Help Center

Everything you need to know about using Informal Auto — for customers and mechanics alike.

Quick Start

Get Repair Quotes

Post your car issue in under 60 seconds. No account needed — mechanics send competing quotes to you.

Browse the Marketplace

View mechanic listings, compare prices and reviews, and book a service directly.

Create an Account

Track your quotes, message mechanics, and manage bookings — all in one place.

How to Get Quotes — Step by Step

1

Describe your car and problem

Go to Get Repair Quotes. Enter your car year, make, and model, then describe what's happening. Add photos or short videos (up to 8 files) to help mechanics understand the issue.

2

Enter your location

Tap Use Mine to auto-detect your location, or type your ZIP code. Provide your name and an email or phone number so mechanics can reach you with quotes.

3

Receive quotes

Nearby mechanics are notified immediately. Quotes typically arrive within 1–2 hours. You can view them on the Quote Results page or check your email/phone.

4

Accept a quote and pay

Compare quotes by price, estimated time, rating, and response speed. Click Accept Quote. You'll be prompted to log in or create a free account, then pay securely through Stripe.

Pro tip: Attach a video of the sound or symptom — mechanics say it's the #1 thing that helps them quote accurately and saves back-and-forth.

How the Marketplace Works

1

Browse listings

Go to the Marketplace. Use filters on the left to narrow by service type, location, or price. Each card shows the mechanic's rating, price, and response time.

2

View a mechanic's profile

Click any listing to see the full service details, mechanic profile, customer reviews, and verification badges. Verified mechanics have completed our photo/ID verification process.

3

Book and pay

Click Book Now on the listing detail page. Payment is held securely by Stripe until you confirm the job is complete — then it's released to the mechanic.

Payments & Safety

Stripe-secured payments

All payments use Stripe, the same payment infrastructure used by Amazon, Airbnb, and Lyft. Your card details are never stored on our servers.

Funds held until completion

Your payment is held by Stripe and only released to the mechanic after you confirm the job is done to your satisfaction. If there's a dispute, open one within 72 hours of job completion.

Verified mechanics

Look for the Verified badge on mechanic profiles. Verified mechanics have completed our ID and photo verification process for added peace of mind.

Getting Started

Sign Up as a Mechanic or Dealer

Create your provider account, choose your entity type, and submit for verification.

How to Create a Listing

Your account must be approved before you can publish listings. Approval usually takes 1–2 business days after signup.
1

Go to Create Listing

From your Dashboard, click View and Create Listings, then Create New Listing. Or go directly to Create Listing.

2

Fill in the service details

Give your listing a clear title (e.g. "Full Oil Change + Filter — $45"). Add a detailed description of what's included, your estimated completion time, and your price.

Good title: "Brake Pad Replacement — Front Axle — From $120"
Better: include what's covered and what isn't.
3

Add photos

Listings with photos receive significantly more clicks. Upload your workspace, tools, or completed work photos to build trust with customers.

4

Set your location and service area

Enter your business address and the radius you're willing to travel (for mobile mechanics). Customers search by location, so accuracy matters.

5

Publish

Hit Submit. Your listing goes live immediately and appears in marketplace search results. Manage all your listings from My Listings.

Responding to Job Requests

1

Check your Dashboard

The New Job Requests Near You panel on your Dashboard shows the latest open requests from customers in your area. New requests appear within seconds of being submitted.

2

Click "Send Quote"

Open the request to see the car details, issue description, location, and any photos or videos the customer attached. Enter your price and estimated time, then submit your quote.

3

Win the job

Customers compare quotes from multiple mechanics. A fast response time, competitive price, and strong profile rating increase your chances. If accepted, you'll receive a notification immediately.

Setting Up Payments (Stripe)

Required before your first booking. You must connect a Stripe account to receive customer payments. Without it, customers cannot complete payment for your jobs.
1

Click "Connect Stripe" on your Dashboard

Look for the purple banner at the top of your Dashboard, or go to My Profile → Payment Setup section.

2

Complete Stripe onboarding

You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding flow. You'll need: legal name, date of birth, SSN last 4 (US), and bank account details for direct deposit. Takes about 5 minutes.

3

Get paid

Payments from customers are deposited directly to your bank account by Stripe per their standard payout schedule. The platform commission is 3% on repair jobs, deducted before disbursement. Vehicle sales have no platform commission and are completed in person — Stripe does not process vehicle sale payments.

Dealer Registration

Choose Dealer (or both)

During signup, check the Dealer checkbox. Enter your dealer license number — it will be shown on your profile once verified, giving customers confidence.

Verification

Dealer license verification is performed by our admin team. Once verified, a Licensed Dealer badge appears on your profile and all your listings.

