ARNOLD CLARK IMPORTANT CUSTOMER INFORMATION. Worth a click?

In September last year I bought a 2nd hand Seat Cordoba and paid cash, when I picked the car up, one of the keys was missing and they assured me that they would send these out to me.

After many journeys to the showroom and several phone calls later I got my replacement key, however my problems didn't end there.

When I was about to renew my road tax, I discovered that they did not MOT my car ( despite being assured by the salesmen this would happen ).

Therefore I have been driving around in a car for 6 months with no valid MOT and risking a criminal record.

I shall be calling the garage in question tomorrow morning to see what bull they will throw at me.

I bought a Daihatsu Fourtrak from Arnold Clark in Glasgow. When I was buying the car I got all the usual sales waffle, including when I negotiated hard the line “I’d like to help you but my manager probably won’t agree, I’ll go and put your case to him”. I knew that all he would do was wander over to the ‘manager’ and, out or earshot, say “there’s a mug over there that thinks I am asking you for a better deal”. I said to the salesman that we both knew that he wasn’t going to ask the manager so why not just do the deal. He laughed and agreed and I got a deal.

I knew it was a complicated vehicle so rather than pay £110 for an AA/RAC check I just booked it straight into the Daihatsu dealer in the West End for a full check; cost me just £38 labour charge.

The dealer noted that the diesel pipe underneath the car was leaking due to corrosion and must be replaced. On their report they wrote and underlined “the brake pipe that runs alongside the fuel line must be replaced at the same time as the fuel line cannot be changed without damaging the brake pipe”.

I booked the car into Arnold Clark under warranty, giving them the report from Daihatsu. They agreed to replace both pipes. I collected the car, drove away, and, yes, you guessed, the brakes failed within minutes! The brake pipe had split - they had bent the brake pipe out of the way to replace the fuel line and it had fractured!

Arnold Clark will do anything to save a few pounds. The service department charge the sales department for all work so there is a great pressure to save money, even when told in writing there was a major safety issue! Once you’ve signed they just want you out of the way.

Never buy a car from Arnold Clark!!! Go to an independent where they value their customers. Arnold Clark’s personal huge wealth is extracted £100 at a time by ripping each customer off not by doing good deals!

Do not take an extended auto care warranty out with Arnold Clark. They will wiggle and squirm there way out of any warranty claim you put to them then charge you ridiculous amounts of money to repair the fault which should be covered in the first place. The staff are nice and friendly when they are taking your money but jeckle and hyde springs to mind when you have the audacity to complain about anything. How dare you interfere with there job by asking questions which you are not happy about. Do yourself a favour go somewhere else its not worth it!

another happy Arnold Clark customer.

I have twice fallen victim to my insanity and bought cars from Mr. Clark (Remember you once were able to phone him direct - if there was a problem?)

I had a Rover 414 and it went in for a service and MOT. It cost a fortune, nearly £600. The things they claimed were false, replaced a tyre nearside back passenger - I had only put it on, new two days before and still had the receipt - course they claimed it was a mistake! Fuel filter was fitted as was fuel pump and all the tricks were played on me - cost me another £100 or so months later and I was still having problems. Broke down one night at Mugdock Park - AA came out and lo and behold it was a simple rotor arm, which only cost £6 to replace - but Mr. Clark's team were hell bent on fleecing me.

Bought another car, this time I was a little more savvy! Things went wrong in the first day, so I basically marked everything, took photos of the car and in it went - cause it still had warranty. Yep, the things they claimed had been replaced - by their imagination! I threatened to park the car over their entrance and get the press down. Was on the phone (pretending to be) when they gave me assurances that the work would be done and the old parts returned - decided to go along with the scam.

Old parts were returned, but they did not come from my car - whoever has heard of a Ford suspension bar - fitting a Rover 420! They bottled it, when I brought in Trading Standards!

I was lucky, never dealt with Scotland's premier dealership after that!

