How to find a decent MOT center?

krlyr

Car MOT is due next month and I'm trying to find somewhere to do the MOT. I don't trust the garage I used last, it cost me a fortune in repairs that were never mentioned at the last MOT, I was told it would need even more work done to it in the near future (which wasn't mentioned at the next MOT when the friend I sold it to took it in elsewhere) and it seems every time someone sends their car there, it needs something expensive doing to it (quite a few colleagues use them as it's near work - my boss is wary of them too after having £1000s of repairs done and still having the scrap the car!)
Unfortunately there's not a council MOT center nearby so I'm wondering the best way to pick an MOT center. One thought I'd had is to call the place I bought the car from last year (came with a fresh MOT) and ask which garage they used at the time in the hopes they use a half-decent place but have no clue where to start other than that. Not helped by being a young female with no clue about cars - prime target for ripoff merchants, though OH is insured on my car so I may send him in to drop it off for me.

blued

Try to find an MOT centre that doesn't carry out repairs. I have no local council MOT centre but the centre I do take it to are MOT only. No surprises so far.

krlyr

How would I find that out? I did warn you I was clueless :rotfl:

blued

Do an advanced search on yell.com or similar and search by company name for MOT, then phone them and ask whether they carry out repairs. There isn't really an easier way than that I'm afraid, but I found the ones local to me had MOT in the company name.

EDIT: The category below the name will normally read 'MOT Testing' instead of 'MOT Testing & Repairs'. You can actually search by Category on the yell.com advanced search.

Destination_..._?

Just speak to friends , families , and work colleagues and go by their own personal experience and recommendations of a good garage they have been using reguarly.
And avoid the large companies like kwik fit , halfords autocentres etc .

blued

I would avoid speaking to work colleagues going by what krlyr mentions in the original post!

scotsbob

krlyr wrote: »

How would I find that out? I did warn you I was clueless :rotfl:

On the moneysavingexpert travel page the list of council test centres is about half way down the page


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot

krlyr

Destination_..._? wrote: »

Just speak to friends , families , and work colleagues and go by their own personal experience and recommendations of a good garage they have been using reguarly.
And avoid the large companies like kwik fit , halfords autocentres etc .

blued wrote: »

I would avoid speaking to work colleagues going by what krlyr mentions in the original post!

Blued is right! My mum is actually a colleague too, she uses this iffy garage (and sure enough her car needed more work done to it to pass its MOT last week) but isn't as wary as me. OH has a company car so doesn't arrange any MOTs, services, etc. himself and my brother uses an equally dodgy place I wouldn't trust! OH had suggested Kwikfit but the horror stories on here have put me off places like that! It's a shame the place I get new tyres from don't do MOTs as they seem genuine enough, perhaps I'll ask them for recommendations as I'm popping in tomorrow.

scotsbob wrote: »

On the moneysavingexpert travel page the list of council test centres is about half way down the page


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot

Thanks but I've already checked and I'm not that near. I'm wondering if it's worth the trek out, but a friend who used one (probably the one I'd go to) said they don't do appointments so it's a turn-up-and-wait system, which is a faff when they're not local.

scotsbob

krlyr wrote: »

Thanks but I've already checked and I'm not that near. I'm wondering if it's worth the trek out, but a friend who used one (probably the one I'd go to) said they don't do appointments so it's a turn-up-and-wait system, which is a faff when they're not local.

If someone has a car which is not covered by an MOT they are allowed, by law, to drive to an MOT centre by prior appointment. MOT centres work by an appintment system for this reason.

I suggest your friend is incorrect, phone the centre yourself

prosaver

wear a pair of overall and put some oil on your face when you drop it off or leave a printed sheet of Rogue Traders (bbc watchdog programme )on the floor of the car

Jonesya

I've used these guys several times without any problems, they only do MOTs and basic servicing, not repairs so no incentive to find work or otherwise unnecessarily fail the vehicle.

http://www.in-n-out.co.uk/locations