Fairco Smog (a smog test only station) charged me $65.00 for a smog check that I did NOT need to renew my vehicle registration. When I phoned the California DMV about this, they said that the information that I did NOT need a smog check would have come up on the mechanic's computer when he entered my information. I phoned the mechanic, who did the smog check, and he said, "I only look at the VIN number, and nothing else on the form." He refused to refund my ATM/Debit card.
The DMV form is slightly misleading as it says on the front of the form: To renew, just provide: (1) Renewal Fees; (2) SMOG Certification, etc. Then in small print next to "SMOG Certification, " it says to see the reverse side of the DMV form for more information on the SMOG. When you read the reverse side of the form, it tells you that you only need a smog check if it says "SMOG Certification REQUIRED" on the front of the DMV form.
The DMV said that, regardless, since Fairco Smog specifically does ONLY smog inspections that the mechanic should have known better. Again, the DMV says that it would have shown up clearly on his computer that I did not need a smog certificate/inspection. The mechanic should also have known that the word "Required" had to be on the front of the form.
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