There is one long time story about Mr. Clark's Vinicombe Street branch - I cannot guarantee the accuracy or truth, but the person who told me the story worked for Mr. Clark at a very senior level!

Many, many years ago - Mr. Clark's vehicle hire dept and service dept were close together in the premises at Vinicombe St.

One day, a fella comes in to get his car serviced (its new) he asks for a courtesy car - it cost at that time (big business man in Glasgow).

Clerkess takes his details and gives him the keys of another car - of he jolly well goes to work. Calls AC to check if car is ready - not it has a problem, it will be a couple of days thus taking him over the weekend.

That weekend, he goes to Helensburgh with the courtesy car and wife, granny and weans are sitting in car enjoying the day out. They pop into a local inn for food and lo and behold, there in the car park is the man's car - which is supposed to be in being serviced!

Well, the guy could have fallen over. Quick thinking, he pulls the Polaroid from the boot and hangs around for over 3 hours, until the driver comes along.

He approaches the man, who is hostile at the beginning but is very sympathetic and embarrassed by it all.

They make a deal that the man who has 'the car being serviced' would arrive late with the hire, giving the owner time to get to AC's on return.

Guy phones in to see if car is ready and is told, yes! Come at 11am it will be ready for you. So, he phones the guy who is driving his actual car and arrange the grand finale.

Guy drives to the branch at 11am, asks for his car - is told it is just being cleaned will be with him shortly. He pays his bill - by VISA and waits, and waits and waits - he knows its coming, but not from the valeters.

In comes the 'hire customer' with the car (remember this is being valeted). He hands over the keys, confirms delivery mileage, confirms registration and bingo - the owner pounces! He shows the manager the photographic evidence, the hire agreement, the lot. Did they get out of it!?

Of course he did! Claimed it was a clerical error, apologises and tries to put it behind him, trouble was both guys were top lawyers in Scotland!

Outcome is that they were compensated financially and that both received brand new top of the range cars, with free servicing for life in exchange for silence!

It sounds possible - cause anything can happen at Arnold's. It goes to show, that you don't need to be clever, good or honest to be knighted in this country - just well known and grease a few palms!

Unfortunately I have just had my car serviced at Arnold Clark, Dundee.

I had originally intended to have my car serviced in Aberdeen from a company that would take my car away and return it to me at my place of work.

However in a moment of madness after receiving a letter from Arnold Clark offering there services I said I would hand my car over to them as that's where I had purchased it from. A C picked my car up from my home and drove it to Dundee a distance of 17 miles.

After servicing my car they informed me that they couldn't return my car as the tread on my front tyres was on the legal limit.

They didn't have replacement tyres to put on they also didn't have an oil seal that required replacing and that I would have to take it back again. ye right!

It was quite amusing to hear them say that they would not return my car as they would not drive it on the road.

When I asked them where my car was at that moment I was told it was being given a test drive !!

I therefore pointed out that my car was on the road whereby there was a muffled discussion in the background and I was then told it was not being given a road test.

Although my service report states that it has been given a test drive.

I had to ask my daughter to drive me 17 miles to pick up my own car as the best they could do was to have it sent back to me on a car transporter at my cost.

All in all it was a bad day there attitude was terrible and they were no help whatsoever and I will never go back to Arnold Clark.

It was a very expensive car wash.

I have just bought an 03 plate car from the Sea field used car section in Edinburgh. There were several faults with the car and I bought the car on condition these faults were fixed. I received the car with the radio tuner/CD part missing, the car was filthy and still had ashes in the ash tray from the previous owner, the brakes, steering and handbrake cable all needed looked at. I took the car and went straight to Vauxhall and they sorted out the faults for me. Still waiting to hear if the car is going to get a valet. NEVER ever buy (especially if you happen to be female) a car from Arnold Clark!

