ARNOLD CLARK IMPORTANT CUSTOMER INFORMATION. Worth a click?

I purchased an 850 estate from your Aberdeen Volvo dealership early this month and have had to endure several return trips to your Dealership due to faults with the car; this not only cost me money in terms of fuel but also in terms of time, I am a family man.

I once again dropped the car off for repairs on Saturday 24th January 2004 and was given a courtesy car. The car was very low on fuel and I barely made it to a garage.

I drove the car on Sunday the 25th January 2004 and needed to use the screen washer whilst on the A90 dual carriageway. No water came out and the screen became opaque.

I was in effect blind and had no way off the carriageway for several miles.

All I could do was to stay close behind a lorry and follow it as it would have been very dangerous to stop in the actual carriageway itself; I eventually managed with great difficulty, to negotiate my way into a parking area.

I found the bonnet release and it appeared to be broken, I could not open the bonnet.

I had to use water from a puddle to clean the screen and with a clear screen made my way to a Shell station where I stopped and again tried to open the bonnet. I could not.

I called my wife and asked her to call Arnold Clarke Aberdeen for assistance and help and if all else failed I would call assistance myself.

My wife spoke to a man in sales who was anything but sympathetic, indeed my wife has told me he tried to twist the story and said his hands were tied and that there was nothing he could do.

He told my wife I should have taken the car back to the dealership on the Saturday, how could I, I did not know I had been given a car without screen wash!

He also said I should not have driven the car to Dundee; I did not know the car did not have screen wash.

This man failed to understand that my wife was asking for help from a so-called professional, he was anything but!

My wife told him the bonnet catch appeared to be broken. This arrogant person told my wife there was no way the catch was broken.

He seemed more interested in confrontation than helping a customer.

This person then called me on my mobile telephone.

I had spoken with my wife and was angered by the dismissive way he spoke to her.

I told him I was extremely unhappy and indeed I was very angry as I had just been in a life-threatening situation and was in mild shock.

He really could not care less and left me reeling.

He told me in a very brutal voice ‘’don’t you ever speak to me that way again you cunt!’’ How dare he speak to me this way! Is he mentally ill?

I am afraid at this point I had had enough and told him exactly what I thought of him and the way he was dealing with the situation.

I asked to speak to the dealer principal and he put the phone down.

Arnold Clarke Aberdeen did not contact me again.

I called your breakdown number, they failed to recognise the car’s registration and said their truck was off the

I took a call from Arnold Clarke Vauxhall in Dundee who had been told that all the car needed was screen wash.

I had repeatedly told the breakdown operator that the bonnet catch was broken.

A very professional man in Dundee called

Mike Andrews confirmed this, he managed to open the bonnet and fill the car with screen wash.

Mike was a real gentleman and confirmed that the bonnet catch seemed to be faulty.

I believe your Aberdeen Volvo branch should reassess the way it deals with customers.

Whoever I spoke to in Aberdeen was a very nasty piece of work and should not be representing Arnold Clarke.

I could have been involved in a serious accident due to this error, which also meant I driving illegally!

I will not discuss this matter with the person in Aberdeen again and indeed if he attempts approach me when I collect my car next weekend I will not engage in conversation; if he appears threatening I will not hesitate to call the Police.

I hope this Formal Complaint is taken with the utmost seriousness and that I will be able to put my trust in Arnold Clarke to behave more professionally and attentively in future.

25.1.2004

I have a three year old punto, bought from new at a dealer down south (not Arnold Clarke), but since I now live in Dundee, and I have a Fiat extended warranty which means I have to have work carried out by an authorised fiat dealer, and Arnold Clarke appears to have the monopoly, I have no choice other than to take my car to Arnold.

Last summer my car reached 3 years meaning it needed its first MOT. I was going to be away on holiday over the date when the MOT was due so booked the car in for a couple of days prior to the due date. Not wanting to have my car in the garage more than once I thought it could have its 36000mile service at the same time. But no, on arriving at the garage I was told that Arnold could not carry out the 36000mile/3year service because the car was not officially 3years old until 4 days later, but they could offer me the 41point service instead, which I was assured was the same deal as the 36000mile service but at a fraction of the cost. Not one to be taken in so easily I declined the 41point service and just opted for the MOT. It took all day for the MOT to be carried out, despite being told that my car would be ready by lunchtime, so around 5pm I collected my car, paid the fee and was told it had passed its MOT with flying colours, not a problem in sight.

