“Went to Teviot St VTNZ in Dunedin as my mechanic couldn't fit me in for another week and I had to take a trip. Insurance etc etc. I was a bit concerned at first as my previous interactions with VTNZ in North Shore, Auckland were ok but probably because they were busy it took a lot of time - which in respect to waiting a week for a busy mechanic is not really a lot of time e.g. 2-3 hours.
I was greeted with a smile by a chap on the reception after having to wait only about 5 minutes as he was dealing with another customer. I heard him speaking to the other customer and they were a little agitated - their daughter hadn't paid her rego in they were explaining that she had to pay back rego which is understandable and he was so calm in explaining the situation that it wasn't their policy and completely diffused the situation.
I'm not a great fan of customer service ( or the lack of it ) in New Zealand and when I do get great customer service I like to point it out. I have been reading reviews on here for all the other VTNZs around the country and it would look like that either there is a problem within the organisation and/or some people think they are qualified more than the technicians who fail them - I'm no mechanic or car enthusiast so I am totally at the mercy of the mechanic or tester doing the work on the large lump of metal that I hurtle down the road at 100 k/h in the opposite direction of other vehicles ( most much larger than mine ) so I really want a vehicle that is safe and if it's broke I want to fix it. Yes, repairs cost a lot of money but death or serious injury is a little more of an inconvenience.
So this chap, and I wish I could remember his name , made me feel welcome and explained the process and even recommended that I could go across the road to Nichols garden centre for a nice coffee while waiting. He also told me that I'd picked a good time as it was quieter than normal - so I lucked out. I didn't think the price was over the top at just over $80 - I have in the past paid double that from a garage ( not including fixes ) but for me $80 for a WoF in under 3 hours when I had to go on a trip the next day was pure gold. 40 minutes was indicated, 40 minutes was the time!
When the inspection was finished I received a phone call from the same chap - again, you could hear the positive tone in his voice and to be really honest, and I know customer service can be different day to day, but this guy just seemed to be the right person for the job taking a process that could have been a complete cluster to being something of a breeze.
Now for context I'll point out that I like to keep my car in good order - not clean - good mechanical order - good tyres and regularly maintained. Maybe I'm a little over the top - my father was a firefighter and over the years he has shown me pictures of road accidents - probably to scare the living shyte out of me when I was younger ( yeah that's what great parenting was like in the 70s and 80s ) and one thing he taught me was that it is my responsibility to make sure the car I'm driving is safe. Period.
Anyway, just wanted to share a positive review of a VTNZ - Teviot Street, Dunedin - give it a try. Just for some more context, I'm regularly called "grumpy" and I usually avoid contact with humans because I can't stand incompetence!”
“Took my vehicle there for cof in Queenstown. They Failed it for reason not relevant to the structure, chassis or drive train.
Keep saying they’re not passing it cause of new Legislations.
Tried to talk with the manager, who was rude and unable to produce a proper explanation. When asked to provide a copy of the new rules for cof which they are unwilling to show me”
“I had a driving test today morning at Porirua and Mr. Wiremu was my testing officer. He is professional with good knowledge and guided me well with the rules. He is soft spoken, kind hearted and willing to teach details of driving.”
“My car I hardly drive it has failed they say drive shaft joint there’s play in it. It’s funny how every time you take it they find something new even though you only turn the car on every few weeks to keep the battery charged. I have 4 cars and no time to drive them as I’m always busy with work. It’s like a big scam”
“My car failed its wof for something they have passed every single time before. Told get it fixed and come round the back and we will quickly check it. I turn up only to be told 3 different stories and I had to wait in the long line again for a 30 sec check! Wouldnt have minded if I had known that instead wasting time waiting for them to figure out their hand from their backside.
Money hungry.”
“First of all was the wait time this was due to their computers or something breaking down. nobody bothered to inform the customer. Then they failed the car of a small technicality. This is because their machines were broken and the lot was getting full. This is such terrible service from VTNZ I cant believe that they couldn't inform the people waiting. of the delays or be open and honest all I got was a computerized form from them about 20 minutes after the car had been inspected.
