Thread: Kudos to Vic Roads for common sense

As some of your may have read about my son Kris' car got damaged from a road rage incident and it went onto repairable write off register. We had 28 days to repair ,get a RWC and get a VIV ( vehicle identity validation inspection)
If a vehicle in Vic is over 15 yrs old it doesn't need to have this. We had to due to the accident occurring just 2 days before it's 15th birthday.
All this just for a bit of panel damage in a not at fault accident.
A VIV cost around $500, a non refundable deposit of $130 to be paid at booking and no choice of where it gets inspected at, they go by post code and match it to a VIV inspection mechanic.
So we have replaced a few things like windscreen , strut boot covers etc to comply with a full RWC. Weeks of me replacing panels and spray painting.
Seems the VIV earliest appointment was 28th this month, but the registration would have been automatically cancelled on the same day, the VIV would not be certified until after the VIC roads deadline.
I booked the VIV and paid the $130 non refundable bookinf fee. At least I was 1/2 way there.
I rang Vic roads to ask if they could extend the rego cancellation date by a day.
The NICE LADY, yes she was very polite and helpful and spoke english I could understand also!! told me that I did not need a VIV as the vehicle is over 15 years old. I repplied I have a letter from Vic roads stating I nneded a VIV and insurance company put it on WORV register as it was 14 years and 363 days old at the time of the accident.
She said that it was unfair and would sort it out by asking her superiors, put me on hold for 5 mins then came back and said fixed, no need for VIV.
She told me then to ring the VIV booking and tell them to cancel the booking and to refund me the non refundable booking fee.
Which I did next, VIV bookings needed a email from Vic roads Registration to confirm this and said they would ring me back in 10 mins.
True to their word, they rang back and said the refund has been processed and would be back in my account in 3 -5 business days.

I had been a critic of Vic roads in the past, but I spoke to 2 very nice and understanding Vic roads staff that saved me some $ and rectified what was a stupid thing in the rules.

We really shouldn't have to thank these people for good customer service as it is really just their job, but good service is so few and far between with many Govt. and non Govt. businesses nowadays we think it is so awesome to be treated well. JMHO