Arnold Clark Horror Stories

[Cardinal Richelieu]

Have you tried calling Arnold Clark Sighthill?

[G_H]

30 minutes ago, Trish said:

I purchased my car from Arnold Clark branch, Dunfermline in 2015, with the car I purchased a service plan and had the car serviced at Arnold Clark Sighthill in 2016.

In March of this year I checked my cars MOT history on the DVLA website as I was looking to sell the car, the millage was recorded as 61,846 instead of 6,501. This was a shock and we therefor called on the 27^th of April to speak to the servicing dept at Sighthill and spoke to ---- she looked into our record and could see that this was your job number that had been entered instead of my mileage. She then said she would sort it out at her end.

Apparently there is no acceleration of complaints unless you go to a lawyer and they couldn't see what was wrong, it was just a mistake and they don't compensate for mistakes they make!!!!!!!!

Currently having a very similar situation with Arnold Clark where it turns out that they have fucked up not once, but twice on entering the mileage into DVLA.

I'm giving them a chance to speak to the dealership I am buying a new vehicle from and agree how its going to get sorted out. Failing that the next options they will be given are either they buy the old vehicle back from me at the cost the other dealership were going to, or else they will be hearing from my lawyer.

Edited May 15, 2018 by G_H
wording.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Currently having a very similar situation with Arnold Clark where it turns out that they have fucked up not once, but twice on entering the mileage into DVLA.
I'm giving them a chance to speak to the dealership I am buying a new vehicle from and agree how its going to get sorted out. Failing that the next options they will be given are either they buy the old vehicle back from me at the cost the other dealership were going to, or else they will be hearing from my lawyer.

Why pay for a lawyer when you can get trading standards involved?

[101]

3 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Why pay for a lawyer when you can get trading standards involved?

And if that doesn't work (it probably will) just represent yourself at the small claims court 

[Tam M]

I purchased my car from Arnold Clark branch, Dunfermline in 2015, with the car I purchased a service plan and had the car serviced at Arnold Clark Sighthill in 2016.
In March of this year I checked my cars MOT history on the DVLA website as I was looking to sell the car, the millage was recorded as 61,846 instead of 6,501. This was a shock and we therefor called on the 27^th of April to speak to the servicing dept at Sighthill and spoke to ---- she looked into our record and could see that this was your job number that had been entered instead of my mileage. She then said she would sort it out at her end.
---- called back and said it couldn’t be sorted out by Arnold Clark that I would have to speak to DVLA, I then called them and they said they required evidence, I then called O---- back who said she’d send it straight away (the job sheets etc), she was helpful and apologetic.
Having received nothing that day, I called back on the Monday, she had forgotten to send the information and then proceeded to do that.
I called the DVLA on Monday the 30^th of April and they informed me that the process could take up to 3 months before they would consider the evidence.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 30^th of April several times and managed to talk to J---- the General Manager, he said he’d look into it and call me back straight away, he sounded shocked. He asked me to send the email to him with the evidence that came from the service.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 31^st of April as J---- hadn’t returned my call.  I left my name.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 1^st of May as J----- hadn’t returned my call. I left my name.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 2^nd of May as J----- hadn’t returned my call. I left my name.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 3rd of May as J----- hadn’t returned my call. I left my name.
I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 4^th of May as J------ hadn’t returned my call, I got through to him and the phone immediately was hung up on me.
I called Arnold Clark Complaints Department immediately after at Glasgow, my complaint was recorded and I was told that Jason would call me the beginning of the following week to discuss what could be done to compensate for the loss and issues with Customer Service.
I then received a message on the 8^th of May on my phone (I was with a customer at the time so couldn’t answer) which stated as they had tried to contact me they were sending a letter.
I received a letter a few days later dated the 8^th of May stating all the information I already knew plus this paragraph “The matter will be resolve and the error shouldn’t contribute to the depreciation in value of the vehicle” in addition to a scant apology.
This is the reason that apology is far from acceptable.
On the 26^th of May I went into the Arnold Clark website to start the process of selling the car looking for an indication of value, it came up as £5,278.00 at 7,653 (genuine mileage) today the 15^th of May we went into the same website the car is showing as £4,775 based on the same mileage, so due to the delay of 3 weeks it has lost £500.00, so in 3 months there will be a substantial loss.
Every step of the way regarding this matter, your letter is insulting, this issue has been mishandled.
The lack of response from your General Manager.
The lack of real interest in a matter that has been caused by you (ok human error is forgivable but not the following Customer Service).
I have done nothing other than buy a car from you and a service plan, I have another car that I purchased from you the same year. I am disgusted at the lack of interest and effort to sort this situation out and for that reason I want my complaint to be accelerated up the management system.
Apparently there is no acceleration of complaints unless you go to a lawyer and they couldn't see what was wrong, it was just a mistake and they don't compensate for mistakes they make!!!!!!!!

