rooba,
Did you check online to see if an MOT was done at the dealers?
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Yes, I agree, the Ford Main Dealer should be reported to VOSA who will actively investigate the matter, probably by submitting a test car.
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>>Sorry to say; but that fraudulent test needs a word in VOSA's ear.
Perhaps - the thing that I'm not sure about is whether all the work the dealer found was actually recorded as MOT failure items. Does VOSA's web page hold the information for the OP even when no certificate was issued?
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NC
Yes; I was also wondering why no fail sheet was issued. Either way; that dealership wants a visit.
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>>why no fail sheet was issued.
Yes, at the very least, it's sharp practice.
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Yes; I was also wondering why no fail sheet was issued. Either way; that dealership wants a visit.
Yes, from Trading Standards if not VOSA.
If I paid for an MoT test I would expect just that, with a failure sheet recording what's gone wrong. If they just filled in the service checklist then I would not expect to see MoT on the invoice unless accompanied by the word 'mock'.
It's like paying for a fools' gold wedding ring advertised as the real thing.
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Sorry was going to add but ran out of edit time ...
Ultimately you're paying for an accredited diagnostic and report as to the condition of your vehicle. Without the report or pass certificate the transaction is fraudulent.
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I've visited the Vosa site, and here are the reasons given for failure. It adds that the test was 'abandoned':
Reason(s) for refusal to issue Certificate
Nearside Front Rear fog lamp not in good working order (not working) (1.1.6b)
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.3)
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.3)
Nearside Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.3)
Offside Rear Trailing arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.3)
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (3.7.A.9/10)
Front brakes imbalanced (3.7.A.2e)
No Advisory Notice issued
Does anyone know what a 'front rear foglight' is? Also, they quoted a price for discs and pads (£180) to fix 'imbalance' and £161 for new handbrake cable. The second garage simply adjusted the handbrake.
I'm really annoyed about this. Should my next step be to confront the garage - or would this just be warning them that I intend to proceed with things?
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I'm really annoyed about this. Should my next step be to confront the garage - or would this just be warning them that I intend to proceed with things?
Confront the garage if you wish but all they will say is the MoT tester's opinion the jobs needed doing.
The only way for them to be caught is to get the VOSA people to submit a test car with no known problems and see the result. Then supply further cars to build a case - then they can withdraw the MoT testing from the garage and the test mechanic.
A few well publicised examples would make the cowboys fall in line as a loss of MoT status would cost many garages dearly.
My neighbour put 3 cars through a well known "fast fit" tyre and MoT centre - all 3 failed on brake pipes - 2 had work done by AN Other person and passed. The 3rd time he took it for an MoT at an Indie and it passed.
I asked why he went there (apart from being local)- "they do MoT s for £30" - I added and they rook you for £200 for brake pipes, pads, exhaust.................
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My wife can't see why this makes me so angry as all we have 'lost' is £53.10 for the rogue MoT.
But what if the car had belonged to a little old lady who knew nothing about cars? She would have been suckered out of £1,000.
To me this is no different from the rogue traders who go round re-surfacing driveways or carrying out botched roof repairs. One of them may operate from a rusty old Transit, while the other has a glossy steel and glass showroom, but they are both out to rip you off.
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"To me this is no different from the rogue traders who go round re-surfacing driveways or carrying out botched roof repairs. "
Totally agree, contact VOSA. I dont like to see Mot testing stations pulled up by Vosa, they are often on a hiding to nothing; however this case is different; its blatantly wrong!
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Report the garage to VOSA. They'll follow it up, and you'll have done your bit.
I've had this happen to me before (well, SWMBO), and I know exactly how blood-boiling it is, but you're far better off going through the proper channels. The garage I reported ceased trading completely about six months later, but whether my complaint had anything to do with that, I don't know.
In my case it was a small independent place with a used car sales facility 'attached' to it. SWMBO had taken her car in for test, and had been given the bad news of its 'catastrophic failure' of the MOT on 'about a grand's worth' of work by a used car salesman who offered to make her a coffee and see what finance he could do on one of their used cars. She was far too smart for that thankfully, paid the test fee and left. As soon as I saw front brake pads on the fail sheet, which I'd replaced six months before, I became suspicious. When I had the car retested my usual garage, it passed with an advisory on a front tyre.
The fail sheet from the original test reckoned wheel bearings, welding, exhaust back box, pads, discs, front flexi hoses, handbrake cables, and a whole list of other rubbish.
The temptation to go and "discuss" this with the muppet who tried to rip off my wife was almost overwhelming, but it wouldn't have done any good at all.
VOSA were very interested, and very helpful!
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 31/10/2008 at 12:50
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Rooba,
Before you start your letter to VOSA, please let me check some wordings in the little white "Bible" that I have at work. If you are going to complain, you will need to send your complaint to the local area office. This will involve a return visit to the original garage for a look at their MOT notice board. The area office will have to be displayed on there. You will also need to ask them for an appeal form, or you can download one from the VOSA web site. (VT17)
Edited by tony@tooting on 31/10/2008 at 21:23
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I had cause to complain to VOSA a few years ago about a particular main agent re dodggy MOT's .VOSA were very helpfull, sent me forms re arranged an MOT with a good garage.The result was the garage was closed down after court proceedings.
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Rooba,
Taken fron the "Car and light commercial testing manual"
Section 1.1 front and rear position lamps, registration plate lamps, rear fog lamp.
