Am I wrong?

[adri]

Got a new bike, transfered ownership right away, but didn't get plates as the vehicle wasn't yet inspected.

Pushed my bike a few km to the nearest shop to where it was located. The next morning the dude calls me to ask for the VIN#. I read him the VIN#, he said it may have been wrong. I probably told him it was fine as I was looking at my insurance slip which has both my bikes VIN#s on them and they have a different number of characters.

I pay $85-ish for my cert. Cool. Bring my paper to the ministry. They say the VIN is wrong. I explain that I may have given the wrong VIN#. The woman tells me it doesn't matter as whoever does the cert. is responsible for getting the VIN# off the vehicle itself, not from me. She tells me that they can issue me a new certification and I'll have to come back with that.

Ok. I goofed up on not being more careful about the VIN#, but I think she had a good point that the person doing the certification should make sure he/she enters the correct VIN#, am I right? Otherwise if anyone could bring a bike that looks similar to their own and give the VIN# of their own unsafe bike, what's the point?

So I don't mind having to TTC back from one end of town to another, in the cold, But!! When I called to tell the shop what had happened, they said I would need to pay another $85 for a new safety cert?!?!

Am I wrong to think the person doing the safety is responsible for writing down the correct VIN# of the bike he/she is certifying?

Am I wrong to think charging me another $85 for a sheet of paper with what should have been written is a rip off and bad customer service?

Just for the record, I won't be posting the name of the place until after this matter is resolved. I'm not hear to sling mud around. Hopefully it can still be worked out. Looking forward to everyone's input =)

[nfq]

Isn't the VIN stamped on the frame? All my bikes had the VIN clearly visible on the bike.

And I would like to think that the place you got your Cert has mechanics that are able to find the VIN on a bike. I mean, what is their service like if they can't write down a combination of 17 letters and numbers?

I'd keep fighting to get them to correct the error. I don't see why they would charge you ANOTHER $85 just to write down something they should have in the first place.

Good luck.

[RetroGrouch]

MTO clerk is being too anal. Typical follow the rules by the book mentality. Try another MTO where procedure is more relaxed. I like the one on Eglinton west of Islington.

[Rob MacLennan]

The MTO clerk is 100% right and it isn't just a matter of being "by the book." Sometimes being that way is the right way. It's a good way of knowing if the shop actually looked at the vehicle in question.

The shop has already done the work and there should be no reason for you to have to pay more, to correct their mistake.

[eastcoast_gsx]

"No Walter, your not wrong... your just an a**hole..." - Jeffrey Lebowski (The Dude)

[reciprocity]

why did you pay $85 for a cert?

[kellen]

I paid half that last time

[kellen]

although I got one done at a CT once and it was like $90

[ah_long]

i went to ted @ rosey toes to do my cert, costed me only $40 or sth like that.. definitely a lot less than $85

[kneedragger88]

I always try to take the vin off the ownership. For whatever reason especially on older bikes the MTO records part vins and trying to convince them that the bike has "extra" numbers is nearly impossible. I have had to redo safeties because the MTOs records dont match the actual bike. Its always easier to just match the title and the safety.
BTW I charge $85 for a safety as well. Its not worth my time at $40 I send people to Ted as well. If he wants to travel to peoples places and do it on the spot for $40 he can have the business.

[tat2]

I think he (Ted) charges $40 @ his shop and $80 if he travels to the bikes location.

[ah_long]

for some people who has an older bike, it may be wise to pay a bit more for a thorough inspection.. for me.. my scoot has 35kms @ the time of the inspection, i just needed someone who could sign my papers with the least amount of cash spent

[adri]

I'm told there's a fee for each of the slips a mech. fills out as they are ministry slips and the business must pay for each slip.

Is it fair that I should pay the cost of the new slip (how much is it??) given that I gave the wrong VIN or should buddy take some accountability for not having taken down the VIN himself?

What do you guys think?

[RonnieRev]

The Dot inspection forms cost $10.00 each

[DaFrEnCh-TiCkLeR]

If they made a mistake and it should be done a certain way then they need to just suck it up and give it to you.

Offer to split half, maybe that would help if the shop's being anal about it. If they are that would be my last time there.

My ownership had a 6 instead of a G and they gave me a hard time at the MTO about the guy who did the cert but after showing her the picture of my frame plate and my ownership, they made a call and changed my ownership to the correct set of number and letters.

In either case, they shouldnt make you pay for it or just the cost of the form. Poor decision on they're end if you ask me.

Good luck!

[adri]

The Dot inspection forms cost $10.00 each

For sure?
Ty

[RonnieRev]

Actually a book of 20 costs $100.00

[insert]

yes, the shop has to buy slips, but they are cheaper than what they sell for. In your original post, you said the guy called you saying he thought it was wrong VIN, you said, it was fine. i say your fault, pay for it. had you taken a second look when the guy called you, then you would have avoided this.

[Fingolfin]

Actually a book of 20 costs $100.00

agreed

Adri- the shop should redo it for you for free, if not free atleast at $10.
Though I had a similar situation occur with me at motorcycle city on Elgin Mills, where he said he would charge me the full $80 for a cert.

[Rob MacLennan]

yes, the shop has to buy slips, but they are cheaper than what they sell for. In your original post, you said the guy called you saying he thought it was wrong VIN, you said, it was fine. i say your fault, pay for it. had you taken a second look when the guy called you, then you would have avoided this.

Had the mechanic who was doing the certification done what was required of him, by law, this wouldn't have been an issue at all. He signed his name to what was essentially a blank certification.