READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY
expecting that one.8.5.2003
My father purchased a brand new Citroen Xantia ACTIVA back in 1998. He loved the
car to bits, its quick, and it corners really well, however, it went to Arnold
Clark to have its 3000 mile service and to find out why the spare wheel rattled
in the holder, and when we got it back, the central locking didn't work, it used
to unlock itself when parked in Glasgow during the day. This resulted in over
£1000 being spent to fix this fault, Citroen said Arnold Clark did the damage,
so they had to pay, but they wouldn't, even though we had a receipt, they didn't
seem to think they had actually had the car in. Or they did, but they claimed
that they hadn't touched the central locking, every time you spoke to someone
different, you got a different story.. 10.5.2003
I first dealt with Arnold Clark motors in Inverness (Peugeot branch) when I
bought a used BMW from them a few years ago. There were a couple of obvious
items needing sorted - drivers door seal and handbrake cable. These I asked to
them to sort prior to picking up the car the following week. To be fair the seal
was replaced but the handbrake cable they hadn't even touched. I took the car
anyway and got it sorted at a small independent garage where I knew it would be
done properly. This was a mild experience, so more the fool I was when about a
year later I saw an advert in Auto trader for a Fiat Coupe Turbo at the Glasgow
Fiat branch and phoned to enquire. Chap on the phone perfectly helpful, as you'd
expect before they've got your money, and gave a glowing report on the S-reg
car; full history, mint condition etc etc. I was working offshore at the time so
was unable to get down to see the car straight away, so I asked if I could place
a deposit and this would also allowed adeq!
uate time for the detailed AA inspection to be undertaken. This is where they
started getting cagey, claiming that the car had been inspected by themselves
and I didn't need to waste my money. When the AA guy phoned up the garage to
arrange to come and inspect it they said it wasn't possible on the suggested day
as the car was in the workshop being 'prepared'. A later date was arranged. The
inspection revealed that this so-called mint car had at some point or other been
extensively resprayed on certain panels with colour mismatching evident. The
boot interior showed obvious signs of water ingress and had actually started to
rust internally as a result. Brakes were also not up to scratch and the interior
mirror and some trim was all but hanging off. Needless to say the AA guy
recommended only buying with caution. I didn't go ahead, but now had the battle
to try and get my deposit back. I spent 1 month trying in vain to reach the
salesman who I had first spoken to and only even!
tually succeeded in getting refunded only after I had contacted their own
customer complaints department. I have now gone on and bought one of these
Fiat's privately but in order to maintain the Fiat warranty I have to get it
serviced at a Fiat garage - my local one is Grangemouth, and yes you've guessed
it, it's an Arnold Clark worse luck. Service from the disinterested staff is
appalling - they don't seem to appreciate that some of us have proper jobs to go
to and can't hang around first thing in the morning while they get their fingers
out. It really makes me sick when I see the spread of Arnold Clark garages
throughout the industrial estates of Scotland with only a handful of individual
dealers now left. I should mention that my partner bought a used Audi from
Glevarigill Stirling recently and they have proved themselves to have excellent
after sales service..10.5.2003
on the clock, year old. Have just had to replace brake pads and there is a
noise coming from the back rear wheel area (screeching noise) had it
repaired! at cost of £75 , they only took 10 min to finish changing pads and
charged me £45 odd in labour costs!! 2months on, noise has come back!! Am
not happy, it is still covered my years manufacturers warranty. Will be going
back to get them to sort it gain, and will not be paying anything!!!!!! 11.5.2003
1. During a test drive of the new civic type r I crashed it. (Whoopee I got my
own back) a lorry pulled out in front of me and I couldn’t do anything but hit
it. Lost the bumpers, headlights, wings bonnet etc (they told me it cost £3500
to fix). Not my car, not my insurance and not my problem. The thing that
really bothered me was they told me they sold the car about a month or 2 later
for £15500 ish. Considering the CTR is only worth £16k new isn’t that a rip off
for a smashed one??? I would like to get in contact with the guy who bought it
so I can find out for sure how much he paid and if he knew about the crash!!
2. I finally bought another Honda and got them to fit air con in the car and
within a year it didn’t work (its in getting fixed as I type this) I got them to
check it and they tried at first to charge me £60 to recharge the system and I
wasn’t taking any of that (could it be they didn’t put enough gas in it in the
first place). So they said they need to check if there is a leak and if so it
would be under warranty, if not I WILL be charged!!! This is a £1200 unit and
it was only 10 months old when I found it didn’t work at all. Shouldn’t this be
under warranty anyway? £1200 and it doesn’t last a year??
