Garage MOT Scam.

[Steve57]

Sadly it seems we have been caught with a naughty garage.

Quick over view.

My mums car died so i bought a 06 Aygo for her 2 weeks ago, cheap because only one months MOT remained. I was happy it was fine for an MOT pass on most serious issues, maybe wipers etc might need a change and a double check of bulbs. Before i handed it over to my mum the wife run it to our regular MOT centre 5 mins from home that we have used for 5/6 years.

Wife calls me from MOT and says front shocks need changing drivers side is leaking and passenger is an advisory plus wiper needs replacing. garage will do said work for £300 with a retest but as we had a few days on the MOT i say leave it for now.
I purchase 2 new shocks and change them on Sat but stupidly before i thought of it didnt even check the existing shocks, wasnt until i had them both out i realised that they were most certainly NOT seriously leaking and were fine. Decided to fit the new ones anyway along with a new wiper. Retest done on Tuesday passed ok after the pass the wife removes the old shocks from the car and questions said garage about them but typically the person who did the first fail wasn't onsite (garage owner so it transpires). Two workers agree they seem fine and will arrange for the boss to call us.
The following Morning he calls the wife @ 8:30am and says 'Sorry made a mistake, it was the Rear shock' so he failed the car for faulty front shocks yet it was rears, so when the retest was done they checked the fronts were replaced along with the wiper and passed it
Cut story shorter (sorry) he agrees that he will change the drivers side rear shock FOC, we push for the pair to be swapped and agree on buying one shock, he buys one shock and fits both FOC. FFWD to last night i go look at the car, guess what rear shocks are FINE!!! even had Mum pop into her local garage who kindly put on the ramps and agree they are all ok.
What should we do now? about to call them to see what turd they come out with now but wonder what we can do as its NOT on. Obviously wifey can plaster all over Faceache etc but should we contact DVSA etc?

Sorry that went on longer than i thought it would.

[Dan_M5]

I wouldn't bother wasting your time.

It happens more often than not. It happened to me at a BMW main dealer.

You're not in a position to say the shocks are faulty or not its all down to opinion

[eybic]

This is one of the main issues with the MOT system, it's all subjective. What to one person is fine, another may ere on the side of caution.

[Steve57]

Why should we roll over? they tried to Scam £300 from us, now are saying we need to pay another £60 (albeit we didnt pay the £300 it still cost £100 for the front shocks). when NONE of the shocks are seriously leaking.
Boss isn't in today so never mentioned to them why we called and will see his reply tomorrow.
DVSA while won't reinspect the car due to the replacement parts being fitted already they will investigate them (maybe send a car in for a test were the words).

[eybic]

Trading standards? I suspect they get this type of complaint a lot.

[Steve57]

First picture is front shock removed (seriously leaking)
Second is rear shock (seriously leaking)

[hotchy]

Steve57 said:

Why should we roll over? they tried to Scam £300 from us, now are saying we need to pay another £60 (albeit we didnt pay the £300 it still cost £100 for the front shocks). when NONE of the shocks are seriously leaking.
Boss isn't in today so never mentioned to them why we called and will see his reply tomorrow.
DVSA while won't reinspect the car due to the replacement parts being fitted already they will investigate them (maybe send a car in for a test were the words).

Youve got perfect new shocks all round and fitted free. Thats a win in my book.

[Dan_M5]

Steve57 said:

Why should we roll over? they tried to Scam £300 from us, now are saying we need to pay another £60 (albeit we didnt pay the £300 it still cost £100 for the front shocks). when NONE of the shocks are seriously leaking.
Boss isn't in today so never mentioned to them why we called and will see his reply tomorrow.
DVSA while won't reinspect the car due to the replacement parts being fitted already they will investigate them (maybe send a car in for a test were the words).

Least it was only £300, BMW wanted 2k from me

[geeks]

Trouble is, if the test thinks he sees misting on the shocks then he will fail it, as others have said it's subjective. I am sure most would rather air to the side of caution than not. The mix up on the other hand with front to rear, not sure how that will have happened, the failure sheet will have details which they spotted!?

[Steve57]

hotchy said:

Youve got perfect new shocks all round and fitted free. Thats a win in my book.

Only Fronts, changed/bought by me so not free. Yes im happy that mums car is now perfectly fine,but how many people will fall for the scam and have work done that isn't needed.

