Arnold Clark (Rant)

L

~Lazarus~

Guest
k guys - some of you who live south of the border may not have heard of Arnold Clark. Basically, he is one of the biggest car sales chains in Scotland.

Here's my story.

A while back my wife had the "misfortune" to have a little accident with the big family car - to the tune of 9 dented panels all along one side - the fact that she didnt stop after the first panel is neither here nor there.

First, I tried the usual t-cut, polish & paint to try and cover the damage but it was soon very apparent that something more drastic was required and so I reported the accident to the insurance company (e-sure)

They informed me that their "repair centre" in my area was Arnold Clark and they had already sent a fax to their office. Next day, I received a call from Arnold Clark (impressed - I was {at first}) and arranged for them to examine the car / take photos for e-sure to approve the work.

This all happened and then -nothing-

After about 2 - 3 weeks, I called Arnold Clark's requesting to speak to the guy that I had originally dealt with, only to find out "he no longer worked for the company"

I spoke to his replacement and was informed that the job had neither been logged nor had e-sure been contacted:wall: In fact, they couldnt find any record/ photos of my claim.

Got called back a few days later to tell me that they had miraculously found my claim and had contacted esure.

THEN - the long wait till the parts were available.

THEN - dropped the car off to have the repair work done.

THEN - told the car was not going to be ready on the Friday we agreed. FUCKING great - I had it booked into my local MoT test centre to renew the MoT.

Arnold Clarks advised that the car wouldnt be ready til the following Monday morning - local garage couldnt fit me in.

Just as fecking WELL - TUESDAY afternoon the car was ready

So, considering the fact the car had a considerable service not long before, I asked Arnold Clarks to perform an MoT test following the completion of the repairs.

So - Monday came and I received a call from AC's - the car failed the MoT and would need some work done. "How much?" I asked (expecting the usual bulb replacement etc)

"£250 + VAT" came the answer. Well, I nearly fell of my fecking chair. They claimed that ALL (6) of the brake pipes were excessively worn and needed replaced + loose offside front track rod end.

"Are you sure?",
"Yes"
"can you do the repairs"...... car was booked in for the following Thursday.

to put it into perspective, I was going on holiday on the Friday so things were getting a little tight for time.

Anyway, going to collect the car - I ind that they had COMPLETELY missed the repair/replacement of a damaged panel, so the car had to be booked back in (when I returned from holday) to have the missed piece rectified.

On the drive home, I stopped in at the local garage and asked him for his opinion on the items on the MoT

Checked the rod end - no problem with it.
Check the brake pipes - surface rust on most, the front-back pipes still had the protective rubber sheath on them ffs!

so - I called Arnold Clark and politely told him to shove his repairs up his arse! (in a politically correct way of course)

Then I wrote to Arnold clark detailing the problems (i.e. :

9 WEEKS to finish minor cosmetic damage to the car
RIPPING OFF on the MoT.

No answer for a month - then they write to say they stand by their process (bastards)

So I write to Trading Standards and the VIA (Vehicle Inspectorate)

Trading Standars - the lassie did a great job on following it through, unfortunately with no success.

VIA - surprisingly enough, too much time had expired between the test and my complaint to allow them to become involved. (1 month - perfect timing Mr Clark!!!!!)

So, apologies for the long rant, but I had to get it out.

If you are ever thinking of dealing with Arnold Clark, then consider what might happen. Me - I wont be near any of his establishments again
 
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throdgrain

Guest
I took my car to a Vauxhall dealer for a service and MoT recently. Its a Vectra 2.5 V6 btw, and it was the 90,000 mile service a bit early, but you get the picture. The 90000 btw is a small service , its the 80000 that requires a new belt etc.
Anyway, they ring up in the morning, ooo needs a new blah blah (wont bore you with details) , that afternoon, i get a bill for £750 . Yes, £750. I said to the bloke as I paid, blimy it was a struggle getting up this hill just now, he said , theres no hill, I said there must be , you fucking saw me coming :/
That will teach me a lesson. I could have got a bloke come and do it at the bike shop, would have been a bit of fucking about, probably two visits what with geting parts etc, and I would have had to pay him cash, but it would have been less that half the price. I wont do that again :(
 
E

ECA

Guest
Dodgy mechanics tbh. Make sure you get an agreement they won't do ANY work without checking with you first IN WRITING, and then if they come back with blah blah blah it needs all this doing, you can go get a second opinion.
 
