My car failed its test this week due to a faulty handbrake cable. I was told I could go back to the same garage within the next 14 days to have the vehicle re-tested.
In the past all this has involved is the tester checking the items the car failed on and nothing else. However, my car had to go through the full test again, although I wasnt charged the full fee. Fortunately, it passed but its never happened before and the guy said its all due to the new computerised MOT.
Makes me think a money making scheme to take place here, fail car on one item, test it again, fail it on something else etc. etc.
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Not sure how accurate this is but I have recently been advised:
The new computerised system has to be fully implemented by 31 Dec this year. All tests have to be pre booked giving reg no, which is logged into database. If fail for any reason then rebook is necessary and garage has right to recharge! (I'm sure competion will come into play here)
The defects are logged into the data base which is linked to DVLA so they will know if no MOT issued and in turn can/will notify the Police. I also understand that if a marginal pass a recommended work note will be issued.
As said don't know if above is correct but if it is, I for one have no problem with it as a way of removing unsafe cars from the roads. Don't like the idea of being charged twice though!
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I think it's always been the same - restests within 14 days are free at the same testing station, within 24 hours they will only retest the failed item(s) but after that a full test is required.
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I think it's always been the same - restests within 14 days are free at the same testing station, within 24 hours they will only retest the failed item(s) but after that a full test is required.
Well thats how I have always seen it but I returned after less than 5 hours to the exact same testing station and had to go through the full test again. From what I can gather from the writing on the back of the test paperwork, garages are perfectly within their rights to charge the full test fee for a retest if the car fails on other than minor issues such as headlight alignment. Locally, garages who never charged for retests are now charging anything up to full price and thats even to car owners who get the repairs done at their garage.
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I think there are two issues here:
1) is the change of rules (or perhaps merely enforcement of the old rules) requiring a full retest.
2) is what garages actually charge. They have always been able to charge what they liked, up to the statutory maximum. Many gave free retests, and some did even first tests at a discount price. But now that they are being monitored to see that they are actually carrying out full retests, their freedom to waive charges is obviously restricted by their costs.
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Hmmmm...
Well the policy I mentioned is certainly that at Nationwide Autocentres, where you can also use Tesco Clubcard Deals vouchers to pay/part pay for your MOT! I only know, cos mine failed there last week on a tyre!
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Computerisation has not changed anything in the requirements of the test. A full re-test was always required for most failure items, partial retest was only applicable to certain minor failures*, and the car had to be retested before the end of the next day. A garage is allowed to charge for the re-test, but many chose to offer a free re-test to get the punters in, and tended to be a bit less thorough on the re-test. What has happened now is that they have to log the start and finish of each test on the central computer system, and if it finds that the test didn't take the expected time (35-40 mins), then the tester is likely to be getting a visit from the inspector. I suspect we are likely to see many free retests disappearing, or perhaps 'Pre Mot Checks' being offered for the MOT price, and then a free MOT.
Each MOT test is now logged centrally too, so you can't shop around for a lenient gargage that will pass the car on something it has failed on elsewhere, or patching the rusty hole with cardboard and trying your luck....
* no re-test fee is applicable to any repairs if the car remains at the testing garage.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Nationwide Autocentres aren't yet computerised. When I queried this, he said "Nah, we've got over 200 shops, how long do you think that's going to take us?"
I didn't bother telling him that I recently managed a computerisation project (incl chip 'n' pin) for a household name retailer across the country - 600 shops, 1800 systems, in 6 weeks. And we weren't even rushing!
Not sure what the deadline is for MOT computerisation.
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"Not sure what the deadline is for MOT Computerisation"
About 2 years ago !!!!
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