# NCT booking challenge-share your experiences



## Orga (27 Nov 2013)

Any views on the following:

1. Went to NCT website to see what appointments may be available for near where I live - none available for 6 months
2. Went back some days later - none still (for 6 months)
3. Emailed customer service - reply told me I should have called call centre if I couldn't get appointment within 4 weeks
4. Called call centre - was closed, but then that's why I went online originally
5. Checked online again - nothing
6. Called call centre again - asked what appointments were available - told none available but would be put on a priority list and an appointment would be texted to me - told them that was pointless as how would I know if I could make the appointment - told to call back again
7. Some more emails to try to find out what appointments might be available so I could match an available appointment against my diary - no joy
8. More checking the website - not a single appointment available online
9. More phone calls (last one earlier today) - gave the lady extensive list of the dates and times when I would be available - told would get a text with an appointment for one of those times this evening - nothing yet.

Anyone want to share their experiences booking?


----------



## Leo (27 Nov 2013)

I've never had a problem getting a suitable appointment, but then maybe it's easier in Dublin with the choice of a number of locations. I do usually start looking well before the due date though.


----------



## dereko1969 (27 Nov 2013)

1. Go on NCT website month in advance of expiry
2. Select date and time that suited me.
3. Arrived, paid, failed.
4. Re-sit at time of my choosing, pass.


----------



## Betsy Og (27 Nov 2013)

It used to be great, but this time out I couldnt get an appointment online, so I had to ring up. In fairness I did get a text within a week with a date & time that suited, but for some reason they seem to have stopped using the on-line facility to the same extent as before - a bit puzzling.


----------



## Marion (27 Nov 2013)

I never had any issue when I rang them. 

I also found them very professional at the centre (even when they failed me!) The mistake was made at the garage and it didn't cost me.

To clarify, their advice was that the mistake was made at the garage and that I should request a full repair at no cost to me.

This was the actual outcome.

Marion


----------



## Brendan Burgess (28 Nov 2013)

Left it a bit late to book an appointment, so no suitable time.

Call centre was excellent and promised to text me back with a cancellation.

They did.
I passed. 

Brendan 

p.s. no problem with garage either.


----------



## vandriver (28 Nov 2013)

I was in Fonthill a few weeks ago on a Sunday morning,and the man behind the counter asked did O know anyone who was looking for a booking,as they could come in right a www ay.


----------



## naughto (28 Nov 2013)

had my nct at 9 pm this eveing booked it last tuesday
it passed


----------



## jpd (29 Nov 2013)

Call Centre personnel are very helpful IMHO


----------



## rgfuller (29 Nov 2013)

1) Got a reminder letter - you can get tested up to 3 months (for oldish car) early.
2) Checked website - only 1 unsuitable day/time available (fonthill)
3) Waited 2 days (with plan to call if still no dates on website)
4) Checked website - a load of dates and days available (a week later then before) - booked and prepaid.
5) Turned up 10 minutes early, staight into test bay - left 10 minutes later with new cert to Jan-2015!


----------



## Sue Ellen (29 Nov 2013)

All done recently.

Test not due until Jan but had kept a reminder on calendar for myself to check in Nov as found it hard to get a date last time around.  Found the bookings for Greenhills Rd., Tallaght are high as compared to Fonthill who appear to have more available dates.

When I checked no available dates so watched the screen regularly at different times of the day and found evening times were better for cancellations.  Got one through patience which I don't have a lot of 

Tested and passed.  

Besides the car being in good repair I always make sure it is gleaming both inside and out because I think if it were me I would like to work on a clean car rather than one that's not hoovered etc.

Also always get the car wash (the dearest one) that washes the underneath part of the car which I'm sure must make their job easier and keep me in their good books 

There are some tips here about NCT tests but not specifically related to booking a test.


----------



## DMcL1971 (29 Nov 2013)

Got my reminder letter on Friday afternoon. 
 Logged onto the site.
 Booked appointment for 9:00 Saturday morning.
 Turned up, got a pass and a new cert by 9:15


----------



## TarfHead (29 Nov 2013)

Reminder letter ? I thought they had dispensed with that. I haven't seen one for 2 years, nor my wife for her car.


----------



## DMcL1971 (29 Nov 2013)

I thought that too. I hadn't received one for a few years, but they seem to have started sending them out again.


----------



## dereko1969 (29 Nov 2013)

So it would seem that the NCT booking challenge, isn't actually a challenge for most people.

OP where are you based? It seems most people posting no problems are Dublin based, maybe there are regional issues.


----------



## Brendan Burgess (29 Nov 2013)

I think Orga must be the NCT pr department.   

If these sort of reports came from new posters, we would assume that they were shills and delete them.

Brendan


----------



## mathepac (29 Nov 2013)

I've never had any great difficulty getting a reasonably quick appointment and have only had re-tests for visuals (almost inevitably a brake light blown during the test) and once for an unsecured brake-line after a service.

No huge hassels at all.


----------



## LS400 (29 Nov 2013)

I put a put of cars through the nct, I find calling them first thing in the morning is best. They are usually filling cancellations at that stage.


----------



## seantheman (30 Nov 2013)

Was online Mid Nov trying to book Derrybeg for an NCT. No availability for Nov/Dec/Jan. Checked Donegal,same result,checked Letterkenny, nothing available Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb
 Got an email today offering one day/time Dec10, don't think this is how the system should work really!! Should be a bit of choice there.This is the first time i had an issue,usually several dates available over a longer period.Not showing February at all on Derrybeg and Donegal centres


----------



## seantheman (30 Nov 2013)

sahd said:


> As I mentioned earlier in the thread . You are entitled to get a booking within 4 weeks ... or you get a *free* test. You will need to call them .
> http://


 
Yeah, but they did offer one day/time so that gets them off the hook in that regard


----------



## Orga (1 Dec 2013)

Brendan Burgess said:


> I think Orga must be the NCT pr department.
> 
> If these sort of reports came from new posters, we would assume that they were shills and delete them.
> 
> Brendan




Loving your humour Brendan! 

Am probably their biggest critic based on most recent experience. I posted because was curious if mine was a singular experience, and it seems to be. When dealing with them I wanted to find out what appointments they had available and to match that against my diary - the website yielded no appointments at any time despite checking it across various weeks, while ringing was met with the response that no appointments were available because "they had not yet been released" and that they would text me an appointment. To this I responded, time and again, that there's no point in texting me an appointment that I can't make, why not call me when you know the appointments (because anytime I called, even when they advised me to call they couldn't tell me any appointments). However, they obviously operate to a defined script and this was "off script".


----------

