June 2020

NEWS 6 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2020 www.aftermarketonline.net No overdue fees: Aftermarket opens digital library For technicians looking for reading matter in lockdown, Aftermarket magazine has made almost half a decade’s worth of previous editions available on its website. Four years’ worth of back- issues have been made available online – for the first time. While many subscribers take up the option of Aftermarket’s digital issue, and each digital issue is also made available at www.aftermarketonline.net it is usually only available for the month of publication. Now, every issue published since the end of 2016 is available to be read in our digital archive. Each is chock-full of fascinating technical and business articles from a host of top names in the sector. Across the span of time represented in this digital library, you will find articles from major names like Frank Massey, James Dillon, Peter Coombes, Andy Savva, Neil Pattemore, Barnaby Donohew, Andrew Marsh and John Batten and many more. All this and more can be found in the Aftermarket digital library. To visit, go to www.pmps-digital.com/aft/ Kent mechanic jailed for faking MOT certificates The COVID-19 pre-MOT car safety check launched by B2C price comparison website BookMyGarage is being taken up by customers, with garages offering the service seeing a good response. The £19.99 16-point safety check acts a pre- MOT to identify faults. but is being offered free to NHS staff and key workers. Plymouth-based Faraday Mill MOT is offering the check. Director Stewart Campbell recently told the Plymouth Herald how essential the pre-MOT check could be, following the MOT extension granted since 30 March: “I would say probably 60% of cars that come in for their annual MOT already fail on dangerous defects. Now with this six-month extension it can be dangerous, especially for people who need to be on the roads like the NHS workers. We’re offering it free to key workers. They can book it through our online booking system.” He continued: “We’ve always offered a collection and delivery service. All courtesy cars are parked up at the moment, I’m not giving them out to reduce the spread. We’re going out to the person’s address, we’ll ask them to leave the key in an envelope or in their bin cupboard so it’s contactless. I’ve got loads of PPE and we sanitise the car before we work on it. We take payment over the phone.” Karen Rotberg, co-founder of BookMyGarage, said: “We were impressed that more than two thirds of garages planned to remain open and were overwhelmed at their generosity to go above and beyond to offer the safety check for free to key workers. Their key message consistently was, ‘NHS workers keep us safe. We want to do our bit to keep their cars safe’.” A Kent mechanic who made £10,000 in less than three months by issuing fraudulent MOT certificates for 66 cars, has been sent to prison for a year. Harry Purdie appeared before Maidstone Crown Court in March for his sentencing and received 12 months imprisonment. As Aftermarket reported in its October issue, between February and April 2018, the 24-year old from Tonbridge provided the MOT certificates in the name of T5 R Us, a garage based in Sittingbourne. He was employed at the garage for a month, but was then dismissed. During the trial last year, Medway Magistrates' Court heard that the loss of earnings for garage owner Paul Reader amount to around £150 per MOT. Prosecuting, Barney Nickalls said Purdie made the certificates "for personal financial gain and loss to the garage. He added: "If you're not inspecting the vehicles you could potentially have a number of vehicles on the road that are dangerous and may cause significant injury to members of the public." Covid-19 Pre-MOT safety check gets rolling Follow us on Facebook @aftermarketmagazine