Arnold Clark Sucks
READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY
Please update your bookmarks.
I applied to AC in Dunfermline for finance to buy a Fiat
Punto and the so-called Sales Manager was quick to tell me to get off the
phone as I had no chance of getting finance - even though I could pay for
the car through finance.
Got a car from a firm in Dunfermline (will post name if
they piss me off any more) and after the one month warranty, it didn't
want to start in cold weather - no good for Scottish winters. I cant get
to work due to where I live and this is causing problems - keep getting
fobbed off by salesman so went in today to see him (their busiest day!!)
and was told he would see me in a few minutes - well actually it was one
and a half hours after this I decided to leave the forecourt. Finance
company are not that bothered until the payments stop.
Any advice - been on to Trading Standards
2.1.2004
I was foolish enough to buy a Seat Leon from Arnold Clark
in 2000. Had I visited this site prior to this I wouldn't have bothered.
Knowing that the Seat had a VW engine and chassis I thought reliability
would also be a trait brought to the Seat from VW. I was told the car
would have a full service before I picked it up and that the
registration documents would be sent to Swansea . I collected the car on
a work day and continued on my journey to work. As I pulled into the
works car park the car cut out, one hour after picking it up. I had to
phone my breakdown service who arrived, found the problem straight away,
which was loose wiring and fixed it. The mechanic however told me that
the offending wire should have been covered in rubber and have a clasp
on to prevent it coming off and not just be crimped on as he believed it
had been. Surely just an oversight on Arnold Clark's behalf? Anyone
could miss a wire?. I returned to Arnold Clark a few days later to
explain w!
hat had happened. A mechanic looked under the bonnet and
to my amazement told me the same fault had happened when the salesmen
had been driving my car. However the servicing department still hadn't
bothered to fix it.
Arnold Clark refused to meet the cost of calling out my
breakdown service and no apology was forth coming.
After a couple of months I took the car to be serviced at
a local garage, still waiting for my registration document. I again was
confused when I was told that the car didn't appear to have had a
service since new, and was shown the state of the spark plugs removed
from the car. What had happened to my pre sales service?
A month or so later, the car now out of warranty not
worth the paper its written on) seemed to be misting up on the inside. I
then noticed that both passenger doors leaked. Mr. Clark's trusty
employees surprisingly weren't that interested, the salesmen I had dealt
with had since left the company. I now find myself opening the passenger
doors before a journey to let out water that becomes trapped between the
door and body work, that's if the temperamental remote central locking
works. I'm the only car owner I know that has to scrape ice from the
inside of the car in winter before I can start a journey. Sorry to have
gone on, and trust me I could rant and rave all day about Arnold Clark!
Thanks for giving me an outlet to vent my frustration. DON'T BUY A CAR
FROM ARNOLD CLARK!!
3.1.2004
Typed In a Search For Arnold Clark Motors, And Read Your
Site, Good On Ya Pal
Passed This E-mail On To All My Friends In Motor Trade,
He Sucks...
3.1.2004
Hi, I had the misfortune of buying a 1999 Xsara 1.9TD
Exclusive from Arnold, when I took the car out on the test drive the car
was nice, responsive etc.. however felt like the discs were warped or
some other fault with the brakes, anyway told the salesperson of this
and was told that this would be rectified whilst the car was being
prepared.
So I got the car, and was positive that the brakes were a
tad spongy and that the original problem was still there. So had
arranged to take the car back to them when low and behold the fan belt
snapped and started flapping about under the bonnet smashing up the
plastic housing that surrounded it, a quick call to Arnolds Recovery
team (yep got bumpt into taking that shitty warranty) they collected the
car within an hour (pretty good from what I can gather) and took the
motor to AC Citroen at the Phoenix. called them the next day which was a
Sunday to tell them that I needed a courtesy car, but was told they didn't
have one available, but was offered a loan of a car they were sending to
auction. I accepted this offer and was given the keys of a Fiat Punto
boy racer mobile, assuming that the car was sound I drove it home and
noted that it drove like the tracking was way out. Next day I called the
garage to see if and when my car would be ready, was told a few days, at
this point !
I told them about the steering on the motor and also
questioned the roadworthiness of the motor due to this, I was told that
the motor had just been MOT'd and was perfectly fine. A couple of days
later I called AC's up again to ask that I be given a real courtesy car
as this one did not feel safe, I was told that they still had none
available, and it was either that one or none at all.
That afternoon after my work I had a we look to see if
there was evidence of the tracking being out, and boy o boy there sure
was, I took the car down to a recovery garage that my uncle runs and
asked him to have a we look and he said that if I had been stopped by
the police I would have been looking at least 6 points for the tyres and
then god knows whatever other catalogue of faults they found, he
suggested that he put the car on the back of one of the lorries and take
it up to them and kid on to them that he had been called out to the
motor by the police to remove it and that I was being given points on my
license, but backed out of this idea as nobody crosses AC as they and
loads of other garages do work for him and cannot afford to not get his
work.
