Advanta Spokesperson Bill Rancic Wants to Put You in the Driver's Sea

Advanta Spokesperson Bill Rancic Wants to Put You in the Driver's Seat of His ``Apprentice'' Dream Car

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    SPRING HOUSE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2005--

Rancic, the Original "Apprentice," to Auction Auto Won on the Hit Reality Series to Benefit Charity
    It's hot, it's fast, and soon it can be yours. Bill Rancic, entrepreneur-on-call for Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ:ADVNB) (NASDAQ:ADVNA), announced today that he wants to put you in the driver's seat of the 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster convertible, the automobile he won on the wildly popular first season of "The Apprentice."
    Rancic's 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster convertible, considered by some to be one of the hottest and most desired sports cars on the road today, will be available to the highest bidder through a special online charity auction. Overstock.com(R) (NASDAQ:OSTK) is hosting the seven-day auction which will go live online at Overstock.com Auctions(TM) (http://auctions.overstock.com) on Friday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. EST and conclude Thursday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. EST. Bidding will start at $1 with no reserve.
    With a factory sticker price of more than $40,000, the convertible is black and fully loaded with such customized amenities as a cigar humidor and custom luggage designed to fit perfectly in the trunk. The original window sticker will be autographed by Rancic as well as "The Apprentice" star Donald Trump and the net proceeds will benefit the Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund for Cancer Research at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Bill Rancic founded the charity in honor of his father who died of cancer five years ago.
    "This auction is to benefit a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, and I am honored to be able to put my 'Apprentice' winnings to a good cause," stated Rancic, who will personally hand over the keys and the title to the winning bidder. "My father helped instill in me the importance of giving back, and I am pleased that Advanta shares that same value and is helping me make this auction a reality."
    Advanta is a leading issuer of business credit cards to America's small businesses through its subsidiary Advanta Bank Corp. In August 2004 Rancic signed on as Advanta's corporate spokesperson and entrepreneur-on-call.
    "Bill Rancic has inspired entrepreneurs and small business owners to follow their dreams of business success," said Advanta Chairman and CEO Dennis Alter. "We're proud to help Bill inspire people to support charitable causes that benefit us all."
    Complete details for Overstock.com's Jan. 21-27 auction of Rancic's "limited edition" 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster convertible are available at Overstock.com.

    About Advanta

    Advanta focuses on the small business market and related community, providing funding and support to the nation's small businesses through innovative products and services. Using its direct marketing and information based expertise, Advanta identifies potential customers and provides a high level of service tailored to the unique needs of small businesses. Advanta is one of the nation's largest issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) of MasterCard business credit cards to small businesses. Since 1951, Advanta has pioneered many of the marketing techniques common in the financial services industry today, including remote lending and direct mail, affinity and relationship marketing. Learn more about Advanta at www.advanta.com.

    About Bill Rancic

    William "Bill" Rancic founded cigarsaroundtheworld.com eight years ago in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment. Today it is a thriving multi-million Dollar national operation. The son of educators, he is a true entrepreneur, paying his way through college by starting a boat wash and wax business in the Chicago area. He is also an adventure junkie. When he is not making business deals he enjoys skydiving and scuba diving. In addition to his cigar company, Bill also develops real estate and speaks at universities and businesses around the country.
    An estimated 27.6 million viewers tuned in to watch Donald Trump say, "You're hired!" to Bill Rancic on "The Apprentice." In his new book and CD, "'You're Hired' How to succeed in life and business from the Winner of The Apprentice," Bill discusses the secret for success in his personal and professional life.

    About Overstock.com

    Overstock.com, Inc. is an online "closeout" retailer, offering discount, brand-name merchandise for sale over the Internet, as well as an online auction. The company offers its customers an opportunity to shop for bargains conveniently, while offering its suppliers an alternative inventory liquidation distribution channel. Overstock.com is a publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq National Market System, headquartered in Salt Lake City, and can be found online at www.overstock.com.

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CONTACT: Advanta Corporation Alison Grove, 215-444-5571 agrove@advanta.com or Shepley Winings Diamond P.R. Dana Green/Bonnie Winings, 818-760-7131 dgreen@shepwinpr.com

KEYWORD: UTAH PENNSYLVANIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD ENTERTAINMENT AUTOMOTIVE TELEVISION/RADIO CABLE PHOTO PHOTOWIRE PRODUCT SOURCE: Advanta Corporation PHOTO: 37665

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