Half Price MOTs from Halfords/Auto Trader

[HereBeMonsters]

Anyone tried one of these?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/CARS/mot/mot_centre.js...

I was just about to book, and I noticed this small print:

"The customer is liable to pay £27.42 and any other costs needed to pass the test due to an MOT failure."

So if they say I need new brakes, tyres, windscreen, suspension, wipers, bulbs and fluids then I just have to pay them? That can't be right surely?

Anyone managed to book one of these and not pay extras?

[W00DY]

My local one is fine. Paid my 27 quid and the retest was 13 something so pretty cheap and the failures were all fair.

[HereBeMonsters]

W00DY said:

My local one is fine. Paid my 27 quid and the retest was 13 something so pretty cheap and the failures were all fair.

So they didn't demand that they have the work, but charged you for a retest?

[VeeFour]

Used them a few months ago to MOT my now-sold track car.

They failed it on both front CV joints.

I took it to my local mechanic to have them replaced, but he just bunged it straight in for an MOT with the testing station he usually uses and it passed with no work done.

[saaby93]

Isn't retest free within a few days?

[HereBeMonsters]

VeeFour said:

I took it to my local mechanic to have them replaced, but he just bunged it straight in for an MOT with the testing station he usually uses and it passed with no work done.

I've always wondered if there's any recourse for this sort of thing going on. Can you report the original place to trading standards?

[VeeFour]

HereBeMonsters said:

I've always wondered if there's any recourse for this sort of thing going on. Can you report the original place to trading standards?

You can go through VOSA and I did have a phone call from the centre after sending in a complaint - but then I suffered my heart attack and it became distinctly not important anymore.

[Road Pest]

I wouldn't/didn't, even with half price service too.

[W00DY]

HereBeMonsters said:

W00DY said:

My local one is fine. Paid my 27 quid and the retest was 13 something so pretty cheap and the failures were all fair.

So they didn't demand that they have the work, but charged you for a retest?

They didn't really want the work (they can't easily source parts for the Beetles/have little knowledge of them) and they know I'll want to do it anyway. In fact I know my '65 made it through with at least 1 fail (not a dangerous one). Retests are half the price of the original if done within 10 ays (but they could charge half the full fee if they wanted legally).

[HereBeMonsters]

W00DY said:

HereBeMonsters said:

W00DY said:

My local one is fine. Paid my 27 quid and the retest was 13 something so pretty cheap and the failures were all fair.

So they didn't demand that they have the work, but charged you for a retest?

They didn't really want the work (they can't easily source parts for the Beetles/have little knowledge of them) and they know I'll want to do it anyway. In fact I know my '65 made it through with at least 1 fail (not a dangerous one). Retests are half the price of the original if done within 10 ays (but they could charge half the full fee if they wanted legally).

Has this changed since last year? I've never had to pay for a retest before...

[W00DY]

HereBeMonsters said:

Has this changed since last year? I've never had to pay for a retest before...

No, but it's entirely up to the garage whether they do. If you leave it with the garage to fix anything, then I believe they can't charge you.

[Daston]

Just had mine done and it failed. Paperwork said if the car is left with the test centre and they do the work then there is no charge. If you take the car and return within 10 working days then they can charge for a part test.

[Quinten]

Here's an idea. Take whatever quote you've received from Halfords/AT and take it to your preferred MOT station and ask them to match it? If they won't, try the next preferred choice? Or just phone and ask them? I do this every year, and every year I seem to be able to get my MOT done for £25 at my preferred MOT station, even though they will quote anyone else the £40+ fee that is recommended...

[VeeFour]

Daston said:

Just had mine done and it failed. Paperwork said if the car is left with the test centre and they do the work then there is no charge. If you take the car and return within 10 working days then they can charge for a part test.

What did it fail on - and do you believe it's a fair fail?

[Carrot]

Do not use.

Ever.

You WILL regret it.

I have had two personal experiences, the latter where I successfully managed to claim all the money back for the repair plus costs to get it rectified at another garage.

Neighbour has had several thousands of pounds of damage caused by their mechanics.

MoT is cheap for a reason, they will find or create something if you are one of their unlucky ones.

They are like the quICK FIT of the garage services world. Awful.

[airportparking]

Good to use if the car is not likely to pass and yu just need to know whats wrong with it

[bestinshow]

I had issues with these guys last year, "it needs two tyres" ( it didn't ) and headlamp aim needed re-setting or something. Had that done £10 or so)but I won't use them again, really felt like I was being ripped off.

[HereBeMonsters]

Quinten said:

Here's an idea. Take whatever quote you've received from Halfords/AT and take it to your preferred MOT station and ask them to match it? If they won't, try the next preferred choice? Or just phone and ask them? I do this every year, and every year I seem to be able to get my MOT done for £25 at my preferred MOT station, even though they will quote anyone else the £40+ fee that is recommended...

I tried that, but the local place said "nah, we can't match that. They'll get you on something and it'll cost twice that much."


So, against all advice I took it along just to see what would happen. Made it clear that I would be performing any fixes required myself, mentioned that I serviced it myself just before Christmas, and I had checked everything on my ramps at home so was confident it would pass.

It failed.

On headlamp beam adjustment. They fixed it free of charge and I drove out with a fresh MOT for £27. Bargain.

The manager there seems a real petrolhead, we spoke about his R32 Skyline at length, and he asked my advice on MX-5 purchasing for his wife. Seems a decent place. If it was an independent I'd have no qualms about going back there.

[sceptic]

http://www.justmots.eu/

[blank]

I've used it for the past three years and never had any issues.

I guess it's very dependant on your local one. They will vary considerably!