So, the next day I embarked on the 520mile journey to my parents house in the south of England in good faith that my car was roadworthy. It was the hottest day of the year and I was cursing myself for buying a black car with no air conditioning! On arrival at home I discovered my father had booked the car into the dealer I had originally bought the car from for them to carry out the 36000mile service, which they were happy to carry out despite the car not being 3years old for another couple of days. During the service it was discovered that my two front tyres were worn to the extent of being illegal, and my two front brakes were worn down to the metalwork. I also needed a new clutch, and had an oil leak from the gearbox. Surely an MOT would have picked up on the tyres and brakes if nothing else??? I was informed by the southern dealer that had they MOT'd the car it would not have passed.

On returning from my holiday two weeks later I took the matter up with Arnold Clarke but was told that an MOT is only valid on the day it is certified, and the wear on my tyres and brakes was probably caused during the 520mile drive south. I don't think so... I then spoke to a reporter from the Daily Record who was interested in the story, but the newspaper forbade it to be published due to Arnold Clarke being a large advertiser and they couldn't risk losing that income.

I never intend to take my car back to Arnold Clarke, but if anyone knows of an alternative dealer in the Dundee area it would be good to know about, otherwise I will be making the journey to the south of England every time my car needs work doing on it.

Congratulations to the creator of this site at taking the initiative to do something positive about his/her experiences with Arnold Clark. I hope this site contributes to a more balanced view of what can be potentially be expected when considering buying from Arnold Clark.

I'm also dismayed that Arnold Clark seem to take an unhelpful, defensive stance when responding to customer issues rather than attempt to improve the quality of service and goods on offer to consumers. This says a lot for the company's goals and priorities.

I bought a second hand rover from the Dundee Dock Street branch 2 years ago. Under no circumstance would I buy from Arnold Clark again.

Within a week of buying my car the starter failed and had to be replaced.

In spite of the warranty stating that I would be provided with a courtesy vehicle while the car was being repaired, when I asked about this I was told that there were no cars available, after my insistence, I was given the use of an alternative car a day later.

Within two weeks the exhaust was found to be rusty and holed and was required to be repaired. Strange that Arnold Clark MOT pre-sales had failed to notice the exhaust.

(Within a year the exhaust had to be replaced at my expense).

The warranty I purchased was not valid it seems unless an 'approved' ( by Arnold Clark) engineer had serviced the car. Likewise, this was a condition attached to the offer of the 'free' MOT which was 'promised' but certainly not delivered.

According to the log book, a routine service had not been carried out while the car was in Arnold Clarks hands.

My impressions are that sales staff were more than happy to sell, however after sales service left a lot to be desired. In my dealings with the company, I generally experienced poor service and in trying to get someone to respond to my complaints I was passed through a chain of various departments and people. I thought my experience was a one off but it appears that poor service and poor quality goods are endemic features of this company.

I hope that my own experience might make potential customers more aware of potential problems when dealing with this car dealer.

