Terms of Service

By booking an appointment, leaving your vehicle with us, or requesting any work, you agree to these terms and conditions. These terms do not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

We provide motor vehicle repair, servicing, MOT testing, and diagnostics. All work is carried out by qualified and experienced technicians at our premises.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015:

• All services are carried out with reasonable care and skill (s.49).
• Where a price has been agreed, that is the price you pay. Where no specific price is agreed in advance, you will be charged a reasonable price (s.51).
• Where no completion time is agreed, the work will be completed within a reasonable time (s.52).
• If the service does not meet these standards, you are entitled to ask us to repeat the work at no extra cost or, if that is not possible or not done within a reasonable time, to a price reduction (ss.54–56).

Parts supplied as part of a repair must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If a part we supply is faulty, you have the same rights as for any goods purchased — repair, replacement, or refund depending on the circumstances.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes your statutory rights.

We distinguish between estimates and quotations:

• Estimate: a guide price based on information available at the time. The final cost may vary once the vehicle has been inspected. Website prices are estimates unless stated otherwise.
• Quotation: a fixed price for agreed work. If we give you a written quotation, we will not charge more than the quoted amount for that scope of work.

In both cases, we will not carry out any work without your agreement on price first.

If we discover additional work is needed during an inspection or repair (for example, a worn component found while replacing an adjacent part), we will:

1. Stop work on the additional item.
2. Contact you to explain what we have found and provide a cost.
3. Proceed only with your explicit approval (verbal or written).

If we cannot reach you and the issue is safety-critical (meaning the vehicle would be dangerous to drive without the repair), we will carry out the minimum work necessary to make the vehicle safe and inform you at the earliest opportunity. You will not be charged for non-safety work that was not authorised.

Unless you request otherwise, we fit quality aftermarket parts from reputable suppliers. We use OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts where:

• No suitable aftermarket alternative exists.
• There is a genuine performance or fitment benefit to using OEM.
• Using non-OEM parts would affect an existing manufacturer warranty on your vehicle.
• You specifically request OEM parts (this may affect the price quoted).

We are happy to discuss parts options with you before work begins.

MOT tests are conducted in accordance with DVSA regulations. The current maximum MOT fee set by the DVSA is £54.85.

If Your Vehicle Fails

• We will explain the reasons for failure and provide a repair estimate if you would like us to carry out the work.
• Free retest: if you leave the vehicle with us for repair and it is retested before the end of the next working day after the repair, no retest fee is charged.
• Partial retest: if the vehicle is taken away and returned within 10 working days for retesting on the failed items only, a partial retest fee may apply (up to half the original MOT fee).
• Full retest: if the vehicle returns after 10 working days, a full MOT fee is charged.

MOT Results and Appeals

• Results are categorised as dangerous defects, major defects, minor defects, or advisories, in line with DVSA standards.
• All MOT results are submitted electronically to the DVSA as required by law.
• If you believe your vehicle has been incorrectly failed, you have the right to appeal to the DVSA. Do not have the vehicle repaired before the appeal is heard, as this may affect the outcome.

Driving After a Failure

A vehicle that has failed its MOT with dangerous or major defects must not be driven on public roads except directly to a pre-booked repair appointment or retest. It is your responsibility as the vehicle owner to ensure your vehicle has a valid MOT certificate before driving on public roads.

• Online booking requests are not confirmed until we contact you to agree a date, time, and scope of work. A booking request is not a contract.
• A contract is formed when you agree to a price for specific work — either verbally (in person or by phone) or in writing — following our inspection of your vehicle.
• If you need to cancel or reschedule a confirmed appointment, please give us at least 24 hours' notice by phone (01670 708599).
• Repeated no-shows without notice may result in us requiring a deposit for future bookings.

Cancellation After Work Is Authorised

Because all work requires your vehicle to be physically present at our premises and is agreed after inspection, the 14-day cooling-off period for distance contracts under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 does not apply.

You may cancel an authorised work order, subject to the following:

• Before work begins: you may cancel and collect your vehicle without charge.
• After work has begun but before completion: you are liable for labour costs incurred up to the point of cancellation, plus the full cost of any parts already fitted to the vehicle.
• Parts ordered but not yet fitted: if parts have been specifically ordered for your vehicle and cannot be returned to our supplier, you are liable for the cost of those parts.

