Arnold Clark Sucks
READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY
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I purchased a Citreon Saxo in April this year. within the first week I had to
take it back for:
1. Leaking door seal
2. Wheel bearing
3. Exhaust
4. Light in boot hanging off
5. Brakes squeaking
6. The car would not recognise key
7. The airbag light stayed on all the time
I bought the car from Paisley and I live 30 miles away, so I took it back to get
repaired and they refused to give me a courtesy car. They left me wandering
around Paisley for 6 hours myself. The car looked and sounded okay until I hit
the motorway in the rain. Again, my passenger seat got soaked, my exhaust
sounded terrible and I thought my wheel was going to fall off.
Took the car back (with my dad there this time), and they told me my
guarantee which I pay extra for doesn't cover the repairs that i needed. After a
heated discussion they advised me that the car would have to be in overnight as
a Network Q assessor would have to look at my exhaust to see if they would pay.
Again, they wouldn't give me a courtesy car but my dad was there so we went home
with the advice to come back at 8am the following morning.
Travelled the 30 miles again just to be told that "someone should have
phoned" to tell me that the car would not be ready. After fighting for about
twenty minutes they finally agreed to give me a courtesy car for my
"inconvenience".
I then received a phone call to say that Network Q would pay for the
catalytic converter but not the tail pipe. Just wanting it all over with I paid
the £78 for the repairs and was told that "everything" I asked them to do was
done.
Got up the next morning and after a heavy night of rain, my passenger seat
and inside of the door was drenched.
Fed up with it all, my dad contacted the manager of Arnold Clark Linwood,
who sent out a letter for me to have the door seal fixed free of charge as
apparently the window seal had been replaced instead of the door seal. That was
okay and the exhaust sounded fine.
However, within about four weeks of receiving the letter I had to call out
the AA a second time as the key, (which I was told there was nothing wrong
with), would not go in the ignition. The car had to be power lifted to Arnold
Clark Greenock (this garage was closest and I was told I could take my car there
so I didn't have to travel so far), who phoned me about an hour later to tell me
that it had to go to Arnold Clark Citreon in Linwood. When I asked how would I
get it there I was told either call the AA or get a lorry to pick it up. The AA
could not come out again as I only get one uplift with my policy (which I got
with the car.
My dad then got in contact with the manager of Linwood again, who I must
admit was rather helpful, and he arranged to have it uplifted from Greenock and
taken to Linwood.
Without my car again for a week, without a courtesy car I might add,
nobody contacted me to tell me where my car was and when I phoned nobody seemed
to know. I eventually got a hold of the manager again, who told me to phone the
Citreon branch. So, I called them and they told me that my car was finished but
it would have to go round to the Vauxhall branch to be picked up as that is
where i bought it from.
Another 30 mile journey later I arrived at Arnold Clark (Vauxhall branch)
and nobody knew anything about my car or where it was. After about 15mins of
looking on the computer and through papers and phoning round, they finally
realised that they hadn't picked it up from the Citreon branch.
I waited for a further 10 mins whilst they sent someone to get it.
I now have it home and since April, NONE of the problems have been
rectified. I just refuse to take it back there as something always goes wrong.
I was so reluctant to take it there that I took it to another garage to
get my breaks looked at as they were worrying me and I was told " they are not
fitted correctly " and you'll never guess what, at the time of sale I was told
that they (Arnold Clark) had just fitted new breaks.
