NCT during the 2020/21 Covid19 pandemic

greasepalm

Possibly might be getting worries with a second wave and figures rising.

extra-ordinary_

greasepalm wrote: »

Possibly might be getting worries with a second wave and figures rising.

Worried...that they'll extend it another 4 months?

greasepalm

If places are closing again they cant test cars is what i mean.

Miscreant

greasepalm wrote: »

If places are closing again they cant test cars is what i mean.

All the test centres in Kildare, Laois and Offaly are remaining open even though the counties are on lockdown.

wassie

Str8outtaWuhan wrote: »

quick question, I have a visual retest but the original test was done in kildare. I'd rather not travel to covid central so can i do the visual at any test centre? thanks in advance

Shouldnt be an problem, especially given current situation. Just give the centre a quick call if you want absolute peace of mind.

But I wouldn't be concerned about covid if attending NCT centre only for a visual retest. You don't have to touch anything and can maintain social distancing no problem.

The bigger issue may be that if you are from outside Kildare, you may face a checkpoint and questioned what the purpose of your journey. If it is deemed non-essential you could be turned around.

Dempo1

cena wrote: »

My car was to get the test next month. Due to covid 19 it has been pushed to next February.

First I have heard of this.

Anyone elses been pushed to next year

Yep, you should be getting a letter of deferral in the post soon, I got mine Friday, original due date end of August 2020, now 31st December 2020.

Just amazes me that they can when it suits extend NCT certs and now driving licence expiry dates, makes a bit of an ass of the law really and I don't care what anyone says, Insur companies will have a field day with this, god forbid anyone has an accident.

Miscreant

Dempo1 wrote: »

Yep, you should be getting a letter of deferral in the post soon, I got mine Friday, original due date end of August 2020, now 31st December 2020.

Just amazes me that they can when it suits extend NCT certs and now driving licence expiry dates, makes a bit of an ass of the law really and I don't care what anyone says, Insur companies will have a field day with this, god forbid anyone has an accident.

If the extensions are legal (for NCT and Driving Licence) then the insurance companies do not have a leg to stand on. Letting it lapse, however, is a different story but if you are within the "extended" date, then your insurance company should not be able to discriminate.

wonski

Just make sure to bring your nct report/fail sheet with you to speed things up

Dempo1

Miscreant wrote: »

If the extensions are legal (for NCT and Driving Licence) then the insurance companies do not have a leg to stand on. Letting it lapse, however, is a different story but if you are within the "extended" date, then your insurance company should not be able to discriminate.

O, I agree but history tells us Insurance companies will use whatever mechanisms possible to avoid paying out, you don't have to look to far, the high court currently in fact, Pubs, Restaurants etc, business interruption insurance clause, etc etc

Murt102

bazz26 wrote: »

It's pretty common knowledge that they pushed all NCT due dates out by 4 months during the lockdown as they were shut.

Not all NCT’s are pushed out.. we have a 162 reg car that was always due its first NCT in September 2020. All our other (older) cars at home got a 4 month extension, except for the 162!

I presume if its the cars first NCT that they do not receive an extension.

Gotya

Bellbottoms wrote: »

I have just been for my NCT and I am mighty confused and unhappy.

My NCT was due back in Feb. I had it tested in Jan early. I failed, cant remember the issue. But it related to the undebody of the car. Got it fixed, but by the time by re test came around the lifts where out of action. Then RONA hit.

I was able to book an appointment for this evening, 8 months later. They did a full retest. Fair enough. It has been 8 months. I passed.

BUT

Instead of my NCT being valid for 12 months. It is only valid until February. What is going on with that?

Have you followed this up with them?

Quackster

Dravokivich wrote: »

Its rather confusing, when is the cut off for that extension, or is it just set on everything? My car shouldn't be due until August 2021, has that got 4 months added too?

Yes, except if it's the car's first test. Vehicles due their first test on or after August 1st don't qualify for the extension.

Miscreant

Kivaro wrote: »

Hold on there a sec.

Ladyinthedark; I would not worry too much about it. If the Guards stop you, just explain that you intend to NCT the vehicle when the testing centres are deemed a safe environment.

The NCT centres are deemed a safe environment.... Otherwise, they would not be open.

My mother has this same issue. Her car is due it's NCT in 2 weeks (that is where the 4 month extension ends for her) and she called the NCT service only to get an appointment for November!
She has since called them back and asked for a cancellation appointment (she is retired and has time on her hands, I realise not everyone can do this). NCT called her yesterday and arranged for a new appointment, the day before her due date.