Reason for rejection 1.1b "A mandatory rear fog lamp, incomplete, not in good working order or not visable from a reasonable distance."
What the tester has done , is to enter the word "front" into the box that allows him to give a fuller description of were the fault lies. Say it failed on an exhaust blow. The terminal will only give a description of excessive leakage of gasses. By using the box, he can then add that the fault was in the rear silencer.
In this case however, 1.1b, should only be used for faults with a rear fog lamp. The operation of the front fog lamp is not a testable item.
And now the odd part.
The term "abandoned" is used when a test can not be completed because the tester considers it unsafe to continue, or it becomes apparent during the test that certain items can not be satisfactorily inspected. An "appropriate" fee may be charged.
I would take it therefore that the tester has seen something on your car that he considers is dangerous, and could do damage to the vehicle, or himself. Like a brake pipe perhaps? If the pipe was severly corroded, the inspector may have considerd that doing the brake roller test could have caused the pipe to fail.
But, if so, then why were you charged a full fee as not all the test was done? Why were the brake pipe not included in the original estimate? (your other defects are certainly not items that should have caused the test to be abandoned) And why is the "Dangerous" defect that caused the test to be halted not listed on the failure sheet?
To be honest, I'm not sure if an "abandoned" test can be appealed against. I'd ring the local area office for advice, making sure that you have the long test number to hand from the failure that you found online.
Please let me know how you get on.
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There is only one place to take your car for MOT and that's the local council testing station, they are open to the public and will be completely impartial as they don't carry out repair work.
however, they were quite right to fail the broken front fog light, the cheapest fix here is what I did on my escort, as I find front fogs a menace and basically a posing feature I just removed them and bough blanking trim at £5 a side, a new front fog will be in excess of £60 from Ford.
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>>they were quite right to fail the broken front fog light,
No, it's one of the aspects of the test which they got badly wrong, the operation of front fog lights isn't testable, and therefore cannot be a failure point.
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All lights fitted must be in good condition and work properly, I checked this out when I had the escort and that's why I opted for removing them and buying blanking plates.
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>>All lights fitted must be in good condition and work properl
You were informed badly, because that isn't true.
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The only possible reason for failing a front fog light is broken glass/sharp edge. Whether the light works or not is totally irrelevant !
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>>You were informed badly, because that isn't true.<<
Err VOSA were wrong were they???? I rang VOSA for clarification because I was getting different opinions.
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"Err VOSA were wrong were they???? I rang VOSA for clarification because I was getting different opinions."
In this instance yes they were wrong. Simply ask them to identify the rule that allows them to state this !
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>>"Err VOSA were wrong were they????
Not an impossible situation I'm afraid.
I well remember the visits from a self important twit from the Ministry of Transport, looking over my father's MOT arrangements. At every visit, he would leave a list of things he wanted to see improved - better siting of the safe for the certificates, better provision for test observation by the vehicle presenter, etc, etc. After a while, some of his commands conflicted with the ones he had given at his earlier visits!
So, if one person's opinion from the ministry (now VOSA) can vary, the interpretation of the rules between different people is probably also not entirely fixed.
Yorkie is right - the only way for a front fog light to fail is via sharp edges, whether the light works or not is neither here nor there.
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Err VOSA were wrong were they????
Yep. See if you can find mention of the front fog lights being tested in the following link.
www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm
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Ok fair point, I thought if they formed part of the cars standard equipment ie factory fitted then they have to work however if VOSA can be wrong then you can't blame the MOT tester for failing the front fog light.
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you can't blame the MOT tester for failing the front fog light.
Rest assured - VOSA will.....
If you don't know what's testable and what isn't; then you are not competent to carry out MOT tests.
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can't blame the MOT tester for failing the front fog light.
The person you spoke to at VOSA was probably just a semi-trained call centre technician who's taught how to handle set questions.
Unfortunately not the inspectors who know the manual inside out, or the testers that should!
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"If VOSA can be wrong then you can't blame the MOT tester for failing the front fog light."
Oh, belive me, VOSA at times get it VERY wrong. If a testing station makes a mistake, it's nasty letter and points time. If VOSA get it wrong its another matter.
Pre MOT computerisation, who had the most test certificates stolen? VOSA.
Who insisted that garges pay out £100 - £200 to get a certificate proving that their VOSA approved gas analyser would communicate with the "Smart card" devise? VOSA
And then who droped the idea of a link with the smart card? VOSA.
And who made changes to the testing manual with regards to number plates, and then found that a mistake had been made, and had to "temporarily" suspend it? VOSA!
As for the tester that tested the Focus, he has NO excuse to fail a car on a "Front" rear fog lamp!
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Without VOSA, it would likely be `velocorapters at dawn`for Mr & Mrs Trusting, calling at some places for an MOT.
The bizarre thing to me, when we discuss MOT`s, (other threads) is how when Council testing centres are mentioned - it seems to be `blanked`. When that is the total solution to MOT rip-offs.. Why? ;)
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I always use my local council testing centre as I beleive it's the only way to get an honest and impartial test, I appologise to those that do run honest garages but IMHO there are too many garages out there that aren't, in my veiw MOT's should not be carried out by private garages but at local authority run centres instead, I beleive this is the case in Northern Ireland, it certainly is for many European countries.
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