Ad photos you cant take photos there as the forbid the use of phones like they have something to hide. Manuaku Branch”
“I had a full license today at wiri. The driving instructor was so polite, and professional that I didn't even feel nervous at all. His name is Muga ( code - 05260775). He congratulate, me with a smile ànd told me I passed. I wish all the very best for his future and hard and good work he does.”
“I had an appointment today to take the driving test in TeAwamutu, at the TeAwamutu VTNZ, i were sent a confirmation email to confirm this appointment for today, when I arrived for my appointment I was told in a rude and hostile manor, to leave as there was no instructor available,, I drove from Auckland today to take this test,
( currently working in Auckland and living in te awamutu)
to say I am disappointed is a huge understand,, I am infact DISCUSSED,!!! .. SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY WASTED DUE TO VTNZ TEAWAMUTU'S TOTAL INCOMPETENCE,!!! .... MY BEST ADVICE TO ANYONE NEEDING THIS SORT OF SERVICE,, AVOID TEAWAMUTU VTNZ AT ALL COST, BECAUSE IT IS ONLY GOING TO COST YOU EXTRA MONEY AND TIME, FOR NOTHING,,, !!!! , I will make this post anonymous who avoid any future discrimination,,,”
“Hi my name is Devesh Gautam. I had my full car license test on 15/03/2024 around 1.30 pm at VTNZ Sylvia Park. My testing officer was Alfred ... I just want to right about his nice behaviour, politeness ... After I finished my test he first very polietly and patiently explained me about the mistake that will help me in future driving and then declared my test as a pass which made me crazy.. I would like to thank Mr. Alfred for being a helpful and a nice gentleman and wish him best for his future.”
“My daughter went to do a last lesson with AA in Rosedale yesterday 2 hours before her restricted license practical test at VTNZ in Silverdale. Noted the man who took her for this lesson was the same one who failed her when my daughter has done her first restricted license test. The man told my daughter after her final lesson yesterday "you have improved so much, if you had done your test today with me you would have pass. Like I said two hours later we went to VTNZ my daughter full of confidence ready for her restricted license test. I just wanted to add if a person do a restricted license test at 03:00pm while it is terrible traffic and in a Industrial environment then please give them the benefit of the doubt. My daughter was never in the Silverdale area, never drove there before therefore she don't know the roads. Here is her failed test results 1. "You must not remain stationary when you have ample opportunity" The instrcture took her through the Industrial area even me almost driving for 20 years will always drive slower than the speed limit if you have this heavy traffic with cars parking on both ways on the street. It's overwhelming for an individual to "chase the spaces" if traffic came from both ways. I was actually proud of my daughter of not taking chances and risks and rather wait when it's save to go. We'll the instructor think it was slow. We'll definitely not when you drive less than one year in my opinion, experience drivers chase the spaces not new drivers. 2. "You must be in the correct lain" The instructor hold his hand telling her to turn right a few meters from where she was supposed to turn. My daughter was focus on what the instructor was saying and wanted to obey orders immediately she went straight on the far right lane and here is the catch its a lane from opposite to turn right. My daughter went over that lane but if the instructor told her closer to the time when it was actually time to turn this wouldn't happen and there was no vehicles in that turning lane otherwise my daughter would have notice this but again she was focus on his hand and voice. Afterwards we discussed this and we thought his hand movement at that turn threw her off and he tested her. Well this was not on, you are definitely setting someone up for failure by telling her to turn right at that exact moment a mile away. 3. "You must position the vehicle entirely within the lane" its terrible traffic that time she overreacted by chasing the gaps. Again give her the benefit of the doubt for this one mistake. My honest opinion VTNZ need to stop taking individuals at these times with heavy traffic because this is certainly putting everyone up for failure. I feel my daughter was robbed today. All of Auckland, Workworth are fully booked untill next year, the conclusion is there must be something wrong with your system that so many individuals fail and needs to make booking after booking. My daughter had over 20 lessons she drives every day but you still fail her.”