I know not everyone has the flexibility but perhaps this may be an option for some.

I completely agree that scaremongering is not going to help here. I believe that the Gardaí are reasonable and will understand if someone has genuinely booked an appointment and is driving with an expired cert until that time. The only issues I can see are insurance renewals for cars with expired NCTs but that is a different matter.

Quackster

Gotya wrote: »

Have you followed this up with them?

There's nothing to follow up. That's exactly as per NCT rules.

boomshakalaka

It's crazy though - it's the 11th of August and the first available appointment in Galway city isn't until early november! I thought I was well ahead since my NCT extension expires early october..

I've booked er in anyway for early november and will check daily on rescheduling to an earlier date if possible.

Anyone have any insight what time of day might be good to check for this?

hoodie6029

There used to be a trick where if you logged on at 11:30pm exactly everyday,the cancellations are released. Haven't tried it in years. It might still work.

theguzman

I have a Modern Classic which I taxed from June 1st but couldn't get NCT and had to get some repair work done also to bring it up to NCT standard.

My 3 months of summer expensive motor tax now expires on August 31st and I cannot get it tested soon due to an end of November date as the earliest availability for my local test centre in Killarney.

The current NCT expired on December 15th 2019, my understanding is that the NCT test if I could get it today (August 12th 2020) would start today and run until December 15th 2020 the anniversary of 1st registration.

With such a long wait ahead for a test I don't know what to do, lads said to forget it and try book it in after the anniversary date and I would get a 1 year cert running from end of December 2020 until December 2021.

I only tax the car in the summer months as the cost of motor tax is very high, I classically insure it and so far this year I have done around 1,000kms of NCT expired driving quiet simply due to the impossibility of getting a test, a specialist garage in Kildare I want to go to now is also under lockdown so its been one disaster of a year.

Johnny_Fontane

Just off the phone with customer service.

I got my nct last night and it was only valid until March 2022. Rang customer service and she was a total ****ing wagon.

My original NCT was due early March and I booked late Feb, for early April. I have a job and a host of kids, so its tricky to do anything but after 8pm, so always have difficulty getting a time on their system. The customer service lady said that I should have called them to get an earlier date and it would have gotten done.

Basically if your NCT was due before 28 March and you didn't get it done (no matter if you had a test booked), it is only valid from the date it was due. No ifs buts or maybe.

sportsfan90

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Just off the phone with customer service.

I got my nct last night and it was only valid until March 2022. Rang customer service and she was a total ****ing wagon.

My original NCT was due early March and I booked late Feb, for early April. I have a job and a host of kids, so its tricky to do anything but after 8pm, so always have difficulty getting a time on their system. The customer service lady said that I should have called them to get an earlier date and it would have gotten done.

Basically if your NCT was due before 28 March and you didn't get it done (no matter if you had a test booked), it is only valid from the date it was due. No ifs buts or maybe.

I doubt the “total ****ing wagon” in customer service you were on the phone to made up the rules. Nor is it her fault you were a month late booking your nct before covid ever became an issue.

Johnny_Fontane

sportsfan90 wrote: »

I doubt the “total ****ing wagon” in customer service you were on the phone to made up the rules. Nor is it her fault you were a month late booking your nct before covid ever became an issue.

But are the rules fair and did she have to be so condescending towards me? I didnt think so. Theres a way to be nice about these sort of things over a phone, rather her being on the offensive as if it was my fault. I knew nothing about this (hadnt seen this post) before I rang them up. She blamed me for not giving myself enough time for the booking. I pointed out that I could only do 8pm onwards and there were zero time slots until 4th April. She said I should have called up, I said, that's not the point. she repeated ok 47 times just to get me off the phone (a good tactic might I add, but super annoying, hence the wagon comment)

I think the post above does clarify though the situation for people who might have been in my situation.

boomshakalaka

There's a level of personal responsibility for sure, and as drivers we should generally try and be "early" rather than cutting it close or even be late with these things.

Aside from taking responsibility for that, it's in the state's best interest to have roadworthy vehicles on the road and current processes are making that very very difficult. I don't think it's solely the driver that has a stake in this problem. Covid extensions all well and good, but nowhere are you warned about a massive backlog. The only way to realise you're going to be driving without an nct is when you go to book it, at which point you realise there's a 3 month backlog.

