Discussion
The MOT on my Jag expired today. Last week I booked it into an MOT centre in Bath and took it there on Monday. I was very confident that it would sail through - it's maintained irrespective of cost by Swallows Jaguar and I've got complete confidence in them. It had a comprehensive service at 50k miles three months ago.
So, when I got collected my car and was told that it had failed by the spotty yoof behind the counter, I was somewhat taken aback. He then went on to explain that the discs on all four wheels were seriously pitted and needed to be replaced, that the rear tyres were near the limit and that it had an oil leak from "somewhere near the cambelt" that needed urgent investigation.
Now, I know my car quite well. THe rear tyres have 4mm of tread on them, the pads were changed on all four corners by Swallows in the recent service and it doesn't have an oil leak. So I queried the yoof and he called his mate over, who apparently was the inspector, and he reiterated everything that was said. I couldn't help pointing out that the car doesn't have a cambelt. Yoof then told me that they could do all the work for me and that if I waited he'd work out a price. I politely declined and said I'd be taking the car back to Swallows.
So, I turned up at Swallows at 8.30am this morning and had a quick chat with the workshop manager, who I always end up wasting hours with talking cars. He confirmed that he didn't think there was anything much wrong with the discs, but would check them carefully, and also check out the apparent oil leak.
I went away for a couple of hours.
Cutting a long story short, it transpired that the front discs were a little worn, not pitted at all and well within service limits. The back discs were barely worn at all and there is no oil leak. There remains 4mm of tread on the rear tyres.
As the car had failed an MOT Swallows decided to change the front discs. They were confident that they would have remained within sevice limits until the next service, but advised that if I challenged the wrongfully failed MOT it would create a major bureaucratic mess that would be time consuming and costly and potentially involve lawyers. So they gave me the old discs back and a letter explaining that the discs were within serviceable limits, that the car should not have failed the MOT, and there were no problems with the rear discs, oil leaks and tyre tread depth.
So, off I toddled back to the MOT centre with my front discs and my letter. When I got there I asked to see the proprietor and was told he wasn't in for the day. Instead I was introduced to the service manager. I calmly explained everything to him and produced the discs and the letter. He went a bit purple and called over the kid who had done the MOT. At first he stood by what he had done, until I invited him to show me where the pitting was on the discs. He then said that the discs weren't pitted, but they were a bit worn and he had just accidentally hit the wrong button. So I asked him if slightly worn discs represented an MOT failure and what about the oil leak and the rear discs and the tyre. At this point he left the room, leaving me with the spluttering, rapidly back-pedalling workshop manager.
I didn't pull any punches. I told him that as far as I was concerned they had wrongfully failed the car in attempt to make money out of work that didn't need to be done. I told him that I was going to go away for a coffee for an hour to think about how I wanted to handle the situation and when I came back I expected to find a fully MOT'd car waiting for me.
An hour later I walked back in and was met at the door by the service manager who was full of apologies and half-baked explanations. I told him that I was seriously considering reporting the business to VOSA, and he went a very strange colour and started spluttering about how he had been suffering ill health and had a bad back and had retired once and ben persuaded to come back by the owner. I told him to get my keys and my certificate and I'd think about how to handle the situation.
Then he dropped the bombshell. He had spoken to the owner and the owner was insisting that the car would not be released to me until I had paid the £20 retest fee. I told him I wasn't paying and suggested that he get the keys and the certificate. He said that he couldn't do this, so I asked to speak to the owner. He reiterated that the owner wasn't available, but said I could speak to the owner's son. He took me back into the office and introduced me to the same spotty yoof behind the counter.
Spotty yoof reiterated that he wold not give me the keys and the certificate until I had paid the money. I told him that I was on the point of going to VOSA, trading standards and the media. His response was "I'm not f
king bothered". That was the final straw. I don't really remember what I said to him but it wasn't very polite. I chucked the cash across the counter and snatched the keys and certificate - he then told me to fk off out of his office.
Needless to say trading standards and VOSA have already been called. I've sent the workshop manager a message saying that if I don't have a written apology, a letter of explanation and a refund by lunchtime tomorrow it will be in all the local papers, the Telegraph and Times motoring sections and as many motoring magazines as I can manage.
If anybody wants to know the name of this outfit I'd be happy to answer private messages.
So, when I got collected my car and was told that it had failed by the spotty yoof behind the counter, I was somewhat taken aback. He then went on to explain that the discs on all four wheels were seriously pitted and needed to be replaced, that the rear tyres were near the limit and that it had an oil leak from "somewhere near the cambelt" that needed urgent investigation.
