Arnold Clark Horror Stories

[Newbornbairn]

After a puncture last month I discovered my car comes with a wee bottle of sealant and a compressor instead of a spare wheel.

 

Guess how much Arnold Clark charged to replace it?

 

Bear in mind something similar is £6.99 at Screwfix

 

[HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows]

1 hour ago, NewBornBairn said:

After a puncture last month I discovered my car comes with a wee bottle of sealant and a compressor instead of a spare wheel.

 

Guess how much Arnold Clark charged to replace it?

 

Bear in mind something similar is £6.99 at Screwfix

 

Hope you telt them to go suck a f**k.

Edited June 3, 2019 by HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows

[pub car king]

That's not just AC all dealerships kick the arse out of parts pricing.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

£56 for something that doesn't even appear to work as intended is quite impressive.

[killiepiemuncher]

You’d be cheaper driving the shredded tyre to the nearest Kwikfit and getting a new tyre.
I got a space saver on eBay and a jack from the scrappies. Bugger your sealant shite.

[BroadcastCallum]

One more general point I will say is that like anything you hear hundreds of these "horror" stories.  Obviously there are issues but it is like Tripadvisor.  The reviews are often those outraged/unhappy but  those happy with a service or item often don't post reviews, lesser percentage anyway.

 

I got my first Arnold Clark car (3 year old Astra with servicing/MOT plan) at a Glasgow branch late last year.    After I got the car one of the tyres had a slow puncture but no problem when they fixed it.   First MOT/service tomorrow at a Renfrew branch.  Found it a bit faffy to deal with / always busy at servicing but after waiting 2-3 days got a call back eventually.   However so far okay!

My Brother got an older car - a Kia, decent mileage, 13 plate, early last year from an Edinburgh branch.  It felt by the summer the clutch wasn't right.  He is a parcel delivery driver so had probably added 6-7K on the clock in a few months but when he got an MOT, AC said clutch was on it's way out but was down to wear/tear and wouldn't fix as part of any plan / or any defect.  So he was left with having to get a clutch in at a local garage using his savings but then other things are failing (gearbox etc) and last week at AC they said they wouldn't MOT it as "so much is wrong with it and we refuse to deal with your car".  He's left with a car he's had just over a year from AC on HP rather than PCP and it's almost undriveable and he doesn't know what to do with Several £K to pay off.

Edited June 5, 2019 by BroadcastCallum

[tree house tam]

On 02/05/2019 at 20:06, RandomGuy. said:

Arnold Clark dont do any pre-sales checks. Cars brought into workshop, tyres are checked and levels topped up. If customer requests paintwork it's done. 

I know for a fact this is shite. I don't work for them but having worked in the motor trade and had dealings with Arnold Clark for many years, I know you are talking pish. Their value range cars have no real checks(other than being roadworthy) but all others do, or at least should do.

Edited June 5, 2019 by tree house tam

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

One more general point I will say is that like anything you hear hundreds of these "horror" stories.  Obviously there are issues but it is like Tripadvisor.  The reviews are often those outraged/unhappy but  those happy with a service or item often don't post reviews, lesser percentage anyway.
 
I got my first Arnold Clark car (3 year old Astra with servicing/MOT plan) at a Glasgow branch late last year.    After I got the car one of the tyres had a slow puncture but no problem when they fixed it.   First MOT/service tomorrow at a Renfrew branch.  Found it a bit faffy to deal with / always busy at servicing but after waiting 2-3 days got a call back eventually.   However so far okay!

My Brother got an older car - a Kia, decent mileage, 13 plate, early last year from an Edinburgh branch.  It felt by the summer the clutch wasn't right.  He is a parcel delivery driver so had probably added 6-7K on the clock in a few months but when he got an MOT, AC said clutch was on it's way out but was down to wear/tear and wouldn't fix as part of any plan / or any defect.  So he was left with having to get a clutch in at a local garage using his savings but then other things are failing (gearbox etc) and last week at AC they said they wouldn't MOT it as "so much is wrong with it and we refuse to deal with your car".  He's left with a car he's had just over a year from AC on HP rather than PCP and it's almost undriveable and he doesn't know what to do with Several £K to pay off.

Take a 13 plate to a local garage never a dealership.

[HTG]

I was car shopping with/for my mother over the last couple of months. Went into an AC and she saw a Honda she quite liked.  She wanted a price on her own car so off we go to the computer-says-no phase of the conversation. 

Who knew that your date if birth was a required completion field to have your car valued?  Anyway, my mother said that her car was a 2012 on a 62 plate (obvious enough if you look at the number plate). "No madam, I need your date of birth". "Are you valuing me rather than the car?" asks my mother. I can see her point - there is no transaction taking place at this point and we're still miles from it. "The system just needs your date of birth".  "Well you and the system will just need to wait until someone who doesn't mind your unnecessary intrusion comes along". Up and out the door we went. 

[Cardinal Richelieu]

11 minutes ago, HTG said:

I was car shopping with/for my mother over the last couple of months. Went into an AC and she saw a Honda she quite liked.  She wanted a price on her own car so off we go to the computer-says-no phase of the conversation. 

