Uh... Garage are having me on?

furnace

furnace

furnace

Soldato
Joined
12 Dec 2006
Posts
3,421
Location
Worthing, West Sussex
Just phoned up the garage I usually go to, I want my car (lickle old corsa '93) checked for rust and if any needs doing, how much will it cost/when can they do it...

So they said "Yeah we can do a pre-MOT test, costs £40" and I replied "Well I just want to know if it needs any welding done to it, and if it does you can give me a quote for it", he said "Yeah that's fine" and booked me in for Monday at 12:30, then after taking my number & name said "alright, Monday 12:30 for a pre-MOT then. See ya then, bye!" >click<

Uh..

Hang on so they're giving me a pre-MOT now? I thought I told them I just want them to see if it needs any welding done?

A pre-MOT's going to cost me £40 even if I need f'all done. Then I still have to pay again for a proper MOT. And the only thing that can't be done at home (not here anyway) is welding, hence me only wanting to know if it needs welding done.

Are they being f'in cowboys or is it unreasonable to ask for them to look around my car for MOT-failing rust and "let me go for free" if they don't find any? (there's definitely some rust under the wheel arch but I'm not sure if it's MOT-failing material).

I'll have to get Big Daddy to sort 'em out when he's home tomorrow... :o
They're probably taking advantage 'cos I'm young sounding :(
 
Having just fallen into & got out of this trap myself, ignore your garage and go somewhere else (ask friends who they use) and just get a plain MOT test done.

Then if you fail, you know on what and they'll give you a price and the re-test should be free. :)
 
Jon Frost said:
Why dont you check it out yourself?

Save you some time and hassel. Its not hard looking for rust!!!

Jon
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I can see there's rust, but I'm not sure if it's MOT-failing rust ;) Also, I want to know how much it's going to cost to get fixed - which I can't really find out without taking it somewhere :p

I'll have to take it elsewhere then.

I thought maybe it's unreasonable to ask them to check for free, you know like, using up some of their time without paying for it (if they check and the rust is okay/not going to fail my mot). But they're just ripping me off, huh :mad:
 
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furnace said:
I can see there's rust, but I'm not sure if it's MOT-failing rust ;)
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This obviously depends, you can read the MOT inspectors handbook on line, to check for what is is that they'll be checking. Generally as long as the rust isn't within 15 cm (i think) of sus mounting etc, it's probably OK.

I thought maybe it's unreasonable to ask them to check for free, you know like, using up some of their time without paying for it (if they check and the rust is okay/not going to fail my mot). But they're just ripping me off, huh :mad:
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This is why it's important to find a local garage preferably independently owned/run that you can use and build up a relationship with. In that scenario they are more likely to give you a free weld check as they know as you'll have brought and will bring more business to them.

Lots of small businesses operate on this sort principle.
 
Just have it tested,, if it fails most places give a free retest within 14 days (and thus you'll have plenty of time to have the welding done). Pre-test, do me a favor :(.
 
[TW]Fox said:
Given that you can get an actual MOT for less than £40, a pre MOT for £40 is ridiculous. Avoid this garage.
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How come the current price on government website is just over £50? I paid just over £50, £50.35 I think. How are some garages able to offer it cheaper? Do they look to fail in order to recoup costs?
 
the only cost to the garage is the labour time 1hour (officially) so thats why they can afford to make it cheaper. The official price of 50odd is just a maximum the garages can charge for the test. My test didnt cost me a penny cos my mate is a tester. Got off with not putting my cat back on for my test (shhhh) lol
 
Tesla said:
How come the current price on government website is just over £50? I paid just over £50, £50.35 I think. How are some garages able to offer it cheaper? Do they look to fail in order to recoup costs?
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An MOT here is £37 and thats with a 7-14 day free retest if it fails, doesnt matter who does the work.
 
CURRENT MOT FEES
Class
2006-7 Fee

I/II (solo motorbikes)
£ 27.15

II (and motorbikes with sidecar)
£ 34.65

III (3-wheel vehicles)
£ 34.65

IV (cars)
£ 50.35

IV (passenger vehicles with 9-12 passenger seats)
£ 52.60

IVA (includes seat belt installation check)
£ 58.75

V (buses with 13-16 passenger seats)
£ 54.65

V (buses with 17+ passenger seats)
£ 74.10

VA (13-16 seats with seat belt installation check)
£ 73.95

VA (17+ seats with seat belt installation check)
£ 114.45

VII (goods vehicles between 3 – 3.5 tonnes)
£53.80

“£10 off all MOTs” (or some other discounted sum), or perhaps “All MOTs £38” - which is a straightforward discount. In other circumstances garages may offer a “free MOT with every service” for example.

Confusion arises with the free re-Test offer with a time limit. Motorists often think this is something to do with the official regulations and complain that a certain garage is in some way breaking the rules by only being able to offer a repair date after the “free re-Test” offer has expired.

These offers have nothing to do with the MOT regulations. Garages are fully entitled to make any offer they like, and put any conditions on that offer that they decide are appropriate, within the regulations set out above, and up to the set Maximum fee.

Note:
None of these commercial offers by individual Testing Stations has anything to do with the official regulations or the official price. If they want to, MOT garages can charge the full price for all MOTs, and all re-Tests (other than on official 'Free Re-Test items) where the vehicle is taken away after it has failed, and because of the nature of the failure, a full re-Test may have to be carried out. Alternatively they can offer any kind of discount system or offer that they like.
 
Tesla said:
How come the current price on government website is just over £50? I paid just over £50, £50.35 I think. How are some garages able to offer it cheaper? Do they look to fail in order to recoup costs?
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The price that the government set is the maximum price that a garage may charge.
 
Tesla said:
How come the current price on government website is just over £50? I paid just over £50, £50.35 I think. How are some garages able to offer it cheaper? Do they look to fail in order to recoup costs?
Click to expand...

That is merely VOSAs maximum permitted price, a garage can do it for whatever fee they can make money out o providing it is less than this maximum
 
My local motorcenter (kiplins 5/6 around the country) does MOTs @ £30 or you can get them down to £20 with a bit of haggling (ie i got 2 tyres for a good price plus a £20 mot)
 
Well I didn't turn up to that garage and I'm going to a mates uncles garage who're having a look at it and doing me an MOT for £30 :)

So all's good in the world. I was planning to cancel the original "pre-mot" at the first garage but I forgot... so stuff'em, they're rip-off merchants anyway!

ste_bla, £20 is well cheap for an MOT! :eek: You're looking at @£45 around here normally
 
-westy- said:
The price that the government set is the maximum price that a garage may charge.
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but its put forward as more as a recommendation to keep things 'fair'.

we are not entitled to put any clause for retests in that we like its all very structured depending on what's failed. this is some discretion and grey areas as there is with anything.
 
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