I don't usually make complaints but I just want people to read this and
hopefully it will make them think twice about buying a car from them. 14.8.2003
October. Got assurance from salesman that any faults would be covered with their
30 day warranty (wasn't tempted to buy the 3 year warranty as I know it covers
fuck all!!) Had the car 1 day when noticed a squeaking from engine, turns out the
timing belt tensioned needed replacing. Phoned service department to book car in
only to be told that the 30 day warranty covers parts only and I would have to
pay the labour to get it fitted! After much wailing and gnashing of teeth I got
the repair done but I never buy another car from this bunch of chancers. 15.8.2003
do get it tight. As an employee i can assure you we also get treated as Shite My
friend was sacked last week for no reason other than her face didn't fit with the
prick of an after sales manager we have, He always badgered her to wear uniform
that nobody else wears who in their right mind would wear a suit with Arnold Clark
on it). They started her straight from school with no exam results, gave her
absolutely no training to be a service advisor as thats what title they gave
her, for a 10 months all she done was filing, then they said to her she wasn't
where they expected her to be. Imagine if this was your 16 year old daughter or
son being treated like this, PLEASE don't allow any of your friends or family to
start a job with Arnold Clarks or it will totally fuck their lives up!18.8.2003
Dundee. She liked a black 5 door Punto which was on display and was promised
that the finance would be sorted out for her plus the insurance......and of
course all the little extras that go with it...........warranty, administration
fee and road tax. They managed to get her to trail back and forth to this garage
several times. For nearly 3 weeks she was in daily contact with this bunch of
useless individuals. Eventually they said that all the paperwork was in
order.......so my daughter asked when she could take delivery of the car. Now
I'm sure a normal garage would be happy to give the car to their new customer
with pride....but NOT Arnold Clark. Ermmm well you see we have to send it to our
garage because it has a fault on it and we'll contact you in a few days !! So,
after about 5 days my daughter gets a phone call to say that they can't sell her
the car because it has a costly repair job needing!
done on it !!! but if she wants to look back into the showroom they would be
sure to have something else for her but maybe a bit more expensive
though!!! Enough said........ On reading this aptly named web sight I thank my
lucky stars that my daughter was indeed fortunate not to buy a car from this
tacky and shoddy outfit. I think Arnold claims to be the largest independent car
retailer in Scotland but if he keeps up this kind of dissatisfaction he'll have
to give up his big posh house (bought from the hard earned cash of unsuspecting
customers) and end up in a dark alleyway flogging the same heaps of junk he's
selling now. In closing, I just wonder how he can sleep easy at night or is he
unaware of the clowns that surround him ? 19.8.2003
Alas, two months later and my car, still not even a year old, fails to start yet again. Once again it goes back, but they say I can't have a courtesy car, much to my inconvenience and annoyance. After having a rant at the Area Sales Manager, something finally gets done (after he tries to imply the whole thing is my fault for not turning the key in the ignition properly, after all that is rocket science) - the instrument panel is apparently the problem and a new one is ordered. However, it cannot be fitted that day because there was no immobiliser code with the vehicle - whose fault might that be? exactly. The code is on a special card with the radio code which of course we never had to start either. A replacement card is ordered from Vauxhall HQ and the car is booked in for two days later, the first service being done at the same time to avoid another day trip to Paisley. This was reduced from £94 to £50 for our trouble, but the Area Service Manager certainly wasn't for giving it for free. The car was collected the next day, which was only a few weeks ago. I of course hope this is the end of that matter, but will never be certain when i get in the car that it will always start. I think one expects a little more reliability in a car less than a year old.
incidentally, I recently was involved in a minor accident with a foreigner who admitted fault to the shunt, guess who he hired the car from? Arnold Bloody Clark. I now have the joy of dealing with his ridiculous and unhelpful organisation to try and get Arnold's insurance to pay for my car to be fixed. Of course this was weeks ago and nothing from them. A recorded delivery letter was sent, but on the phone they said no letter had been received. Upon checking myself, it would appear the letter has indeed arrived at Arnold Clark. But then, what's another lie to a shitty company like that? The letter was then faxed a week ago - no reply. 19.8.2003
when i was driving home from the garage, my engine management light came on, i also noticed i didn't have the parcel shelf that i was promised. so i phoned the sales guy called Gordon Nelson. he said, book the car in and i will get a parcel shelf fitted while you are getting the problem fixed. i also noticed that my car didn't go into reverse on the first attempt so it was booked in for that too. needless to say i didn't get my parcel shelve.
The gears are still knacked and won't go into 1st or 2nd at all, hardly goes into reverse and my engine management light still comes on all the time.
this was January that i bought the car and since then, it has been in the garage 6 times. i thought i was ok as i reported the problem before my warranty ran out but i am a fool and they quoted me over £300 for just my gears. they said it needed re-aligned which was rubbish as my boyfriend at the time is a mechanic.
i have wrote several letters to Arnold and i haven't got the problem sorted but my problem seems so small compared to everyone else on your site,
i did write to watchdog and trading standards about it but neither have got back to me 19.8.2003