• Payment is due upon completion of work and collection of your vehicle.
• We accept cash, debit card, credit card, and bank transfer.
• All prices include VAT.
• For work where parts must be ordered in advance, we may request a deposit to cover the cost of parts. Deposits are non-refundable if you cancel after parts have been ordered, unless the parts can be returned to our supplier.
• If you pay by credit card for work valued at over £100, you may have additional protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Under common law, we have the right to retain possession of your vehicle until all charges for work carried out have been paid in full. This is known as a “garage lien” or “particular lien.” We will not release the vehicle until payment is received.

• Once we notify you that your vehicle is ready for collection, please collect it within 5 working days.
• After 5 working days, a storage charge of £15 per day (including VAT) will apply.
• If your vehicle remains uncollected for more than 28 days with no response from you, we may exercise our rights under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 to dispose of the vehicle after providing written notice to your last known address.
• While your vehicle is on our premises, we will take reasonable care of it. However, we recommend you maintain your own motor insurance at all times. We are not liable for damage caused by events beyond our reasonable control (e.g. severe weather, fire, theft by third parties).
• We are not responsible for personal belongings left in your vehicle.

We guarantee our workmanship for 12 months or 10,000 miles (whichever comes first) from the date the work is completed. This means we guarantee that the work was carried out correctly and to a proper standard.

What This Covers

• Defective workmanship — for example, a component incorrectly fitted, a connection not properly secured, or a procedure not followed to manufacturer specification.
• Faulty parts — where a part we supplied fails prematurely due to a manufacturing defect, we will replace it within the warranty period.

What This Does Not Cover

• Normal wear and tear: components such as brake pads, clutch plates, tyres, wiper blades, and bulbs wear at rates determined by driving style, road conditions, mileage, and vehicle condition. These are not warranted against natural wear.
• Misuse or neglect: damage resulting from driving habits, overloading, using incorrect fuel, or failing to maintain the vehicle (e.g. low oil, overheating ignored).
• Third-party interference: if the same system is subsequently worked on by another garage or by the vehicle owner, our warranty on that work is void.
• Accident or external damage: damage caused by collisions, road debris, flooding, or similar events.
• Pre-existing faults: issues with your vehicle that existed before our work and were not part of the agreed repair scope.

Making a Warranty Claim

If you believe work we carried out has failed, contact us as soon as possible and bring the vehicle back to our premises. Please bring your original invoice. We will inspect the work and, where the claim is valid, rectify it at no charge.

This warranty is provided in addition to, and does not affect, your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

• We do not exclude or limit liability for: death or personal injury caused by our negligence; fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
• Subject to the above, our total liability for any claim arising from work we have carried out is limited to the price you paid for that work.
• We are not liable for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time the work was agreed, or for losses not caused by our breach of these terms or our negligence.

In certain cases, specialist work (for example electrical diagnostics or bodywork) may be subcontracted to a specialist provider at your request and with your agreement. Where this occurs:

• We will inform you before any work is subcontracted.
• Your contractual relationship remains with us — we are responsible for the quality of all work, whether carried out on our premises or by a subcontractor.

Our workshop is a working environment with potential hazards. For your safety:

• Please do not enter the workshop area unless invited by a member of staff.
• Follow any safety signage and instructions from our team.
• Children must be supervised at all times while on our premises.

Waste oil, coolant, batteries, tyres, and other hazardous materials generated during repairs are disposed of in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and associated Hazardous Waste Regulations. We maintain waste transfer notes as required by law.

We are not liable for delays or failure to perform our obligations where this is caused by events outside our reasonable control, including but not limited to: severe weather, flooding, fire, pandemic, industrial action, parts supply chain disruption, utility failure, or government action. Where a force majeure event causes delay, we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible and resume work when the event ends.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service:

1. Contact us first: speak to a member of staff at the garage, phone us on 01670 708599, or email info@bedlingtonmot.co.uk. Most issues can be resolved quickly and informally.
2. Written complaint: if the issue is not resolved, put your complaint in writing (by email or post). We will acknowledge it within 7 working days and aim to provide a full response within 14 working days.
3. Further action: if you remain dissatisfied, you may contact your local Trading Standards office (Northumberland County Council Trading Standards) for advice.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015, we are required to inform you about alternative dispute resolution. The relevant certified ADR provider for the motor trade is:

The Motor Ombudsman
Website: www.themotorombudsman.org
Phone: 0345 241 3008

We are not currently a member of The Motor Ombudsman scheme. However, you are free to contact them or any other certified ADR provider if you wish to pursue dispute resolution outside of the courts.

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.