NCT Notification Poll: Am i an idiot?

mcloughj

It turns out that my second hand car was due it's NCT by the 19th of may but instead of ringing the NCT up and booking my own appointment i took a look at the website and read the following in the FAQ's:

6. Will I be notified when my test is due?
NCTS will contact owners of eligible motor vehicles (based on official vehicle registration records) in advance of the anniversary date of first registration of your car. You will be offered a provisional appointment for the test that must either be confirmed or rearranged...

Taking this published bit of information for real I decided to wait on the notice. I wasn't totally lazy about it, I did take a read of the car registration papers and saw two dates: 'date of first registration: 19th may 2004' and 'date of first licensed registration 18 june 2004'.

I assumed the later date would be used for the NCT as i didn't receive my notice any time in may. On Friday I started to get a bit impatient and rang the NCT. The lady on the other end told me:
1: that my NCT was due 19th of may
2: that they don't send out notices because of the 'backlog' which quickly changed to 'we don't send out notices any more' when i mentioned the FAQ from the website.

I have since emailed them telling them to get their website sorted out and to book me in this week as (as far as I'm concerned) it's their fault I'm without an NCT. I have a 5 month old and being without a car for the week is going to be a major pain in the arse.

Funnily enough I was talking to my mother in law today and she realised that her NCT must be past due as she was also waiting for the notice that'll never come.

So do you think I'm an idiot for trusting the website? Would/have you have gotten caught out like me?

ART6

Same thing happened to me, and since I don't consider myself to be an idiot I don't consider you to be one either. My NCT ended up a fortnight overdue when I phoned them to ask why no appointment (always sent one automatically before). No explanation, but they sent me an appointment for a month later, so my car was, by the appointment date, six weeks overdue. I carried on driving since I was not prepared to be put off the road by the administrative shambles that the NCT has become.

An earlier threat in MF noted that NCT had said some time ago that they were stopping automatic appointments, but I had never seen any publication of that, and neither had many others I know.

In the same context, I note that they also abandoned the "advisory" items a long time ago, so that anything they find is a fail. It seems that they are cutting their costs while increasing the number of re-tests, presumably to increase their profits. Once again the motorist gets screwed with the full support of the government. I support the idea of tests-- €50 every two years is not a big deal for an independant assessment. But I do expect it to be fair and efficient. I am uneasy that the NCT test is becoming less so.:(

jayok

mcloughj wrote: »

So do you think I'm an idiot for trusting the website? Would/have you have gotten caught out like me?

First of all you are not an idiot. You complied with publically available information from an official source - its the NCTS fault for misleading you.

mcloughj wrote: »

I have since emailed them telling them to get their website sorted out and to book me in this week as (as far as I'm concerned) it's their fault I'm without an NCT. I have a 5 month old and being without a car for the week is going to be a major pain in the arse.

I would still drive without the NCT once one is booked. Realiscially, your car suddenly doesn't become a major hazard / death trap on the 20th May if it was fine on the 19th. If stopped by the Gardai I'd let them know its booked and that the NCTS could only give you an appointment you then. Our current car was is due its NCT in April. Try getting a slot though they are just too busy. It'll be done in the next couple of weeks. Just because we the NCTS can't sort out the backlog it isn't my problem.

mcloughj

well thank you both for the reassurances. i'm hoping the NCTS reply to my email, but if they don't I'm gonna get onto my TDs and let them know that the NCTS looks to be turning into another scam machine similar to the toll roads and such.

I'd be reasonably sure that a state contract such as this one would mean that they are required to send out notices and that by stopping they are probably violating their terms and conditions.

Seth Brundle

The onus is on the owner and driver of a vehicle to ensure that it is taxed, insured and NCTd.

ninty9er

It's like a TV licencdee or a loved one's birthday. You don't get a notice as you have a responsibility as a vehicle owner to know when it's due for testing. The only reason you get tax and insurance reminders is because they're subject to security in the first instance (online payment) and negotiation in the second instance.

EdKadettD

Dont think your an idiot, but I think the NCT is a shamble's.

Having moved here last year I brought my car with me and registered it here and with the NCT in May and was given a test date some 3 months away only to receive a letter 2 weeks later re-arranging it a further month later due to lack of staff/illness!!!! came to September and another letter came with same excuse and could not done till november got in there this time and they failed it on passenger headlight facing to low......:eek::rolleyes:

Marcus.Aurelius

Nice of the government to give NCTS such a nice money-spinner. And then to make it mandatory, very nice.

