Can i take the DVLA to court?

[Type-R-Steve]

I'm sure some of you know about my on going battle to get the Eclipse through the SVA test.

Background:
The DVLA centre in Newtownards is the only centre that can test a car for SVA. SVA is a single vehicle approval test for non-european imports and kit cars etc. You need an SVA to be able to register the car.

I had a date set for my SVA for April 2nd '04, which it failed.
I applied for the re-test the next week, and was given May 20th as the re-test date.
I received a phone call a week before the re-test saying that they had to change the date. So it was moved to July 24th '04.

Cost so far:
SVA £200
SVA re-test £60

Last night i got another phone call saying that the SVA test has been indefinitely postponed.
I called into the DVLA office in Newtownards to find out what exactly was going on. They said that the strike is still on blah, blah ,blah, etc. etc.

I asked about the fees i'd paid for the tests, and if i would be refunded the amount. He said that because the car had already been throught the 1st SVA test that i couldn't be re-funded the £200. But I would be refunded the re-test fee of £60.

Now the only option to get the car SVA'd is to take it over the water.
Because the SVA is run by a different organization in NI i simply cannot get my re-test moved to another test centre over the water. I will have to fork out another £200 to get the car tested again.

Now my question is. Can i take the DVLA to the small clams court to get my £200 back?

 

[POD]

dont think so as u had a test and it failed.

 

[Type-R-Steve]

My point is that because of these f**ks going on strike, i'm losing the £200 i've already paid them. As i'll have to shell out another £200 to get it tested instead of the £60 re-test fee.

 

[Cooper]

I doubt you would have a case since they are offering reimbursement of your retest fee.

Andy

 

[Type-R-Steve]

But it's the £200 bit i'm f'ed off about as in total i'll have spent in fees for the SVA are:

1st SVA £200
SVA re-test £60
SVA over the water £200

 

[sexymanda]

i dont think you have a leg to stand on tbh, give it a go anyhoo u dont have anything to lose!

 

[Type-R-Steve]

Well i'm contacting the AA about this as they give out free legal advice on this sort of thing.

Because of them going on strike in the middle of my tests will help with the case.

By the time i get the car SVA'd it will have cost me more than double the amount and 100 times the hassle than it would have if i had just went to the mainland in the first place.

 

[VEN©M]

the £200 was for the first SVA which you failed, why do you want that back?

they cancelled your re-test and are willing to refund that £60 fee.

in other words you haven't a mission and i cant see why you think you're entitled to your £200 back. its just unfortunate will all this strike nonsense that you'll have to go across the water.

 

[Type-R-Steve]

Ya see i'll have to pay for the full 5 hour long test all over again which is £200 because they cannot transfer the re-test to another test centre.

This is why i want my £200 back because they have messed me about and changed dates so many times now.

 

[Daz500]

i thought Mallusk was the only centre that did SVA testing :roll: but they are closed also.

there's as much a waiting list on the mainland as there is over here. Don't forget that as you can't drive your car, it will have to be trailored. That means more expense on the boat etc.

It might be cheaper just to wait a while longer ....

 

[Type-R-Steve]

I've been trying to get it legal & registered since January hock:

Iirc any garage on the mainland that can do MOTs' can do SVAs'

The SVA was at Mallusk then they moved it to Newtownards.

The centre in N'ards passed the Eclipse for it's MOT on the 30th of June.

The things it failed the SVA for are small stupid things like the fog light was half an inch too low hock: :? :x :twisted: and the tip of the exhaust didn't have a radius on the tip FFS. Everything else they asked me to do has been done.

 

[Jmax]

I doubt you would have a case since they are offering reimbursement of your retest fee.

Andy

i think that aswell

oh and if ur goin over the water will u let me know where ur gettin it done as i know ppl that need an sva done aswell

_________________

 

[Daz500]

I could be wrong but I think you'll find that there are only certain garages on the mainland that can do SVA. Within Scotland, there are only 2 !! Needless to say that it's back logged.

 

[Porter]

mate u havent a hope in hell,

its not the fact that they have messed you around with dates,

basically you had a date for the first one, took it , failed, thats not their fault.

their fault is however them changing your RETEST dates, but as they are giving you a refund then theres nothing you can do.

put it this way.

when u had ur first test, if you done it accross the water it would still have failed, and you would still be 200 out of pocket.

my suggestion, just stick to a retest over here

 

[Type-R-Steve]

I've been talking to a guy in one of the american car clubs who has a contact in one of the SVA centres. So i'll ring him in the morning see if i can get something sorted.

BTW
The test on the mainland is run by the Gov, you cant get it done anywhere else.
PRICE
SVA £150
SVA re-test £30

NI get ripped off again!

 

[Jason]

why dont u do the SVA test in cork like most ppl? (somewere around cork i think)

my da look a scooby down a month or 2 ago for it

 

[Type-R-Steve]

You can't get it done in Cork. The Souths rules are nothing to do with the North.

 

[Rachie]

the only way i can see u doing this is to complain and hassle them to give u the next test for free. they cant refund u £200 for the one u failed because its not their fault that it didnt pass. however, since they cancelled ur re-test which would have cost 60, and now u are required to take a test that costs 200, i would say to them that u'll give them no more than 60 for it as it wasnt u who cancelled the re-test, therefore why should u have to pay the full price for their mistake?

 

[Mr 106]

its quite a dire situation, the whole lot of them should be sacked without consideration.

while i share their concerns about not getting the same pay that their english counterparts do, it is simply not on for them collectively as a whole to act like a bunch of whinging children and hold up the tests.

 

[Daz500]

its quite a dire situation, the whole lot of them should be sacked without consideration.

while i share their concerns about not getting the same pay that their english counterparts do, it is simply not on for them collectively as a whole to act like a bunch of whinging children and hold up the tests.

err.... they don't have english counter parts.

its our civil service who are out on strike and as the DVTA will have the most impact on the public service, it is them who are out on strike at present. It doesnt necessarily make them whingers but the whole of the civil service.

 

[Emmy]

indeed it just means more tax to raise their pay or some other civil servants will lose their job to accomodate the pay rise! anyways yeh i think u have a case in a sense that if it passes the retest you should get the difference refunded i.e £140 coz its not fair on u taht they cancelled the retest and cant give u another one because of the damn strikes!

 

[Daz500]

indeed it just means more tax to raise their pay or some other civil servants will lose their job to accomodate the pay rise! anyways yeh i think u have a case in a sense that if it passes the retest you should get the difference refunded i.e £140 coz its not fair on u taht they cancelled the retest and cant give u another one because of the damn strikes!

he has no leg to stand on.

he went for a test 1st time around and it failed.
unfortunately he's not been able to get a test date ( but then so have a lot of other people ) who have no option but to wait.

bite the bullet and go to scotland or wait until they can give a test date. make sure you write a letter of complaint to the DVTA.

 

[Emmy]

hmm unless you can be extremely patient and hope that when they go back off strike they might take it in again for a retest sva? try to plee your case that there is no reason it should be suspended indefinately

 

[pugmodz]

They cant make you take the £60 refund you can just wait for the new retest date, but if you take the refund its your choice to take the test somewere else so you cant claim off them!!! But sure you can drive the car with a test date if the car is road worthy with the exemption the psni are giving!!!