Dubai: The next time you run into trouble with your car and have no clue what to do, you could try calling AutoBNB, which claims it is the first auto care concierge service company in the UAE.
Launched by Mickey Shin, a Korean expat in Dubai, the service not only helps identify your problem, but also picks up your vehicle, gets it repaired at a cost-effective and efficient garage and drops off the vehicle back at your place – for a fee of course.
“We work with over 10 garages but are independent from them. We select the right specialty garage for the customer based on a pre-credentialled review. We monitor the entire diagnosis and repair process as well as ensure fair and competitive pricing, without compromising on quality,” said Shin.
Proper diagnosis
He said he was motivated to start the service as many motorists do not have any idea about the cars they drive and also lack the time needed to get them repaired when things go wrong.
The way the service is simple. Shin said, “The customer calls us and apprises us of the problem. We do a test drive of the vehicle and get into the details in order to help get a proper diagnosis. Then we select the specialty garage after comparing the expertise and price of repair at all garages. The car is then taken to the zeroed-in garage. We also partner with spare part suppliers and offer a distinct price advantage. Once the repair begins, we monitor the process. When complete, we drop off the vehicle at the customer’s place.”
He said the concierge aims at ensuring that customers don’t run from pillar to post trying to figure out what is wrong with their vehicles, get repairs with fake parts or end up paying more than they should. Customers can also send their quotes received from a garage and get them analysed by AutoBNB to see if they are fair and without any hidden costs. Besides the repair concierge, AutoBNB also offers maintenance, inspection and other related services.
The cost of the repair concierge is Dh699, but can be obtained at Dh499 under an ongoing promotion.