Scotland Ash News

Discounted MOTs – Why Scotlands Ash Garage charge full price!

Due to the MOT extension which began in April 2020, the likelihood is that there will be a drop in vehicles requiring an MOT over the next few months.

While motorists can present their vehicles for an MOT test at any time of the year, there is an expected lull in tests being carried out. Road safety remains paramount and we encourage motorists to have their vehicles checked regularly. (more…)

Please see below a recent but common issue faced by motorists, when they use some main dealers and national companies. These businesses will have instructions from ‘head office’ to really push the sell. At Scotland’s Ash Garage we’re of course here to earn a living but we also aim to have happy and satisfied customers that’ll come back to us time and time again.

 From Kellie:

“Yesterday I took my Nissan Juke to a national repair chain in Reading, for its MOT. After walking the streets of Reading for an hour I was informed my car had failed due to incorrectly fitted brake pads, and an advisory of them being worn. After a late night email to my usual garage Scotlands Ash Garage, I was asked to bring my car straight in the next day. They looked at the brakes and could find nothing wrong with the fitting of them. Scotland’s Ash then proceeded to MOT my car for me free of charge and allowed me the use of a courtesy car while they completed the MOT. My car passed with no advisories and no work needed. On ringing the national chain the response I got was (I quote) “Not our problem” I will be making an official complaint to their head office and the DVSA on Monday.

I would suggest anyone reading this never use an auto centre not only are they trying to make money out of falsely failing MOT’s there customer service is none existent.

Scotland’s Ash Garage on the other hand have been amazing and our cars will never go anywhere else.

 

As we head into a third national lockdown, Scotlands Ash Garage are pleased to announce we are fully open – and MOT tests remain in place by the government.

We are continuing to offer a contactless service and BACS and card payments are being accepted over the phone, to safeguard our customers and staff.

We also have a courtesy car service available for customers to ensure they remain on the road during the lockdown.

Our strict hygiene practices mean the garage has been thoroughly disinfected – and approved for opening by health and safety inspectors. And all vehicles are returned to customers thoroughly cleaned and with our new sanitiser kit.

Scotlands Ash Garage is proud to keep key workers moving!

 

 

Motorists are being advised to keep their vehicles serviced and MOT’d during the third national lockdown following confirmation earlier this week that garages can remain open. (more…)

Nearly half of UK motorists surveyed have put off servicing their cars or carrying out essential maintenance during 2020, according to RAC.

Some 48% of drivers have spent less time looking after their vehicle as plummeting car usage and MOT extensions left their mark on the year.

In the poll of more than 2,000 motorists aged between 18 to 65, just under a third admitted that their car was currently displaying a warning light, or that they were driving it fully aware that it had mechanical issues.

This lack of attention to car maintenance could even be putting lives at risk; tyres were the most ignored area, with 68% of respondents admitting that they hadn’t checked their tyres since the beginning of the year.

Of those that did check them, more than a quarter said that they knew that their tyres needed replacing but hadn’t done so because of the cost of new ones.

The average mileage for a car has dropped by more than half in the UK – vehicles are expected to cover just 3,500 miles in 2020, down from 8,000 in 2019.

It’s no surprise then, that 40% of drivers blamed how little they were using their cars for not checking mechanical issues – other reasons given included tighter finances and delayed MOTs.

Oil changes and dashboard warning lights were also likely to be ignored.

Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert for Money.co.uk warned: “With most regular drivers making smaller, more infrequent journeys, it’s easy to see why some might be tempted to put off repairs and maintenance, especially particularly expensive work. However, doing so could have serious consequences to the safety of your journey, and even invalidate your insurance.”

We’re committed to ensuring our customers can get back on the road as soon as possible, and to support this, we offer a FREE courtesy car with every service so they can continue to get from A to B.

As part of this commitment, we are constantly expanding the number of courtesy cars available, and have recently purchased a new, top-of-the-range KIA Rio, with heated seats and a heated steering wheel, ensuring that you can not only continue to get about without interruption, but you can do so in style.

We now have two KIA Rio cars available, alongside many other comfortable and reliable models.

Scotlands Ash Garage and the Welch family have raised no more than £18,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust . The latest donation included a fantastic £2,000+ from the sale of face masks and close to £1,000 from contributing £1 for every MOT undertaken!

Scotlands Ash Garage newsletter, The Tool Box is available for download. Get your copy here