mot's

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Tue 22 Aug 2006 14:23
mot's - caesar
I have just had my local multi frachise garage prosecuted for wrongfully failing my cars mot.When i said to the vosa chap about next years mot and saying ill take it to such and such he then informed me that they had been prosecuted lately aswell.Im just wondering if anybody knows of any way to check a garages track record online as it has really made me lose faith in mot testing stations honesty.Worse part is i justed assumed as this garage was a main dealer they would be about the fairest place to go without being conned.If it wasnt for the stupid amount of money they wanted to put the car right i would never have taken it to a small garage to see how much they would charge to put the car right. Ofcourse on inspection the mot tester( had it looked at somewhere else to confirm) said there was nothing wrong with it and to complain to vosa,so i did.The vosa chap said they get points awarded them and if they reach a certain amount they lose there license to mot.So as stated above really,is there anyway to check if garages have points against them.

Cheers
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Tue 22 Aug 2006 14:27
mot's - robcars
Curious what they failed your car on?

Not sure about info on mot sites, but will ask mine and let you know if i can
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Tue 22 Aug 2006 14:38
mot's - Group B
Worse part is
i justed assumed as this garage was a main dealer they
would be about the fairest place to go without being conned.


IMO the fairest place to go is an MoT centre that does tests only, no repair work. That way you can be sure they are not failing things just to make money for themselves.
IMHO main dealers are the best place to go if you want to pay through the nose for something. Personally I only go to a main dealer for something as a last resort (but then I've never had a car with main dealer warranty).
Why not wait 11months then phone VOSA and ask for the name of a local test centre that they would recommend? Or ask on this forum if anyone can recommend one in your area.

;o)
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Tue 22 Aug 2006 15:00
mot's - DP
I remember having a stand up row with an MOT tester after SWMBO took her car in (alone, stupidly) for a test only to get a fail sheet as long as your arm. I'd given it the once over beforehand, and although I'm not a professional mechanic, I knew the front brake pads weren't "down to metal", the handbrake cables weren't "seized" and the front wheel bearings didn't have "excessive play".

She was approached by a car salesman as she left (they sold used cars) who offered to do her all manner of deals and do her a decent part-ex even though the car was effectively a write off because the repairs would cost more than it was worth. She returned home in tears.

I took the car "as it was" to my usual garage - they'd been booked up - the following week and after a tweak of the headlamp alignment, it passed.

I complained to VOSA and the garage subsequently had its license removed through other complaints as well as my own.

I can't believe this sort of thing still goes on.

Cheers
DP
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Tue 22 Aug 2006 15:22
mot's - caesar
I searched beforhand for an mot only test station( council,bus,fire service and ambulance stations) and there are none in my area. There used to be a couple of places years ago and thats how i used to get my mots. These now seem few and far between. If someone can tell me of any mot only stations in south lincolnshire you can have a thousand thank yous.
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