Here at R&L Motors we may not specialise in doing the MOT itself, but we do carry out the MOT repairs, for when a MOT centre has asked for a price too high, or you feel that you have been scammed. If you feel like you have been scammed by an MOT Centre, then please call in your vehicle to us and we’ll check everything for you. However, if you want to avoid the scam altogether, then this article is exactly what you’re looking for.
MOT Scams
The following is a list of just some of the criminal practices that have been recorded in association with the MOT trade. If you are getting your car MOT’d or you are buying a car then check them out to ensure you are not caught out, as this could end up causing you a hefty price tag on unnecessary repairs.
Unfair Failure
By far the most common deception is the practice of failing items on the test when they are perfectly okay, this is known by almost everybody and choosing a trustworthy MOT Centre these days can be quite hard!
It is very easy for a disreputable testing station to quickly replace a headlamp bulb with a non-working one, or damage a wiper blade or change the adjustment of the headlights. An experienced mechanic can do these things in seconds and then they will try and tell you that the part hasn’t been working for ages, just to get a few hundred out of your pocket, obviously this is illegal, but many get away with it.
More serious offenses can even include things such as slitting CV gaiters, tampering with catalytic convertors and falsely reporting brake or emissions tests. If a testing station fits tyres then look out for mysteriously appearing cuts or damage to the side walls of tyres. A disreputable MOT Centre will try at least one thing during each MOT test that they carry out, take photo’s and take notice of what works and what doesn’t before leaving your vehicle with them as this will be your only leg to stand on when they try and tell you something is broken, when you know it was working before you brought it in. It’s not just shady looking garages who do this either, large national garages are also known for doing things like this, like Kwik-Fit for instance:
Do Kwik-Fit Con MOT Customers? | Kwik-Fit At It Again?
Not Performing the Test Properly (or at all) – Now we are dealing with outright criminality.
There are numerous examples of ‘bargain’ MOT testing stations charging incredibly low prices for MOTs and then not performing the test at all. In some cases the tests will be rushed, sometimes the car will go in and out of the garage without anything being done and it’s not unknown for cars to pass the MOT without even moving into the garage. There is however an easy way to avoid this, place something near your vehicles wheel (so it’s not quite wedged, but so that it won’t move and will only be crushed with the car moves, like an empty can of Coke or an empty plastic bottle, then if the item is crushed, you know your vehicle has actually entered the garage, if not, don’t pay. A small, hidden camera in your vehicle can even make sure the garage team actually does something, instead of parking it into their garage and just leaving it there for an hour or two without touching it.
You may ask why you would care as long as you get your pass but given that the MOT is concerned with ensuring your vehicle meets basic safety criteria you would be mad to not want it done properly. Especially if you have children in your car, you would be putting them at risk during every journey, even if it is just a school run!
In addition to the issue of your safety, if the garage is caught it may be that past certificates it has issued will be considered void in which case you could be unknowingly driving a vehicle whose insurance would be void. This, in turn, would be illegal and could result in points, and or a fine and even imprisonment. Obviously, if you keep track of your records and make notes of things that are working/not working will help you fight this as it isn’t your fault at all!
Why take the chance? Cameras Catch MOT Fraud
Fake Certificates – Possibly the worse of the MOT frauds is the issuing of fake ‘certificates’.
In reality since the system changed (in 2011) you no longer receive a real certificate from the testing station. What you get is a piece of paper (a VT20 pass or VT30 fail) that you can supposedly use as proof that the MOT has been done. This means that disreputable MOT Centres can easily fake these as they can be done by using things as simple as Microsoft Word and they take no skill to fake.
The problem is that this ‘piece of paper’ is just that. It is ridiculously easy to fake and anyone with a computer and the most basic of word processing skills can do it. If you have been given one of these recently (even if you think its real) check the Government’s MOT Checker website as this will tell you if your MOT was real or fake.
The actual ‘certificate’ is now recorded online on a government website and you can check your vehicles status yourself. While this fraud is not that common in testing stations themselves it is something to be aware of when buying a car. Never trust the paper ‘certificate’ the owner provides you. Instead get the vehicles identification number, the test number from the VT20 (pass) or VT30 (fail) and use the government MOT checker to verify it is real (found here: MOT Checker). If you don’t carry out these simple checks, you could find yourself in a heap of trouble for something that is completely not your fault, although if you do keep records etc. then these could be used as evidence if you are ever taken to court/prosecuted over it.
