Shock Absorber/Driving Test

Get In There

Dunno how to start this off but here goes.

Right I bought my first car up north at the start of March. It was a 2003 Ford Fiesta Finesse. I booked a driving test immediately cos I knew how long it would take to get a date. (they later got back to me with a date : 27th April)

I then booked my car for its NCT test a few weeks later. Brought it in at the start of this month. It failed. When the guy was explaining what was wrong, I couldn't understand him (I'm deaf) so I asked him to write it down. He was being an ignorant f**ker and wouldnt and said "try lip-read me". I tried but still to no avail and he sighed impatiently and told me to just bring the test sheet to a mechanic.

So I did that, only to be told it was the tracking. I got the wheels correctly alligned and booked a retest for today. I got my grandad to drive the car in as I couldnt get time off work. I came home today to be told the car failed the retest cos of the shock absorbers. I'm quite rather pi$$ed off cos I could have been informed the first time around. My grandad took the liberty of ringing up two garages about replacing them. Ford Finglas quoted me €420 whilst my local garage quoted €265.

Knowing my driving test was 11 days away, I rushed online to book another NCT retest to have it okay in time for the driving test as the car must display a NCT disc. However you cannot directly book a test right now due to the recent 5 points penalty announcement, to get a booking you have to either email or ring them up.

I know I'm rambling on but I'm rather stressed out as I don't want to have to cancel the driving test and wait another 2 months for a new date.

So basically I'm asking three questions:

1) How much should it cost to replace shock absorbers?
2) Would it work if I got someone to ring up the driving test centre and explain the situation about the NCT? I would rather take the test in my own car.
3) My car must be retested before the 3rd of May or else I will have to pay the full whack to get it tested again. Would I have a case if I emailed NCT and asked them to book me in before then or would I have no chance of getting a slot?

Sorry for rambling on, I'm just feeling really frustrated right now!

david

Your car should've just been retested on the probematic area second time around. I'd call back to the place that did the damage and ask them why they didn't fix the problem on the NCT sheet.

El Guapo!

Id say your best bet would be to call the NCT centre and complain about the ignorant C**T who you were dealing with. And if you complain enough and then explain about your driving test hopefully as a gesture of good will they will let you re-test the car soon. sure they have cancellations every day so they could easily fit you in.
All the best.

Get In There

Thanks for the replies lads. I'll try get the car repaired now and do what Dean said, complain and explain about the driving test. Is €265 a fair price to get the rear shock absorbers replaced?

GERMAN ROCKS

why dont you just rent out a testers car. find a tester who has a fiesta. lots use them and rent it out for that hour. should only cost around e40 an would relieve you of a lot of stress

Fishtits

I can't comment on the costs etc. but the way you were treated by the tester sounds disgraceful.

Complain, big time.

I have an occasional customer who is deaf, I can't lip read or sign, but its dead easy, toss a note pad onto the counter and we get on with it, no drama. The tester you described needs a seeing to IMHO.

We're all in this getting on with life thing together, a little courtesy hurts no one.