Discussions

Of course there are checks. Get in touch with vehicle standards right away. If you go on MPIs website it will give you a list of sanctions they have given for that very reason. Toll free # 1-866-323-0542. They can only fix the problem if someone makes them aware of it.

The stations doing safeties are audited on a regular schedule as well as on a complaint basis.  
 
Often a person with a vehicle to sell isn't really aware of what might be wrong with it unless they get a safety inspection done themselves. You could possibly have avoided the position you feel an "unscrupulous service center" has put you in by having an inspection done before selling the vehicle. That way everyone involved is aware of the quality of the product being sold.

JimSloane said "We recently sold a vehicle privately and it was in good running order. The folks that bought it took it to a local service center to get it safe tied and I found out that they paid for a lot of things that were not wrong. Unfortunately there are no checks and balances for these people who do the safeties as once they are accredited there seems to be no auditing.   Now this outfit that ripped off this person makes us look bad when in truth they have a license to print money and chose to pick on this person due to lack of competition and her gender. "

"Good running order" does not mean it was safe-tied. Good rule of thumb when selling a vehicle is get the safety completed yourself prior to selling then you know it is all good.

1 It is easy to reply behind a nickname , I am not afraid to use my real name  
2 I believe that there is good reason to believe that the garage in question has been dishonest like it or not

Follows strict regulations. You might not think there is anything wrong with your brakes for example, but a safety requires them to be a certain thickness etc. So remember that just because you never had any problems with it.. doesn’t mean it will pass strict criteria.

We literally just finished getting our van safetied today so we can sell it. Our van was in "good running order" and rarely gave us trouble in the 11 years we owned it, but a safety inspection still revealed $1500 worth of work that needed to be done to pass. We did it, and I can tell that it did in fact need to be done - it was a gradual deterioration that wasn't evident to us as the everyday driver.  
 
Ultimately the onus in on the buyer. As the seller, you're telling them it's not safetied (I'm assuming at least that there was no misrepresentation on your part).  
 
I persoanlly wouldn't buy a vehicle that wasn't safetied or without a very specific list of what needed to be done to be safetied (i.e. the inspection was done, the vehicle failed, but I have the sheet so I know what's what). If you buyer chose to purchase without the safety... well, the saying "buyer beware" exists for a reason.

Abbysmum said "We literally just finished getting our van safetied today so we can sell it. Our van was in "good running order" and rarely gave us trouble in the 11 years we owned it, but a safety inspection still revealed $1500 worth of work that needed to be done to pass. We did it, and I can tell that it did in fact need to be done - it was a gradual deterioration that wasn't evident to us as the everyday driver.     Ultimately the onus in on the buyer. As the seller, you're telling them it's not safetied (I'm assuming at least that there was no misrepresentation on your part).     I persoanlly wouldn't buy a vehicle that wasn't safetied or without a very specific list of what needed to be done to be safetied (i.e. the inspection was done, the vehicle failed, but I have the sheet so I know what's what). If you buyer chose to purchase without the safety... well, the saying "buyer beware" exists for a reason. "

This was my point JimSloane. Take responsibility yourself when selling,then you don't have to dispute a "shady" mechanic or shop

If a vehicle is used with already a safety I will get another safety done at my own choice. It is a small price to pay for a second opinion. If work needs to be done I always ask to see first. Ex. needs new ball joints or wheel bearings, they take the wheel and can move it when it shouldn't. The garage has alway been fine in showing me what is needed.