Beware Saving Money on MOT Bills

creditcardking_2

Beware saving money on MOT bills, I took my car to my local council MOT testing centre and they charged me the 30 pounds to test the car, it failed on 2 very minor items which I had fixed the same day and they wanted to charge me another 30 pounds to retest the car. It would have been cheaper to take the car to my local garage 5 minutes from my house and paying the 44 pounds for the MOT with no retest fee.

mountainofdebt

I'm guessing here but you probably did this after reading Martin's article.

In fairness I wonder what your car would have failed on had you originally gone to a private garage

creditcardking_2

mountainofdebt wrote:

I'm guessing here but you probably did this after reading Martin's article.

In fairness I wonder what your car would have failed on had you originally gone to a private garage

The car cost 200 pounds so you can make your own judgements, I was just annoyed because they didn't explain the extra cost before hand.

Skint_Catt

I'm betting the 'normal' garage would have found a lot more than those two minor items! And it would have cost you a damn sight more than an extra £26!

I'd rather pay the test fee twice than risk a £200 bill like my old car used to come back with every year! At least if it's failed you know that that's all there is to fix and it's good again to run!

S_C

derrick

Certain items do not require a retest fee "if the vehicle is brought back to the station and re-examined before the end of the next working day on one or more of the following items" to many to list but they are on the back of the failure sheet that you should have received, so if it is 2 of those items and you returned the vehicle the next day you should not have paid a retest fee, and if you did then ask them for a refund, or complain to the Vehicle Inspectorate.

Wig

Good post Derrick.

What did it fail on?

Personally, I would never use a council MOT station, I have found them to be the most stringent testers of all, failing you on the most stupid things which a garage tester would either miss or not be concerned with. (I believe I wrote a similar comment in Martins thread). I also find the garages I go to for MOT's have never so far tried to rip me off. With one possible "maybe" but I have no proof and the garage has been honest before and since so I "give them the benefit of the doubt".

The only way to be sure this is true or not is to take your car to the council then to a garage........but how many people will do that?

Oh and OP many many garages are now abolishing the free retest and using the new computer system as an excuse, which is rubbish really the computer system makes no difference to how much a garage can charge for a test. ........SO ALWAYS check how much the retest will be.

Amba_Gambla

I've just got mine done this week (£350 quid's worth) and had to pay for a re-test.

Apparently it's the new format, and everywhere has to charge for a 2nd MOT

When you take your car for an MOT now, they have to be logged onto the central DVLA computer, and everything has to be done direct through the DVLA computer, so now you have to pay for the 2nd test.

Everywhere is going (or is) the same.

(this has come from our local mechanic guy - i'm no kind of car buff, and he tried to explain it in idiot speak for me! - oh, and he's very trustworthy BTW - not trying to rip us off, we've used him for years and years and years!)

derrick

Amba_Gambla wrote:

I've just got mine done this week (£350 quid's worth) and had to pay for a re-test.

Apparently it's the new format, and everywhere has to charge for a 2nd MOT

When you take your car for an MOT now, they have to be logged onto the central DVLA computer, and everything has to be done direct through the DVLA computer, so now you have to pay for the 2nd test.

Everywhere is going (or is) the same.

(this has come from our local mechanic guy - i'm no kind of car buff, and he tried to explain it in idiot speak for me! - oh, and he's very trustworthy BTW - not trying to rip us off, we've used him for years and years and years!)

This is not true, the cost of an MOT is set at a maximum each year by the government (DoT) and if the garage wants to charge £0's then that is their choice, same as if they want to charge or not for a retest, the reason behind the DVLA computer system is the same as the insurance data base system , to computerise, once it is all up and running, sometime next year, you will be able to tax your car online,as you can now for vehicles under3 years that do not need an MOT cert.

derrick

Have managed to print out/copy the back of a failure report:-

YOUR VEHICLE HAS FAILED THE TEST

[font=&quot]PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTES[/font]


1. Your vehicle does not meet the legal
requirements. If you intend to continue to use
it on the road you should have it repaired
without delay.