[Dogwatch]

I sympathise and no doubt you'll take your business elsewhere in future. However it is an 11yo car and I guess the mileage must be in or near to six figures so the old shocks, if original, must have been well used. Even if they weren't leaking you don't know how well they've been treated in the past over speed bumps and the like.

[Steve57]

geeks said:

Trouble is, if the test thinks he sees misting on the shocks then he will fail it, as others have said it's subjective. I am sure most would rather air to the side of caution than not. The mix up on the other hand with front to rear, not sure how that will have happened, the failure sheet will have details which they spotted!?

Failure clearly says Front offside shock seriously leaking (clearly wasnt seriously leaking) neither is the rear.
call trading standards for a view on it me thinks.

[Steve57]

Dogwatch said:

I sympathise and no doubt you'll take your business elsewhere in future. However it is an 11yo car and I guess the mileage must be in or near to six figures so the old shocks, if original, must have been well used. Even if they weren't leaking you don't know how well they've been treated in the past over speed bumps and the like.

Picture above is the shock in question, im not sure they are the originals but don't have proof of otherwise either. Its done 86k so i agree unknown. what i disagree with is the owner failing for one thing, then when questioned back tracking and saying opps my mistake its the rears, when clearly two other views are the rears are fine. why dig yourself in deeper? No we most certainly WONT be re using them, customer of 6 + years gone, altho wont be a big loss for them as usually only an MOT or two.

[Red Devil]

Steve57 said:

even had Mum pop into her local garage who kindly put on the ramps and agree they are all ok.

I should hope so after all 4 have been changed!

Rule #1 with an MOT: be there when it's done and watch what the tester is up to.*
The 'leaking shock' (a quick squirt from an oil can) is a well known tactic for dreaming up unncessary work.

 * The MOT Testing Guide 6th Edition Section D1 Page 6
    Requirements for Authorisation
    7. Any individual presenting a vehicle for an MOT test has the right to bserve the tst in safety from the approved viewing area(s).

[Steve57]

Red Devil said:

I should hope so after all 4 have been changed!

Rule #1 with an MOT: be there when it's done and watch what the tester is up to.*
The 'leaking shock' (a quick squirt from an oil can) is a well known tactic for dreaming up unncessary work.

 * The MOT Testing Guide 6th Edition Section D1 Page 6
    Requirements for Authorisation
    7. Any individual presenting a vehicle for an MOT test has the right to bserve the tst in safety from the approved viewing area(s).

Rears haven't been changed, they wanted to do that so i inspected all look ok, other garage (also an MOT tester) agrees they DONT need changing and are not leaking.
Agreed if i could have been onsite i probably would have questioned it.

[Steve57]

Reading back, lots of if's/buts. i do agree, all water of a ducks back, i'm happy mums car is now safe for a few years (Front shocks at least), the gripe i have is the twisting of the story, we questioned the old shocks look fine but we have still changed them. Two employees of said garage say they look fine (one of which is an MOT tester) yet when the owner/failing MOTer calls back he changes his story to say he accidently wrote front instead of rear, so then we investigate and the rears are fine. If he said i see some misting on the front so would rather be certain they were ok i would have been happy.

[Jonno02]

Please do call trading standards. They do actually do something about these complaints.

Garage I bought a car off were seriously investigated after consecutive complaints.

[geeks]

Steve57 said:

geeks said:

Trouble is, if the test thinks he sees misting on the shocks then he will fail it, as others have said it's subjective. I am sure most would rather air to the side of caution than not. The mix up on the other hand with front to rear, not sure how that will have happened, the failure sheet will have details which they spotted!?

Failure clearly says Front offside shock seriously leaking (clearly wasnt seriously leaking) neither is the rear.
call trading standards for a view on it me thinks.

Fair one on that. No excuse for the mix up!

[Markbarry1977]

This Ian why I will never have a car MOT by a place that actually does work.

My cars have only ever been done at a dedicated test only centre. It's just too easy for a garage owner to dream up work to make more money for himself.

[geeks]

Markbarry1977 said:

This Ian why I will never have a car MOT by a place that actually does work.

My cars have only ever been done at a dedicated test only centre. It's just too easy for a garage owner to dream up work to make more money for himself.

Not every garage is on the take!

I have two places I use dependent on who can fit me in and when and which vehicle (one of the places doesn't have room for the camper) both a great honest garages i have used for years and will always show me a failed part and if i ask give me access to a ramp and their trade account to fix it!