Worst Main Dealer Stories, get it off your chest!

[AlabamaShrimp]

I'm sure I've said this before on here some place but I will never deal with Polar Ford ever.

 

We bought our new Fiesta ST from West Yorkshire ford (or whatever they were called) in Castleford as arriva ford had been knobs about us having a test drive in one. Little did we know that Polar had actually taken them over. The sales man was late 50's and knew his stuff but was still a smug git and questioned why I wanted nearly every option and was a bit taken aback that we were paying outright for it.

 

Within two weeks the alternator failed. Took it back I told them what it was but they had it nearly a month while they worked out what it was (strangely the alternator) and got a new one form Germany. No sorry, no pleasantries for inconvenience I can't even remember if they gave us a courtesy car.

 

Wife complained and got nowhere then they started with the junk mail and annoying phone calls about servicing and do we want to trade it in. More complaints all ignored.

 

As we should have done in the first place it now only goes to the main dealers for a service, Coopers of Oulton, Leeds. They are very very helpful and when there the other week I'd been in the building not five minutes when the service bloke asked about my mk2 fiesta, they never ask your name and no work ever gets done that's not needed.

 

If it does need any work I'd I have no chance in doing it does to a small independents called Gordens (it's part of mcconechys) and it's the same no names needed and always ask about the all my cars out of interest and will happily pass you on to experts when they can't do it (like an auto electrician)

[Hendry]

Possibly the worst time, and theres been loads of times me and my family have been fucked over by main dealers, AND I used to work for Arnie Clark too so have seen loads of dodgy shit on other people's cars was when I took my R reg mk3 Astra to Arnie's Vauxhall dealership at the Phoenix Retail Park in Paisley to get the deadlocking fixed, I got it back a week later! The bill was £40 more than they said on the phone, the girl on service reception asked me to go to my car and wait for a mechanic as the guy who worked on it had to show me something, what he showed me was my brake lights and indicators no longer worked, but my hazards, tail and headlights and fog lights still did, they claimed it came in to them like this, when they were working when I took it in, as I indicated to turn into their car park 5 mins before I gave them the keys, I told them to fetch their CCTV for the car park which would prove this but they said it wasn't working, I then queried why I a. hadn't been told this on the phone and b. Why they hadn't done their usual "whilst carrying out the repair your car was in for we noticed other faults, do you want us at £70 per hour to investigate them?" And got blanked, to top it all off, they had missed putting a clip back on the lock and the deadlocking didn't work on the drivers door, the idea on old vauxhalls being if deadlocked if you pulled up the interior door pins (which on cars without central locking and deadlocking unlocked the doors) although they were in the position theyd be in when the doors were unlocked, they remained locked, only when you pulled up the drivers door pin it centrally unlocked the full car, they did admit their fault for this and fixed it but my car lay in their car park at the back of their workshop queue for nearly 2 weeks before they got round to remedying their mistake and I had to pay my dads mechanic mate £50 to fix my brake lights and indicators.

[Lankytim]

I used to collect and deliver new and used cars for dealers and nearly without exception I have found them to be wankers. Basically, if they don't need to be nice to someone they will treat them like shit. I have so many stories of their bastardness that I just can't bring myself to repeat them here.

 

Notable exceptions are that BMW dealer on the A453 in Nottingham who made me a nice coffee and let me drool all over the nice cars and William A Lewis in Shrewsbury, a Volvo dealer. who sold me a £200 940 but gave me the full "buying a new car experience"

[Felly Magic]

I'm sure I've said this before on here some place but I will never deal with Polar Ford ever.

 

We bought our new Fiesta ST from West Yorkshire ford (or whatever they were called) in Castleford as arriva ford had been knobs about us having a test drive in one. Little did we know that Polar had actually taken them over. The sales man was late 50's and knew his stuff but was still a smug git and questioned why I wanted nearly every option and was a bit taken aback that we were paying outright for it.

 

Within two weeks the alternator failed. Took it back I told them what it was but they had it nearly a month while they worked out what it was (strangely the alternator) and got a new one form Germany. No sorry, no pleasantries for inconvenience I can't even remember if they gave us a courtesy car.