What Can I Do To Avoid Being Ripped Off?
Use an ‘MOT Only’ testing station – Any testing station that only does the MOT and does not offer any kind of repair service has no incentive to rip you off by unfairly failing your vehicle and are therefore extremely unlikely to do so. After all there is nothing in it for them so why would they? Although if your vehicle does fail its test in one of these testing centres, then you can always bring your vehicle into our garage, you can be sure you won’t find a better service at a lower price than ours in the Widnes area!
Do the Simple Checks before you take your Vehicle for Its MOT
Performing the simple checks that anyone can do will reduce the chances of being ripped off considerably. The items that unscrupulous testing stations will attempt to con you on are for the most part the simplest items to check. Dodgy testing stations don’t want to fail your vehicle on complex items that will take time and effort to fix as there is more incentive for you to search out a main dealer or specialist. The things you need to look out for are Wipers (make sure they work before bringing your car in), Tyres (check for nails in the tyres themselves and tears/damages to the wheels themselves before bringing it in) and other simple little things like this are exactly what these dodgy MOT Centres mess with to milk more money out of you.
The crooks will mainly fail small items that are quick and easy to fix and that will only require parts available from the local auto factors. These items will take them minutes to fix and the parts will only cost a few quid but they will charge you a huge mark ups. Easy money for them! If you feel you’re being ripped off, bring your vehicle in and we can promise you that you’ll be paying less!
How Can I Tell What’s Going On?
All MOT Testing centres must have a viewing area. It’s part of their license to operate that they have one. If you are unsure about the testing station and want to see what is going on with your vehicle then ask to be shown the viewing area. If they don’t have one or they make some silly excuse up, then leave!
How Do I Know They Did the Test?
As you no longer get an MOT certificate as proof of your vehicles MOT status (just an easily forged printout) the government has a website that allows you to check the MOT status of any vehicle. To check the MOT status of your vehicle or one you are considering buying then use the governments MOT Checker. This is the easiest and quickest way for you to find out if the vehicle you own/looking to buy actually has passed its MOT and that it’s safe to be on the roads.
If you found this article helpful, then please keep checking our News page as new articles are added quite regularly. Alternatively if you are in need of MOT Repairs in Widnes due to a MOT Centre trying to scam you for extra money, or you would just like some more information on our services, then please don’t hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly
Are you looking for an MOT Centre in Widnes? Whilst we may not do the MOT Testing, we do however provide MOT Repairs and this is usually a cheaper alternative to paying for the repairs at a proper test centre.
Here at R&L Motors have completed many MOT Repairs in Widnes over the past couple of months and we have left many customers very happy with our services. Below is just what a few have said about our MOT Repairs in Widnes service.
Mr Adams, Cronton, Widnes: My car recently failed its MOT due to having a faulty clutch. The price that the test centre quoted me was a lot higher than I read online and I thought that I was getting swindled. I found R&L’s number from a friend who uses their services whenever something goes wrong for them. After a quick call, they quoted me a price that was almost half the price of what the MOT test centre quoted me. My car is working fully again and there’s no danger when I’m using it on the roads. Thanks a lot guys, I will definitely use your services again and I’ll recommend you to my friends and people at work!
Janette Banks, Farnworth, Widnes: My vehicle recently failed its MOT due to a faulty exhaust. I had already had an exhaust changed on my old vehicle so I knew what price I was going to pay (well around it anyway). But the price that the test centre gave me was far too high for what it was! I gave R&L a call as they’re my local garage and I’ve used their services for a number of years and they quoted me a price that was £300 less than what I was originally given. Thanks a lot guys!!
If you would like some more information on our MOT Repairs Widnes or on the other services that we provide, or even just a free quote for a repair on your vehicle, then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly. Remember for MOT Repairs in Widnes, nobody can do it better than R&L Motors!
Car Restorations & Rebuilds
Do you own a classic car that’s just sitting in your garage because it can’t run anymore or because the paintwork has worn away and you don’t want it to become damaged? Well here at R&L Motors we can bring back your car to its former glory, to the pride and joy of years gone past. We love to restore or to modify your classic cars beyond manufacturer’s wildest dreams. We can have it running on the road again and it will even look like its just came out of its factory again.