What's in the Header?

Every page has a navigation bar at the top. Here's exactly what each button does and where it takes you.

Customer Navigation

Home

Return to the landing page. See what Informal Auto offers, browse featured mechanics, and get quick access to posting a job or signing up.
Marketplace

Browse all mechanic and dealer listings. Filter by service type, price, and location. Book directly from a listing or send a message.
Search

Search across all listings and mechanics at once. Handles typos and similar terms — great for finding a specific make, model, or service.
Profile

View and edit your name, contact info, and profile photo. See your ratings and how mechanics see your account.
Saved

All the listings you've bookmarked are here. Quickly compare your favorites and pick the right mechanic when you're ready to book.
Orders

Your full booking history. View past jobs, download receipts, leave reviews for mechanics, and track any pending work.
Disputes

If something went wrong with a job, open a dispute here. Upload evidence, communicate with the mechanic, and track the status with Stripe.
Messages ●

Your inbox. Message mechanics directly, get quotes, share photos of your vehicle, and coordinate job details — all in one thread.
Help

You're here! Browse guides for customers and mechanics, read FAQs, and contact support if you need a hand.

Mechanic & Dealer Navigation

Home

The landing page. See how the platform works, view your public presence as customers see it, and access quick links.
Marketplace

Browse all listings as a customer would. Useful to see how your own listings appear and check competitor pricing in your area.
Search

Search the full marketplace. Find specific vehicles, services, or mechanics. Useful for researching pricing and market demand.
Profile

Your public mechanic profile. Set your bio, specializations, service area, location radius, and profile photo. This is what customers see when they find you.
Dashboard

Your control center. See new job requests near you, earnings summary, active bookings, and Stripe payment setup all in one place.
Listings

Manage all your service and vehicle listings. Edit prices, toggle availability, add photos, and create new listings from here.
Jobs

Your active bookings and completed work gallery — all in one place. Track status, begin work, and browse your before & after photo gallery to showcase finished repairs.
Job Board

Browse open job requests posted by customers near you. Filter by service type, budget, and distance. Submit a bid to win the job.
Disputes

Manage any transaction disagreements. Upload evidence, respond to the customer, and track dispute status directly with Stripe.
Messages ●

Chat with customers about job details, send quotes, share photos, and coordinate pickup or arrival times. The red dot means unread messages.
Help

You're here! Find guides for setting up your profile, creating listings, responding to job requests, and connecting Stripe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Signing up, browsing, and posting job requests is free. When you book a service, you pay only the mechanic's listed price — no platform fee, no surcharge, no hidden fees added to your bill.
No. You can submit a quote request with just your name and email/phone — no account required. An account is only needed when you want to accept a quote and pay.
Payments are processed and held by Stripe until you confirm the job is complete. Your card details never touch our servers. If there's a dispute, open one through the platform within 72 hours of job completion.
Most customers receive their first quote within 1–2 hours. In areas with many mechanics on Informal Auto, quotes can arrive in minutes. Attaching photos or videos significantly speeds up the quoting process.
Approval typically takes 1–2 business days. We review your application and verify your information. You'll receive a notification by email when your account is approved. Until then, you can explore the dashboard but cannot publish listings.
Informal Auto charges a 3% platform commission on completed repair jobs. Vehicle sales have no platform commission and are handled entirely in person — no online payments are processed for vehicle sales. Stripe charges its standard payment processing fee on online repair payments, which is deducted separately. You keep the rest, paid directly to your bank account by Stripe.
Once the customer marks the job complete, Stripe releases the payment. Direct deposits typically arrive in your bank account within 2 business days depending on your bank.
Yes. During signup, check both the Mechanic and Dealer checkboxes. You can offer repair services as a mechanic while also being listed as a licensed dealer. Both badges will appear on your profile once verified.
First, try messaging the mechanic directly through the Messages page to resolve the issue. If you can't reach an agreement, open a dispute through the platform within 72 hours of job completion. Do not mark the job complete if you're unsatisfied — your payment won't be released until you confirm.
You can attach up to 8 files per job request — any combination of photos (JPEG, PNG, etc.) and short videos (MP4, MOV, etc.). Short clips of the noise, symptom, or warning light are especially helpful to mechanics when quoting.
To delete your account, email us at [email protected] with the subject "Delete Account". We'll process your request within 5 business days. Note that completed order records may be retained for legal and tax purposes.

Get in Touch

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Email Support

Have a question that isn't answered here? We typically respond within 1 business day.

[email protected]
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Quick answer?

Check the — most common questions are covered there.

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Disputes

For payment or job disputes, open one through the platform within 72 hours of the job completion date.