And then charge twice the actual costs?? Very nice indeed.

For all the money the make, a letter reminding NCT due dates isn't big expenditure.

JHMEG

The NCT test is the best €49 you could spend on your car. No garage with piles of expensive specialist equipment for measuring stuff like brake effectiveness and emissions would do the same job for 5 times the price. You can even tell from the results if a shock is on the way out.

NCT should inform you if that's what the site says. But everyone should look on the NCT for what it is: excellent value for money, and eager to get it done anyway for peace of mind.

ART6

JHMEG wrote: »

The NCT test is the best €49 you could spend on your car. No garage with piles of expensive specialist equipment for measuring stuff like brake effectiveness and emissions would do the same job for 5 times the price. You can even tell from the results if a shock is on the way out.

NCT should inform you if that's what the site says. But everyone should look on the NCT for what it is: excellent value for money, and eager to get it done anyway for peace of mind.

It doesn't look to me as if anyone on this thread is advocating the scrapping of the NCT test or criticising it, and I entirely agree that it's worthwhile and is only €49 every two years, so not a big deal for checks that you couldn't do yourself and couldn't trust to a local garage. However, since it's mandatory it should be efficient, and that's the point of this thread. It simply isn't efficient any more. No-one should be put off their due date by the excuses that have been reported here.

JHMEG

ART6 wrote: »

It simply isn't efficient any more.

It takes me no longer than two weeks to get a test. It's a 5 minute drive to the test centre, and I'm usually back out within 30 mins. It couldn't be more efficient.

The NCTS probably found that sending out the reminders was a waste of time, money, paper etc for them, as people are lax about it, unlike they would be about tax or insurance. Enforcement is lax too.

ART6

JHMEG wrote: »

It takes me no longer than two weeks to get a test. It's a 5 minute drive to the test centre, and I'm usually back out within 30 mins. It couldn't be more efficient.

The NCTS probably found that sending out the reminders was a waste of time, money, paper etc for them, as people are lax about it, unlike they would be about tax or insurance. Enforcement is lax too.

Lucky old you:D

Johnny Storm

ninty9er wrote: »

It's like a TV licencdee or a loved one's birthday. You don't get a notice as you have a responsibility as a vehicle owner to know when it's due for testing...

In fact they do send you a letter reminding you to renew your TV license.

I didn't know they had stopped sending out letters for the NCT but a rozzer recently pointed this out to me in their usual charming manner.

Since the testing process is a Govt-mandated money-spinning monopoly IMHO a ****in' letter is not asking too much.

galwaytt

JHMEG wrote: »

The NCT test is the best €49 you could spend on your car. No garage with piles of expensive specialist equipment for measuring stuff like brake effectiveness and emissions would do the same job for 5 times the price. You can even tell from the results if a shock is on the way out.

NCT should inform you if that's what the site says. But everyone should look on the NCT for what it is: excellent value for money, and eager to get it done anyway for peace of mind.

It's only a good spend of €49 if your using it to comply with various Road Traffic Acts. If you're relying on it for anything technical, or an assessment of your vehicle you're misguided. It is for this reason that insurance companies can both a) refuse to pay out claims in respect of a vehicle, if found unroadworthy by their assessor, even if it has a current NCT, and b), that they will similarly honour claims in respect of a vehicle found to be roadworthy, even if it has no NCT.

I have had 2 cars failed incorrrectly, contested both, and successfully won both as well. One was a pristine MB driven the 800m from the (main) dealers showroom to the centre, and failed. I went back to the dealer, and they re-presented the car and it passed. Make of that what you will, but the dealer was right in that case, and the car was indeed perfect.

Similarly, I'm aware of a vehicle with a fractured suspension part (coil spring) passing the test with no ill-effects or comment.

I'll agree that it's necessary, and we did need to get some awful junk of the roads, so all that's a +++.

Snag now is, though, all those dodgy l.h.d. cars from eastern europe that don't need to pass it, and aren't subject to it. Consider, ignoring the l.h.d safety issue, all their headlights are illegal in this country, full stop, unless their lenses are changed for r.h.d., or their beams converted (by various means). So they drive around blinding people all the time, because their 'dips' point the wrong way.