We have a passion for everything motoring; cars, bikes, trucks, four wheel drives. That’s why we understand that it takes care and dedication when it comes to a project, especially a restoration project, we dedicate a large amount of time in making sure every nook and cranny is completely restored to what it would look like when it was first made.
Classic car restoration takes time and skill, most panel shops don’t have the time or the ability to restore or modify classic cars. We are different, we love it! Our skilled body builders, panel beaters, spray painters and mechanics have years of experience and can’t wait to work on a vintage or classic car, bike or even scooter. So call us to day and turn back the time on your classic vehicle.
Common rebuild work includes:
- Rust work
- Panel re-manufacturing
- Panel modification, flares, rolled panels
- Lift kits
- Engine rebuilds
- Colour restorations, or application of original colour
- Bare metal re-sprays
- Other repairs to the vehicle (e.g. brakes, indicators, damaged windows etc.)
Whatever the job big or small, we’ll get it done for you and you can have your old pride and joy back on the road in no time at all! If you’re interested in our Classic Car Restorations Widnes, or you would like some more information on the other services that we provide, then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly.
Here at R&L Motors we always pride ourselves on being the best Garage in the Widnes area, but we can keep saying that all day and you’d just have to take our word on it, never knowing if it was true or not. But in this article we will be showing just what two or three of our customers who have bought tyres, or have needed their tyres changing in the Widnes area through our Tyres Widnes service.
Mr P Unsworth, Tharnworth – I recently blew a tyre when I was getting it pumped up more (must’ve put too much in), I didn’t really know what to do, I knew that I needed a new tyre, but I didn’t know where to start for one. I found R&L Motors through a friend on Facebook and decided to give them a call. The price that they quoted me was nothing compared to other quotes I had received and they even said that they can fit them which won’t cost any extra! It was done within an hour and I was back on the road, plus I only missed the first few hours of work due to it, so I didn’t get fired! Thanks guys!
Miss Hopkins, Cronton – I was in need of new tyres due to the grips on them being too worn away, my daughter warned me saying I may get pulled up by the police for them, so I obviously needed a garage and quick! I was given R&L’s number from a neighbour and I decided to give them a call for a quote, the price was way lower than I expected so I booked my car in with them that same day! It was done within an hour and I can legally be on the road again now, thanks!
If you would like some more information on our Tyres Widnes, or you would like to Buy Cheap Car Tyres in Widnes then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us and a member of our friendly garage will be in touch with you shortly regarding next steps or with any quotes that you may have requested.
Here at R&L Motors we have probably the best local garage in Widnes! Our Garage Widnes is located just over the road from the Tesco near Widnes Town Centre (down the road from Morrison’s). Our Garage Widnes provides a large number of different Car Services. We can repair any fault that your vehicle may have, exterior work or internal work. Our mechanics are considered to be the best in the Halton area and we have a proven track record along with many relationships built with happy customers to prove it! If you’re looking for a Garage Widnes (Garage in Widnes or around the Halton area), then why not come and pop in today? We can easily promise that our prices are much better than the other competition located around the area and we treat all of our customers and visitors like we’ve been friends and known them for years (even if we’ve just met!).
Our Garage Widnes Services can range from things such as: Car Servicing | MOT Repairs | Clutch Repairs | Exhausts | Brakes | Tyres | Car Body Repairs | Car Repairs | Classic Car Restorations
If you’re looking for any of the above, or you would like to know any more information on our services, such as prices etc. Then why not call into our Garage today? We can promise that you won’t be disappointed by our results, customer service & standards of work! Alternatively, if you would just like a quote, or you would like to know if we stock a certain item (wind-screen wipers for a certain vehicle etc.) then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly. Remember for Garage Widnes, there is no better choice than R&L Motors!
Car Repairs Widnes
If you need car repairs Widnes, we’ll get our fully qualified vehicle mechanics to look at your vehicle to identify the necessary repairs ranging from minor electrical tweaks to more serious mechanical failures.
We are fully equipped with the experience, equipment and staff here R & L Motors. As standard we use genuine manufacturer car parts that will help to ensure lasting results from any repair work. We are able to access quality parts from leading manufacturers and have the diverse range and depth to our stocks to be able to perform expert repairs to most vehicles. What’s more, if we don’t have a particular replacement car part, then we’ll ensure that it is ordered immediately and fitted by one of our specialists as soon as possible.
