How to not be scammed by garage for MOT

[BrightNewLife]

I'm taking my 20-year old car to a new garage for its MOT and have just read several recent bad reviews online that they are untrustworthy, tend to scam etc.

My car is old, but as my former lovely, family-run garage said, the car is "bomb proof", has low mileage and will keep on going, absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I'm worried as a woman turning up with an old car they will try and pull one on me.

As a non-mechanical person, how can I alert them at the outset that I will not be suffering any fools or nonsense!

I would use a different garage if you’re that worried about it.

As above - why would you continue to use that garage?! Find somewhere else.

Can you go back to your old garage my mot is this week and I will drive out my way to a garage I trust.

Don't take it there. Why on earth would you take your car to a garage you don't trust?

Use Good Garage Scheme and find somewhere you trust with good reviews.

So my old garage has suddenly closed down and my MOT is due.

I haven't used this new garage yet, and I can see some of the reviews may not be legit (positive and negative).

It may well be a good experience, I don't know.

I would try find somewhere else if you can!

I'd ask family and friends who they use and trust. My brother-in-law used to run his own garage and MOT testing station and I always used him even though he was a 40 minute drive away. He's now retired and I take my car to the guy that he uses, because he trusts him.

No car of 20 years old is going to be in good shape underneath. Any talk of bomb proof will be the engine, which isnt really looked at on an MOT. Im guessing its a Japanese car, probably Toyota but no car lasts much longer than 20 without welding underneath, which can be costly.

Try and find a better local garage if that one has terrible reviews but dont look on Good Garage Scheme as that is a con for the gullible. Are there any Bosch Service Centres nearby??

Some garages only do MOTs and because of that they charge the full price.

Garages that do MOTs and repairs can afford to drop their MOT price as they can get you to use them for repairs. If you are that worried pay the higher price for an MOT only garage (which I do).