MOT - Blonde may have been ripped off, can you help?

[landyman Ash]

One of my nurses at work went to get her car MOT'd last week.

It failed on coil springs

The garage said they could not do the work till next day but she wanted to go elsewhere.  They told her the following:

1. If you take thr car of the forecourt, under the new system we'll have to charge you another £42
2. If another garage does the work, we can re-test the car for free
3. The two week free re-test has be abolished

I thought all this was a load of rusbbish, can anyone just confirm this

ALSO, they said it was the coils, changed them in less than 1/2 hour on a Vauxhaul astra and would not show her the old ones.  I would check for her but she lives miles away!!!  Seems a bit fishy to me.....

[Jas278]

The garage are within there rights , and correct, the new system is wonderful as more people will find out..........

[rollazuki]

Have to agree there, the 14 day thing wasnt the rule before, but since we are all computerised, theres no cheating the system.

The garage(when you go back for the retest after 2 days) has to log back on for at least 45 minutes, in which time they cant MOT another vehicle, so as this effectively stops em from working and the rules say they have to do a full retest, then they have no options but to comply.


Its a [!Expletive Deleted!] I agree

[drum]

ALSO, they said it was the coils, changed them in less than 1/2 hour on a Vauxhaul astra and would not show her the old ones.  I would check for her but she lives miles away!!!  Seems a bit fishy to me.....

This bit is the bit I wouldn't like, I always ask to see old parts, not least cos I'm curious to see how things fail.

[rokcrawlin]

ALSO, they said it was the coils, changed them in less than 1/2 hour on a Vauxhaul astra and would not show her the old ones.  I would check for her but she lives miles away!!!  Seems a bit fishy to me.....

This bit is the bit I wouldn't like, I always ask to see old parts, not least cos I'm curious to see how things fail.

if she has an issue with the garage she can complain to trading standards if she thinks they have not done the work and the springs are her property so she can ask for them back but proving they were hers off her car would be difficult. if she is in the aa/rac tell her to get the car inspected

[abinitio]

1: I'd want to see the springs, she is entitled to see them.

2: How did it fail on the springs? Shocks yes, springs, never heard that one b4.

Reminds me of when my wife took an Orion we once owned for an MoT. Failed on brakes. I took it back for retest(having not touched the brakes) and it passed.

After I had certificate I inforemed them I had not even touched the brakes as the whole lot had been reconditioned about 3 months before and that the VI as it was then would be hearing from me.

Never got round to reporting it but the look on their faces was good enough for me!!!


Lee

[rollazuki]

Yep, sounds about right, rear springs are 'pigtailed' in at the bottom and snap off regularly.
immediate mot fail.
sorry guys

[Miniman]

My local tester is well ****ed at the new computer system. He can only do so many MOT's a day as well now.

[mud rookey]

having just had a mot on the rangie (failed on breaks) cost £40.00
going back for re test tomorrow cost £12.00 i think your nurse could have been ripped off.
or i have a good deal from the local garage.

[muddysteve]

i only pay £35 for my MOTs  8)  :lol:  8)  :lol:

[Jas278]

NEAH NEAH NEAH.............ME £30.00........... :(biglaugh):  :(biggrin):

[hobbit]

Yes it seems that the new system is causing problems with the customers and the testers/garages, as the 'old ways' are a lot more difficult to do.
What people have took for granted was not necessarily the correct way. So now with the new system, people are having these problems, one at my local garage was that miffed with the wait they had for a simple re-test, they went to the local VE office and complained.

They could swings and roundabouts to a certain extent before now until the system settles down and sort any teething problems out this is going to be a common thing. Also they cannot get through the mots like they used to do with the wime wasted on a retest taking much longer.

I suggested a few months ago, a mailshot might have been useful to forwarn people that the system is changing, and that thing will be upset from the norm. Also advising that people book their vehicle in for a pre-mot inspection, like in the older days.

But even this is not a guaranteed 100% pass guarantee as we all know, but would knock out quite a few of the common problems that are picked up.

eg, tyres/brake pipe corrosion/body & chassis rust etc etc

Not everybody's vehicles sees the garage on a regular basis indeed a regular service is not that common to a lot of people.

Some of the things that actually go into an MOT bay can be quite horrifying, anybody that is involved with garage work will vouch for that I'm sure

Indeed with heavy goods vehicles if they fail on certain items, the examiners can banned from running on the road, which would mean recovery to the place of repair and not allowed back on the road until work is done and the ban is lifted after another visit to the station.

Wonder what would happen if this rule was enforced on cars as well :?

What it boils down to is pre-mot preperation, depending on your knowledge of the vehicle and mot points, or having it inspected prior to the actual test would seem more useful than a failure for a simple problem

[beast5680]

my friendly mot tester does a pre inspection  then i put in for the test but i,ve not used the new system yet coming soon though just going thru the V8 to see what it might need .
on being ripped off my brother marked all the service items on his car one day with one of them ultra violet pen things cos he was paranoid about being ripped off, he then checked with a light to see what had been missed and found all they changed was the oil filter :shock:  and charged him for a big service, i dont think the garage is trading now :?