Car Repairs Widnes – Clutch Repairs
If you’re looking for garages for Clutch repairs Widnes, we’re the best choice. We offer all types of clutches for your vehicle. We are happy to give you a free clutch safety check to make sure that you are legally. In addition to clutch repairs we provide a full range of garage services. Whatever your requirements you can be sure that you will get the very best level of service from our committed team. Call us today to book your car in for a road safety check.
Car Repairs Widnes – Exhausts & Exhaust Repairs
If you’re looking for garages for Exhausts Widnes, choose R & L Motors. We offer all types of exhaust repairs and replacements for your vehicle. We are happy to give you a free exhaust check to make sure that you are not at risk of doing damage to you vehicle by driving with a faulty exhaust. In addition to exhausts we provide a full range of garage services. Whatever your requirements you can be sure that you will get the very best level of service from our committed team. Call us today to book your car in for a road safety check.
Car Repairs Widnes – Brake Repairs
If you’re looking for garages for Brakes Widnes, choose R & L Motors. We offer a full range Brakes for your vehicle. We are happy to give you a free Brake safety check to make sure that you are legally. In addition to brake repairs we provide a full range of garage services. Whatever your requirements you can be sure that you will get the very best level of service from our committed team. Call us today to book your car in for a road safety check.
If you would like to know more about our Car Repairs Widnes, or you would like a quote, or you’re even interested in our services, then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us as soon as possible and a member of our friendly team will be in contact with you shortly.
Car Body Repairs Widnes
R & L Motors are a specialist commercial vehicle and car body shop based in Widnes. We carry out all aspects of car body repairs in Widnes, from panel beating to re-spraying. We have a wealth of experience with body repairs for cars, light commercial vehicles, classic and exotic cars. We have been trading for over 30 years so you can be sure you are dealing with an established car body repair shop.
Learn more about our Car Body Repairs Widnes:
We are experts in repairing bodywork from a variety of vehicles including light commercial vehicles, classic and exotic cars. Our qualified mechanics can help you if you need any of the following:
- Car body repair or light commercial car body repairs.
- Re-spraying the body of a car or light commercial vehicle.
- Restoring the bodywork and re-spraying classic or exotic cars.
- Car Valeting (only as part of a car body repair)
- Collection of cars and vehicles for car body repair.
- Scrap or remove your vehicle if necessary
If you would like to know more about our Car Body Repairs Widnes, or you would like a quote, or you’re even interested in our services, then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us as soon as possible and a member of our friendly team will be in contact with you shortly.
Car Servicing Runcorn
If you are looking for car servicing in Runcorn then look no further, because here at R&L Motors we will provide you with an affordable, friendly and professional service. We are dedicated to providing the best car servicing in Runcorn, and here at R&L Motors and our garage is checked independently, so you can be sure that you’ll be leaving your pride and joy with the right hands. Our highly skilled mechanics are experts in all makes and models of vehicles and have many years of experience in repairing minor and major faults, through to touching up the paintwork on a vehicle and complete restorations of older vehicles, no job is too big or small for our expertly trained mechanics to tackle with ease and precision.
We always use original equipment manufacturers (OEM) parts so you can be sure that the quality of materials are at the highest of industry standards and that they will be working to their full potential, making sure that your vehicle is safe for you to drive and you won’t have any problems with the new parts either.
Easy & Convenient Car Servicing Runcorn
Our booking system will book your car in at our garage located in Widnes which is just round the corner from the Runcorn Bridge, just over the road from the large Tesco store in the Widnes town centre. Our highly trained staff are there to guide you through the whole process by phone and answer any technical questions that you may have. If your vehicle can’t make it into our garage, we can collect and deliver your vehicle from your home or work address anywhere in the area at a time that is most convenient to you. You will be kept informed of progress of your vehicle throughout and we will always let you know if any extra work is needed before proceeding, along with the costs of any extra work that is required, then it’s up to you to decide if you want to stop something from failing completely or keep going for a month or two until the fault causes major problems (obviously this would make the fix a lot more expensive, than before the fault got too major).
MOT Repairs Runcorn
R&L Motors Runcorn also provides cheap MOT repairs in Runcorn, which means if your vehicle has recently undertook its MOT Test at another garage and failed, but their prices were much higher than ours, then our mechanics can fix the problem for you quickly and at a lower cost so you can be back on the road in no time at all. We aim to provide the local customers with a service that has no competition, we are experts in what we do and we won’t charge you an arm and a leg when fixing any faults either!