We, though, can get a fail for 'too low' a beam - which is, actually an error on the 'safe side'.

Time for some strong action on the whole imported car thing, imho, including submitting them for NCT.

P.S. oh, ninety9er.........does this mean you don't have a TV licence

OP - notification should be mandatory - it is for everything else.

P.P.S......and another thing - I got my 94 car NCT'd this year.......but they would only issue a cert up 'til 2009 - giving me just over 12 months. This because, it seems, it doesn't tie in with their 'system' (i.e, this year only 1993 cars will get 2 yr certs, but next year my 94 one would !). But I still got charge €49 - if I get a half-term cert, I should be entitled to a half-price cert, as well.............

peasant

galwaytt wrote: »

Time for some strong action on the whole imported car thing, imho, including submitting them for NCT.

AFAIK all EU countries have a car test system similar to the NCT. So, theoretically (in order to keep their insurance/tax valid) these cars would have to be tested in their home country every now and then.

Also theoretically the gardai here should be able to check these cars for valid insurance and NCT (equivalent) ...but they couldn't be bothered.

So, can you really blame people for being a bit lax at times on insurance and car test if they're only ever waved through at checkpoints?

JHMEG

galwaytt wrote: »

If you're relying on it for anything technical,

1. Emissions test (requiring complex equipment)
2. Suspension test (requiring complex equipment)
3. Brake test (requiring complex equipment)
4. Headlight alignment test (requiring equipment)

...all for €49! Bargain.

mcloughj

Well as badly as i'm being slated in the poll I'll take a bit of comfort that most of the people who are writing a response seem to think that a notification isn't too much to ask.

Myself, I think that the NCT is a very good idea, and that the charge is reasonable. I'm also glad to see the bangers off the roads and the side benefits this causes (i'm sure there would be a lot more M50 breakdowns if the NCT wasn't applied)

But it's usually a bad sign when a company start messing around with the terms of their contract. A short-cut like this for a few extra quid in the coffers. Next a raised test standard that'll mean an extra 5% retests without any real safety benefits... a new ivory back-scratcher for the top man.

And so on...

mcloughj

The day after starting this topic i sent an email to NCTS asking what was going on:

me @ 5pm monday (samples from mail as i covered most it in the first post in this thread):

I wish to make a complaint. I am now unable to drive my car because I was not notified of the date of my NCT.
Why aren't you sending out notifications about NCT tests?
Your website is filled with references that NCT will contact me with a provisional test date
Please update your site with the correct information. It is unacceptable to have incorrect information on a site for any length of time in this day and age.

Response from NCTS @3pm, 9th June:

Firstly I would like to thank you for your feedback and comments. I would also like to apologise for any inconvenience this matter may have caused.

NCTS do endeavour to contact all customers prior to the due date, although if you have not heard from NCTS you can contact us directly to make an appointment.

Please provide the registration number of the vehicle, I will then make a booking for your vehicle to be tested at the earliest date available.

So to me this sounds like it's policy to send out notifications. So I try to get a straight answer (3.20pm, 9th June):

Thank you for taking the time to reply. However your reply has confused me further. Do NCTS contact car owners prior to the anniversary with a provisional test date or not? According to your representative that i spoke with on the phone Friday past NCTS no longer send reminders.

I am beginning to believe that you are required to (by your employers i.e. the state) but as a cost cutting measure your company has decided to no longer do so.

I would be like to know NCTS' official stance on this matter.

NCTS reply (5.10pm,10th June)

Please accept my sincere apologies for the fact that you have not received an appointment letter as yet. Unfortunately you were given incorrect information by the booking agent. As I have previously stated NCTS do endeavour to contact vehicle owners prior to the due date but if you do not receive an appointment letter before the expiry of the certificate you can contact us to make an appointment.

So it seems like the official stance is that the do send out letters but just are not doing so. I'll give them their due, they have been pretty fast about responding to emails.

I think however that I'm not going to get a straighter answer than this. So i'll either try to email higher up or i may try to bring it to the attention of the ministry for the environment. BTW I've gotten myself a test this coming saturday, but i'm still f*#ked off that this happened in the first place.