“VTNZ Lower Hutt
Frustrating and seriously money hungry. Took my car in for a warrant that clearly passed last one. Today I am told there is corrision and need panelbeaters report WTF? Are we talking bout the same vehicle? Asked why this hadn't been picked up last inspection and why it had passed? He answered, at least we've picked this up now!
😳😳”
“Today i went to Silverdale VTNZ to obtain a restricted licence with my Granddaughter The Tester came out to thecar with us. Grandaughter And i got into the car while Tester checked lights. She found the rear Hilight was not working. Sggested that we went just round the corner to get mechanic to check which he did and found it was ok. Test was booked for 11.15. Was sent to the mechanics at 11.10.Tester asked if we could get back by 11.15. We arrived back at 11.19 and we were told it was too late to do the test. 4 minutes late. My Granddaughter now has been for her licence 3 times now and has been failed each time for small trivial things 2 of those times. She is becoming disillusioned by the system. That keeps failing her. I havebeen driving for 55 years and would not hesitate driving anywhere with her”
“Vtnz Gisborne, what a joke…
Got there before 8:00 in the morning, rolled out at 11:30, 3 and a half hours of my life I’m not getting back…
Pit staff were pleasant enough, but in no rush to get on with work, slow is an understatement….
Two lanes, but only processing one vehicle at a time, amongst 5 staff…
Admin staff following suit, preferred to gossip for 10 minutes while I stood there patiently waiting ( the only person in the queue ) then rudely questioning why I was standing there, like I was inconveniencing the gossip session…
Customer Service was nonexistent..
Highest cost of a Wof in town with the worst Service…And a hole lot of milking to boot…
Very frustrating experience, sharpen up guys, seems like they have the means to be efficient, but trying to justify the cost, by going slower….”
“NEVER NEVER go to VTNZ for a WOF. My husband had told me not to but I was passing and it was handy, thought I’d get my WOF done for Christmas, but no. A) it was $83!!!! Far more expensive than our out usual guy, and they failed the car because the window tints, which I bought it with from a dealer only a year ago, are apparently too dark!!! WTF! The guy told me outright that a garage would have passed it, but he couldn’t. So now, $83 poorer, no WOF or insurance for 28 days and will have to pay the next guy as well. The car is a late model NZ new Mini, I have no problem getting anything fixed but to be told that someone else would have passed it, and to have had a current WOF with the same tints is just unpalatable … expensive and very inconvenient lesson learned.”
“The manager at VTNZ Northwood was not only a rude bully, but ignorant of anything being told.
I took my mini to get a WOF, and he failed me because it had aftermarket wheels (a bit wider than the original one, and it came with the car at the time of purchase).
I’ve had no problems in the past of getting a WOF, but was told by him that I need mud flaps for the rear wheels.
Anyway, went to mini garage, and they checked my car out, but said that it didn’t need it, and they had other minis with wide wheels exactly the size of mine that had no trouble getting a WOF. Also, there was NO mud flaps sold for this mini worldwide (advise by mini dealers).
Mini dealers wrote a note and printed out a copy of diagrams of the car with NO mud flaps made for it, and told me to take this back to VTNZ Northwood, and tell them that there was no reason for them not to give me my WOF, and if any matter arose, to contact them.
Hence, went back to VTNZ Northwood, and the manager was very rude in his manner. I called mini dealers, and told the manager at VTNZ that they’d like to speak with him after he said I cannot get my WOF, but he refused to speak with the mini dealers.
He was very rude and unreasonable.
Never ever going to such people for my car again. An ill mannered man that needs to learn how to deal with customers properly, and should learn to hear what others in their field of expertise have to say.”
“Why anyone would go to VTNZ for a WOF befuddles me...overpriced , officious, picky, slow. Very much still "tarred"with the old goverment testing station brush. Find a local garage or independent provider .Quicker, cheaper and far less stressful.”
“Vtnz nelson takes way too long to do a warrant way better off booking your car in for a warrant at a garage theyl give u a time wen it will be done instead of waiting hours and this is just to do a minor recheck been coming to this place for years i don't know why i even bother coming back sorry vtnz nelson you lost a loyal customer never coming back again!!”