Book Your Car Servicing Runcorn Today!
To book your car service in Runcorn, just contact us through our website or by calling us on 0151 4249992, once we’ve been contacted by you, we can give you further information, quotes or book you in at a time that is best for the both of us. Remember here at R&L Motors we don’t just want one-off customers, we love building relationships with customers that last many years and we treat all of our customers like we have been friends with them for years, we are the best Garage in Runcorn, not just because our quality of services are higher than most other garages, but because of the way we treat our customers, no matter if you’re a new customer or a returning customer, we’ll treat you like one of the family. If you’re looking for Car Servicing Runcorn, then R&L Motors should be your first choice!
Here at R&L Motors, we are not just a garage for servicing your car, we like sharing information with our readers about what’s new in the world of road vehicles. Starting from next summer, people in the UK will be joined on the roads by driverless cars, after the government gave the go-ahead quite recently, for these vehicles to be tested on public roads in an effort to encourage the companies developing this technology to invest into the country. Driverless car testing will be restricted to vehicles with a person present and able to take control should the need arise (due to an emergency on the road occurring etc.). The DFT (Department for Transport) said earlier in the month that after carrying out a review into driverless cars, they found that there were no legal barriers stopping the technology from being tested on British roads. It is now working on a code of practice for driverless cars, due to be published this spring (2015), with vehicles expected to be tested on roads across the country around the summer time.
Britain’s auto industry has been growing strongly, the value of British car exports has doubled in the past 10 years, and lawmakers hope that driverless car technology could help sustain the sector in decades to come. “I want Britain to be at the forefront of this exciting new development, to embrace a technology that could transform our roads and open up a brand new route for global investment,” Transport Minister Claire Perry said in a statement. The driverless car industry is expected to be worth about 900 billion pounds by 2025 (globally), according to the UK government, with traditional carmakers with technology firms such as Google.
The testing of driverless cars on public roads follows a government investment of £19,000,000 in the technology in four British towns. If you found this article interesting and you would like to read more articles like this, then please keep checking this blog as new articles are posted quite regularly. Alternatively if you would like to know more about our services, or you would just like a quote, then please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly.
Car Servicing Widnes
If you are looking for car servicing in Widnes then here at R&L Motors we will provide you with an affordable, convenient and a professional service. We are dedicated to providing the best car servicing in Widnes at R&L Motors and our garage is checked independently. Our highly skilled mechanics are experts in all makes and models of vehicles and have many years of experience in repairing minor and major faults, through to touching up the paintwork on a vehicle and complete restorations of older vehicles, no job is too big or small for our expertly trained mechanics to tackle.
We always use original equipment manufacturers (OEM) parts so you can be sure that the quality of materials are at the highest of industry standards.
Easy & Convenient Car Servicing Widnes
Our booking system will book your car in at our garage located in Widnes, just over the road from the large Tesco store in the town centre. Our highly trained staff are there to guide you through the whole process by phone and answer any technical questions that you may have. If your vehicle can’t make it into our garage, we can collect and deliver your vehicle from your home or work address anywhere in Widnes at a time that is most convenient to you. You will be kept informed of progress of your vehicle throughout and we will always let you know if any extra work is needed before proceeding, along with the costs of any extra work that is required, then it’s up to you to decide if you want to stop something from failing completely or keep going for a month or two until the fault causes major problems (obviously this would make the fix a lot more expensive, than before the fault got too major).
MOT Repairs Widnes
R&L Motors Widnes also provides cheap MOT repairs in Widnes, which means if your vehicle has recently undertook its MOT Test at another garage and failed, but their prices were much higher than ours, then our mechanics can fix the problem for you quickly and at a lower cost so you can be back on the road in no time at all.
Book Your Car Servicing Widnes Today!
To book your car in for our Car Servicing Widnes, just contact us through our website or by calling us on 0151 4249992, once we’ve been contacted by you, we can give you further information, quotes or book you in at a time that is best for the both of us. Remember here at R&L Motors we don’t just want one-off customers, we love building relationships with customers that last many years and we treat all of our customers like we have been friends with them for years, we are the best Garage in Widnes, not just because our quality of services are higher than most other garages, but because of the way we treat our customers, no matter if you’re a new customer or a returning customer, we’ll treat you like one of the family.