Halfords Ambiguous MOT failure

Flying-High_2

Joe_Horner wrote: »

The info's out there if you look hard enough

There may have been another increase since, but in April 2010 the slot fee increased to £205 per hundred slots, so £2.05 per test:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/images/Special%20Notice%2002-10.pdf

Hallelujah.... And theres everybody thinking the garages were making a £15 ish of an MOT......

Joe_Horner

Flying-High wrote: »

Hallelujah.... And theres everybody thinking the garages were making a £15 ish of an MOT......

No, they're around average hourly rate if they charge full price. But they do have a lot of extra costs (above a "normal" garage) for the equipment, calibration etc so it's not all easy money!

Flying-High_2

Joe_Horner wrote: »

No, they're around average hourly rate if they charge full price. But they do have a lot of extra costs (above a "normal" garage) for the equipment, calibration etc so it's not all easy money!

Thanks... I had no idea :O)

arcon5

Joe_Horner wrote: »

No, they're around average hourly rate if they charge full price. But they do have a lot of extra costs (above a "normal" garage) for the equipment, calibration etc so it's not all easy money!

You also have a prime opportunity to [STRIKE]milk your customer[/STRIKE]get other work so i'm betting the monthly equivalent value of the extra equipment by far outweighs any marketing budget they could have.

arcon5

Going back to the bulbs issue... Maybe a solution would be to force manufacturers to make bulbs easy to change. Some cars are notoriously difficult for headlights, with units bolted down and stuff

Joe_Horner

arcon5 wrote: »

You also have a prime opportunity to [STRIKE]milk your customer[/STRIKE]get other work so i'm betting the monthly equivalent value of the extra equipment by far outweighs any marketing budget they could have.

Yes, you do. But:

(a) The vast majority of testers (especially independent ones) are honest, regardless of popular rumours

and

(b) VOSA can <i>and do</i> take severe action against any garages caught finding spurious "fail" points to drum up repairs.

Obviously that doesn't stop some, any more than the risk of dying stops some people from throwing themselves out of perfectly good aeroplanes with a bedsheet tied to their back. But it does keep the vast majority on the straight & level.

Prothet_of_Doom

Ronneh wrote: »

I don't think I've ever read a Halfords thread when they are portrayed in good light. I'd avoid them at all cost.

I'm trying to think, but can't think of a time, where a local Motor factors, wasn't cheaper, Except once: where I needed a battery on a Sunday, and the only 2 places were a Motor factor that could get the right part On Monday, at a price 30% less that Halfords, so I rang Halfords and they did a price match.

Stoke

I've never had a Halfords MOT, but I had a Halfords Tyre Change once (I was desperate) and was very impressed by the attitude of the mechanic doing the work. He lifted the car up free of charge so he could have a good look under and checked for any corrosion etc.

I guess it all depends which one you go, but I personally don't recommend Halfords to anyone. That said, of my one experience, I can't fault them.