Paying for your MOT isn’t optional. Driving your car on the road without a valid MOT is an offence and will land you with a fine and points on your driving licence too. However, what most drivers don’t know is that you have some flexibility over what you actually pay for your MOT test. Maximum Prices The government sets the fees for MOTs for the various classes of vehicle. These are published online and are adjusted every year in line with inflation. There are a range of different fees covering motorcycles, cars and vans. In general, larger vehicles have a higher MOT fee than smaller ones.
For example, a motorcycle up to 200cc is £29.65, and most cars are £54.85. However, what most people aren’t aware of is that these fees are the maximum process which can be charged for MOT tests in the various classes. So if a garage wants to offer a MOT test for £10, they are free to do so. All the law says is that they can’t charge more than the maximum. As a customer, this puts you in a great position to bargain. Striking a Deal on your MOT If you are thinking of taking your car or van to a local centre which only offers MOT testing, then you are unlikely to be able to do much on the price.
They will have a standard fee which covers the test and won’t offer flexibility. However, in towns where there are several garages all competing for the MOT business, you might be in a stronger negotiating position. Many garages will run special offers for MOTs at quiet periods, or offer discounts for booking online. Careful shopping around could secure you a price of less than half of the maximum fee chargeable.
However, in order to secure one of the cheaper deals, you might have to jump through a few hoops. Cheap slots might require booking many weeks in advance, or taking a time slot nobody else wants such as late on a Friday afternoon. Saving £25 should be balanced against convenience. If you’re having to drive an hour to get a MOT test for £10 less, is it really worth it? Added Extras Another way of reducing the cost of your MOT is be agreeing to have other things done at the same time.
If you are buying a couple of new tyres, or having an annual service done on the car at the same time, the garage is more likely to give a discount on the MOT price. Some other garages will give a discount for customers who had their MOT done last year too. Many garages advertise online, and it is always worth checking out what is on offer rather than just automatically choosing your nearest garage. Remember also that you have a bit of leeway in timing of your MOT test. It doesn’t have to be done on the same day each year. Be organised and start looking for deals in advance.
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