Hope to hear from someone who might have a CTR with OKK in the plate.
Almost forgot to mention I was meant to get a hassle free recall from Honda.
During this hassle free recall they managed to scratch my car which took them
about 3 months before they decided to paint it.
If anyone from that AC branch was to read this they will know exactly who I am
because I am constantly in and out of there with a problem. I am in there so
much that I know most of the staff by name now!!!
There are other problems but here are just the mains ones I can think of. I can
really go on all day ;)
gonna send this to watchdog too.. 12.5.2003
I have hired cars all over the world, and a major point is the checking of the
car before driving away. Often the person pointing out scratches etc will miss
something and I will simply point out the ones he had missed. No problem - they
simply agree and mark it on the condition sheet.
But when I hired from Arnold Clark in Gorgie, Edinburgh, recently, the chap
showing me round pointed out quite bad damage on the front wing, walked past
several bad scratch marks (certainly ones that would be picked up on if I were
to return it in that state!) and when I simply said "There's some there", he
jumped down my throat shouting (yes, shouting!) "JUST LET ME DO MY JOB!!".
I had never had such a reaction in my life before on such an issue! I decided to
shut up and walk round the rest of the car with him, watching what he was
pointing out and noticing what he was missing. When he had finished, heart in
mouth, I said "But you know you have missed other marks, there, there and
there".
He slammed the condition sheet on the car and writing, said "There, will that do
ye?".
I immediately turned round and headed off to the office to complain. He ran
ahead, knowing what I was about to do. He reached the girls behind the counter
first and said "Look, someone else will have to deal with this man, I can't" !!!
He had beaten me to it. And what did he write? It was "Scratches ALL OVER".
Nice people Arnold Clark employ?? I have 41 staff under me, and if I heard
anybody talking to a customer like that he would be out the door in two shakes
of a lambs tail! 12.5.2003
they care about is the customers, you are told as a salesman to do whatever you
need to to get the deal, if the car is faulty, hide it, if the customer
complains, put them off, if it need parts, GET RECONDITIONED FROM A SCRAP YARD,
we are told to push extras like service plans, £229 for one, you get four
services in 2years or 36000 miles, but we are told not to tell them that you can
only get it serviced when its due one, who needs 4 services in 2 years, very few
people, so they think they are buying 4 free services, i think not, they get 2 at
the most, then, you are told to get get HIGH finance rates like 8% flat rates,
which is about 16-17%APR, a lot of people get in money trouble cause of Arnold,
if the car comes back for work, they patch it up, so it might keep coming for a
few months and by the time it breaks down the customer is not covered and is
paying hundreds in repair bills, Take it fro!
m a man who knows, DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM ARNOLD CLARK.16.5.2003
didn't want any crap etc. needed a 7 seater car to carry my 4 young children which
was economical and reliable. - Ha!! - The car has been into AC four times for
things they did not fix before I collected it and for other problems - rear
wiper motor, starter motor and 'bunny hopping'. Despite the fact that the
mechanic drove the car and admitted that it bunny hopped they still could not
find any fault and suggested that I bring it in when it occurred again - not a
feasible option. Now, tonight, I go to the car half an hour after using it only
to find that nothing works. And I mean nothing! The battery is fully charged
and the starter motor is turning - the lights are on but no-one is home!! I
phoned AC only to get a trainee salesman who said servicing is shut. I have
left a message for them to say that someone can pick up this heap of shit...,
first thing tomorrow morning by tow truck and give!
e me a courtesy car with petrol in it (the last one had none - got 4 miles
before disaster!!) I don't care how long it takes - at this rate I am perfectly
prepared to sue them for all costs involved in the disturbance to my family
life.. Apart from all the bother they screwed me on the trade in on my old car
saying eventually that it was going to a specialist in Glasgow, only for me to
find out a week later that Ingram's round the corner from |AC have it and are
using it as a work horse ( its a very large, powerful working jeep). These
people are a bunch of lying, cheating, money grabbing bastards who don't give a
shit.. about anyone other than themselves. I will never again deal with them. I
went to them as they are a well known large company and god do I regret it. In
the past I have dealt with small independent garages and I will be going back to
them with immediate effect. AC beware, because I haven't finished with you by a
long ways.. 16.5.2003
