Arnold Clark Sucks
READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY
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As a former mechanic with Arnold Clarks, I would like to add my own
contribution. Yes, the standard of work done within the company's service depts.
is appalling, but the reasons for this are mainly to do with the management. I
was a mechanic for a Renault dealership for 8 years when I lived in France.
When I got married to my Scots wife, I moved to Glasgow and took the job with
Clarks as it was the first that came along. The few good mechanics in the place
rarely got the chance to do a proper job as we were always pushed for time -
manufacturers recommended repair times went out the window, and we had to rush
almost every job. I am not excusing poor workmanship, but it is very
demoralising when you are a good mechanic (which I would like to think I am) to
have to rush jobs to such an extent that you know the finished job is not the
best. Younger staff and apprentices get no/extremely poor training. The
management are jumped up spivs who get there by brown-nosing the
management, but they have poor technical ability, no customer service skills, and
no authority over their staff. This means that the useless mechanics get away
with doing next to nothing, and the good ones get shunted around from job to job
to try and keep the service dept afloat. Ann-Marie/Chantelle/Kylie on reception
might have a fit body, but they're daft young girls who know nothing about cars.
End result...the good workers don't stick around for long, and the lunatics are
left running the asylum (literally!)
The last comment mentioned that this was a shit-poor company. Well it is and
then some, and I definitely didn't stay around to see what promises it would
deliver. I now work for a Jaguar dealership which is not in a different league,
but on a different planet altogether.
Why this dealership has done so well is beyond me. I would love to see BBC
Watchdog take a car with 10 common faults to any of Arnold Clark's Glasgow
dealerships for repair. I would stake my new house on it that none of them
could do a proper job. An undercover mechanic perhaps - filming what really
goes on - it would make for very interesting viewing! 17.11.2003
P.S. - forgot to say...great site! My father-in-law is a printer and I'm
thinking about getting him to run off a few "Arnoldsucks.com" stickers - black
writing on a yellow background to put on the back of my and family member's
cars. 17.11.2003 Go for it :-)
up about 10 pages. I bought a Fiat Cinquecento from Fiat in Ayr. Firstly, I was
never supplied with a red key which I have phoned and asked for repeatedly. I got
there to pick up my new car to be told that everything I had pointed out to be
fixed was fixed but that the exhaust had just this minute fallen off. Exhaust
was fixed and away I went. A week later it had to go into Allison Street to get
5 different oil and crankshaft seals fixed (these were supposed to have got done
at Ayr). Then a week later it went back to Allison Street to get sump looked at.
They said that it just needed a new seal. So again away I went. Then a couple of
days later it had to go back for a completely new sump because the original was
supposedly twisted and the mechanic never spotted it (yeah right). Thankfully
this was all covered in the Warranty. Since then I have had to replace the
middle section of the exhaust which!
was completely rotten but had been joined to the new part of the exhaust which
Ayr fitted. Also had to have alloys completed revamped due to tyres going down
all the time. I believe this car was in a crash but I have yet to check this. At
the moment I'm trying to solve the engine management system fault, which of
course Fiat have informed me will be due a faulty pressure sending unit. (most
expensive part they sell probably). I have had lots of problems with my Fiat but
most of all I find Arnold Clarks a complete RIP OFF. 17.11.2003
local businessman, a car fanatic, put his Volvo T5R into Arnies Volvo Aberdeen
for a service.
This thing is mint and fully specked with the big turbo, 17" Alloys and a cream
leather interior. Seems the dongo doing the work forgot to pack his sandwich and
thought
the smartest thing to do would be take the customers car out and drive to the
nearest baker! The car was caught by a speed camera at nearly 100mph on a 40
limit dual carriageway. Luckily for the hapless owner who received the ticket,
Arnie's man was photographed face on, the video clearly showing him sitting on
the polythene seat protector totally oblivious to his folly. Not so lucky
however when you consider that the car was entrusted to be looked after and
pampered, and I dare say at a not inconsiderable service cost. Beware, even the
premium brand franchises are full of malarkey. 17.11.2003
It has been back to various garages for the following:
CD player not working
Speakers wired the wrong way round
Body work not finished properly so doors jamming repeatedly
Cigarette lighter installed by a 3 year old chimp
Engine compartment with missing screws!!!
Entire AC unit blew up on me after 6 months
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Now I want to service the car (15,000 miles) and they tell me I have to take the car to a Rover dealership (Arnold Clark if you live in Scotland), otherwise I break the warranty, and that will cost me £130. More expensive than a BMW or a MERC service - just to change the oil and brake fluid!
THEY ARE F*CKING B*STARDS, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!
Barnaby 18.11.2003
get fix??? Saturday the 15/11/03 at 8.15am, oil leaking from the oil filter to
start with i was told we have the part in stock and it will be ready in about
20/30 minutes, ok sound fare, so i sat, and a sat AND I SAT, an hour passed so i
asked how much longer?? "shouldn't be to much longer Mr Friel" an another hour,
then another, again i asked, same thing, so i went a walk, (round the back of
the garage) where was my car, well it wasn't on the ramps, still with oil leaking
from it, back into see them, "we're waiting on a ramp to become free" 4 hours had
passed, so of he went the car went up on a ramp which was free, and much to my
surprise, they would have to order in a oil filter, so off i went in a loan car,
(which wasn't clean inside or out, never had enough petrol to get me to the
petrol station, so walked back to the garage, and was told it was up to me to put
petrol in the car, eh where was just !
going?? anyway got petrol and off i went, told to be back in about two hours so
i did, its now about 3pm, only to be told that they gonna have to order in a
part, an oil filter housing unit, told wont get the part till Monday, it now
Tuesday and lo and behold they still don't have it, oh another thing he had the
cheek to ask how i was going to be paying, LOL, brand new car and all, i just
called them as i found this site and they don't think its gonna be ready today,
if i can stop one person from buying from a Arnold Clark garage then it one
person saved, be wise and don't go there people, am also just about to call my
lawyer to do have my agreement canceled,
for a happy car hunting time, stay away from Arnold Clark 18.11.2003
2003) FOR A TRADE IN AND WAS OFFERED £4800 AGAINST A NEW ONE. MY CAR HAS VERY
LOW MILAGE, TWIN SUNROOFS, ALLOY WHEELS AND NOT A MARK COMPARED TO SOME THEY ARE
SELLING AT THEIR SHOWROOMS FOR £6500. WHEN THEY SAID £4800 I FELT REALLY
CHEATED. 18.11.2003
