So I go to my MOT garage and ask for help with an MOT explaining that I've been told that I'm going to receive a penalty notice, my insurance is currently questionable and I can't tax the car. There is sucking of teeth, "we will see if we can help you out mate" etc.
"I hope so" I say "because you bloody well MOT'd it in May, but it's not on the system!"
Shocked face, shuffling of feet from the manager. I pin him down (verbally you understand) and discover the MOT bod has the registration correct from the on-line booking and and on the test print-outs, but recorded the wrong reg on the system and certificate! I pointed out that he cannot have physically obtained the VIN number and entered that as required by DVSA to check the vehicle ID when recording the test, a basic and serious failure. Worried faces in the workshop.
There are two options, I can book in, wait and take the car and documents to a licencing centre an hour away and have the VIN verified and MOT corrected, or have a re-test with the correct VRM. I 'insist it's done there and then, no option. So the guilty party works his lunch break, the fee is obviously waived, the original MOT refunded a decent sweetener obtained for my trouble. Lesson learned, double check the certificate including mileage on the print-out as it can be corrected at the garage within 14 days, otherwise you are stuck with it.
The kick in the pants for the owner of the car that was on the incorrect MOT, is that according to MOT online he had two MOT's in a month and his mileage went backwards! this will cause questions come sale time and is, according to DVSA, going to be even more fuss for him to sort than my problem was!
