CarPrices.com Surpasses 18,000 Affiliate Sites -- Largest In The Automotive Sector; Affiliate Program Independently Rated No. 1 On The Internet; Major Site Advances Announced

30 September 1999

CarPrices.com Surpasses 18,000 Affiliate Sites -- Largest In The Automotive Sector; Affiliate Program Independently Rated No. 1 On The Internet; Major Site Advances Announced

    SAN DIEGO--Sept. 30, 1999--CarPrices.com, one of the most successful automotive-related Internet sites, announced today that it surpassed the 18,000 mark in signing up affiliated Web sites, making it the site with the largest affiliate group in the auto sector.
    CarPrices.com's affiliate program currently is ranked No. 1 on the Internet -- ahead of Amazon.com -- by Refer-It.com/Internet.com. It also is ranked in the top 10 overall by ClickQuick.com and Cashpile.com. The site currently attracts over 700,000 unique users every month, placing it among the top five automotive sites. CarPrices.com also indicated that a number of significant site upgrades are coming soon.
    CarPrices.com's affiliate program is a commission-based program that rewards Web sites which link to CarPrices.com. Using the program, CarPrices.com is signing up more than 2,000 new affiliates per month.
    "Our program is successful because we make money for our affiliates," said Ahmed Ghouri, CarPrices.com's President and Co-founder. "The program actually enables affiliates to earn revenue on services that are free to users -- unlike most affiliate programs where users must actually purchase a product. We're constantly expanding our services, and our affiliates earn up to 50% commission -- the highest in the industry."
    CarPrices.com is empowering car buyers and owners by making it easy and fun to comparison shop for everything they need - from the cars themselves to financing, insurance and more. While this model has been successful, CarPrices.com is preparing to add even greater functionality through a community-aggregation program, based on user-generated content.
    "We believe the community idea is where the true power of the Internet can be unleashed," Ghouri said. "Auto retailing is shifting from a retailer focus to a consumer focus, and CarPrices.com is poised to become the industry leader in this paradigm shift. If you're looking for information about a car, or financing or insurance, what better place to get it than from people just like you who have gone through that same buying experience? The result is a true `virtual community' of consumers helping other consumers."
    To this end, CarPrices.com is developing "consumer agent" Web site technology, which gives buyers, not vendors, control and power in all auto-related transactions. Over the next 60 to 90 days, CarPrices.com will undergo a major upgrade that encompasses its new community-based focus.

    About CarPrices.com

    CarPrices.com is a San Diego-based company, founded in 1997. Since its inception, the company has pioneered new business models and new technologies related to car buying and leasing.

    CarPrices.com is the first automotive Web site to:

    -- Offer free new- and used-car prices to consumers on the
    Internet.

    -- Develop an affiliate program in the auto category.

    -- Allow users to obtain all new-car brochures from a single
    Web site, free of charge.

    CarPrices.com is one of the most successful automotive sites on the Internet, generating more than $1 million in auto sales per day, and more than 6 million page views per month.
    For more information about CarPrices.com, contact Emile Barrios at The Townsend Agency, 858/457-4888, ext. 113. E-mail: emileb@townsendagency.com.