Ceoemails.com is your friend.

Most large companies will have a complaints department dedicated for dealing with complaints raised at Executive level. They are generally prioritised and taken far more seriously.

[G_H]

15 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Why pay for a lawyer when you can get trading standards involved?

I will look into it if it gets that far!

12 hours ago, Adam101 said:

And if that doesn't work (it probably will) just represent yourself at the small claims court 

I would have to be willing to take a hit on what the dealership i want to purchase a vehicle from offered me for my current car, as it was more than the 10k small claims limit

[LincolnHearts]

Fucking hell, this thread is horrendous.

Kudos to all those who have been lied to/stitched up/robbed and not parked their vehicle through a showroom window.

[MONKMAN]

Girlfriend text me earlier saying her car had been into Arnold Clark (I told her not to take her car there) for a service prior to getting it MOT'd next week.  They told her that to get it through the MOT next week, she'd need a new exhaust at a cost her £480 as there was issues.  She started panicking so she went to Halfords, who quoted £180 to 'fix' the exhaust. As there was such a difference in the quotes she went to ATS for a final quote, they said they'd beat Halfords price and offered to do with work for £170. 

As I'm away until thursday, I asked her what exactly was wrong with the exhaust. She mumbled something about the exhaust strap welding but she wasn't exactly sure, although it sounded a bit dodgy to me.  A quick google suggests it's an easy fix, but to be on the safe side, I text my mate who's a mechanic and he told her to take the car round to his work.  After about 2 minutes the only fault he found was broken exhaust clamp.  She left the car there for half an hour and it was fixed for a grand total of £20.

Arnold Clark then had the cheek to call her back, saying they could carry out the repairs for a discount price of £280.  She politely told them to go and f**k themselves, before submitting an official complaint via their customer services.

[welshbairn]

6 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

Girlfriend text me earlier saying her car had been into Arnold Clark (I told her not to take her car there) for a service prior to getting it MOT'd next week.  They told her that to get it through the MOT next week, she'd need a new exhaust at a cost her £480 as there was issues.  She started panicking so she went to Halfords, who quoted £180 to 'fix' the exhaust. As there was such a difference in the quotes she went to ATS for a final quote, they said they'd beat Halfords price and offered to do with work for £170. 

As I'm away until thursday, I asked her what exactly was wrong with the exhaust. She mumbled something about the exhaust strap welding but she wasn't exactly sure, although it sounded a bit dodgy to me.  A quick google suggests it's an easy fix, but to be on the safe side, I text my mate who's a mechanic and he told her to take the car round to his work.  After about 2 minutes the only fault he found was broken exhaust clamp.  She left the car there for half an hour and it was fixed for a grand total of £20.

Arnold Clark then had the cheek to call her back, saying they could carry out the repairs for a discount price of £280.  She politely told them to go and f**k themselves, before submitting an official complaint via their customer services.

She should demand the cost of the service back, the thieving c***s, assuming she paid it. Threaten them with Trading Standards.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Girlfriend text me earlier saying her car had been into Arnold Clark (I told her not to take her car there) for a service prior to getting it MOT'd next week.  They told her that to get it through the MOT next week, she'd need a new exhaust at a cost her £480 as there was issues.  She started panicking so she went to Halfords, who quoted £180 to 'fix' the exhaust. As there was such a difference in the quotes she went to ATS for a final quote, they said they'd beat Halfords price and offered to do with work for £170. 
As I'm away until thursday, I asked her what exactly was wrong with the exhaust. She mumbled something about the exhaust strap welding but she wasn't exactly sure, although it sounded a bit dodgy to me.  A quick google suggests it's an easy fix, but to be on the safe side, I text my mate who's a mechanic and he told her to take the car round to his work.  After about 2 minutes the only fault he found was broken exhaust clamp.  She left the car there for half an hour and it was fixed for a grand total of £20.
Arnold Clark then had the cheek to call her back, saying they could carry out the repairs for a discount price of £280.  She politely told them to go and f**k themselves, before submitting an official complaint via their customer services.

