NCT bookings. They don't have a clue

goz83

my brothers nct is up at the end of the month. Went to book a test and of course, nothing til the end of June. The woman asked if he wanted to be put on the priority list. I took the phone and asked if he accepted a booking in June, could he go online later and reschedule for a sooner date without entering card details. She said "yes, you don't need a card to change your booking." Well that was just another pile of shîte I was told. I tried to accept a date for the 14th of April at 8pm a few minutes ago. It wouldn't let me book it without entering card details. The date has already been taken by someone else, so this puts people at quite a disadvantage if they don't have a card, or don't want to give their card details.

I have already complained to the nct about this new booking system and the response I got was poor at best, with no acknowledgement of how wide open to abuse the new booking system is. Their booking staff don't seem to know that the online booking, or rescheduling process requires a credit card. For a mandatory test, this is outrageous. :mad:

jimmycrackcorm

I don't understand your problem about the card. Have you tried booking a Ryanair flight without a card?

Chucken

goz83 wrote: »

Their booking staff don't seem to know that the online booking, or rescheduling process requires a credit card. For a mandatory test, this is outrageous. :mad:

You will need a credit/debit card.

There is currently heavy demand for NCT appointments on-line. If the only dates available fall beyond the expiry of your current NCT, please contact our booking help desk on 01 4135992

https://www.ncts.ie/internet_bookings.html

goz83

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't understand your problem about the card. Have you tried booking a Ryanair flight without a card?

Are ryanair flights mandatory?

I Happened to book one a few hours ago actually. They took PayPal

Chucken wrote: »

You will need a credit/debit card.

There is currently heavy demand for NCT appointments on-line. If the only dates available fall beyond the expiry of your current NCT, please contact our booking help desk on 01 4135992

https://www.ncts.ie/internet_bookings.html

There is a heavy demand, fullstop. People should be able to reschedule their booking online, without giving card details, if they were able to make a phone booking, without card details. Not everyone feels comfortable giving their credit/debit card details online. And their phone lines are closed.

In this situation, the booking was made for my brother and I said I would reschedule it for him, as a card was not needed to change it online, according to the nct booking agent I spoke to. This information was incorrect and the appointment was soon taken. Had I known his card would be needed, I might have asked for the details, but I was told a card was not needed to amend online bookings.

Edit: it is also an issue for people who don't have debit, or credit cards. My dad is one of these people and couldn't book online last week. There was also difficulty in changing the appointment, because it could only be done during their phone operational hours, which proved to be a right pain in the behind.

Kevin McCloud

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't understand your problem about the card. Have you tried booking a Ryanair flight without a card?

What has Ryanair got to do with the nct?

ironclaw

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't understand your problem about the card. Have you tried booking a Ryanair flight without a card?

I buy a lot of stuff online but I take issue when a card is needed and kept on file for no reason. For Ryanair or a Hotel, at least they get their money if you are a no show or cancel late. For a physical purchase, if I'm collecting it and they don't accept payment on site, then fair enough.

But an NCT you have to talk to someone when you arrive, so there is no issue in taking a card or cash there. If they are worried about no-shows they should just have a strict 'if you miss your slot, you can't book for 6 weeks' rule or similar.

bucketybuck

Can your brother not sort his own shit out? Stop butting into his phone calls.

testicle

You don't need a card if you choose the option to pay at the NCT Center. From what I remember anyway...

spurious

They take the card details so they can charge a no-show, like hotels do.

cml387

spurious wrote: »

They take the card details so they can charge a no-show, like hotels do.

They don't need to do that , becasue they will add the cost of the no show to the price when you do show up. Unlike a hotel, you have to return for the NCT eventually.

goz83

bucketybuck wrote: »

Can your brother not sort his own shit out? Stop butting into his phone calls.

No. He can't. That's why I do most of his stuff....like lodging money into his account, making sure his insurance, tax and nct are up to date, arranging child access days and having him live with me and family. It's not easy to help someone become independent, when they have never been and when they are functionally illiterate and suffering from mental health issues.

Is it possible for you not to act like a total skidmark and actually contribute to the thread, instead of making obnoxious comments on a situation you know nothing about?

testicle wrote: »

You don't need a card if you choose the option to pay at the NCT Center. From what I remember anyway...

Not available anymore.

spurious wrote: »

They take the card details so they can charge a no-show, like hotels do.

They don't take them over the phone though, so there is an inconsistency to their booking process and the phone booking staff dont know about the ins and outs of it. Twice, i have been false information about this very subject.

Flights and hotels and even my own business takes card details to secure bookings and charge for no shows. The difference, is that none of those are mandatory bookings and all have no other way of charging for no shows. With then nct however, the car needs to be brought in anyway and they charge a no show fee then. Needing a card for online bookings and not needing a card for phone bookings is backwards and ill thought out.

power pants

book in advance

use your debit card

hardly rocket science

blastman

goz83 wrote: »

Not available anymore.

When was this changed? Must be very recently.....

slimjimmc

blastman wrote: »

When was this changed? Must be very recently.....

Yep, very recently. Was discussed in a previous thread.