Keeping your vehicle roadworthy is a legal requirement and as it tends to be a bit of a ‘grudge purchase’, there can be a focus on paying the least to get it sorted. But when you choose cheap, are you actually getting the best value Hastings MOT?
At Tivoli Auto Services we are not the cheapest. We also are not the most expensive. So, we wanted to explain why we have chosen our price level, and why it represents the best value locally.
Firstly, any check of your vehicle needs to be considerate to its level of use. For vehicles that are high mileage and heavy use the parts will wear more quickly, and the advice on when a change of component should happen needs to take that into account.

The Problem with the Cheapest Hastings MOT Suppliers
Whilst a number of the items checked within an MOT assessment are simple “Yes” or “No’ answers on replacement, many are simply viewed as either being within a safe range or not. If they fall slightly on the right side of that decision line, some of the less reputable testers will make a decision as follows:
- Is this component billable?
- Can I justifiably fail this component (i.e. is it sufficiently grey area)
- Can I encourage the client to buy it now rather than wait until it is required?
As you’ll see, when the MOT itself is priced at the bare bones, the need is there to ‘make up’ the gap in terms of being ‘worth it’ to the service station itself. It simply would not be viably profitable to just do MOTs and not make the upsells to the customers when things are on the margin of a pass or a fail. The tendency is to fail if you can, and then charge for as many upsells as possible.
The Value of a Fairly Priced Hastings MOT Supplier
A better way of asking those questions is surely this:
- Has it really failed, or is it simply close to the guideline measure?
- Is this component likely to become unsafe during the expected use of the vehicle this year?
- Is the owner keen to minimise expense, or maximise safety and avoid a further interruption within the next 12 months if this component fails?
Here you can see the focus is on transparency and integrity. The value is put not on making money at all costs, but serving the customer’s best interest. We believe that’s the most important thing… and we treat every customer as we would treat a member of our own family.
The Tivoli Approach to MOT Testing and Vehicle Servicing
At Tivoli we will never directly tell a client that they need to repair an item if it is still functional and within the guidelines for passing the MOT. However, we will ALWAYS advise if a component is close to the limit, and where this has the potential to cause inconvenience or a separate visit to the garage within 12 months we will provide that guidance and let the owner make an informed decision.
This commitment to transparency means that we price our MOT at a fair price. If we priced it cheaper, there would always be the need or temptation to offer less than honest advice to get the sale to make the work viable…and we know that isn’t right for either the customer or our own standards and values.
Equally, we don’t charge higher rates as we believe in providing our local community with the best of the independent garage services without going as high as the highly commercially priced dealer rates.
Our Commitment from the Past and into the Future
We want to be the best option, at the fairest rate, doing a transparently priced and honest job for clients.
We believe that’s why our customers come back time and again; they simply trust our judgement and value our advice as being truthful because they know this is the approach we have adopted for more than 20 years.
This belief is backed up by what our customers tell us. Here is just one review that proves this point:
Really helpful, knowledgeable combining the best of ‘old fashioned values’ with modern technology. They have looked after our modern cars for over 20 years. I have no hesitation in recommending Tivoli Auto Services. – Hamish Monro
If you want the best value (not the cheapest) MOT or vehicle service within the Hastings, St Leonards, Bexhill and surrounding area, give us a call on 01424 442277 today!