NCT- delays?

midonogh · 13-05-2011 8:46pm #1

I have just noticed that the NCT on one of my cars has expired on 31 March. I do not recall getting an appointment letter (does not mean that it did not come and got thrown out amongst junk mail) and when I logged onto the NCT website it only has details of my appointment 2 years ago. Father in law believes that there is some delay on appointment letters going out. Has anyone else heard of that? I cannot get an appointment at my chosen test centre until July.

Signpost · 13-05-2011 8:47pm

You try ringing to get a cancellation?

MidlandsM · 13-05-2011 8:49pm

don't think they send out letters anymore OP

13-05-2011 8:51pm

midonogh wrote: »

I cannot get an appointment at my chosen test centre until July.

Ring them up so

Mint Sauce · 13-05-2011 8:55pm

Even if you dont get a letter OP, its still up to you to make sure you have a valid NCT, or at least have an appointment for a test.

From memory, once its out of date, you have to arrange an appointment over the phone. The online opiton is only there if it has not yet expired.

end a eknny · 13-05-2011 8:56pm

they dont post letters anymore and they are failing everything to get overtime hence the delays

Midnight_EG · 13-05-2011 8:56pm

irish-stew wrote: »

Even if you dont get a letter OP, its still up to you to make sure you have a valid NCT, or at least have an appointment for a test.

From memory, once its out of date, you have to arrange an appointment over the phone. The online opiton is only there if it has not yet expired.

My NCT was four months out when I booked it online.

Mint Sauce · 13-05-2011 8:57pm

Midnight_EG wrote: »

My NCT was four months out when I booked it online.

Unless its changed, am sure mine said if out of date you have to call.

Midnight_EG · 13-05-2011 9:00pm

irish-stew wrote: »

Unless its changed, am sure mine said if out of date you have to call.

I only did it in February, it was out since the end of September...5 months out now that I count it :P

MidlandsM · 13-05-2011 9:00pm

I rang for one last week, got an appointment for 9pm within 5 days.......they have free appointments.

MunsterCycling · 13-05-2011 9:00pm

If they can't give you a date within 28 days of day you try to book it is a FREE test

MidlandsM · 13-05-2011 9:07pm

The late near 9pm appointment i got is great, its a great time of day. The should test up till midnight or even do a 24hr opening, like tescos.

MunsterCycling · 13-05-2011 9:17pm

Mine is in for a Sunday test, sweet as no office staff

end a eknny · 13-05-2011 9:18pm

MunsterCycling wrote: »

If they can't give you a date within 28 days of day you try to book it is a FREE test

i think you might want to check your figures

midonogh · 13-05-2011 9:35pm

Thanks all. Got a date online. Not until July, but I have a date anyway
Cheers

unkel · 13-05-2011 9:46pm

midonogh wrote: »

Thanks all. Got a date online. Not until July, but I have a date anyway
Cheers

A bit of free advice for ya - print off the appointment for the NCT test and keep it with you in the car. A garda is less likely to give you 5 penalty points and / or a €1,500 fine if you show him / her this proof of appointment

Esel · 14-05-2011 2:18am

^ It's not the garda who gives the points / fine....

Garda has to prosecute you, and judge has to convict you before you get the points and fine.

MunsterCycling · 14-05-2011 7:04am

end a eknny wrote: »

i think you might want to check your figures

Think you might want to check yours:

http://ncts.ie/customer_charter.html Point 4, Point 7 should also be noted.

BarryM · 14-05-2011 7:13am

I got a letter, dated April 2, asking me to make an appointment, my NCT ran out May 7th. I tried online and the earliest was June!! I phoned and got one for the 12th May, last Thursday. It failed, small stuff.

However, the car is +10yrs old and garage said that if you miss the renewal date for the NCT on a car that old you only get a one year cert. Is that true??

I heard they will introduce a one year for cars over 10 years, but is it introduced yet, or is this just a new trick??

B

MunsterCycling · 14-05-2011 7:23am

Just get it retested before the end of May and you are entitled to a two year cert, new rules only apply on June 1st.

BarryM · 14-05-2011 8:17am

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Just get it retested before the end of May and you are entitled to a two year cert, new rules only apply on July 1st.

Tnks, so this 10yr+ information is wrong?? i.e. if you miss the test anniversary??

I can easily make the end-May deadline, we'll see.

B

MunsterCycling · 14-05-2011 8:36am

The scheme doesn't start until June (corrected post above.) so yes it is erroneous to state otherwise

IndigoBlue · 14-05-2011 3:22pm

I tried to book one a month ago, coincidentally, the first appointment available was June 1st. Which is when the yearly testing for vehicles 10+ kicks in. Just sayin'..... :rolleyes:

coylemj · 14-05-2011 4:59pm

IndigoBlue wrote: »

I tried to book one a month ago, coincidentally, the first appointment available was June 1st. Which is when the yearly testing for vehicles 10+ kicks in. Just sayin'..... :rolleyes:

I highlighted the probability of this happening a while back on another thread. I expect that all of the NCT centres are now booked out for the rest of May by people with 10 year old cars getting their tests done early (up to three months in advance is allowed for 2nd and subsequent tests) so as they'll get a two year cert.

MunsterCycling · 14-05-2011 7:53pm

You get the cert from its due date and not before surely even if testing early otherwise the system is severely flawed?.

Esel · 14-05-2011 10:01pm

I would think that the cert would have to be effective from the date of issue?

I think someone said here before that even if a vehicle had no cert for the previous 21 months you could get a new one for 27 months under the '3 months early' rule - i.e. you would not just get a cert for the remaining 3 months of the old period.

coylemj · 14-05-2011 10:25pm

MunsterCycling wrote: »

You get the cert from its due date and not before surely even if testing early otherwise the system is severely flawed?.

Esel wrote: »

I would think that the cert would have to be effective from the date of issue?

I think someone said here before that even if a vehicle had no cert for the previous 21 months you could get a new one for 27 months under the '3 months early' rule - i.e. you would not just get a cert for the remaining 3 months of the old period.

An NCT cert. has an expiration date but no start date. The cert says when the vehicle was tested but it doesn't state that the cert. is effective from any date. As long as you have a 'disc' on the windscreen that has an expiry date that is in the future you are covered.

unkel · 14-05-2011 10:37pm

IndigoBlue wrote: »

I tried to book one a month ago, coincidentally, the first appointment available was June 1st. Which is when the yearly testing for vehicles 10+ kicks in. Just sayin'..... :rolleyes:

Keep the rolleyeyes to yourself

I tried to book my car (just over 10 years old) in a few weeks ago and unsurprisingly, there were no appointments available until June. I asked the NCT lady if she would put me on a cancellation list, and she said she would. A few days later I got an SMS with an NCT appointment for next Monday.

All these conspiracy theories about the NCT are doing my head in. The NCT is by all means a professional and efficient organisation based on my many dealings with them over the years.

NCT- delays?

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