The MOT problem

[sobrique]

My MOT is due. Well, ish. Due enough, because my tax ends this month, and need an MOT before then. (I think my MOT last year was about 2 days before the tax, but hey ho)

It presents me with a minor puzzle:
What is the most optimal way of getting my MOT done.

You see, I drive to work, and like to have my car to do this. After all, it's pretty hard to accomplish without. I need to get an MOT, which involves someone else having my car, for a period of time. I suspect what I will do is ring my favourite garages and see if they have a saturday slot, or failing that just bite the bullet and suck up another taxi fare.

However I was wondering if anyone had more creative solutions to the problem - is there somewhere near the University, for example, that I might be able to get to before/after work, or during a lunchbreak?

Does anyone do the 'come get your car, and then bring it back later' service when MOTing?

I shall leave aside the whinging of the cumulative pain that having done service, tyres, tracking, MOT and Tax will bring. Given that I'm on holiday the last two weeks. Well, _mostly_ anyway.

Edit: Final solution was to book a saturday morning MOT at BDK.

Comments

[mrbear.livejournal.com]

Annual leave is normally my solution.

[elrohana.livejournal.com]

I can't give you any specifics in your area, but some smaller garages will come and pick up and drop off for you, only way to find out is to call them and ask.

[gingerboy.livejournal.com]

My usual solution is to get a courtesy car from the garage. I've had a courtesy car before from Green-Fleet Garage, and it's run by someone I know (also called Ed), so I trust that any work he said needs to be done does actually need to be done :-)

Ed Amanna, Green-Fleet Garage, 1a Broomfield Road, Earlsdon, Coventry, CV5 6JW.
Telephone 024 7667 3066

It's on the traffic light junction between Broomfield Road and Albany Road in Earlsdon - you drive down between the Bits & Bytes computer shop and the train embankment and the garage is behind the shops.

It can mean that you need to be a little later into work due to dropping your car off on your way in, but it's less hassle than taking time off.

When we had our Tacuma serviced a few weeks ago, I went along to the main dealer since it's still under the 3 year free servicing deal. They charged £5 for the courtesy car, but did allow me to swap my car for the courtesy car the evening before rather than the morning (they only opened at 8, and I wanted to be in work for 7:30, 30 mins drive away).

[ehrine.livejournal.com]

Green-Fleet is where I get most of my car work done. The guy used to run Green-Garage on Ball Hill (which he still owns but has someone else run most of the time I believe). I used to use Green Garage due to being just up the road from where I lived at the time :)

As said, he always seems pretty genuine to me. Only complaint I have is that he's a bugger to get an actual price out of in advance. He'll always quote "£xx labour plus part". You have to get him to look up the part price, then remember to ask him if that's with or without MOT (usually it is without which technically he shouldn't do as prices quoted to non-businesses are required to include VAT or be clearly stated as not including it).

Anyway, definately worth using and not that too far a walk from where Ed and myself reside :P

[mrbear.livejournal.com]

Also, I can substitute for a taxi on the day, given you work reasonably close. :P

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

What's an MOT? I do the same thing you ended up doing -- book Saturday morning car maintenance appointments. There is an option to rent a loaner car while my car's in the shop but I find it easier to just go early Saturday morning and be out again by noon. Besides, they have free wireless internet at that car place :-)