where should I take this?

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have two sets of paperwork in front of me.

One is a failed MOT test, complete with about 15 reasons why, and a summary of work needing to be done including a service totalling some £800. The MOT was carried out BY the SAME garage that proposed the work.

The other is a passed MOT test taken elsewhere,for the same vehicle on the following day, showing no work needing to be done at all. One advisory was picked up.. and the comment was 'I saw where they had marked that pipe, but they did not scrape away the flaking paint as required by the test to see whether or not it was corroded: there is superficial corrosion, yes, but I would not consider it an MOT failure'

Of all the other 'failures' the comment was either 'its not part of the MOT test' or 'it is part of it, but the vehicle is well inside the statutory limits'

The only work billed in between was on the handbrake - the claim is that they were stripped, the pads deglazed and the charge was £75. I am more or less sure that the only thing that was done was to tighten the handbrake cable.

The company involved is the biggest name in vehicles in Cambridge BUT it was not at the Cambridge branch - it was at the Bury St Edmunds Branch. I have never had problems with the Cambridge based franchises.

I will never ever use the Bury Franchise again unless I find the service manager has been sacked.

I would welcome feedback on whether or not it is worth while pursuing this, and if so what methodologies would be recommended.

I am slightly acquainted with the man who owns this car group.

[Terry Fields]

Some years ago what I recall to be official figures suggested that the failure rate of 25 percent should in reality have been 6 percent.

I guess it's a well-known problem that no-one's doing anything much about. There are too many get-outs, such as "well, that was the state of the vehicle when we saw it".

Terry Fields

[ARWadsworth]

Either

1) Make a paper mache penis out of the 1st MOT and shove it up the managers arse (bulk it up with dog shit and a copy of the Daily Mail)

or

2) set fire to the 1st MOT and then shove it through the garage letterbox

[Tim Streater]

Well I think you should, although that's easy for me to say. No longer living near Cambridge, I am perforce no longer using the outfit I imagine you're referring to.

You could request an interview with the Service Manager at the Cambridge branch. During that, if you hint at your acquaintance with the owner, that should prevent the Cambridge SM, if he is so minded, from soothingly reassuring you that it will be sorted, and then doing an old mates act, i.e. nothing. I say "if he is so minded", as I have no idea whether that sort of thing happens. He should then do it by the book i.e. refer it to whoever is overall in charge of Service.

Alternatively contact your acquaintance, and request from him directly the name of the person to speak to, one of the directors I imagine.

[Lobster]

Take it straight to the local Trading Standards, I'd have thought

David

[Tim Watts]

Send a copy of both MOTs to VOSA - I think they might well be interested in the descrepencies...

[polygonum]

I would have a look at the DVLA's advise on this issue:

only have a short time to get a complaint in if you go down the DVLA= =

route. But I do think it is something that should not be dropped. If onl= y =

out of fairness to the second place who sound as if they did the right =

thing.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

This is the snag: quite a few things are a matter of judgement. Others not

- like say emissions or brake efficiency. If there are any black and white decisions, you could take it up.

Last time it happened to me it involved brakes which had just been replaced - both discs and pads being said to be worn out. And since I'd replaced them myself knew for certain it was a con. The garage who tested it the next day reported the original test station, and the tester lost his licence.

[Ericp]

Please do this because not everybody is as able to defend themselves as you are. Many are very trusting and would not consider going to another station for a test but just accept the results and get fleeced.

[Mark]

I think you should pursue because the entire test record is now on the VOSA system for anyone "with an interest in the vehicle" to access, if they so wish. Meaning if they have the V5C reference number (e.g. a potential or actual purchaser) they can ask you if the rectification work was done and if not, why not.

FWIW, I have only once patronised what I imagine is probaby the same group, for reasons of professional integrity.

Mark

[The Natural Philosopher]

..and magically improved without a spanner on it literally 4 hours after it had been released by them?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Attractive, but it will land me in trouble, not him.

[The Natural Philosopher]

THAT is sound advice, and thank you.

[NT]

I'd first make sure the 2nd certificate is entirely correct. As logn as it is, I might send a copy of the 2 to the registered head office of the testing station, and also to the ministry of transport.

NT

[Derek Geldard]

Hmm, when I was working in the smoke I took my Austin A35 van for an MOT and duly left it parked on the garage forecourt.

When I returned at the end of the day it had not been moved a single millimetre but the garage said it had failed. I asked to see a test certificate (so I had a sound basis for getting it repaired) and they said "if we issued a certificate we'd have to charge you.

Being prepared to settle for a compromise I asked on what items it had failed. After about 40 seconds pondering he said "Erm er, handbrake ratchet, and universal joints (Prop shaft)".

It susbequently passed without any new U.J.'s .

ISTM, if they are too busy (have more lucrative work to do) or have spent too long down the pub that's the way they deal with it.

More difficult nowadays that exhaust gas analyses (and brakes ??) once begun involve serial numbers and VIN numbers.

Derek G

[The Natural Philosopher]

well the first is online already, but not the second, yet.

If it ain't valid I wont be able to re-tax the car will I?

But it is, because that's where I have taken it for the last two years. BIG MOT station that does loads of commercial vehicles. NOT a dealership

- they do a bit of servicing too at half the hourly rate of a certain dealership....And they fail plenty too. Last time = 'first bloke today I was able to pass' ...I use them because they have a bay tall enough to take my luton-ish camper..

Just takes a bit of time for the MOT to appear.

So VOSA has a record - or will have - of both tests.

So that's one line of attack - an official complaint there. Then it sounds like trading standards might be worth a go.

[ARWadsworth]

You would think that, but it is not true.

[Tim Watts]

I've been to a garage where exactly the same thing happened, with the slight difference that a "pass" was the expected outcome and all the locals knew it.

That was before computerised tests though...

[The Natural Philosopher]

easy enough not to pull the handbrake on FAIL or make up 'marginal' excuses like tyres, lights wipers and various other things being 'not good enough' or 'corroded' - what does the average person KNOW?

A certain Cambrdge Peugot dealer. I have an old - a very old, Commer camper. We are talking 1985 or so, and the camper is from the 60's. Back axle is leaking oil. The rip me for 60 quid to change two oil seals and say 'but I don't think it will last sir - the half shafts are corroded' and of course, it doesn't . Because they failed to put any oil back in the differential whatsoever. I bough a scrappy diff, put it in and filled up the oil. NO sign of half shaft corrosion whatsoever.

Roll the clock forward to a Jaguar garage in Bury St Edmunds. I bought an ageing XJS. Rather cheap. Oh dear, MOT/service reveals its seeping oil out of the front of the (limited slip) diff, do I want it fixed ..? How much? £1500 for a new differential..plus labour..I take it to man who races MGBS on the Barton road..200 notes for a new oil seal. Perfect.

Next MOT later the new MOT people that I used report 'did you know your kingpin is bent at 30 degrees? Have you smashed it into a kerb?' 'No its always been like that..since I bought it..I thought it was a bit cheap..well they fixed that for sane money, and now it doesn't shimmy on hard corners. Excellent! roll forward another 18 months and the rather high oil consumption is finally answered, when it spectacularly blows a water hose up the A1 and leaves a plume of steam trailing in its wake..I limp from service station to service station filling with neat cold water till I arrive at my MGB man. He accepts the job and reports back 'the radiator has been smashed at some time, its full of - well a giant turd is what came out. Looks like something has been used to seal it, but its totally stopped it being a radiator ' 'ah' I said. 'It did always run a bit HOT..'

Re-cored rad subsequently works like a charm. Corroded bodywork got it in the end. Lovely old girl she was. Total bitch in a tail slide tho.

But it goes to show how bent MOT tests and dealers are. Damn thing had been patched up from a major front end shunt. And two MOT test failed to discover how bent the suspension was, and then no one spotted the buggered rad.

But they managed to spot an oil leak and try and take me for two grand..

[The Other Mike]

Report them to VOSA, sooner rather than later.