Hi,
Another thing I have seen people do is take it for another MOT as soon as possible. If you are stuck with it for while whist this is being sorted officially to get your money back it acts as a of record of condition on that day and date so the seller can't claim faults were down to your ware and tear / lack of care whilst you had it.
Be warned I do not know if the MOT station can stop you driving it home if they feel it is totally unsafe. Could be a good thing though as it removes any testers discretion from the equation.
A official vehicle inspection report would be better but will cost more now but if you need to get one later the faults on the MOT you had done will match his report therefore showing faults were there from start.
I am assuming here that you spent money that you do not want to lose and want to arm yourself with evidence to help you and your case if needed in the future.
Good luck
I have literallly just done a lovely law assesment (passed 75%+) on something very similar!
glad you got vosa involved, MOT stations do have prohabition orders for serrious defaults like yours. if the had put one on it, it should be in the history and cannot be legally removed by anyone other than a VOSA tester once the vehicle is properly repaired.
so its not a case of the owner(at time) taking it home on a truck, then selling it....because it wouldn't have a valid MOT.
Its a clear case of serious delict(neglect) on the MOT station's behalf. unfortunelty you would have a bit of a time sueing them, but the 3 things that fall under neglect are injuries, death and loss.
yours is technically an economic loss (money) as there has been no injuries caused but on the other hand you bought the motor in the good faith of the MOT certificate being proof of vehicle soundness which has caused you to loss the vehicle whch is loss of property, any insurance and tax paid. your still £200 buck out right?
I'd still push for VOSA to have the vehicle repaired at their expense by another garage as obviously you can't trust them and they'll probably loose their MOT license.
It can be repaired tho (mine's is being rebuilt) might take some doing and economically its not the easiest way.
Have you told VOSA about your refund from seller or shown them adverts?
If not you could claim the full cost from the MOT station less current scrap value as it should never have been MOT'd and you bought it in good faith that it was sound.
hope this helps.