We all got emails / letters to say our NCT was extended, wouldn't have gone amiss to have an aul warning in there to say "book early to avoid having to wait months for an appointment".

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth

wassie

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

But are the rules fair and did she have to be so condescending towards me? I didnt think so. Theres a way to be nice about these sort of things over a phone, rather her being on the offensive as if it was my fault. I knew nothing about this (hadnt seen this post) before I rang them up. She blamed me for not giving myself enough time for the booking. I pointed out that I could only do 8pm onwards and there were zero time slots until 4th April. She said I should have called up, I said, that's not the point. she repeated ok 47 times just to get me off the phone (a good tactic might I add, but super annoying, hence the wagon comment)

I think the post above does clarify though the situation for people who might have been in my situation.

Reading your posts, it seems you feel you have been wronged because you didn't get an extension.

If Covid never happened, your NCT would be due next March.

But Covid did happen, so your NCT is due....next March.

So your upset because you didn't get something that you weren't entitled to?

Marcusm

Just booked Fonthill for 21 August. A reasonable number of centres around the country have availability for late Aug/early SEP and then little or nothing until Nov. Mine expires 17/9 so I should be early.

Johnny_Fontane

wassie wrote: »

Reading your posts, it seems you feel you have been wronged because you didn't get an extension.

If Covid never happened, your NCT would be due next March.

But Covid did happen, so your NCT is due....next March.

So your upset because you didn't get something that you weren't entitled to?

Im upset that I got my nct in August '20 and its only valid for 19 months instead of 2 years. My test was cancelled in early April. Hey I know I should have gone early, but I didnt. I did book the test before it was due though (probably like most people if they are stopped). I would have thought my cert would last from the date my test was completed. That would be common sense, would it not?

Dempo1

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Im upset that I got my nct in August '20 and its only valid for 19 months instead of 2 years. My test was cancelled in early April. Hey I know I should have gone early, but I didnt. I did book the test before it was due though (probably like most people if they are stopped). I would have thought my cert would last from the date my test was completed. That would be common sense, would it not?

Nothing this shower do makes common sense, an absolute farce of a situation, my neighbor just got the 2nd part of his test completed in a different centre some 7 months after initial test, lift issue, he lost count of the amount of times Gardai questioned him, what country in the world permits half a test, its beyond ludicrous, as to is how easy it is for them to extend a cert on a whim. If anything is obov coming out of this pandemic it's the fact the entire NCT system, not fit for purpose

Quackster

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

Im upset that I got my nct in August '20 and its only valid for 19 months instead of 2 years. My test was cancelled in early April. Hey I know I should have gone early, but I didnt. I did book the test before it was due though (probably like most people if they are stopped). I would have thought my cert would last from the date my test was completed. That would be common sense, would it not?

Your current cert is valid for two years from the expiry date of the last one. That seems perfect common sense to me.

Why should you be rewarded for getting tested five months after it was due?

Big Ears

Quackster wrote: »

Your current cert is valid for two years from the expiry date of the last one. That seems perfect common sense to me.

Why should you be rewarded for getting tested five months after it was due?

This isn't car tax, it's not about being rewarded, it's a statement of how roadworthy a vehicle is.
Up to this point, they've been working off the assumption that if a vehicle is deemed roadworthy, it should be fine for 12 months (if more than 10 years old) or 24 months (if more than 4 years old but less than 10). In that posters case, their vehice has tested roadworthy, but apparently only for 19 months.

In a sense, it makes the process seem much more like a tax, than a statement on a vehicles roadworthiness.

wonski

It was always the case except the voluntary tests.

Covid situation gave some drivers 4 months extension, some not.

Not sure what's the outrage is about.

The backdating was designed as a way to make people test cars on time. Many failed to do that even when the lifts were working and Nct centres were open.

I agree that it should be from the date of the test, too but it is not and never was.

inforfun

1 year from date of test is the way i was used to in The Netherlands.
I never tested my car on time, each year i "stole" at least 1 month.
It is also done by normal mechanics\garages.
In all honesty,i really prefer the way it is done here.

soups05

a quick question for you guys, I got a car today which has the four month ext. NCT up tomorrow so NCT site says it is due 21 dec. I went to change ins to the new car and lady on the phone said i need to get a garage to write a letter to prove it is road worthy.

first date i can get for test is end of nov.

so is my nct valid or not? ins company dont seem to think it is.