Rip off garage
 

Ok guys let me run this past you for thoughts opinions.

My partner took her ford focus tdi into a garage for an mot and the garage in question were doing MOTs for £20 which is damn cheap. Anyway during the mot the guy said she would need three tyres, £36 each which she said fair enough. Then the guy came back and said the emission was high so it would need injection cleaner and a run down the road. Anyway she got the bill and was charged for mot + 3 tyres as agreed but 19.95+VAT for the injection cleaner and 24.00 for tracking!

I think they are having a laugh with regards to the injection cleaner and tracking, we have been told that a garage must inform you before carrying out work and I think we have grounds for dispute but just wondered what you guys thought.

Anyway she paid by credit card and has phoned her company who will get involved to dispute payment so thats a good start I think it stinks!

cheers

Gary

Always beware of cheap MOTs - they usually end up like this! Injection cleaner is about a fiver from Halfrauds - just been and put some in my car for its test. Always have someone vaguely knowlegable take the car for its test ....

Dave

aye the usual catch for the cheap MOT is "headlight alignment".

yeah its a rip-off and it stinks, but unless im reading it wrong, it sounds like she agreed to the work.

dispute it if u want, but i think you'll struggle as all the garage need to do is show the credit card company the signed receipt. and as your partner paid for it - they have a signed receipt.

id put it down to a learning experience if i were u and never ever let her take the car to a garage again.

Any garage that is offering discount MOTs (and some also claim to give pensioners discounts as well) should be avoided like the plague. That's how they make their money.
Tracking has nothing to do with the MOT and again it's another money making scam - many garages don't even bother touching the tie rods.

Yeah, know that one well. Many garages try this one and the guy testing will ask for a few quid for beer money after pretending to turn the screw a few times.

Any normal non-modified UK car that seems to be running ok that fails an mot on emissions is most likely down to the car either not been driven for long or fast enough.

8 times out of 10 you take the car out for a good blast, get it nice and hot and it will fly through the emissions test. :)

I also got that on my old 306. Bu the garage (at Thurgoland, Sheffield/Barnsley) doesn't do any work on cars, just does MOT's for £20 ?!

Got my lights adjusted by the company who should have done it when the fixed the accident damage and went back, job done (free-re test)