Is this a garage scam ?

[derekpara]

1. Punter (me) takes car to local garage (not main dealer) for service and MOT

2. Mechanic takes car to MOT station for testing.

3. Mechanic changes oil, filter and spark plugs and does visual check of pads. Checks fluid levels and tyre pressures, all of which driver should do once a week.

4. Garage charges punter for MOT and then charges punter again for the full service price which includes the items already checked by MOT. ( Still with me ?)

5 Result: Punter is  charged twice for most of the service.

In future I will have the service six months after the MOT. Thus having two safety checks a year ( I hope !)

[KebabMeister]

Most non-MOT garages do this.  The garage often see it as providing a loyal customer with a MOT (with the customer not having to go to a different garage).

The mechanic is simply doing what is listed on the service sheet.  If he didn't carry out those tasks then he definitely is ripping you off.  It's irrelevent that they were checked on the MOT; MOT testers can miss things as well (MOT tests are primarily visual; they are not permitted to move/remove things such as wheel trims, boot trim, cambelt covers etc. to inspect)!  If you didn't want the garage to check the items already covered on the MOT then ask them not to check them.  However the garage would be in their rights to stamp your service book or class it as a full service.  If you ask a garage to do a service then that is what you get; nothing more or less than their service schedule.

Even if your garage did do MOTs then they'd still charge you twice but quite often they'd get the tester to do the service aswell.  This would mean that whilst doing the service he would also be carrying out parts of the MOT test.  This means that it is saving the garage time but they would still charge you for both unless you arranged some kind of deal with a garage.

So, it isn't a garage scam in my opinion.  If I was you I would have the service done at a different time of the year if you weren't happy with the process. 

[v64paul]

hell no. as the meister says, a large part of the mot is visual. i hold an examiners qualification for hgv's. it's drummed into you that the level of maintainence for your vehicle to be roadworthy in the eyes of vosa and the law  is well below the standard you should keep to in real life conditions as it were.

[KebabMeister]

Exactly v64paul.

When I used to do MOT tests it was often frustrating because you could only write advisory sheets for stuff that wasn't failable in the MOT.  I don't mean to sound that it was a disappointment but more that the customer was under no obligation to have the advisory things seen to.  For instance you could have a hole in the floor yet if it wasn't within 30cm of a structural point then it's road legal.  Boot trims, inner wheel arch covers etc. also obscurred suspension turrets/components etc. and you can't see if there is heavy corrosion behind these things.  All the MOT means is that at the time of the test the car appeared to be a road safe condition.  Note the word 'appeared'! :)  It also comes down to individual interpretation and opinion - if something was borderline and I couldn't make up my mind whether to fail it then I'd ask another MOT testers advice.  This was just using common sense and would work reciprocally too.

[barneysdad]

If you took your car for service and MOT all on the same day and the garage didnt have the MOT license it makes sense to check it first to avoid any unwanted messing about going back and forth getting retests.

[Gef]

A service and an MOT test are totally different. The MOT tester will point out any items (brakes, lights etc.) which need to be rectified before a certificate can be issued. It does not cover items like oil, filters and spark plugs. You have not been charged twice.