L

~Lazarus~

Guest
Originally posted by ECA
Dodgy mechanics tbh. Make sure you get an agreement they won't do ANY work without checking with you first IN WRITING, and then if they come back with blah blah blah it needs all this doing, you can go get a second opinion.
Click to expand...

MoT test is different ECA - you pay for the TEST. Any work identified is EXTRA.
 
O

old.D0LLySh33p

Guest
I'm glad that a family friend is also a garage owner.

Never been ripped off *touch wood*
 
L

~Lazarus~

Guest
Oh - forgot one significant thing :

1. They told me that the file was originally lost due to the guy being "let go"

2. They told the insurnace company there was a delay due to parts


so - someone is being lied to


BASTARDS!
 
C

Cdr

Guest
My brother had a similar experience with a load of 'mechanics' in Wales.

He basically crashed his BMW Z3 into the barrier on the side of the road - lost it going round a corner and slammed into the barrier with the rear left of his car.

Major damage etc.

So, he took it to the local BMW approved garage. They claimed to 'fix' the car, and he got it back. He came home (he's in the RAF and is currently based in Wales, but bought the Z3 at the local BMW garage here in Grimsby), on leave for a couple of weeks, then on his way back to Wales his rear left tire blew on the motorway. He got it brought back to Grimsby, and to the garage where he originally bought the car. They said that the rear end had not been fixed correctly, and that the tire was rubbing on the bodywork, and making it wear down much faster and unevenly - hence the blow-out.

He phoned the garage in Wales - and they said that they'd only done 'cosmetic' work on it, and not actually fixed it properly! Basically they'd replaced the rear wing and done nothing to the actual main damage.

He was marginally pissed off, as it cost him over a grand to get it fixed originally, then another grand to have it fixed again :(
 
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throdgrain

Guest
Lol Im in the motor trade ECA, I know the crack, few better ;)
I could have said stop working on the car,i ll come get it, but i was too lazy.
Serves me right really :(
 
L

L_Plates

Guest
Its a shame that so many garages try to fuck us over !

The last one that tried that with me got no were.

---

If you find a garage you trust stick with it as they are hard to find.

IE: the wife took in here car not so long back for 2 new tires. They sais we will swap the front 2 tires which are good with the 2 back worn ones and replace the worn ones. Ok she said - ERM NO !!!

They charge her a fortune for having to balance all 4 tires instead fo 2 etc etc etc ....


Why do greasy hairy arse garage workers take advantage of people mainly women !!!


Twats !

Rant over :)
 
D

DaGaffer

Guest
Originally posted by Cdr
My brother had a similar experience with a load of 'mechanics' in Wales.

He basically crashed his BMW Z3 into the barrier on the side of the road - lost it going round a corner and slammed into the barrier with the rear left of his car.

Major damage etc.

So, he took it to the local BMW approved garage. They claimed to 'fix' the car, and he got it back. He came home (he's in the RAF and is currently based in Wales, but bought the Z3 at the local BMW garage here in Grimsby), on leave for a couple of weeks, then on his way back to Wales his rear left tire blew on the motorway. He got it brought back to Grimsby, and to the garage where he originally bought the car. They said that the rear end had not been fixed correctly, and that the tire was rubbing on the bodywork, and making it wear down much faster and unevenly - hence the blow-out.

