AutoMD Insta-Quotes!, a new online service designed to help consumers save time and money in car repairs by providing multiple, comparative quotes instantly online from up to 15 local shops, launched in Bakersfield, Calif. Local residents have the chance to test drive this service before any other market in the nation.
“AutoMD Insta-Quotes! brings pricing transparency, choice and convenience to the car repair process (a process that often leaves consumers confused about what shop to go to or how much to pay) and revolutionizes it similar to the way Kayak.com transformed travel,” said Shane Evangelist, CEO of U.S. Auto Parts. “Rather than having to visit or call multiple local repair shops to get the right price quote and the right shop, AutoMD Insta-Quotes! does all the work for consumers – and it happens almost instantly online, including apples-to-apples comparisons of parts pricing and labor time. Plus, AutoMD Insta-Quotes! offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on all service and 5 percent cash back. We want Bakersfield consumers, and ultimately consumers everywhere, to understand that they shouldn’t get their car repaired until they check out AutoMD Insta-Quotes! first. It’s that beneficial.”
Consumers follow the following steps:
- Consumers visit AutoMD Insta-Quotes! online at http://www.AutoMD.com/IQ/how-it-works.
- They input the type of car they own, the repair they need (or a request for diagnosis) and their location.
- Within seconds, they are shown multiple competitive quotes for that repair from participating local repair shops. These quotes provide the same parts brand for each estimate, eliminating concerns over low quality parts, and to provide direct comparisons. Hourly labor costs and the time the job will take - plus warranty info, shop details and consumer reviews - are also included.
- Consumers can then compare quotes and shops, ultimately calling the shop of their choice to make an appointment.
- AutoMD Insta-Quotes! practically pays consumers to use it: membership is free and includes 5 percent cash back on car repairs completed at any of the participating shops (cash back is done through a simple credit card sync processes where cash back appears as a credit on the synced card).
- AutoMD.com backs all participating AutoMD Insta-Quotes! repair shops with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee — if customers are unhappy with the repair(s), AutoMD.com will make things right with the participating repair shop or will take the car somewhere else to be fixed.
Evangelist says there are many benefits associated with using AutoMD Insta-Quotes!, but highlights three primary ones that help solve common car repair problems:
- Because it provides a wide range of quotes, AutoMD Insta-Quotes! helps eliminate the uncertainty associated with whether or not a car repair quote is fair, a common concern among customers.
- Because local shops have the opportunity to compete for their business, consumers can benefit from cost-savings on car repairs.
- Because quotes are generated within seconds online, consumers can do it from the convenience of their home or office – or even on their smart phone – and save time often spent making multiple phone calls or traveling from shop to shop.
AutoMD Insta-Quotes! chose Bakersfield, Calif. for its world debut based on an analysis of key market factors including the quality of participating Bakersfield auto repair shops based on customer service indicators and positive reviews from actual car repair customers in that area and the volume and type of repairs currently being performed for Bakersfield car owners by local repair shops. The company plans to roll the program out nationwide in the months to come.
