Press Release

Dealing with death online

A new website gives consumers an innovative method to let friends
and associates know when they die

PHOENIX, Oct. 31, 2009—You know what they say about death and taxes. A new website, The Bell Tolls (thebelltolls.com), can’t change the inevitability of death, but it does offer people a unique way to notify extended family, friends and colleagues when the bell finally tolls.

The Bell Tolls takes planning for death to a new level. Website users can write their own customized messages—as many as they would like to send—to loved ones, friends and colleagues. Users also can decide exactly who will send and receive the messages and even include links to online photos and a formal obituary on The Bell Tolls website.

“We wanted to leverage the reliability and speed of technology and the Internet to allow people to effectively communicate with those who may otherwise not know for a long time that their old friend or colleague had died,” says Eric McCune, President and Founder of TheBellTolls.com. “We also wanted to make the application flexible, so users can express themselves precisely.”

The notification process is simple and users can choose between two options:

link their account directly to others—called their Trusted Souls—who will then initiate the notification process; or
create printed instructions that let survivors know how to declare their death and then send out the email notifications.

“Another key objective was to offer an inexpensive option to traditional media like print newspapers or online obituaries,” McCune says. “There’s no reason it should cost more than a couple of dollars to post some text or a photo on the web for 100 years.”

Many of the notification features available on The Bell Tolls are free, but users also can upgrade to a paid account if they need or want additional services.

A free The Bell Tolls account includes notifications for up to 25 people and one standard email message. It also includes the ability to create a declaration sheet and assign Trusted Souls who can declare the death.

A paid The Bell Tolls account, which costs between $1.99 and $4.99, includes:

Unlimited Emails. There is no limit on how many people can receive an email notification. This feature also allows an unlimited number of customized messages for specific individuals or groups of individuals. Rather than having to manually enter each email address, users can import email addresses in bulk.
An Obituary. Users can write their own obituary and have it linked within the customized email messages.
Photos. Users can upload a photo to The Bell Tolls website that can be linked within the email notifications.

ABOUT THE BELL TOLLS

The Bell Tolls was created in April 2009 in Phoenix, AZ, by Eric McCune, president and founder, and Rudy Bellavia, Chief Technology Officer. The company is privately held.

CONTACT

Rudy Bellavia
480.270.4783
rudy@thebelltolls.com

WEBSITE: thebelltolls.com

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