Who knew that your date if birth was a required completion field to have your car valued?  Anyway, my mother said that her car was a 2012 on a 62 plate (obvious enough if you look at the number plate). "No madam, I need your date of birth". "Are you valuing me rather than the car?" asks my mother. I can see her point - there is no transaction taking place at this point and we're still miles from it. "The system just needs your date of birth".  "Well you and the system will just need to wait until someone who doesn't mind your unnecessary intrusion comes along". Up and out the door we went. 

Shit like that drives me round the bend. 

I've got into an argument before because I've refused to give my email address when I'm buying some insignificant item in Argos. 

[HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows]

1 hour ago, Cardinal Richelieu said:

Shit like that drives me round the bend. 

I've got into an argument before because I've refused to give my email address when I'm buying some insignificant item in Argos. 

"Can we just have your email Adress to send you out your receipt sir?"

I always say " what's an Email address??"  The young, dumb fucksticks usually just stand there mouth open, blinking like fucking idiots. 

Edited June 5, 2019 by HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows

[mizfit]

Lucky you.

I just bought a Hyundai Tucson, before buying it I was told it had an issue with Producing too much CO2 emissions, but the car would be fine.

2 days after collecting the car the EMS Came on.

Turns out someone has put diesel in the car, and has tried to cover it up. Cars been returned and awaiting them finding me a suitable replacement.

And the offer of compensation is a tank of petrol....

Update.
Following this they’ve brought me a replacement car from another branch with no issues at all reported so far.

The free tank of petrol and reimbursement of a second tank has been given.

Now they said that there was no ombudsman to refer to complaint too, but I just found out there is.

Sounds like they don’t want it being reviewed by an ombudsman...

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

"Can we just have your email Adress to send you out your receipt sir?"
I always say " what's an Email address??"  The young, dumb fucksticks usually just stand there mouth open, blinking like fucking idiots. 

Get that in the states quite a bit too, ‘whats your email’ i just say ‘we dont have the internet in Scotland’ and they generally don’t question it.

[Mitch]

I get a car allowance via my work. I have been leasing a car through that scheme for almost 4 years, but I am getting dicked stupid with tax.
Looking to take the cash equivalent and buy a car. I’ve bought a couple before from Arnold Clark, but reading a few bad tales in here.
Where else can you go for a reasonable deal? I appreciate you never really get a good deal when a buying a car, generally the best you get is a deal that doesn’t completely rip you off!
I know next to nothing about cars!

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

I get a car allowance via my work. I have been leasing a car through that scheme for almost 4 years, but I am getting dicked stupid with tax.

Looking to take the cash equivalent and buy a car. I’ve bought a couple before from Arnold Clark, but reading a few bad tales in here.

Where else can you go for a reasonable deal? I appreciate you never really get a good deal when a buying a car, generally the best you get is a deal that doesn’t completely rip you off!

I know next to nothing about cars!

Carwow is good for getting a deal on a specific make and model without haggling.

 

Drive the deal and similar places for deals you might be interested in across a wider range.

[OSP]

17 hours ago, HTG said:

I was car shopping with/for my mother over the last couple of months. Went into an AC and she saw a Honda she quite liked.  She wanted a price on her own car so off we go to the computer-says-no phase of the conversation. 

Who knew that your date if birth was a required completion field to have your car valued?  Anyway, my mother said that her car was a 2012 on a 62 plate (obvious enough if you look at the number plate). "No madam, I need your date of birth". "Are you valuing me rather than the car?" asks my mother. I can see her point - there is no transaction taking place at this point and we're still miles from it. "The system just needs your date of birth".  "Well you and the system will just need to wait until someone who doesn't mind your unnecessary intrusion comes along". Up and out the door we went. 

The fuckers tried that pish with me at the big one in Hillington. Even before you walk in the door, they want your name and email address. Told them I don't have either, which stumped the guy for about 2 minutes.

Then asked them to check if they had a particular car in stock at any other branches. "What's your name, address, date of birth and shoe size?".  Sales guy insisted he cannot check the database without entering that info first.

Get in the fuckin sea.

[TheScarf]

I would simply ask 'why do you need my date of birth if a private seller doesn't need it?'

[Mark Connolly]

6 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

I would simply ask 'why do you need my date of birth if a private seller doesn't need it?'

"Does the Information Commissioner know that you require customers' dates of birth?" is usually a fun one too.

[TheScarf]

13 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

"Does the Information Commissioner know that you require customers' dates of birth?" is usually a fun one too.

Selling your motor to some old dear ' Sorry hen before I give you my bank details to transfer the cash I need to know when and where you were born for my records.' 

I used to work in a car dealership (not as a salesman) and some of the questions they ask have absolutely nothing to so with buying a car.

[Jacksgranda]

18 hours ago, Cardinal Richelieu said:

Shit like that drives me round the bend. 

I've got into an argument before because I've refused to give my email address when I'm buying some insignificant item in Argos. 

cardinalricheliue@inquistion.co.rome