Pre NCT and feeling like a fool!

boarddotie

Hi all,

Hope this is the right forum. I just need a bit of reassurance here...

Im due to go for my NCT soon so I decided to do one of the 'free pre NCT tests' that a major garage offers. Now i know my automobile needs a few tweaks especially with tracking so I was all set to have them find problems like that. Well I got a call earlier and the man told me all the problems and there was a massive list, now i dont know cars but it didnt seem to be anything massive, just lots of different bits and pieces. Shocks, something to do with wheel bearings, brake light (that i had tried to do myself), tracking, light alingment, oil change, wiperchange (knew that) and something about the handbrake (i never noticed a problem, are they just finding faults for sake of it?). But thats good that i know as I wanted a full overhaul of all those small pernickity problems, especially coming into Winter driving along back roads.

Anyway the estimate was €500. Now i am an awful eejit, as i know some of these problems may not be urgent or pertinent to the NCT or they could be done for cheaper elsewhere. But I just dont have the heart or the time for bringing it somewhere else and having to take time off work or getting someone to collect me etc. So in my flustration/laziness I told him to do it all (after haggling for a meagre discount).

So basicially people, am I an awful typical idiot lady driver who should have shopped around. or was I just as better off to have it all, done and dusted?

And by the way, the price isnt as much of an issue if I knew all thses things REALLY needed to be done badly for the NCT and my own driiving safety. After all it will be local friendly credit union who will foot the bill!

Wishbone Ash

You should have put it through the NCT first and let them tell you what's required.

bottletops

+1

-Chris-

+2

Sizzler

+3

OP - Think about why they offer you a "free" health check. Its not just for people to come in and have a chat. Pity you didnt come on here and ask the question before you gave them the go ahead!

towel401

its a bit like those scientology free stress tests

mickdw

A retest is only a few quid and be aware also that it is very possible that it will still fail and that garage wont be at fault if its something that they didnt touch. Very foolish. What type age car is it?

Can you stop them at this stage? You could possibly have a winter holiday for yourself with the savings if you just run it through the test first

Berty

boarddotie wrote: »

Hi all,



So basicially people, am I an awful typical idiot lady driver who should have shopped around. or was I just as better off to have it all, done and dusted?

Never be fooled by business people. Pre NCT is the biggest joke ever. Thats what the NCT is for. Wait for the NCT to tell you what to fix not a garage who will scare you into fixing everything and things that do not need fixing.

Sorry to say but yes you are a idiot. I wont be so sexist to call you a typical idiot lady but an idiot. You should have asked around but we have all made silly mistakes.

You will know for next time if thats any consolation to you.

bazz26

After spending all that money on possible failures it still may not guarantee the car will pass the NCT.

An expensive lession to be learnt here OP for future reference - send it through as it is and let the NCT centre tell you what needs fixing.

unkel

quirke_folder wrote: »

Sorry to say but yes you are a idiot.

It's ok for the OP to call herself that, but not for you. That's a warning.

Berty

boarddotie wrote: »

am I an awful typical idiot

unkel wrote: »

It's ok for the OP to call herself that, but not for you. That's a warning.

Im confused. If the OP asked a question we are not allowed answer

Going forward you should PM a user warnings. :rolleyes:

You may apologise by PM. Im serious

boarddotie

Argh, thanks everyone. maybe I cam haggle for more of a discount when I go collect it...Anyway, Its confirmed-I am an idiot but at least I will know for future and can give others some sage advice!
Gah I need a man in my life :rolleyes:!

SV

quirke_folder wrote: »

:

You may apologise by PM. Im serious

Get down off yourself.

towel401

boarddotie wrote: »

Gah I need a man in my life :rolleyes:!

ask in PI?

Berty

ClioV6 wrote: »

Get down off yourself.

I think the moderator should get down of his/her self. The OP asked a question. I concurred with the OP.

I should not be slated for it

bazz26

quirke_folder wrote: »

Im confused. If the OP asked a question we are not allowed answer

Going forward you should PM a user warnings. :rolleyes:

You may apologise by PM. Im serious

unkel

quirke_folder wrote: »

You may apologise by PM. Im serious

You may take a weeks holidays for violating the charter again in this thread. In future, if you are unhappy about a moderating decision, take it to the help desk forum. I'm serious too.

audismelly

unkel wrote: »

It's ok for the OP to call herself that, but not for you. That's a warning.

agreed , people post here for help, advice and opinion not to be shot down.

Darragh29

An interesting experiment would have been to take the list of items you have been given, not have the work done and NCT the car then and see how many items that your mechanic was right about.

First thing you'll notice is that the organisation that you appear to have referred to, doesn't have the necessary equipment to pre-test your car for the NCT. They don't have a test lane for testing brake & suspension performance and they don't test emissions, which are critical parts of the NCT process.

Darragh29

quirke_folder wrote: »

Pre NCT is the biggest joke ever.

Not necessarily, if it is done right. Although I agree with the general advice here that the best approach is to send the car in "as is" and take it from there. I wouldn't use a "free pre-NCT" product though, as you can see what happens and it has happened here, defects are found that just happen to fall under the businesses area of expertise, for example, shock absorbers, headlamp alignment, oil changes, etc, etc.

javaboy

Darragh29 wrote: »

An interesting experiment would have been to take the list of items you have been given, not have the work done and NCT the car then and see how many items that your mechanic was right about.

While I think most pre-NCT tests are a bit of a scam, it's important to note that just because the NCT didn't show a fault, it doesn't mean there isn't one. And not all mechanics who tell you things are wrong are out to scam you.

The warning bells should go off though as Darrah said above when the faults the garage finds on your vehicle just happen to coincide exactly with the products they sell.

Timmaay

€500 isnt the end of the world, just put it down to experance! My sister got a basic service and pre nct test done on her '97 nissan at a main stealer a while back, they charged her €300 for just the service and pre nct test, and told her that the car would cost €2000 to pass the NCT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course the car is only worth a grand max! They came up with all sort of rubbish that needed changing, such as an engine mount and the front roll bar.

She was considering scrapping the car, but I told her to put it through anyway, and it was only a few small things that it failed on (cv joint, handbrake and a few bulbs). €200 quid in parts and labour with a local mechanic and it passed the retest no problem!

Seth Brundle

€300 is just two or three hours labour nowadays!
As for the 2k faults - there may well have been faults with the car that the dealer felt left the car in a position lower than it should be from a performance perspective (we don't know how bad they were!) - how bad should something be before a dealer tells you?
They could well have been scamming her but then again...