Anyone have any thoughts?

kippy

NCT ran out there last month.
Its my first time getting the car NCT'd.
I, like the original poster, had read the website and assumed I would be advised when the test was organised for.
However I was chatting to a colleague about a week before the expirary and he told me they had changed the system so I had to ring. Rang and got appointment by text for beginning of July since they are so busy.
I get the point about the owner being responsible for these things however when the original system was of notification and their website still says this is the case I find it a bit poor in terms of communication. There was no notice given in papers or on the TV/Radio that this legal requierment was changing.
Kippy

Carawaystick

According to this
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7750-0.pdf
page 19

you get a free test if you've to wait for over 4 weeks
"with a free test if the lead-time exceeds four weeks"

and to answer the OP

"4.61 As an aid to customer service, NCTS should notify owners some 4 -6 weeks in advance of
their test due date. This is one aspect, where the performance of the company has not fully
met the standard required, particularly in the early years of the contract. Analysis of the past 5
years data shows that, overall, some 75% of customers were notified ahead of their test due
date, the majority being notified between 30-69 days ahead"

it's on page 35

kippy

Carawaystick wrote: »

According to this
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7750-0.pdf
page 19

you get a free test if you've to wait for over 4 weeks
"with a free test if the lead-time exceeds four weeks"

and to answer the OP

"4.61 As an aid to customer service, NCTS should notify owners some 4 -6 weeks in advance of
their test due date. This is one aspect, where the performance of the company has not fully
met the standard required, particularly in the early years of the contract. Analysis of the past 5
years data shows that, overall, some 75% of customers were notified ahead of their test due
date, the majority being notified between 30-69 days ahead"

it's on page 35

Interesting. I will definetly be waiting longer than the 4 week and I suspect many drivers in Galway at least will be in the same position. I was told the lead time for tests was 6 weeks.
Surely they are not actually enforcing this "rule" (free tests).
Kippy

mcloughj

Carawaystick wrote: »

According to this
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7750-0.pdf
page 19

you get a free test if you've to wait for over 4 weeks
"with a free test if the lead-time exceeds four weeks"

and to answer the OP

"4.61 As an aid to customer service, NCTS should notify owners some 4 -6 weeks in advance of
their test due date. This is one aspect, where the performance of the company has not fully
met the standard required, particularly in the early years of the contract. Analysis of the past 5
years data shows that, overall, some 75% of customers were notified ahead of their test due
date, the majority being notified between 30-69 days ahead"

it's on page 35

Makes for some very interesting reading. Might be worthwhile contacting the dept. of transport.

Cheers!

spacetweek

kippy wrote: »

Interesting. I will definetly be waiting longer than the 4 week and I suspect many drivers in Galway at least will be in the same position. I was told the lead time for tests was 6 weeks.
Surely they are not actually enforcing this "rule" (free tests).
Kippy

Mine lapsed a month ago ( I didn't notice it) and I only applied today, and was shocked to find that I could only get an appointment 5 weeks away. I was expecting a week.

Anyone got any advice on getting this reduced? I applied online, is phone better?

If I have to wait the full 5 weeks, I'm planning on bringing a printout of that page 19 above and fighting for the freebie. Has anyone else here tried it?

Milk & Honey

Ring for cancellations every day. You should get one after a few days.

fricatus

I knew my NCT was due in April last year, so I just kept looking out in the post for an appointment to arrive, but none did, and it was getting close to the end of April.

I called them up to enquire and I was told the same as someone above "ah, we don't send out notifications any more". I managed though to get a date right at the start of May, so I just kept that letter in the car, just in case I was stopped by the Garda.

Seems a bit crappy though. You get notifications in the post for your TV licence, your car insurance, your road tax, etc. It's standard practice, so I see no reason why NCTS doesn't do the same. Honest people fall into the trap of not getting their car tested, and the couldn't-be-bothered types have a convenient excuse to tell the judge.

Bad situation, IMO.

Fey!

I got my own car and my mothers car NCT'd a few weeks ago. I knew that they wouldn't send out a letter from previous experience, so I certainly wouldn't consider the OP and idiot.

In my case, when I booked the 2 NCTs I asked for details to be texted to me. No text arrived, and I had to ring them again to confirm the dates and times. I explained that I had requested a text but that I hadn't gotten one, and was apologised to. On the day of my test, I handed in the keys and was about to pay when I was told that there was a note on my file that it was a free test.

Smiles all around!!!

Black_Knight

Same as above, except for the freeness.

Pretty even poll, dont think it really draws any conclusions for the OP.