 

Wife complained and got nowhere then they started with the junk mail and annoying phone calls about servicing and do we want to trade it in. More complaints all ignored.

 

As we should have done in the first place it now only goes to the main dealers for a service, Coopers of Oulton, Leeds. They are very very helpful and when there the other week I'd been in the building not five minutes when the service bloke asked about my mk2 fiesta, they never ask your name and no work ever gets done that's not needed.

 

If it does need any work I'd I have no chance in doing it does to a small independents called Gordens (it's part of mcconechys) and it's the same no names needed and always ask about the all my cars out of interest and will happily pass you on to experts when they can't do it (like an auto electrician)

My folks got treated very badly by West Yorkshire Motors as it was then too, Fiesta was 3 years old with just 12k on the clock, failed its MOT on the steering rack being borked, WYM wanted an extortionate amount to repair, dad even contacted Ford, and they basically told dad to 'not drive over speed bumps or round too many bends'.The car was an ex Ford press fleet car, so I suspect it was abused. It was then shoved in part ex for another Fiesta from Cooper's, who my folks haven't a bad word for.

[londonm]

Possibly the worst time, and theres been loads of times me and my family have been fucked over by main dealers, AND I used to work for Arnie Clark too so have seen loads of dodgy shit on other people's cars was when I took my R reg mk3 Astra to Arnie's Vauxhall dealership at the Phoenix Retail Park in Paisley to get the deadlocking fixed, I got it back a week later! The bill was £40 more than they said on the phone, the girl on service reception asked me to go to my car and wait for a mechanic as the guy who worked on it had to show me something, what he showed me was my brake lights and indicators no longer worked, but my hazards, tail and headlights and fog lights still did, they claimed it came in to them like this, when they were working when I took it in, as I indicated to turn into their car park 5 mins before I gave them the keys, I told them to fetch their CCTV for the car park which would prove this but they said it wasn't working, I then queried why I a. hadn't been told this on the phone and b. Why they hadn't done their usual "whilst carrying out the repair your car was in for we noticed other faults, do you want us at £70 per hour to investigate them?" And got blanked, to top it all off, they had missed putting a clip back on the lock and the deadlocking didn't work on the drivers door, the idea on old vauxhalls being if deadlocked if you pulled up the interior door pins (which on cars without central locking and deadlocking unlocked the doors) although they were in the position theyd be in when the doors were unlocked, they remained locked, only when you pulled up the drivers door pin it centrally unlocked the full car, they did admit their fault for this and fixed it but my car lay in their car park at the back of their workshop queue for nearly 2 weeks before they got round to remedying their mistake and I had to pay my dads mechanic mate £50 to fix my brake lights and indicators.

The nearest branch of Arnold Clark is 110 miles from me, yet I've been aware of their cuntishness for ages. Clearly legends in their own lunchtime.

[Hendry]

https://m.facebook.com/ArnoldClarkAutomobiles?_rdr

 

Click on posts to page and see the amount of shit their customers are having to spread on their facebook page to get them to do anything because all the other measures aren't working, the amount of unhappy customers on there any other company's senior managers would have a shit fit and demand action to stop people having to blast the company on Facebook but they just aren't interested, its a joke.

 

See also http://arnoldclark.150m.com/html/mailindex.htm

[Split_Pin]

In Scotland, Arnold Clark have a large prescence and EVERYBODY, that I know who has used them has been very dissatisfied. My neighbours had a Juke which developed and ABS fault and AC didn't notice that it was because the wheel sensor was unplugged and dangling down. My friend worked at AC Rover from the age of 16 and when they received a fucktonne of those CityRovers in for prep, a sizeable number had HGF so they do do big jobs like that. He also told me the ludicrous book time to change a clutch on a 75. In the end, by which time they sold Nissans he left because the management put him in a position where he had no room to aim for any goals. And they were reportedly massive cunts.

