Garages urged to stop discounting MOTs in bid to boost lockdown recovery

[Lawrence]

If this can be achieved it will be excellent. When you look at the amount of costs associated with a testing station discounting mots is madness! but as you are aware it will only take one or two stations in an area to wreck this and back to square one again. Keep me posted if its a go name the date and I will increase my prices

[Christopher Paul James Nunn]

It been a long time coming if this doesn’t happen now it’s never going to happen.

[Guys Garage]

I Totally agree to customers paying full price, but will be ruined by money grabbing garages,

[Ian Gough]

Unless DVSA state that the fee must be charged at a standard rate for all this will never work.
The temptation is, when you are desperate for work and unfortunately in very many cases the standard practise, to discount the one thing that compels customers to bring their vehicle to a garage and then hope that you can upsell to cover selling the MOT as a loss leader.
DVSA must standardize the test fee or this argument is moot.

[Robert Mabee]

MOT Discounting – The rate for MOT’s has not increased for 10 years however calibrations, upgraded equipment when you take into account MOT calibrations costs, the costs for a test slot and to update equipment for testing and office equipment, the yearly NT tester exam, Electric and heating, ink cartridges/paper, it goes on and on.
Then you get MOT testing stations MOT cars as little as £19 in my area near Norwich – so all the above paying for a tester if it fails got a retest with no guarantee of doing the work GREAT. For years l have complained that MOT testing needs to be a price for all NO discount level playing field, the present pricing is NOT enough, commercial testing is charged at £135 per test (Includes rent on test lane) a joke and £75 retest fee – most garages never charge for a retest this can take up to half an hour. Tests need to be £75 no discounting and a proper test done by all. Government do not mind putting up fuel/vat and car tax WE DO NOT have a choice in that do we? MOT’s same price for all.

[CHRIS HUDD]

I Think that`s a good idea if you can get Halfords, Quick fit, ATS,and others like them to do the same…..Good luck with that.

[mr john w morris]

its about time we all stood together as we have the best safety record and the MOT test should not be used as a lost leader its well worth £54.85 and more we will never get a price increase if we dont charge the maximum fee The MOT and all the time and effort in administering it is at least worth making a profit.At least the customer knows he will get a fair test PASS or FAIL

[Robert Hunter]

Its about time we stopped the lost leader mot’s.This is not a help in the fight for road safety,after all its the only time the car owner needs to prove that there vehicle is fit to be on the public highway All to often we see vehicles presented for test with the last year advisory’s still on the vehicle.Surly a time limit could be added for these items, maybe 6 months then returned to the test station that carried out the test for inspection,,,, for free ?? This i feel could only work if the test fee is mandatory.Yes i know that a lot of test station’s will feel that it’s work for nothing but it could promote customer loyalty and the inspection will be only be a minimum look and then cleared from the dsva test log.

[James]

Wont happen. If it was £54.95 to the public, then what is the trade price? garages would then use the “Trade” price to get around it.Or you would have to have the same fee across the board. Then there would be a marketing trick.. Mot & service as a package to make the MOT fee look cheaper. You could offer a FREE mot for the life of the car, some main dealers do this already just to gain the customer. So on paper while it looks good there will be ways around it.

[m mc menemy]

vosa should set the mot at a set price that can not be changed up or down then there will be no confusion for anyone one price for all testing stations simple and effective if you change the price you should then be punished penalty points or reprimand

[Chris Angus]

Yes, we all should charge the same, good luck trying to change this, can’t see it ever happening!

[Philip Charteris]

Think the best way to achieve this is through local motor factors to see who would sign up . I would if the majority would I charge retail £45 at the mo

[Andrew Burton]

Level the playing field for everybody.
100% fair.

[steven fagan]

LONG OVER DUE, MOT PRICE MUST BE FIXED BY DVSA ASAP, EASY WAY TO DO IT VIA .GOV ONLINE USE THE SAME SYSTEM LIKE WHEN YOU RENUW YOUR ROAD TAX, PAY ONLINE FOR AN MOT SLOT, YOU GET A CODE TO GIVE TO YOUR LOCAL GARAGE AND TESTER INPUTS THE CODE AND TEST FEE GOES INTO MOT TEST CENTRES ACCOUNT. ALSO CUSTOMER GETS A RENUAL REMINDER BY EMAIL (EASY)

[Dave Geldard]

Agree with fixed price as it’s a fixed test. Howver on the back of a national emergency????
Come on get a grip..
We should be lobbying to fix the rate but not in this way please

[Derek Adams]

As previously mentioned, your fast fits like kwik fit, halfords wont charge full price.
My suggestion would be to put a minimum fee in place of say £40.00

[Taz]

I totally agree with the one price mot but I think the biggest issue might be is that the likes of Tesco etc would start to open open mot stations at every site!! Just a thought!

[Peter Miles]

I do and always have charged the maximum price permitted (which hasn’t gone up for I think 10 years now!) but even so if and when the new connected equipment brake rollers, decelerometer, emissions tester and headlight aligner become compulsory I’m not sure that I’ll carry on with it.
So if I feel that way how are the discounters going to justify the capital expenditure while offering a fair test?

[Consumer Guy]

Sounds like most of you guys are bleating about competition…. Get over it. If you provide a good service people will come to your garage. An MOT is a commodity in the UK. The customer chooses the local / trustworthy / helpful garage.

Not words you would normally use in the same sentence as Garage.

[Hartley Garage]

Open 3 years now always charge 54.85 could sometimes fit 2-3 more a day but I’m not not going to discount to get them

[Nigel]

Disagree. A bit of an echo chamber here? There are thousands of car owners who are also competent hands-on engineers in other fields or motorsport participants who maintain their own cars well in excess of basic mot standards & never fail an mot test. For what is essentially, a rubber-stamp formality for us, the cheapest mot test possible is desirable.

[Author]

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