Don't think I'll use KwikFit again

red_eye

lulu_92 wrote: »

I'm trying to cancel it but I have no idea how!

have you paid in advance? no? dont bother turning up.

or let them mot it and watch them, tell them to go though the fail sheet and show you on the car.

OR get under the car and in yellow wax write VOSA underneath

[Deleted User]

I've noticed in Kwik Fit waiting rooms they always have huge display stands e.g tyres in front of the window so you can't see them MOTing your car.

red_eye

Deleted_User wrote: »

I've noticed in Kwik Fit waiting rooms they always have huge display stands e.g tyres in front of the window so you can't see them MOTing your car.

I would ask where the mot viewing is and demand to see the vehicle being tested. You can always ask them when they hand you a fail sheet to put the car back on the ramp and show you the fail items.

A few photos of the obstructive view sent to head office might even score you a free mot

mrmot

I don't subscribe to the wide held opinions that Kwik Fit are out to stitch you up on a MOT.

If you think about it, Kwik Fit have 100s of branches in this country, with nearly every one set up as an authorised MOT testing faciliy, however despite the number of test centres, they only have one authorisation. The DVSA have the authority to revoke this authorisation if test standards are not followed, so if one branch is out to rip customers off it risks closing down all the test centres, so I don't think that Kwik Fit head office will condone any malpractice.

[Deleted User]

mrmot wrote: »

I don't subscribe to the wide held opinions that Kwik Fit are out to stitch you up on a MOT.

If you think about it, Kwik Fit have 100s of branches in this country, with nearly every one set up as an authorised MOT testing faciliy, however despite the number of test centres, they only have one authorisation. The DVSA have the authority to revoke this authorisation if test standards are not followed, so if one branch is out to rip customers off it risks closing down all the test centres, so I don't think that Kwik Fit head office will condone any malpractice.

Head office may not condone malpractice, but that doesn't stop individual staff and individual branches from trying to rip you off to boost takings/hit targets.

colino

mrmot you will be well aware that the individual NT would be hung out to dry, KF would sail serenely on.

Joe_Horner

mrmot wrote: »

I don't subscribe to the wide held opinions that Kwik Fit are out to stitch you up on a MOT.

Agreed, for exactly the reasons you give. I'm not sure a lot of people appreciate just how seriously DVSA take wrongdoing - or even, in some cases, innocent differences of judgement!

Of course, the same oversight doesn't apply to their "free checks" or any work outside the MOT system which seems to be where any problems, if real, appear. It also doesn't apply to scare tactics when explaining advisories.

But, as far as the MOT itself and fail items are concerned, they're probably less likely to chance it than certain other places specifically because they're so high profile!

But, all that said, let's not let common sense and logic get in the way of a good story, eh?

Joe_Horner

colino wrote: »

mrmot you will be well aware that the individual NT would be hung out to dry, KF would sail serenely on.

Not at all. This is from the MOT scheme guide:

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/tgs0i000104.htm

DVSA wrote:

Where an Authorised Examiner has been shown on the balance of probabilities to be culpable of misdemeanours affecting all sites (e.g. deliberate failure of minor items to encourage trade) and the resulting accumulated disciplinary points are sufficient to warrant disciplinary action all sites may be issued with Notices of Cessation

It's the responsibility of the group's AE to ensure that stations within his group abide by the rules. Any systematic tendency to drum up trade through unjustified failures (as people suggest happens) would amount to failure by the AE and risk all testing in all branches being stopped.

austin

I'm ashamed to say I done my apprenticeship there and worked there for quite a while. You're just a salesman in overalls, with area managers breathing down your neck with targets for the week. They get onto the staff with things like "I want 10 trackings (wheel alignments), 8 shockers, 4 brake-jobs and 6 autocharge cards, today." That's why they are all over your car when you just want a puncture fixing. I left in the end as the stress was getting too much.

It was a horrible place to work with a constant stressful atmosphere. As an ex-employee, I would advise anyone to stay well away from Kwik-Fit.

And OP, if you lived near me, I would have fitted your brake pads for free and saved you a fortune.

RMS2

mrmot wrote: »

I don't subscribe to the wide held opinions that Kwik Fit are out to stitch you up on a MOT.

Back in the real world, where people have experienced this, know it to be the case, whether it be Kwik-Fit, Halfords Autocentres or any other chain.


I used to take my car to Halfords for the half price MOT offer (totally knowing what I was letting myself in for) until the wife banned me two years ago, after having a barney with the manager.



I'd checked all the MOT items before taking it in. Several hours later (than it should have been, despite being booked in for first thing) it failed on the driver windscreen wiper blade.


I was like, !!!!!!? I've checked it, no frayed ends, clears windscreen and no smears and they were like, it's only £8, we'll do it now and she'll get a pass.


No you won't you thieving barstewards, I'll go to the motor factors and fit it myself and come back for the retest. This is where the barney started. It was midday Monday and according to VOSA, I have until close of business the following day to have the retest. Then the manager started saying that he might not have enough time, I said, you've got enough time to fit and retest it, why haven't you got enough time just to retest it.


At that stage it became like Monty Python, ooh, very busy sir, yes, but not too busy to fit a new one and charge me for it. Very busy sir, can't make any promises. But you have to. Only if we have time, we'd have to stick it on the ramps and tests and all. No you don't you only have to test the failed item and anyway, what on earth would you stick it on the ramps for, when it's a wiper test, you want it out in the open where you can see it properly. Don't know if we'll have time sir, what by close of business tomorrow, for a wiper check? Very busy sir.


This is stupid, give me your head office customer service number, I'm going to ring them. At this point, he doesn't do that, but rings his area manager (probably to get his point in first) and to cut a long story short, I bought the wiper and got my retest. I called VOSA and said, surely he has a legal obligation to do the retest, the long and short of it is, he should do, but only if he has time, so perfectly legally can use the excuse that he didn't have time and you pay for the retest. I said to the VOSA man, so it isn't worth the paper that it's written on, because he can say, sorry, ran out of time. Reluctantly he agreed with me.