Autoland Expands Call Center to Support Credit Unions' Growing Member Bases; Build-Out is First Step in Larger, Ongoing Initiative to Help Credit Unions Differentiate Themselves Via Superior Auto-Buying Experience For Their Members.

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. -- Autoland (www.autoland.com), the nation's oldest and most successful Credit Union auto-buying service, today announced that it is expanding its Call Center with additional personnel and soon will extend its geographic reach -- to efficiently handle greater volume and to enhance the auto-buying services it provides Credit Union members.

Autoland is growing its Call Center staff by 70 percent. Currently, member service representatives are available to assist Credit Union members Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (PDT); Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT); and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT). Members can reach the Call Center by dialing 1-800-234-6999. The company also will be adding new states into its service area in the coming months, to accommodate Credit Unions that are expanding their own geographic territories.

The Call Center expansion is part of a larger initiative to enhance Autoland's overall auto-buying service. That process began with the company's acquisition by Zag last November, and continues with the implementation -- currently underway -- of Zag's new state-of-the-art technology platform, which will enable the industry's first end-to-end online auto-buying transaction.

"We want to be Credit Unions' best business partner," said Ron Frey, Autoland CEO. "Expanding our Call Center is just one step in that direction. We're working toward the future, building out our services to accommodate more members and to provide the best auto-buying experience available."

Autoland is now a subsidiary of Zag, a visionary new company with a state-of-the-art technology platform that makes it possible, for the first time, for the consumer to complete the entire auto-buying transaction online -- everything from selection, customization and accessorizing to financing, insurance and delivery. Implementation of the platform is under way and, when completed, will provide Autoland with additional purchasing power that will enable Credit Unions to deliver even better pricing and wider selection for their members.

"We're helping Credit Unions differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace, as more and more affinity groups provide customized auto-buying services," said Scott Painter, founder and CEO of Zag. "We want to make sure our Credit Union partners are prepared not only to compete, but to provide their members with best-practices in every aspect of the car-buying process."

About Autoland

Autoland is the largest Credit Union auto-buying service, representing more than eight million Credit Union members. But despite its size, the company's commitment to personalized service remains a constant. Founded in 1971, Autoland now partners with hundreds of Credit Unions and sells more than $270 million in vehicles per year. Autoland is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zag (www.zag.com), of Santa Monica, Calif.