No more free WOF retests for motorists using dodgy garages

Friday, 11 October 2019

Each year more than 4 million warrant of fitness inspections are carried out by 8000 inspectors. VINZ Christchurch site manager Billy Green explains a WOF check. (File video first published in 2019)

Motorists will have to pursue garages for warrant of fitness refunds when inspectors are suspended for sub-standard work.

More than 73,000 vehicles have been recalled for safety checks since the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) began cracking down on the issuing of warrants and certificates of fitness last October.

When inspectors were suspended, the agency gave affected motorists free vouchers for new WOFs, but that quietly stopped last month and customers will now have to go after WOF inspectors for retest costs.

NZTA regulatory manager Kane Patena said even though the agency was not legally liable, it had chosen to cover WOF rechecks, but now the backlog had been cleared, it would no longer do so.

**READ MORE:

Since the NZTA stopped giving out free WOF vouchers, more than 4000 vehicles have been recalled for safety checks but owners will have to chase suspended inspectors for reimbursement. (File photo)

* After 70,000 WoFs fail, NZTA urged to learn people, not companies, are its customers

* Truckies worried transport agency safety review will bump up costs

* WOFs may cost more and be harder to get following a Transport Agency shake-up

* Review after transport safety agency's WOF system failure**

WOF services are the life blood of many repair shops and long delays in processing NZTA paperwork are taking a toll on business owners.

'Suspended service providers will be liable to their own customers if their work isn't up to scratch.'

Vouchers already issued will be honoured until the expiry date.

Since the voucher system ended, the agency has suspended a further four WOF inspectors in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Kawhia, affecting more than 4000 vehicles.

The Motor Trade Association (MTA) backs the agency move to end the freebies and said it was unsustainable for government to keep footing the bill when private businesses failed to carry out their duty.

Inspecting organisations are required to have civil liability and professional indemnity insurance to cover such costs, and MTA recommends its members have at least $1 million worth.

Each year more than 8000 inspectors carry out 4 million WOF inspections and the agency's clamp down on standards found a range of problems.

They included a failure to properly inspect brakes, lights, corrosion repairs, and seatbelts, passing serious defects and allowing unauthorised staff to do inspections.

A review of the agency released on Wednesday said the current system was a challenge because it delegated regulation to inspecting organisations that provided a service to paying customers.

As a result some WOF and COF inspectors saw 'the commercial imperative as more important than the regulatory responsibility.'

The agency is more closely scrutinising applications to conduct vehicle inspections and that has resulted in a backlog which is causing big problems for repair shops left unable to issue warrants for up to five months.

MTA advocacy manager Greig Epps said the delays were hugely stressful for business owners.

There were major financial consequences because WOFs brought in many customers and some MTA members reported losing up to $3,000 of work per month while they waited for a decision from NZTA.

'It's like a dairy not being able to sell bread and milk.'

Garages applying months in advance to renew their notice of appointment to issue WOFs were finding it ran out before the paperwork was processed.

When garages changed hands, new owners were left in a similar position Epps said, and after initially saying processing would take 40 days, then 55 days, NZTA now gave no time frame at all.

There was also confusion over how the applications were assessed.

'Communication [by the agency] is not clear, it's sporadic and it leaves the business owners not knowing what the next step is, or how long they need to sit in this position.'

The recent review suggested the agency needed to ensure efforts to overcome previous regulatory failures did not swing too far in the other direction, and Epps said MTA was worried that was already happening.

MTA had met with the transport agency several times to voice its concerns and had been assured more resources were being assigned to resolve issues around the waiting times.