Now, I know my car quite well. THe rear tyres have 4mm of tread on them, the pads were changed on all four corners by Swallows in the recent service and it doesn't have an oil leak. So I queried the yoof and he called his mate over, who apparently was the inspector, and he reiterated everything that was said. I couldn't help pointing out that the car doesn't have a cambelt. Yoof then told me that they could do all the work for me and that if I waited he'd work out a price. I politely declined and said I'd be taking the car back to Swallows.
So, I turned up at Swallows at 8.30am this morning and had a quick chat with the workshop manager, who I always end up wasting hours with talking cars. He confirmed that he didn't think there was anything much wrong with the discs, but would check them carefully, and also check out the apparent oil leak.
I went away for a couple of hours.
Cutting a long story short, it transpired that the front discs were a little worn, not pitted at all and well within service limits. The back discs were barely worn at all and there is no oil leak. There remains 4mm of tread on the rear tyres.
As the car had failed an MOT Swallows decided to change the front discs. They were confident that they would have remained within sevice limits until the next service, but advised that if I challenged the wrongfully failed MOT it would create a major bureaucratic mess that would be time consuming and costly and potentially involve lawyers. So they gave me the old discs back and a letter explaining that the discs were within serviceable limits, that the car should not have failed the MOT, and there were no problems with the rear discs, oil leaks and tyre tread depth.
So, off I toddled back to the MOT centre with my front discs and my letter. When I got there I asked to see the proprietor and was told he wasn't in for the day. Instead I was introduced to the service manager. I calmly explained everything to him and produced the discs and the letter. He went a bit purple and called over the kid who had done the MOT. At first he stood by what he had done, until I invited him to show me where the pitting was on the discs. He then said that the discs weren't pitted, but they were a bit worn and he had just accidentally hit the wrong button. So I asked him if slightly worn discs represented an MOT failure and what about the oil leak and the rear discs and the tyre. At this point he left the room, leaving me with the spluttering, rapidly back-pedalling workshop manager.
I didn't pull any punches. I told him that as far as I was concerned they had wrongfully failed the car in attempt to make money out of work that didn't need to be done. I told him that I was going to go away for a coffee for an hour to think about how I wanted to handle the situation and when I came back I expected to find a fully MOT'd car waiting for me.
An hour later I walked back in and was met at the door by the service manager who was full of apologies and half-baked explanations. I told him that I was seriously considering reporting the business to VOSA, and he went a very strange colour and started spluttering about how he had been suffering ill health and had a bad back and had retired once and ben persuaded to come back by the owner. I told him to get my keys and my certificate and I'd think about how to handle the situation.
Then he dropped the bombshell. He had spoken to the owner and the owner was insisting that the car would not be released to me until I had paid the £20 retest fee. I told him I wasn't paying and suggested that he get the keys and the certificate. He said that he couldn't do this, so I asked to speak to the owner. He reiterated that the owner wasn't available, but said I could speak to the owner's son. He took me back into the office and introduced me to the same spotty yoof behind the counter.
Spotty yoof reiterated that he wold not give me the keys and the certificate until I had paid the money. I told him that I was on the point of going to VOSA, trading standards and the media. His response was "I'm not f
king bothered". That was the final straw. I don't really remember what I said to him but it wasn't very polite. I chucked the cash across the counter and snatched the keys and certificate - he then told me to fk off out of his office.Needless to say trading standards and VOSA have already been called. I've sent the workshop manager a message saying that if I don't have a written apology, a letter of explanation and a refund by lunchtime tomorrow it will be in all the local papers, the Telegraph and Times motoring sections and as many motoring magazines as I can manage.
If anybody wants to know the name of this outfit I'd be happy to answer private messages.
They can't refuse to release your car if you don't want to pay for it after it's MOTd. However, they can refuse to test it if you tell them beforehand that you won't pay. There is no point in going to VOSA now as you have rectified the problem and you can't prove the discs are off your car. If you had gone to VOSA in the first place you would have to fork out another £54 for a re-test to be done by VOSA and risk forfeiting the fee if you are wrong.
Petrol under the door and a match!!!
At times like this you always wish you'd had a mini tape recorder at hand!
I had my MOT at weekend an had a nice long talk with the tester. A very decent bloke but an absolute jobsworth, although after him pointing out that its his name on the certificate should subsequently go wrong then I could see why he was so 'efficient'!
I felt that my failure certificate was justified and trusted his judgment and detailed explanation. Headlight pattern and cracked coil spring - couldn't argue with this one really!
I take it you've not used this place before??
Edited by Fastra on Wednesday 12th May 20:00
Mon Ami Mate said:
I've sent the workshop manager a message saying that if I don't have a written apology, a letter of explanation and a refund by lunchtime tomorrow it will be in all the local papers, the Telegraph and Times motoring sections and as many motoring magazines as I can manage.
Do it regardless! And don't give up until they've been well and truly shafted.
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