MoT garages that will not give estimates (not 406 specific)

[Menophanes]

I have often encountered a very tiresome attitude in MoT stations, which greatly adds to the worry of the annual ordeal, and I should be interested to know whether others have met with it.

What happens is that, having failed the car, the people responsible will not give me even an approximate price for the necessary repairs. In other words, they expect me to hand them an open-ended authorisation – virtually, to sign a blank cheque. Perhaps I ought to protest against this, but I am not a very assertive (or pug-nacious) character, and the best I can do is to say feebly, "Can you do it for [say] £500? If not, please say so now and I'll take the car away." So I take the car away. Several times I have unhappily parted with a car I liked because of the seeming impossibility of getting a forecast of the cost of remedial work.

Last year I thought I had found salvation; I took my 1.9TD to a previously untried garage, and they not only gave me a precise estimate but, despite meeting with some complications in overhauling the front brakes (that is another story), actually followed it to the last penny. Such a relief! But on approaching them again earlier this year when my rear bearings began to roar, I found that they had gone out of business, leaving me to the mercy of the sharks once more.

This, then, is my question: Is the behaviour I have described normal, or is it exceptional? In other words, am I being unreasonable in expecting an estimate, or have I been particularly unlucky in my deaings with people who will not give one?

Oliver Mundy.

[Bigdipper]

I have always had estimates , if they cannot give u one they r crap , if your in the uk have u ever looked in council run mot stations there pass rate is a lot higher then normal because then don't do repairs , then u can take it to any garage u want for repairs

[Welly]

My garage gives me an 'accurate idea' of cost based upon their experience and/or 'book times' for labour and are mostly spot-on. They did a big job for me last year (7 hrs) but felt it unfair for me to burden the whole cost so split it with me based upon it being a learning curve for them (first job of its kind they'd done on my type of car). Sure enough they had another enquiry a week later from someone else with the EXACT same issue and were well placed to quote a figure for the job. Some garages will accept losses on certain jobs, some will try to pass it on to you.

The trouble with cars is that all kinds of stuff can quickly go tits up and that's difficult to account for I suppose. It is a bit of a mine field and I don't know if there's any way around it?

Jasper on here is very good and may be able to expand on the theory behind it.

[steve_earwig]

I've always been suspicious of MOT garages that also do repairs, I always think they're going to fail me on something that it should have passed on, in order to do some easy job and charge me for it. The garage that did my last dunno-how-many MOTs was also a breakers...

[Pilch]

I use an MOT place down the road - privately run but all they do is MOT's.

Firm but fair and willing to help you if needed!