So I drove the motor home and showed my dad the tyres, he
was appalled and came over to the garage with me, At the garage I had to
wait for a bit till they had finished serving (something I now regret, I
should have made as much noise as possible) and was then questioned how
I hadn't noticed the problem, I told them I had reported it but had
nothing done and was not aware of the full extent of the problem anyway
as I'm not a mechanic or mechanically minded. The sales manager basically
made me out to be an arse, a stupid we boy. But the real question should
have been why the hell did I get handed a motor that was not fit to be
on the road, why had it just received an MOT from AC and why was I not
told to return the motor after I reported its faulty in the first place.
I will now not step foot on an AC forecourt, as I said earlier I have
their Warranty thingy but have now voided my policy as I would rather
pay to have the motor serviced and MOT'd by people that I know are qualify!
ed by knowledge and do an extremely good job.
I took some picture of the wear on the car tyres, I will
see if I can dig them out for all to see.
3.1.2004
Oh dear!
I wish I'd come across this website
sooner.
I've recently purchased a Renault Clio
from one of their Lothian Branches.
The wipers have already given
up.............O.K. nothing too awful so far but (having paid a
warranty up front) I still have no intention in getting the dam
problem fixed by old' Arnie...it'll be the A.A. instead
4.1.2004
I myself was nearly sold a car that I had never seen before. they had me signing forms and everything. As I understood, the car I was buying was situated in Glasgow, and for £100 they would transport it up to Aberdeen so I could have a look at it, test drive it etc. If you were not satisfied, the car would be returned and so would the £100. This was not the case. I phoned the salesman before the car arrived to inform him that I had changed my mind about purchasing it. With this he became very aggressive and said I would not be receiving my £100 back. I was straight on the phone to head office to complain. I spoke to an extremely pleasant girl on the phone, which was surprising considering the amount of abusive phone calls she probably receives, I was informed that the money would be credited back to my account.
A couple of hours later I received another phone call from the showroom manager once again saying I would not be getting the money back. Back onto the phone to the girl I spoke to earlier, once again being reassured that the money would be returned. The next day the showroom manager called to say that I would receive a full refund. (yes I knew that you idiot) Probably had too much bad publicity and could not afford something like this getting into the papers and has been given a dressing down or something.
Never again will I set foot in one of his showrooms
5.1.2004
Hi I would like to stay anonymous but here
is my tales of woe from dealing with Arnold Clark. I bought my car
last January in the big sale, as you do, anyway my Citroen Xsara
had been an ex mobility car I was told this before I
bought it, anyway I couldn't test drive it coz it had a broken exhaust
so I test drove another Xsara, nice to drive and all quick on take off
just what I wanted so I did the deal, I was told I could pick my car
up in 3 days which gave them time to sort the exhaust and m.o.t it for
me so that was fine went back 3 days later and right enough there she
was sitting there waiting for me. By the time the car was ready it was
dark so I couldn't really see the interior, I finally got the keys
jamp in and the smell god it was vile, obviously the previous owners
were smokers the car smelt like an ashtray, so I thought right I was
desperate to have my car so I drove home. The next day I go out
do a once over of my new used car, it had 2 bald tyres on the front
the inside was filthy and stank of stale smoke there was no jack,
whilst driving home the night before I had notice this amber light
kept flashing so I checked the owners manual and it said it was the
airbags and there was a fault, so I phone the salesman and explained
everything and he told me to take it up and they would look at it, but
before I went I got my friend to give it a once over check and I ended
up with a list of things that should have been done before it was sold
on. So I took the car back and they gave me a courtesy car which was
in a worse state than mine was in and it obviously belonged to one
of his staff coz there was some kids toys, sweet, money and some fags
in the glove compartment, I had this car for 2 weeks then they phoned
me and told me to come in they had another car for me until mine was
ready I had that car for another week, finally I get my car back but
it had to go back within the next 2 weeks because they were waiting for
a part so yip that was fine. I took it back 2 weeks later and this is
now a year on and I still have the flashing airbag lights problem they
insist it is a temperamental wire and there is nothing they can do, as
for the other problems I have got them sorted bit by bit but not by Arnold
Clark I have paid for all these things myself so it is quit safe to
say my next car will NOT be from this man not ever .
yours gratefully a very pissed
off client
6.1.2004
Many thanks for taking the courage to set up
this web site. The amount of emails throughout the country are proof
they are shit.
Almost bought 1 year old polo from Arnold at
crow road Glasgow, after spending about 30 mins on your site I have
decided to look elsewhere.
You have saved me money and a lot of pain.
Do you know if Reg vardy are any
better?
I know a percentage of cars may have
problems but it would appear customers of AC are suffering badly.
Thanks again Paul.
7.1.2004