He phoned the garage in Wales - and they said that they'd only done 'cosmetic' work on it, and not actually fixed it properly! Basically they'd replaced the rear wing and done nothing to the actual main damage.

He was marginally pissed off, as it cost him over a grand to get it fixed originally, then another grand to have it fixed again :(
Click to expand...



He should have contacted BMW GB - If they're an approved dealer BMW would have been all over them like a rash, they're good like that. Funnily enough, that BMW dealer in Laceby is where my Dad always used to get his BMWs from.

All car dealerships are crap in my experience (and I used to work in the parts business many moons ago) with the exception of Toyota, Honda and most BMW dealers. I've also heard good things about Jaguar (who used to be rubbish but seem to have turned it around - shame the cars are so 'old mannish').

Prize for worst dealers - Fiat/Alfa Romeo (ALL of them) - don't get me started about that shower of sh*te - makes the 'Arnold Clarke' experience above look like world class customer service.
 
W

Will

Guest
Originally posted by DaGaffer
I've also heard good things about Jaguar (who used to be rubbish but seem to have turned it around - shame the cars are so 'old mannish').
Click to expand...
3qtr_front_XKR_convertible_exterior.jpg


I beg to differ.;)
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
brr, this thread scares me :/ people who know nothing about cars (ie ME heh) trust dealerships to keep their cars in good condition/not to sell them lemons etc.
How can I trust a dealer to *not* try to con the pants off me? Any tips?
 
L

L_Plates

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable
brr, this thread scares me :/ people who know nothing about cars (ie ME heh) trust dealerships to keep their cars in good condition/not to sell them lemons etc.
How can I trust a dealer to *not* try to con the pants off me? Any tips?
Click to expand...

You cant.
Live with it, I do :(
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
:( at least I know lots about bicycles heh :/
 
S

Sichama

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable
brr, this thread scares me :/ people who know nothing about cars (ie ME heh) trust dealerships to keep their cars in good condition/not to sell them lemons etc.
How can I trust a dealer to *not* try to con the pants off me? Any tips?
Click to expand...

Easy...
trust a dealer to try to con the pants off you.

Personaly i have never had and experience fixing anything on my car in which i wasn't coned in one way or another.

Its a no win situation thats why i resolved to changing my car every 3 years no matter what allways with new cars never secondhand.
 
W

Will

Guest
Pic works fine for me...I refreshed my cache and all that nonsense, weird.

Your link looks like...well, cross between an Audi TT and a VW Passat (sp?). Not my cuppa tea, I prefer the XK.

Though its wishful thinking. I have the budget of a commited cyclist.
 
K

kameleon

Guest
How can anyone think jags are old mens cars?

ijf05.jpg


Sexy XJ 220
 
D

DaGaffer

Guest
Originally posted by kameleon
How can anyone think jags are old mens cars?

ijf05.jpg


Sexy XJ 220
Click to expand...


Its horrible - wheelbase is too short, overhangs too long, crappy V6 engine, tiny cabin, looks like a kit car. Jaguar's attempt to cash in the yuppie supercar boom, its a bad cartoon of a supercar that just made the McLaren F1 look even better. Almost all Jags are stuck in a sixties retro-timewarp, the XJ220 was like a sixties idea of a futuristic supercar. Makes me want to vomit.
 
L

L_Plates

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable
the front end of a mercedes and the rear of a new renaut laguna ;) seriously though, I dislike cars in general...and the ones that I do like are either totally impractical....or fiats :D
Click to expand...


This will be like a porn site to you then.


http://www.fiat.co.uk/



Have fun :)
 
T

Tom

Guest
The thing is, with the XJ220, Jaguar were laughing all the way to the bank. They have absolutely stupendous acceleration, that matches the depreciation via an inversely proportionate curve.
 
L

L_Plates

Guest
Originally posted by Tom
They have absolutely stupendous acceleration, that matches the depreciation via an inversely proportionate curve.
Click to expand...


EH !
 
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