just an update to let you know

that the new car we got from

weir's at Perth is causing us

no problems at all and their

after sales is v,good they have

sent us a letter to make sure

that if there is anything that

they can do don't hesitate to

call them that's the difference

between a real garage and Arnold. Clark well that's all

Arnold Clark Sucks

READ HERE WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY www.arnoldsucks.com Please update your bookmarks.
I purchased an 850 estate from your Aberdeen Volvo dealership early this month and have had to endure several return trips to your Dealership due to faults with the car; this not only cost me money in terms of fuel but also in terms of time, I am a family man. I once again dropped the car off for repairs on Saturday 24th January 2004 and was given a courtesy car. The car was very low on fuel and I barely made it to a garage. I drove the car on Sunday the 25th January 2004 and needed to use the screen washer whilst on the A90 dual carriageway. No water came out and the screen became opaque. I was in effect blind and had no way off the carriageway for several miles. All I could do was to stay close behind a lorry and follow it as it would have been very dangerous to stop in the actual carriageway itself; I eventually managed with great difficulty, to negotiate my way into a parking area. I found the bonnet release and it appeared to be broken, I could not open the bonnet. I had to use water from a puddle to clean the screen and with a clear screen made my way to a Shell station where I stopped and again tried to open the bonnet. I could not. I called my wife and asked her to call Arnold Clarke Aberdeen for assistance and help and if all else failed I would call assistance myself. My wife spoke to a man in sales who was anything but sympathetic, indeed my wife has told me he tried to twist the story and said his hands were tied and that there was nothing he could do. He told my wife I should have taken the car back to the dealership on the Saturday, how could I, I did not know I had been given a car without screen wash! He also said I should not have driven the car to Dundee; I did not know the car did not have screen wash. This man failed to understand that my wife was asking for help from a so-called professional, he was anything but! My wife told him the bonnet catch appeared to be broken. This arrogant person told my wife there was no way the catch was broken. He seemed more interested in confrontation than helping a customer. This person then called me on my mobile telephone. I had spoken with my wife and was angered by the dismissive way he spoke to her. I told him I was extremely unhappy and indeed I was very angry as I had just been in a life-threatening situation and was in mild shock. He really could not care less and left me reeling. He told me in a very brutal voice ‘’don’t you ever speak to me that way again you cunt!’’ How dare he speak to me this way! Is he mentally ill? I am afraid at this point I had had enough and told him exactly what I thought of him and the way he was dealing with the situation. I asked to speak to the dealer principal and he put the phone down. Arnold Clarke Aberdeen did not contact me again. I called your breakdown number, they failed to recognise the car’s registration and said their truck was off the road. I took a call from Arnold Clarke Vauxhall in Dundee who had been told that all the car needed was screen wash. I had repeatedly told the breakdown operator that the bonnet catch was broken. A very professional man in Dundee called Mike Andrews confirmed this, he managed to open the bonnet and fill the car with screen wash. Mike was a real gentleman and confirmed that the bonnet catch seemed to be faulty. I believe your Aberdeen Volvo branch should reassess the way it deals with customers. Whoever I spoke to in Aberdeen was a very nasty piece of work and should not be representing Arnold Clarke. I could have been involved in a serious accident due to this error, which also meant I driving illegally! I will not discuss this matter with the person in Aberdeen again and indeed if he attempts approach me when I collect my car next weekend I will not engage in conversation; if he appears threatening I will not hesitate to call the Police. I hope this Formal Complaint is taken with the utmost seriousness and that I will be able to put my trust in Arnold Clarke to behave more professionally and attentively in future. 25.1.2004
I have a three year old punto, bought from new at a dealer down south (not Arnold Clarke), but since I now live in Dundee, and I have a Fiat extended warranty which means I have to have work carried out by an authorised fiat dealer, and Arnold Clarke appears to have the monopoly, I have no choice other than to take my car to Arnold. Last summer my car reached 3 years meaning it needed its first MOT. I was going to be away on holiday over the date when the MOT was due so booked the car in for a couple of days prior to the due date. Not wanting to have my car in the garage more than once I thought it could have its 36000mile service at the same time. But no, on arriving at the garage I was told that Arnold could not carry out the 36000mile/3year service because the car was not officially 3years old until 4 days later, but they could offer me the 41point service instead, which I was assured was the same deal as the 36000mile service but at a fraction of the cost. Not one to be taken in so easily I declined the 41point service and just opted for the MOT. It took all day for the MOT to be carried out, despite being told that my car would be ready by lunchtime, so around 5pm I collected my car, paid the fee and was told it had passed its MOT with flying colours, not a problem in sight. So, the next day I embarked