MOT experience

[Murray Betts]

Took the Capp in for its MOT a few days ago.
For about 20yrs I'd been using a chap about 10mls away for all my car and bike MOTs, we had a good relationship, but he retired so I needed a new MOT place. There's a local place for bikes which I've found to be very good. A local garage does cars and I've used them for a couple of cars for 2 years now, no issues.
Took the Capp in, second time there, and left it with them. Got a phone call, it has failed on both dip beams alignment being too low. "We can do it for you now, £9 plus VAT ....... each light.".
I was extremely surprised at the fail, I've owned it for 28yrs from new, 25 MOTs, never had an issue with lights. I checked everything over before taking it in, including headlights against the garage door and everything "looked" just as usual and not apparently out of adjustment. OK, it's a subjective assessment, but I've known what it's like for 28yrs and no reason to think anything might have changed.
Having collected my thoughts for a moment I said it takes literally 2mins to adjust them, I'll collect the car and do the adjustment and then submit it for retest, which is free within a certain time.
He paused for a couple of seconds and then very abruptly said he'd do it for free, he'd just do it, and to just come and get the car, just take it away. I don't think he had considered that scenario. I'm sure 99% of owners would just say yes, do it, it's only £22 so not a big deal, and of course once "adjusted" there is absolutely no way to show whether or not it actually needed it. All I wanted was a MOT and the car back so said OK.

Anyway, when I went in I thought it could potentially be either embarrassing or confrontational or both, so I adopted a very apologetic attitude, didn't mean to be awkward but was just very surprise etc, had the car for 28yrs and no issues blah blah. Paid and drove the 1/4mile back home.

Checked the alignment (garage door again) and the dip beams looked fine, just like they were before. Driver's side main beam was fine, the hot-spot was on the kink in the dip beam as it should be according to the workshop manual diagrams. The passenger side main beam however was about 50cm too high on the door, not just a little bit high but completely out of the range of the dip beam. I checked the lamp was correctly in the holder, the clip was on, nothing was loose. It took 6 full turns of the adjuster to get it back to where it should be.
Now, that does not happen in driving 1/4mile after it had just passed the MOT having had the headlight alignment "adjusted" and correct.
Without making direct allegations, I'd bet £18+VAT that I know what had gone on, and consequently I will be using a different MOT station in future. I thought that sort of practice had died out, but apparently not. There's a local Council MOT station which only does MOTs, not repairs, so no vested interests, I might go there next time.
At least the car has a new MOT, although slightly annoyingly the MOT history now shows pass, pass, pass, ................ pass, pass (17 passes), FAIL, pass. That's just a bug for me, but annoying none the less.