criticism about a particular product or
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| | Baker is business development manager for
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| service. The three hour session focused
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| | allticketclub.com, an online site for
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| entirely on buyer security, indicating
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| | buying and selling event tickets,
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| that ebay has recognised the widely-held
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| | currently the market leader for customer
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| view that its' site favours the seller
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| | satisfaction and customer repeat
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| and affords inadequate protection to the
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| | business.Ed Baker is business development
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| prospective buyer.A new marketing model
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| | manager for - the leading online ticket
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| emergesThe experience shed light on an
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| | market for sold out and exclusive
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| interesting concept that I believe some
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| | tickets. He has written articles on
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| businesses are already developing, and
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| | everything from music criticism to
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| more and more will need to devote time to
| |
| | marketing, incorporating principles that
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| - that of the "user journey". While the
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| | deliver successful growth to online
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| existing benefits of the internet were
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| | companies.
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