on the 520mile journey to my parents house in the south of England in good faith that my car was roadworthy. It was the hottest day of the year and I was cursing myself for buying a black car with no air conditioning! On arrival at home I discovered my father had booked the car into the dealer I had originally bought the car from for them to carry out the 36000mile service, which they were happy to carry out despite the car not being 3years old for another couple of days. During the service it was discovered that my two front tyres were worn to the extent of being illegal, and my two front brakes were worn down to the metalwork. I also needed a new clutch, and had an oil leak from the gearbox. Surely an MOT would have picked up on the tyres and brakes if nothing else??? I was informed by the southern dealer that had they MOT'd the car it would not have passed. On returning from my holiday two weeks later I took the matter up with Arnold Clarke but was told that an MOT is only valid on the day it is certified, and the wear on my tyres and brakes was probably caused during the 520mile drive south. I don't think so... I then spoke to a reporter from the Daily Record who was interested in the story, but the newspaper forbade it to be published due to Arnold Clarke being a large advertiser and they couldn't risk losing that income. I never intend to take my car back to Arnold Clarke, but if anyone knows of an alternative dealer in the Dundee area it would be good to know about, otherwise I will be making the journey to the south of England every time my car needs work doing on it. 27.1.2004
Congratulations to the creator of this site at taking the initiative to do something positive about his/her experiences with Arnold Clark. I hope this site contributes to a more balanced view of what can be potentially be expected when considering buying from Arnold Clark. I'm also dismayed that Arnold Clark seem to take an unhelpful, defensive stance when responding to customer issues rather than attempt to improve the quality of service and goods on offer to consumers. This says a lot for the company's goals and priorities. I bought a second hand rover from the Dundee Dock Street branch 2 years ago. Under no circumstance would I buy from Arnold Clark again. Within a week of buying my car the starter failed and had to be replaced. In spite of the warranty stating that I would be provided with a courtesy vehicle while the car was being repaired, when I asked about this I was told that there were no cars available, after my insistence, I was given the use of an alternative car a day later. Within two weeks the exhaust was found to be rusty and holed and was required to be repaired. Strange that Arnold Clark MOT pre-sales had failed to notice the exhaust. (Within a year the exhaust had to be replaced at my expense). The warranty I purchased was not valid it seems unless an 'approved' ( by Arnold Clark) engineer had serviced the car. Likewise, this was a condition attached to the offer of the 'free' MOT which was 'promised' but certainly not delivered. According to the log book, a routine service had not been carried out while the car was in Arnold Clarks hands. My impressions are that sales staff were more than happy to sell, however after sales service left a lot to be desired. In my dealings with the company, I generally experienced poor service and in trying to get someone to respond to my complaints I was passed through a chain of various departments and people. I thought my experience was a one off but it appears that poor service and poor quality goods are endemic features of this company. I hope that my own experience might make potential customers more aware of potential problems when dealing with this car dealer. 27.1.2004
I bought 2 cars at once from big arnies terminators in kilmarnock- I stumped up for the crap warranty- It covers you from bumper to bumper (as long as you walk round the car!!) Anyway after several failed attempts to claim back on the warranty with minor faults like steering lock jamming on (wear and tear I was told- what do you expect from a second hand car I was told) god sent retribution on Arnold from a great height- My car was serviced on the Thursday and on the Saturday many miles from Home my timing belt went for a Burton- Arnold had to haul me home and give me a courtesy car and rebuild my engine and guess what the service report said- timing belt checked and ok- stupid eejits- Boy was the service manager not happy when I went in smiling- I must be one of a rare breed of people who got some pleasure out of their car self destructing- So I would agree with your website Sir Arnold is just too big and out of control 27.1.2004
just an update to let you know that the new car we got from weir's at Perth is causing us no problems at all and their after sales is v,good they have sent us a letter to make sure that if there is anything that they can do don't hesitate to call them that's the difference between a real garage and Arnold. Clark well that's all for now bye 27.1.2004
Hi all be aware don't buy f k all from this load of crap p that is the a Clark set up .bought new tata from them ,10 miles later lights went safety alarm for doors, heater hose door locks, leak at back door ,seat belt warning light door warning light etc.etc.etc.etc. that was after i had spoke to the man himself and he gave me his promise it was a great motor ?What a heap of shit. repairs what a laugh car was lucky if it went a day without another fault,thy only would part exchange for other motor and I lost 2000.ARNOLD like many of your previous customers stick your cars where the sun don't shine because your company is one big JOKE. Sir Arnold Clark the shark that's more like it 27.1.2004


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