Michael McAleer answers readers' motoring queries
From John Coleman:
I'm trading in my car for a new one but there is still another six months car tax on it. I can get a refund on the insurance that I have paid (I am taking out different insurance). However, I cannot get a refund on the car tax. I should be able to simply return my car tax disc for a refund of the balance of the tax. Why should I have to be effectively paying road tax again for another vehicle for the same period?
It could be the new owner's responsibility then to tax the car. Can you please check out if there is any way I can seek to have a refund of the car tax (the car is not being scrapped or taken off the road)?
According to Brendan Brennan of the Motor Tax Section: "The regulations set out the various instances where the making of refunds, by a motor tax office, are permissible. There is, however, no provision in the regulations, for the making of a refund on the sale of a vehicle.
"In this respect, the sale of a vehicle, which has a valid unexpired motor tax disc, can traditionally be advertised as a taxed vehicle and, as such, may be regarded as a positive element in its future sale."
However, this does not resolve Mr Coleman's problem. It's unlikely a garage will give him more on a trade-in because it's taxed. A taxed used car sitting on the forecourt is not much benefit to them unless they get a quick sale. In the current used car market, with dealers having an overabundance of used vehicles, there's a high likelihood the tax will have run out by the time of sale.
Motorists should be allowed to get their tax back. It's a sad reflection on the tax system when even the insurance industry appears more consumer conscious.
From Pat Walsh, Mayo:
I recently purchased a set of tyres with the following brand name: MATADOR MP 12, made in Puchov, Slovakia. They also had the markings: E 27 (in a circle). Is this an EU mark? I found them to be very dangerous on wet roads, and they skidded far too easily. On dry surfaces they were adequate.
However, my son who was driving the car one day in the wet, complained that they offered little or no grip on wet roads. I tested it out myself on an empty stretch of road and found them to be very poor.
The first recourse should be to contact the trader you bought the tyres off and perhaps contact the importer. Matador is one of the budget brands in the tyre market and imported by Euro Tyres Sales.
According to importer Pat Greenan, he has been bringing Matadors into Ireland for the last six years, selling an average of 120,000 a year and has no received no other complaints. But he is happy to handle any queries from Mr Walsh.
As far as EU standards are concerned, while Matador carries the EU production quality marking, amazingly in Ireland there remains no regulated quality standards on tyres.
While there is a legal minimum for tread of 1.6 mm, there is no industrywide standard marking that motorists can look out for when shopping for tyres. The E-marking is an EU standard for production quality standards rather than the quality of the tyres.
What's more, Ireland is one of only three states that does not require the E-standard to feature on tyres. As a result tyres without the marking that cannot be sold in Britain or France, make it onto the Irish market.Basically motorists must rely on the advice of reputable dealers.
From Harry Lumbard:
I once had an Omega with a windscreen tensioner - a little cylinder which ran from the dashboard to the glass. It had a small wheel and, when you came upon a road with loose gravel or potholes, you'd reach over and turn the wheel to increase the pressure on the glass. This meant the glass wouldn't be cracked by a flying stone. Ever hear of them? Do you think they worked? Can I get one for my present Toyota?
The device you refer to is a sophisticated version of the human hand. The old habit of putting your hand against the windscreen is still alive and well and even has some scientific foundation. The outward pressure makes the windscreen more rigid and resistant to shattering or breakage.
However, in answer to your question - I have never heard of such mechanised devices and our best endeavours to locate such a device have turned up empty-handed. In the meantime, a rather rough and ready approach may be to try a sink plunger against the window. Should we rename this the unhelpful desk?