Make a complaint to trading standards 100% robbing c***s.

[D.A.F.C]

Please do not go to the sighthill branch unless you are buying a new car.

Dunfermline branch were good with me tbh but put off them for life due to sighthill.

 

[LeeVanTeeth]

My neighbour told me a similar story about Arnold Clark a few months back so this story doesn't surprise me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Basttiiaan]

I purchased a Astra from A/C in 2004 after few mth it developed a fault after arguing with them they agreed to fix it. yr later i had other probs with it i eventually p/x it for a ford focus in august 2018 the car started to developed faults like loss of power n engine light coming on it would go away after turning engine off for 5mins then it would be fine for awhile again with a few other strange goings on when i told 3 mechanics they said all these things could be pointing to a faulty alternator . i took the car in to A/C who agreed to do a diagnostics on it 24hrs later they phoned n said the car had no faults so i picked it up 1 mth later my battery light came on so i got it home left it for an hr then went out tried to start it but the car had no electric power at all cudnt even use key fob to open . So i called green flag who came out and the breakdown guy said its the alternator has packed in a/c refuse to repair it so i took it to a local garage and asked them to fix as well as do a report a/c are refusing to refund me. will never use A/C again

[Gaz FFC]

Having myself been screwed by A/C and reading thousands of similar stories about A/C on here and other places, how come so many people still use them?

They must have the worst reputation of any company I've ever heard of.

[Guest Moomintroll]

To be fair to them, I have used them several times with no issues. The car my wife has just part ex'd with them is a mechanical shambles however so cannot help but think I'm part of the problem.

[sugna]

On 15/05/2018 at 12:52, Trish said:

I called Arnold Clark Sighthill on the 31^st of April as J---- hadn’t returned my call.  I left my name.

They weren't open that day.

The tactic of blatantly not responding, in order to wear customers down until they give up, should be a mandatory fine - passed on to the customer - over and above the outcome of any complaint.

Blatant = two or more unreturned calls.

[mizfit]

I went in to look at a possible new car with them last month, decided against it because I felt the price was quite high and I wanted to be paying less.

Everyday for 2 weeks I got bombarded with phone calls, texts and emails asking if I wanted it.

I still don’t understand how they don’t know what “No” means.

[ICTJohnboy]

I've bought several cars from AC over the years, mainly in Inverness but lately in Preston and Huddersfield. I've always found them good to deal with in terms of prices for sales, and trade-ins. I have heard many horror stories regards servicing, Mot's, etc and for that reason I've always gone to small dealers  for servicing, repairs, etc - google can be very helpful in that regard.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

I notice that Peter Vardy have basically stopped doing any sort of social media for some time now. They also seem to have stopped publishing reviews as well.

Having had some horrendous experiences post sales recently I wouldn't be going there for routine servicing and maintenance or for a used vehicle.

I'd probably buy a new car if the price was right and both AC and PV can have some really good deals but unless its warranty work I'd be off to my local garage with their OE quality parts.

[Sergeant Wilson]

4 hours ago, Basttiiaan said:

I purchased a Astra from A/C in 2004 after few mth it developed a fault after arguing with them they agreed to fix it. yr later i had other probs with it i eventually p/x it for a ford focus in august 2018 the car started to developed faults like loss of power n engine light coming on it would go away after turning engine off for 5mins then it would be fine for awhile again with a few other strange goings on when i told 3 mechanics they said all these things could be pointing to a faulty alternator . i took the car in to A/C who agreed to do a diagnostics on it 24hrs later they phoned n said the car had no faults so i picked it up 1 mth later my battery light came on so i got it home left it for an hr then went out tried to start it but the car had no electric power at all cudnt even use key fob to open . So i called green flag who came out and the breakdown guy said its the alternator has packed in a/c refuse to repair it so i took it to a local garage and asked them to fix as well as do a report a/c are refusing to refund me. will never use A/C again

Your keyboard is fùcked as well.