Arnold Clark Sucks

READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY www.arnoldsucks.com Please update your bookmarks.
Bought a micra from crow road branch a couple of years back. When I collected the car their was only one key. It was just the metal bit with cellotape (probably meters, if unwound) wrapped around where the plastic bit was missing. Master key, I was told would be forwarded as would the missing log book, mot certificate and radio code. Never came, and after many calls to the branch I was eventually told they had arrived and went in to collect. When I entered the radio code and it didn't work, got suspicious and noticed that the logbook and mot were for a different car. Eventually decided to return the car 4 weeks after originally collecting it. After arguing with the salesman (Keegan) and branch manager I duly left, only to return the next day after trading standards had a quiet word in the ears of Mr.. Clarks henchmen. NEVER AGAIN! 11.1.2004
In September last year I bought a 2nd hand Seat Cordoba and paid cash, when I picked the car up, one of the keys was missing and they assured me that they would send these out to me. After many journeys to the showroom and several phone calls later I got my replacement key, however my problems didn't end there. When I was about to renew my road tax, I discovered that they did not MOT my car ( despite being assured by the salesmen this would happen ). Therefore I have been driving around in a car for 6 months with no valid MOT and risking a criminal record. I shall be calling the garage in question tomorrow morning to see what bull they will throw at me. 11.1.2004
I recently bought myself a nice fairly new 3 door Renault Clio from Arnold Clarks, it was my first car and will be my last from Arnold Clarks! When I first got it my friend noticed that the thermostat was not functioning and the windscreen and passenger window was covered in chips (where they came from is a mystery as I did not notice them when I bought it!). So I demanded that the windows were replaced and the thermostat fixed - all of which were done BUT the passenger side window now no longer operates properly and my windscreen wipers were not replaced properly resulting in them malfunctioning completely (falling off!!) in pouring rain doing 70mph - very scary! I also had to get the bumper resprayed by them as I notice that the bumper had been damaged. I also rather stupidly asked Arnold Clarks to fit a Cd multichanger which was firstly fitted vertically in the boot behind the seat which rendered the rear split folding seats useless, I then asked them to put it under the seat but when I got it home I found that the seat was completely obstructed by the Cd changer, that they had drilled holes through the floor with self tapping screws leaving them untreated and also, much to my dismay, they had left FOUR large drill holes in my boot unsealed and untreated ( I could literally see the ground under my car through the holes). I had to get that dealt with as well. I now have a high pitched hiss when driving the car - they say its nothing but should I trust them?! In addition to this, whilst I was inspecting the handy work of Clarks in their customer car park an Arnold Clark employee drove a customers new Laguna into another customers car - NICE! Arnold Clarks has big big problems as nearly every person I know has had problems with Arnold Clarks and even their employees have told me that there are issues 12.1.2004
I bought a Daihatsu Fourtrak from Arnold Clark in Glasgow. When I was buying the car I got all the usual sales waffle, including when I negotiated hard the line “I’d like to help you but my manager probably won’t agree, I’ll go and put your case to him”. I knew that all he would do was wander over to the ‘manager’ and, out or earshot, say “there’s a mug over there that thinks I am asking you for a better deal”. I said to the salesman that we both knew that he wasn’t going to ask the manager so why not just do the deal. He laughed and agreed and I got a deal. I knew it was a complicated vehicle so rather than pay £110 for an AA/RAC check I just booked it straight into the Daihatsu dealer in the West End for a full check; cost me just £38 labour charge. The dealer noted that the diesel pipe underneath the car was leaking due to corrosion and must be replaced. On their report they wrote and underlined “the brake pipe that runs alongside the fuel line must be replaced at the same time as the fuel line cannot be changed without damaging the brake pipe”. I booked the car into Arnold Clark under warranty, giving them the report from Daihatsu. They agreed to replace both pipes. I collected the car, drove away, and, yes, you guessed, the brakes failed within minutes! The brake pipe had split - they had bent the brake pipe out of the way to replace the fuel line and it had fractured! Arnold Clark will do anything to save a few pounds. The service department charge the sales department for all work so there is a great pressure to save money, even when told in writing there was a major safety issue! Once you’ve signed they just want you out of the way. Never buy a car from Arnold Clark!!! Go to an independent where they value their customers. Arnold Clark’s personal huge wealth is extracted £100 at a time by ripping each customer off not by doing good deals! 13.1.2004
Do not take an extended auto care warranty out with Arnold Clark. They will wiggle and squirm there way out of any warranty claim you put to them then charge you ridiculous amounts of money to repair the fault which should be covered in the first place. The staff are nice and friendly when they are taking your money but jeckle and hyde springs to mind when you have the audacity to complain about anything. How dare you interfere with there job by asking questions which you are not happy about. Do yourself a favour go somewhere else its not worth it! another happy Arnold Clark customer. 13.1.2004
Some thugs recently vandalised my sister's Saxo. There was no damage to the bodywork. Thankfully, all they had done was rip off one of the door trim strips. Cost of new part £50-£60. Cost to repair at Arnold Clark £475 ! Their explanation 'because it needs a skin on it'. Cost to repair at reputable coachworks £120. Rip off merchants. They should be reported to trading standards. 14.1.2004
I have twice fallen victim to my insanity and bought cars from Mr. Clark (Remember you once were able to phone him direct - if there was a problem?) I had a Rover 414 and it went in for a service and MOT. It cost a fortune, nearly £600. The things they claimed were false, replaced a tyre nearside back passenger - I had only put it on, new two days before and still had the receipt - course they claimed it was a mistake! Fuel filter was fitted as was fuel pump and all the tricks were played on me - cost me another £100 or so months later and I was still having problems. Broke down one night at Mugdock Park - AA came out and lo and behold it was a simple rotor arm, which only cost £6 to replace - but Mr. Clark's team were hell bent on fleecing me. Bought another car, this time I was a little more savvy! Things went wrong in the first day, so I basically marked everything, took photos of the car and in it went - cause it still had warranty. Yep, the things they claimed had been replaced - by their imagination! I threatened to park the car over their entrance and get the press down. Was on the phone (pretending to be) when they gave me assurances that the work would be done and the old parts returned - decided to go along with the scam. Old parts were returned, but they did not come from my car - whoever has heard of a Ford suspension bar - fitting a Rover 420! They bottled it, when I brought in Trading Standards! I was lucky, never dealt with Scotland's premier dealership after that! There is one long time story about Mr. Clark's Vinicombe Street branch - I cannot guarantee the accuracy or truth, but the person who told me the story worked for Mr. Clark at a very senior level! Many, many years ago - Mr. Clark's vehicle hire dept and service dept were close together in the premises at Vinicombe St. One day, a fella comes in to get his car serviced (its new) he asks for a courtesy car - it cost at that time (big business man in Glasgow). Clerkess takes his details and gives him the keys of another car - of he jolly well goes to work. Calls AC to check if car is ready - not it has a problem, it will be a couple of days thus taking him over the weekend. That weekend, he goes to Helensburgh with the courtesy car and wife, granny and weans are sitting in car enjoying the day out. They pop into a local inn for food and lo and behold, there in the car park is the man's car - which is supposed to be in being serviced! Well, the guy could have fallen over. Quick thinking, he pulls the Polaroid from the boot and hangs around for over 3 hours, until the driver comes along. He approaches the man, who is hostile at the beginning but is very sympathetic and embarrassed by it all. They make a deal that the man who has 'the car being serviced' would arrive late with the hire, giving the owner time to get to AC's on return. Guy phones in to see if car is ready and is told, yes! Come at 11am it will be ready for you. So, he phones the guy who is driving his actual car and arrange the grand finale. Guy drives to the branch at 11am, asks for his car - is told it is just being cleaned will be with him shortly. He pays his bill - by VISA and waits, and waits and waits - he knows its coming, but not from the valeters. In comes the 'hire customer' with the car (remember this is being valeted). He hands over the keys, confirms delivery mileage, confirms registration and bingo - the owner pounces! He shows the manager the photographic evidence, the hire agreement, the lot. Did they get out of it!? Of course he did! Claimed it was a clerical error, apologises and tries to put it behind him, trouble was both guys were top lawyers in Scotland! Outcome is that they were compensated financially and that both received brand new top of the range cars, with free servicing for life in exchange for silence! It sounds possible - cause anything can happen at Arnold's. It goes to show, that you don't need to be clever, good or honest to be knighted in this country - just well known and grease a few palms! 13.1.2004
HI, I PURCHASED A ROVER 400 FROM A/C AT LINWOOD CITROEN BRANCH ON 14/1/04. THE CAR WAS ADVERTISED WITH THEIR GENERIC POINT OF SALE AS SERVICE HISTORY. WHEN I GOT HOME AND READ THE SERVICE BOOK I FOUND TO MY HORROR THAT THE SERVICE RECORD WAS A RECORD DONE ON AN A4 SHEET OF PAPER BY THE PREVIOUS KEEPER, HE HAD ALSO WRITTEN THE SERVICE BOOK HIMSELF (NO GARAGE STAMPS) ON THE LAST SERVICE THE CAR HAD, 17/12/03 BY AN INDEPENDENT IN PAISLEY HE HAD WRITTEN ON THE RECEIPT THAT THE CAR HAD NEEDED A CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, THIS RECEIPT WAS STILL IN WITH THE SERVICE DOCUMENT. I've CONTACTED TRADING STANDARDS WHO ARE LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. IN THE MEANTIME I'M GOING TO TRY FOR A REFUND AS THE CAR HAS BEEN SOLD TO ME MISLEADINGLY. ON CUSTOMER SERVICE ALISTAIR CRAIG AT HEAD OFFICE THIS IS THE BIGGEST DICKHEAD I'VE COME ACROSS. AND ARNOLD HAS JUST BEEN GIVER A KNIGHTHOOD FOR SERVICES TO THE MOTOR INDUSTRY!!! WHAT CHANCE DO WE HAVE 14.1.2004
Unfortunately I have just had my car serviced at Arnold Clark, Dundee. I had originally intended to have my car serviced in Aberdeen from a company that would take my car away and return it to me at my place of work. However in a moment of madness after receiving a letter from Arnold Clark offering there services I said I would hand my car over to them as that's where I had purchased it from. A C picked my car up from my home and drove it to Dundee a distance of 17 miles. After servicing my car they informed me that they couldn't return my car as the tread on my front tyres was on the legal limit. They didn't have replacement tyres to put on they also didn't have an oil seal that required replacing and that I would have to take it back again. ye right! It was quite amusing to hear them say that they would not return my car as they would not drive it on the road. When I asked them where my car was at that moment I was told it was being given a test drive !! I therefore pointed out that my car was on the road whereby there was a muffled discussion in the background and I was then told it was not being given a road test. Although my service report states that it has been given a test drive. I had to ask my daughter to drive me 17 miles to pick up my own car as the best they could do was to have it sent back to me on a car transporter at my cost. All in all it was a bad day there attitude was terrible and they were no help whatsoever and I will never go back to Arnold Clark. It was a very expensive car wash. 16.1.2004
I have just bought an 03 plate car from the Sea field used car section in Edinburgh. There were several faults with the car and I bought the car on condition these faults were fixed. I received the car with the radio tuner/CD part missing, the car was filthy and still had ashes in the ash tray from the previous owner, the brakes, steering and handbrake cable all needed looked at. I took the car and went straight to Vauxhall and they sorted out the faults for me. Still waiting to hear if the car is going to get a valet. NEVER ever buy (especially if you happen to be female) a car from Arnold Clark! 16.1.2004

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