To be very annoyed at MOT centre

[Christmasgrinchthesecond]

MOT garage picked up my car this morning. Due to sharing it with DD, it has a black box. I didn't mention this as I didn't think the garage would be stupid enough to speed in my car.

Yet have just looked at the black box app on my phone-

• lowest possible speed rating (meaning they have sped)
• another journey made to a town centre a few miles away from MOT centre(during lunch so I expect they've used my car to go to Maccies or something!)
• another low rating for speed on the way back

So now my driving score on the app has dropped substantially, I'll get less cashback this month and they've used my petrol for driving somewhere other than the MOT centre.

Would I be a bitch to complain or am I being rational?

FWIW the app is accurate and well calibrated... You also have to go over the limit by 5% to trigger the warning for speed!

"Regardless of the speed rating issues there’s no conceivable reason for them to have driven it in the test. "

This is not correct. It's common to give a car an 'Italian tune-up' if it is failing emissions testing. This necessarily involved driving it, preferably at high speed.

This necessarily involved driving it, preferably at high speed.

Not exceeding the speed limit on a public road. That would be stupid.

Definitely complain.

That's disgraceful. My daughter's car has a black box and has gone in for MOT today so so you've prompted me to check the app just in case. Thankfully it's only gone to the test centre & back and hasn't affected her perfect score - I'd have gone mad if they'd lost her cash rewards or ruined her score - these things affect the premium for next year too. Definitely complain about this.

"Not exceeding the speed limit on a public road. That would be stupid."

Over the limit by 5% is 31.5mph. Even the police wouldn't care about that.

Complain and tell black box people

I'd have gone mad if they'd lost her cash rewards or ruined her score - these things affect the premium for next year too.

that's a fast track civil claim, if needed.

I would definitely demand money for the petrol they used for their lunchtime jaunt!

"that's a fast track civil claim, if needed."

small claims track

I knew a mechanic he gave me a lift home I opened the glove box and took out some sweets he looked mortified I said it's ok it's my mom's car he used it to collect the sandwiches they put fuel in before she collected it and apologised

Over the limit by 5% is 31.5mph. Even the police wouldn't care about that.

Is that your definition of a high speed road test then?

no, I'm just pointing out that per the OP the margin is only 5%, which is much less than the police guidelines of 10% + 2mph for them to care.

main thing would be getting the engine hot.

Formal complaint to the mot people, followed by a call or email with proof (mot cert) of location/incidents. They should sort it out for you.
I always tell the guy that picks my dc's car up about the box and that I will be watching!

Whoever took your car for a joyride may have committed the crime of "Taking Without Owner's Consent". They had your consent to drive to the garage to do an MOT Test, not to gallivant off to the next town.

What to do about this, I'm less sure. I don't think a successful prosecution is likely. And it seems to me that as far as insurance premiums go you're damned either way: If the car was driven badly with your consent the bad driving increases your premium*, and if the car was driven badly without your consent then being a victim of car crime increases your premium.

(* "Black box" policies generally don't accept "I wasn't driving" as an excuse for bad driving, it'll be in the policy that you're responsible regardless of who's actually behind the wheel. Otherwise people would just drive like a loon and claim their mate borrowed the car.)

The garage should compensate you for the lost insurance rebate and pay you an additional sum (I'd suggest the equivalent taxi fare for the same distance) for using your vehicle without consent.

Some people on this thread are absolutely ridiculous- report them to VOSA, the police?? Don't write a letter, garage mechanics are not the strongly worded letter types? How judgemental! Talk about stereotypes and not giving people a chance.

Here's an idea - speak to the garage manager, the owner or the dealership. See what they say. If you're not happy then take it further. I hardly think it's worth the garage reputation and future because one employee broke the rules. Let the garage know and let them deal with it! The employee will most likely be dealt with there and then. Like all bosses, they can't control every employee! And I've yet to meet a garage owner who would allow an employee who had done that keep their job.

And to the poster who said they doubt the garage would be insured - how ridiculous. Of course they are insured, with more comprehensive insurance than most road users. They have to be! If not, they're not a reputable garage and shouldn't be trading.

Seriously, the amount of awful people on this thread is frightening. You're happy to sink what could be a small business over one terrible employee, you enjoy hiding the fact there is a way of tracking the behaviour of the mechanics, and you would lie about how you knew the car had been driven? Why not just be upfront and avoid the confrontation in the first place?

OP you need to speak to the boss/owner. If their response is not good enough then take it further, leave VOSA out of it at this point and give them a chance. The owner will most likely sack the employee, which would be entirely deserved but I don't think the owner having their MOT licence revoked is a proportionate consequence.

IceniLacuna that wouldn't stand up - there could be any number of reasons that the car was driven and the OP had given consent when they handed over the key. I'm not saying it's right, or that the reasons would be true but the OP would have a hard time with that one.

OP did you say anything to them?