2.It is an offence to use on a public road a vehicle
of testable age that does not have a current test
certificate, except when


-taking it to a testing station for test
BOOKED IN ADVANCE

-bringing it away from a testing station after it
has failed the test

-taking it to or bringing it away from a place
where by PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT

repairs are to be or have been made to remedy the defects for which the vehicle was failed.

Even in the above circumstances you may still be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle if it does not comply with the Regulations affecting its construction and use. Additionally the insurance may not be valid.

3. If you do not agree with the refusal to issue a
test certificate, you may appeal. IF YOU WISH
TO APPEAL against all or any of the grounds
for refusal, you must use a special form (VT17)
which you can get from any testing station or
from a Vehicle & Operator Services Agency
local office. The completed form with the current
appeal fee must be received at the Vehicle &
Operator Services Agency local office within14 working days pf the date of the refusal notice. If your appeal is successful the fee, or if appropriate part of it, may be returned to you. DO NOT HAVE YOUR VEHICLE REPAIRED before any appeal test is carried out. Any change in the condition of the vehicle may affect the outcome.

4. The fees charged for the re-examination vary
according to the following circumstances:-

a. If the vehicle is left at a station that undertakes repairs for repair and re-examination NO FEE*



b. If the vehicle is brought back to the station and re-examined before the end of the next working day on one or more of the following items: ABS WARNING, BOOTLID, BRAKE PEDAL ANTISLIP, DIRECTION INDICATORS/HAZARD WARNING, DOORS, DROPSIDES, LOADING DOOR, MIRRORS, REAR REFLECTORS, REGISTRATION PLATES, SEAT BELTS (but not anchorages), SEATS, SHARP EDGES OR PROJECTIONS, STEERING WHEEL, TAILBOARD, TAILGATE, VIN No, HORN, HEADLAMP AIM, LAMPS, EMISSIONS, FUEL FILLER CAP, WINDSCREEN and WINDSCREEN WIPERS AND WASHER. WHEELS AND TYRES* (Partial Re-examination)
*Not applicable to Motor Bicycles
**Only one free re-examination is permissible per MOT . NO FEE**

c. If the vehicle leaves the testing premises and returns for a re-examination on an item or items other than those listed at 4b above, the vehicle must be fully inspected on all testable items before a test certificate can be issued. This applies even if a "free retest" is offered for marketing reasons.

(Full Examination) FULL FEE

5. Details of the current fees are available from any testing station, where a poster is required to be displayed, or from any Vehicle & Operator Services Agency local office.

The INSPECTION MANUALS are
comprehensive instruction to the inspection procedures applied during the MOT test and set out in detail the statutory requirements that vehicles have to meet, the methods of inspection and the reasons for failure.

The above Manuals and Test Guide may be purchased by post from the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency P.O. Box 12, Swansea, SA1 1BP

Amba_Gambla

i suppose mine had to be taken away and re-tested 4 days later.... tehre was quite a bit that it failed on £350 worth!), so I suppose it probably needed a full re-test...

I suppose if you fair on tyres and lights which can be fixed and tested easily, then it won't cost ya......

savvy

Wig wrote:

Personally, I would never use a council MOT station, I have found them to be the most stringent testers of all, failing you on the most stupid things which a garage tester would either miss or not be concerned with.

LOL that's most reassuring then! :eek:

Being female or displaying a lack of mechanical knowledge is the thing that costs THE most, if you fall into those categories then it's got to be far cheaper paying the 2 tests fees..........trust me it happens!

My old Fiesta needed to have welding done, quite severe amounts according to the solemn and apologetic manager of a chain of garages, and it would cost me £230.

So I told him no worries, my bf's brother in law was a welder, he was gutted but I wasn't cos it only cost me £8.50!!!! :rotfl: