new mot fees

just been told it is now going to cost me £44.15 to mot my vectra as VOSA
has now gone all computerised
checked info on this
anyone else think its just another bloody rip-off ?
http://www.direct.gov.uk

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/MotArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4022514&chk=3fdPzr

 

Look at it this way - MoT takes on average an hour to do. If you took your
car to a BMW dealer in London with an hourly labour rate of £100+, £44.15 is
cheap. If you take it to Fred Bloggs Autos with a labour rate of £25, MoT
seems expensive. I was told MoT price is set by the National labour rate
average of all test stations, don't know if that is true or not.

 

Since VOSA get around £2 for each test, I doubt the price rise is to pay for
the computerisation. Looks like an annual increase to me (was about £42 las
time I took mine in).

Bob

 

just been told it is now going to cost me £44.15 to mot my vectra as VOSA

It is worse than that. Any retest must be charged at full cost, as the
computer system has to be 'started up' and a 45 minute timer (lock out) is
also started - this means that no other car can be MOTed on the equipment.
Even if they do no actual work, the MOT machine is being used for your car
for the full 45 minutes (maybe 1 hour - not sure).

The computerised system will also link to the emissions equipment, so at
least one test must be done once it is all up and running.

 

There is no 45 minute lockout. Each tester can have 1 test active on his
card. If he takes less than 45 minutes to do a test on a regular basis, a
vosa man may come to spy on him to see if he is cutting corners.

Hmm, last I heard they had done 2.5 million tests. What has linking to the
EGA got to do with at least one test having to be done?

Bob

 

Not many test stations have emission machines linked up to the MoT computer,
most of them are a stand alone unit and results are inputted into MoT pc at
the end of the test.

 

None of the test stations have the EGA linked the the VTS computer, and they
never will. Some garages have their EGA too far away from the computer.
The plan is to rewrite the software in the EGAs to use another smart card
reader, and transfer the data on the tester's smart card. At the moment,
the tester has to bash the results in on the keyboard.

Bob

 

There is no 45 minute lockout. Each tester can have 1 test active on his

Fair enough, but it is a 'psychological' lockout, in that if the test is too
short, he may get a visit - a case of 'big brother is watching you'. My MOT
guy said that they will not do free retests anymore because of this
'feature'.

Again, this is from my MOT guy. He said they were going to 'join' the
emissions kit to the system, so that rekeying was unnecessary. If it was
'joined' (in some way), then it would obviously expect an emissions test to
be run per MOT.

 

On the computer there is an option for running a test, a retest, and a
partial retest. I doubt Mr Vosa is going to send in the stormtroopers if he
takes less than 45 minutes to verify a light bulb is functioning.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is he not obliged to do a free retest if it is
returned within 2 weeks for certain items? He may find his right to perform
MOTs is removed if he refuses free retests if this is the case.

Just a small story about retests. I was talking to a mechaninc about
retests, he said he failed a car on 2 bald front tyres. The customer
brought the car in next day, and the front tyres were fine, but he then
noticed tha back tyres were bald! He had swapped them over. The customer
was then giving it verbal about he had a piece of paper saying the rear
tyres were OK, and only the front ones had to be checked...

Bob

 

An MOT test, and a Full Retest are the same procedure.

A partial retest is only allowable under certain circumstances:
the vehicle remains at test station for repairs,
the vehicle failed on minor items & brought back before end of next
working day for a retesting.

The test station is entitled to charge the full fee for all retests
that are not a partial retest.


When doing a partial retest, the tester will look at the items that
failed and any items that may have been removed to repair the failed
item.
Any other fault noticed when doing a partial retest can (and will)
result in another failure notice being issued.

There is only one free retest allowed per MOT.

Visit The MOT Forum:
http://motforum,proboards44.com

 

I knew there were certain items you could bring it back for a free retest,
but thought it was 2 weeks. My reason for this was overhearing a mechanic
telling a customer it would be a free retest within 2 weeks, but negotiable
outside this time. If what you say is true (1 working day) then they must
voluntarily offer an extension.

hehe, so the dodgy customer shot himself in the foot, because he would have
to get new tyres AND pay another MOT test fee...

Are you a tester? (I assume NT=Nominated Tester)

I would, but it appears broken (404)

Bob

 

I was under the impression (probably using out of date info) that the stated
test fee was a MAXIMUM that a station could charge but that if they so felt
inclined they could do it for free. or any amount between zero and the
maximum amount. .

Mike

 

Yep, NT = Nominated Tester.

The link for The MOT forum should read:
http://motforum.proboards44.com

The previous post had a comma instead of a full-stop, sorry!

 

True.
The test fees are indeed the maximum amount that Vehicle Test Stations
are allowed to charge.
They can charge what they like below this maximum.