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How Otopair works, in seven steps.

Everything happens in the app, and the only two numbers in it are a $20 hold and 24 hours to answer an estimate.

  1. Tell Oto what the car is doing.

    Say it the way you would to a friend, by voice or by text. No service menu, no form. Oto asks one narrowing question, not twenty.

    Step 1 of 7
    Oto2019 Civic EX · VIN read
    New chat
    My brakes squeak when I slow down, mostly first thing in the morning.
    Does it fade after a few stops, or stay the whole drive?
    Show thinking
    Fades after a few stopsStays the whole driveOnly when it rains
    Release to send
    9:41
    HomeBookingsMy CarsOto

  2. Oto scopes the job and reads your car from its VIN.

    It checks your service history, the manufacturer's data for your exact car and any stored codes, then names the job a shop can price. A guide, not a diagnosis.

    Step 2 of 7
    Oto2019 Civic EX · VIN read
    New chat
    My brakes squeak when I slow down, mostly first thing in the morning.
    A squeal that fades as the brakes warm up is usually the wear indicator on the pads. Your last brake service on file is 18 months ago, so I'd scope a brake pad replacement and let the shop confirm it on the lift.
    Show thinking

    Sources

    Service History

    Your past maintenance and repair records

    Manufacturer Data

    Vehicle specifications and VIN database

    Error Codes

    OBD-II diagnostic trouble code dictionary

    Yes, book itHow urgent is it?Show shops near me
    Ask Oto
    9:41
    HomeBookingsMy CarsOto

  3. Every verified shop shows its total for your car.

    Each price is based on the job and your exact car. You see the full amount side by side before you pick.

    Step 3 of 7
    Oto2019 Civic EX · VIN read
    New chat
    My brakes squeak when I slow down, mostly first thing in the morning.
    Three verified shops can take it this week, each with a fixed total for your Civic.

    Choose a shop

    Front brake pads · 2019 Honda Civic EX

    Step 3 of 5
    ClosestVerifiedEarliest
    Oto's pickMarcus T. · Sample Auto Care0.8 miTue 9:40 AM$312Fixed
    Joe R. · Sample Service Center1.6 miWed 8:00 AM$312Fixed
    Sam V. · Sample Tire & Brake2.1 miTue 2:15 PM$312Fixed

    Each total is the full price for this job on this car. It is the most you pay unless you approve more.

    Continue with Marcus
    9:41
    HomeBookingsMy CarsOto

  4. Book & Pay places a $20 hold. Nothing more.

    The total you confirm is the most you will pay. Your card carries a $20 authorization to reserve the slot, and it stays there until the shop has seen the car.

    Step 4 of 7
    Review & Pay
    Marcus T.Sample Auto CareVerified shop

    Appointment

    Tue, Sep 9 · 9:40 AM

    Vehicle

    2019 Honda Civic EX

    Service Breakdown

    Front brake pads

    Labor (1 h 20 min)$176.00
    Parts, fixed$104.00
    Tax + service fee$32.00
    Fixed price$312.00
    $20 hold today. Charged only after the shop inspects the car.
    G PayCARDPay with card
    9:41

  5. The shop inspects the car and confirms the estimate.

    Within what you approved, it confirms on its own and the booking moves along. You watch it happen from the Bookings tab.

    Step 5 of 7

    My Bookings

    UpcomingHistory

    Estimate confirmed, $312

    Within what you approved

    Confirmed

    Booking #4F2A9C

    Front brake padsConfirmed
    2019 Honda Civic EXKXT 4821Marcus T.Sample Auto Care
    Tue, Sep 99:40 AM
    View DetailsReschedule
    9:41
    HomeBookingsMy CarsOto

  6. Anything extra needs your yes.

    If the shop finds more once the car is on the lift, the added work and its price come to you in the app. You have 24 hours to answer. Declined work is never charged.

    Step 6 of 7
    Estimate update

    Your car needs a little more than expected

    Your mechanic took a closer look and found additional work. Here's what changed. Review and approve to keep things moving.

    Marcus T.Sample Auto Care · on the lift now
    Original estimate$312.00
    Updated total$452.00

    What changed

    Rear brake pads, worn to 2 mm+$118.00
    Labor (40 min)+$22.00
    Tax + service fee+$0.00

    Nothing above the $312 you approved is charged unless you say yes here. Decline and the shop completes the front pads only.

    24 hours to answerApprove $452.00Decline
    9:41

  7. You are charged when the job is marked complete.

    The receipt shows what happened to your hold at every stage and the parts that went in. Then you review the shop, once, on a booking that actually happened.

    Step 7 of 7
    Booking details

    Ready for pickup

    Marked complete at 12:56 PM

    Ready

    Payment

    Hold placed at booking$20.00
    Estimate confirmed$312.00
    Final charged$312.00

    Parts used

    Front brake padsAkebono · ACT1521Qty 1 · $104.00 eaAt or below catalog median$104.00
    Something wrong with this charge?
    Leave a review
    9:41

Questions drivers ask.

Do I need to know what is wrong with my car?
No. Describe what you notice and Oto asks the rest. It turns the symptom into a scoped job so shops can price it, and the shop's inspection decides the actual work. Oto is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Is the price really locked?
The price you approve when you book is a ceiling. After inspecting the car the shop confirms the final price; if it is within what you approved it is confirmed automatically, and it cannot go above that without your explicit approval in the app. Nothing you decline is ever charged.
What does the $20 hold do?
It reserves your slot. It is an authorization on your card, not a charge, and the most placed on your card before the shop inspects the car. After the shop confirms the price the hold is raised to that amount, and it is captured when the shop marks the job complete; cancel in time and it is released. The cancellation policy summarizes the rules.
Can I book from a web browser?
Drivers book in the Otopair app for iPhone and Android, where Oto, the price lock and the booking live. Store listings are on the way; the download page has the waitlist. Repair shops use a separate web dashboard.
What if the shop finds something else once the car is on the lift?
It sends the added work and its price in the app. You approve it or decline it there, with 24 hours to answer. Declined work is stripped from the job and never charged; the shop completes what you originally booked.