Drivers submit a photo, auto shops bid on their car repair

Body Shop Bids is an online and mobile platform that lets drivers solicit estimates for a variety of car repairs simply by uploading a photo.

It was just over a year ago that we wrote about DentBetty, the site that enables online bidding for cosmetic auto repairs, but recently we came across a company that takes the same premise a step or two further. Based in Chicago, Body Shop Bids is an online and mobile platform that lets drivers solicit estimates for a variety of car repairs simply by uploading a photo. Drivers with a body or engine repair to deal with begin by snapping a few clear photos of the damaged area of their car and uploading them to the site, along with their VIN number and a short description of the damage. Drivers can do this using a computer or tablet, and a mobile app is available for both iPhone and Android devices. Within 24 hours, users will receive competing, custom estimates from prescreened, participating repair shops via email. Users can then choose the best estimate and get the work done for as much as 70 percent less than they might have paid otherwise, Body Shop Bids claims. The video below explains the premise in more detail: Launched in June, Body Shop Bids wrote USD 1.5 million in body repair estimates within its first five months of service, it announced last month. More than 160 body shops are participating in the free service in Chicago, saving customers an average of 60 percent on each car repaired, the company says. Body Shop Bids aims to expand to Los Angeles and other US cities in the upcoming months. One to partner with or emulate in your area? Spotted by: Andrew Cross