[petergalileo]

I am afraid this is all rubbish.  My local garage tested my Disco, it failed on emmissions and I got the new style failure certificate, I repaired it myself (new set of plugs, slight retune) took it back 3 days later and got it retested for free under the new system and got the new style mot cert.

I would say it is possible for your garage to offer free retests but they are all either inclear how to do it or unwilling to do it.

[Dr Neil]

the way i understand it a garage can do a free retest on certain items within a certain time,though the Ministry do not incourage this!!Also as has already been said whilst someone is doing a retest they cannot be doing a full test and earning the garage(which pays his/her wages) the money for a full test!!!

[DISCO-CHRIS]

I would say it is possible for your garage to offer free retests but they are all either inclear how to do it or unwilling to do it.

They can offer you a free re-test if it only fails on certain things and is re-tested the same day i believe.There is a list of re-testable(free) items listed on the back of the form.(or the exclusions)
As for pre-m.o.t,s.....to me thats an hour of my time = £30.00
Proper test only £35.00...
General publics view.......sod it, why waste £30.00!!! we,ll never win!

[rollazuki]

I am afraid this is all rubbish. My local garage tested my Disco, it failed on emmissions and I got the new style failure certificate, I repaired it myself (new set of plugs, slight retune) took it back 3 days later and got it retested for free under the new system and got the new style mot cert.

I would say it is possible for your garage to offer free retests but they are all either inclear how to do it or unwilling to do it

The car after 24 hours has to be fully retested before the PC will print the cert. The examiner has to be logged onto that car for at least 45 mins to carry out that retest, whoever you went to who was willing to give away 45 mins of labour is a saint(keep going back there). However, I feel he will notice the lack of income and maybe stop being so generous.
The problem with all this, is that the whole procedure is now black and white. The log on/off times are recorded, fails are recorded, fail dates and times are recorded, as are emission and brake test results.

Its all a bit of a bind, but its levelling the playing field by stopping dodgy garages knocking out 4 or 5 MOT's per hour.


As for cost..............Mine are free :lol:

[petergalileo]

Its all a bit of a bind, but its levelling the playing field by stopping dodgy garages knocking out 4 or 5 MOT's per hour.

This is a plus side, as is the result of less un-roadworthy cars around too.

I have always taken the view that if it fails its good the fault has been pointed out to me, I have 5 kids I carry round in mine and the thought of someone rushing through an MOT and endangering them makes my skin crawl.

[Hangover]

The MOT rules have not changed,the real difference is that the rules now have to be followed and there is no bending of them,previous to computerisation vehicles should have been subject to a full test when returned for a retest if suspension/brake work/welding work etc has been carried out but most garages would consider a retest fill in work between full tests so would check only failed items and charge little or nothing.
If some garages proceed to not charge for re-tests then they will find themselves getting busier but unless they extend their opening hours they could lose out financialy.
Basically the days of the cheap or dicounted MOT is fast disapearing so pay up and smile.

[dave_2A_2.25Turbo]

Fees and regs re retests:

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/publications/mot%20test%20fees%20and%20appeals%20poster%20(vt9a).pdf

Everything you need to know about MoTs (VOSA website):

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/mottestersgarageowners/mottesting/motpolicyandguidance.htm

[landyman Ash]

Nice one for that lads.

Its the lack of free re-test that worried me.  He said under the new rules "if the car leave the forecourt, even if to be driven home, he has to charge another £42 and that he did!!!!!!!  She only told me today as she thought I'd take the mikey!!  Well I did  

SO the MOT cost her £84

He says it breaks the MOT test contract??  If thats the case then that leave me in the s**t as my hybrid always fails on something  :roll:  and there is no way I can afford to pay twice or get them to do the work.  Im sure my garage wouldnt do this anyway as Ive knwon them for years but I dont think she should of had to pay twice.

Shes written to DVLA anyway for advice and Ive given her the rospa address as well.  I'll keep you posted

[Rangie3.0LtrDan]

There is an article in LRM this month about it.  It would seem that he was well within his legal rights to charge twice.

[trustyrusty]

when i took my series 3 109 1977 released from MOD in 1984. it got an 84 reg. when the MOT station put in the reg they could only put  it down as a 110 defender! :roll:

[hobbit]

Another thing is VOSA is getting a bit sneaky nowadays, they are doing more unannounced visits to the stations and putting vehicles through the mot to test the station. So the garage is very reluctant to break the rules

[Hangover]

SO the MOT cost her £84. Im sure my garage wouldnt do this anyway as Ive knwon them for years but I dont think she should of had to pay twice.

Shes written to DVLA anyway for advice and Ive given her the rospa address as well.  I'll keep you posted

It doesn't matter if your even best of mates with your mot garage as they still will charge a complete test fee for a  retest,they are completely entitled to it as well as it is their living.