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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car M.O.T.

47 replies

houseworkhater · 01/04/2013 19:42

This is not an aibu but I need a quick response so need to post here.

My car has failed mot.
After speaking to a couple of people they told me not to take it back to the garage where it was tested.

He has kept the paperwork as initially I said I would have the work done there.
My question is this: if I take it elsewhere for the work doing do I then have to take it back to the original garage for retesting and is it free. I have already paid him for the mot- he refused to take a cheque-only cash.

Thanks

OP posts:
specialsubject · 01/04/2013 19:48

if he promised to do you a free retest, he should keep that promise. But you do not have to go back to him, you can get a retest anywhere. Shop around - MotS can be had for about £30.

be aware that you cannot drive the car now except to the garage that has a test booked - the same one that will be doing the repairs.

this guy is not paying his taxes, don't use him again.

McNewPants2013 · 01/04/2013 19:49

Do you think mot station fail cars on purpose. I can't see any reputable place trying to con it's customers.

Original poster
houseworkhater · 01/04/2013 19:52

Bugger- He didn't mention the cost of the retest, I don't know if he intended to charge me again, I just assumed that I wouldn't have to pay him again. I,m new to this can't you tell?
Do you usually have to pay again?

OP posts:
ParadiseChick · 01/04/2013 19:53

How do you know he's not paying taxes?

Xales · 01/04/2013 19:53

I though most places only offered a free retest if you got the work done through them.

If you go else where then they will charge if you go back to them for another MOT.

ParadiseChick · 01/04/2013 19:54

No where charges for a retest.

Why are people telling you not to get him to do the work?

TidyDancer · 01/04/2013 19:55

The ones that do a free retest normally say so, it's a good marketing tool.

I've luckily never (touch wood) had a car that's failed its MOT but the garage I use for servicing and MOTs does a £30 test, free retest if it's a fail and oil check/change is included. Don't know if all garages do that though.

ParadiseChick · 01/04/2013 19:55

Not always the case. We do our own repairs and get a free retest.

McNewPants2013 · 01/04/2013 19:57

Many business don't accept cheque these days and there is a charge to the business to have chip and pin.

aldiwhore · 01/04/2013 20:00

This can be a minefield... many places offer a free re-test within a certain time frame IF you get the work done with them, and sometimes that's where your pocket will suffer.

DH's car failed on a number of things via kwickfit, with a few advisorys (sp) to boot. We felt it wasn't right for so much to have gone so wrong within a year, so wrote off the 'free re-test' (and work, example, with my car the cheapest tyre they had was over £100, I can get my whole car done for that elsewhere).

We took DH's car to another garage, and paid for another test... we told them NOTHING about the points on the previous test. 80% of the fails suddenly became advisorys... which although need sorting, aren't dangerous. We've saved ourselves close to £1000 (immediately) and his car is almost on the road (parts proving a problem = whole other other AIBU ranty thread where I can tell you, AINBU!!!).

I do not think either garage was an outright 'con' but prices AFTER a failed MOT vary massively, and if you agree to any garage retesting, you are agreeing to their prices, and they may not give you the best deal.

WowOoo · 01/04/2013 20:00

Some garages will try it on, I'm sure.

I always try to get my service done just before MOT. That way I at least have an idea if it's likely to fail on anything.

It may be worth taking it somewhere else. Remember, they might find other things to fail it on. You'll have to pay for MOT again too.

Have a look on moneysavingexpert - there are lots of MOT tips there.

I'm not sure if you have to pay for re test. Surely they know what it failed on and if they've righted that, you should pass.

I don't like the sound of someone not accepting a cheque. I'd have told them that it's that or nothing. You could report them!

aldiwhore · 01/04/2013 20:01

Also he shouldn't have KEPT the paperwork, that rings a big alarm, he should have kept a copy (or given one to you).

HollyBerryBush · 01/04/2013 20:03

Your local council will have a testing place that only does tests and no repairs. they have to use it for council vehicles and buses (read that on moneysaving wotsit). It is the only reputable way to get it done.

phantomnamechanger · 01/04/2013 20:11

I don't like the sound of someone not accepting a cheque. I'd have told them that it's that or nothing. You could report them

what are you on about, loads of places no longer take cheques! They were talking about doing away with them altogether!

blueraincoat · 01/04/2013 20:11

I could be wrong but I believe that the free retest generally only applies if you don't take the car away but leave it there to be fixed and then retested, I could be wrong though.

It would be pretty hard to fail lots of cars to con customers. They have computers linked to the DVLA that they use and a lot of the tests emissions etc are linked directly to the computer. I think the DVLA would notice if one centre was failing lots of cars. Do agree though about shopping around. I would also recommend an independent over a chain.

phantomnamechanger · 01/04/2013 20:13

Also he shouldn't have KEPT the paperwork, that rings a big alarm, he should have kept a copy (or given one to you). he only kept it because the OP said she was taking the car back there for the repairs

But nowadays all MOTs are online aren't they, so any garage should be able to look up your car and see what was said

blueraincoat · 01/04/2013 20:16

Also again to not accepting cheques, its a minefield. They bounce and incur fees, don't clear for ages sometime, people post date them. Does not been he is fiddling the tax man. Card machines are expensive and bank will not issue them to a lot of small businesses. Hate the insinuation tradesmen do not pay their taxes!

Shutupanddrive · 01/04/2013 21:41

You should get a free retest as long it's within I think 7 days. Our car failed on a few things, Dp took it away to get tyres from somewhere else (cheaper), and then returned for retest.

oldraver · 01/04/2013 21:49

It depends on what the care has failed on. There are certain things where you can take the car away and have a a free retest within a certain period.

What did it fail on ?

oldraver · 01/04/2013 21:52

Have a look at this. All this info will be on the back of the failure from, but as you dont have this you wouldn't of seen it

KansasCityOctopus · 01/04/2013 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 01/04/2013 22:04

I used to work in a garage and we told people that they were entitled to have the failure repairs done anywhere they liked, but that as we were the garage that issued the failure notice, we would have to do the retest. Retests were always free.

I was always quite amused by the deranged people who accused us of making up the repairs to get the work. We were always fully booked for weeks ahead. Quite how they thought we could suddenly fit in Mot repair work when our workshop was running at full capacity I don't know.

IneedAsockamnesty · 01/04/2013 22:08

I thought a retest was free if they did the work within a certain time and the vehicle did not leave the test place

ShootingStarsss · 01/04/2013 22:09

I thought you could take your car away to be repaired anywhere you choose & you have a certain amount of days to return to MOT garage (say 7) to get your free re test.

specialsubject · 01/04/2013 22:15

The garage I use (small family business) has a big sign saying 'don't ask for a discount for cash, we pay our VAT'.

I am not insinuating that all tradesmen don't pay their taxes. I am just suggesting that those who absolutely refuse anything except cash may have a reason. Except (I discover) just after Christmas, when I gather that many cheques bounce because people prioritise tinselly crap over paying their bills.