 

On a better note, my local Chevy dealer, Frasers in Falkirk quickly identified the cause of my Aveo's knocking front suspension and fixed it painlessly under warranty. I feel bad for them that GM are pulling the plug on Chevy in the UK this year.

 

However, I don't ever use main dealers except on the above occasion. My local place are interested in cars and making them work for normal people and the enthusiast.

[Split_Pin]

Holy crap, that AC Facebook page doesn't look good. I might have thought perhaps its those 10 or so bad experiencees for every 100 good ones were it not for the fact that i had heard so many bad stories myself.

 

Murray Volvo in Edinburgh are actually nother dealer that my Dad had been buying new from for many years nd their service is usually very comprehensive and reliable, although you absolutely do pay for it. My dad doesnt mind too much though as you do get what you pay for.

 

Ps the little bit of my screen with the letter 'a' on it appears to have gone into limp mode.

[EssDeeWon]

I do not envisage ever going near a main dealer, I doubt im ever going to be that flush and if I won the lottery I would 'honestly' keep my 75

[wuvvum]

I have not had any dealings with a main dealer thus far.  My planned Sandero test drive had to be cancelled due to my washing machine choosing to crap itself that morning - although it may still take place at some point.  I'm also half thinking about test driving a Suzuki Alto, as a slightly different way to waste just under £6k.

[londonm]

https://m.facebook.com/ArnoldClarkAutomobiles?_rdr

Click on posts to page and see the amount of shit their customers are having to spread on their facebook page to get them to do anything because all the other measures aren't working, the amount of unhappy customers on there any other company's senior managers would have a shit fit and demand action to stop people having to blast the company on Facebook but they just aren't interested, its a joke.

See also http://arnoldclark.150m.com/html/mailindex.htm

Some idiot has posted a find the logo in a picture of loads of booze bottles, in direct contravention of Advertising Standards Authority rules of drinking and driving imagery.

[Hendry]

On a better note, my local Chevy dealer, Frasers in Falkirk quickly identified the cause of my Aveo's knocking front suspension and fixed it painlessly under warranty. I feel bad for them that GM are pulling the plug on Chevy in the UK this year.

I thin Frasers are now Chevy service/repairs/warranty work and parts only, their sales franchise has already gone, they are now also full SsangYong main dealers so should be OK when Chevy go completely from the UK.

 

Oddly they got rid of/had Suzuki franchise taken off them last year when Suzuki were going through a rise in sales and doing well, if they got rid of it for Chevy probably not a good business decision in hindsight. Then again they also got rid of their Seat franchise in 2002 for Suzuki when Seat were just starting to do well as "cheaper VWs" and decent cars like the mk1 Leon had just come out which was an odd decision when Suzuki were still peddling shite like Wagon Rs, Ignis etc And their other remaining dealership Archers of Edinburgh Hyundai was taken over by Vertu/Macklin Motors about a year ago, their other dealerships Hytec Hyundai in Glasgow and Arch Suzuki Airdrie have both close in the past 2/3 years.

[AldridgePrior]

Dealers are dealers. It`s their job to make money and that is their main priority, the `providing a service` bit varies from place to place.

 

Salesmen are the real crooks. They bastards will tell you ANY OLD SHITE on the phone in order to get you to buy the car, supposing you have explained till you`re blue in the face that you live in another country and you need an accurate appraisal.To make matters worse, when you get there it`s always the cunts day off and you deal with some other fud reeking of aftershave and wearing a Burton`s suit.

 

 I`ll give you an example. I bought a Jeep SRT8 last year from Hughes Jeep in Buckingham.. No finance, no trade in. The `salesman on the phone` was extremely economical with the truth (as they all fucking are) and I got the whole "We are Jeep dealer of the year Sir" and "Our reputation is worth too much to leave out any problems"

 

 

As they`re as rare as fuck I whacked a £1000 deposit on (refundable if not as described) and I NEVER have done that because I don`t trust the motor trade but there was none for sale and there was only a hundred odd ever brought to the UK. The last one I rang up about sold in two days. Travelled 450 miles to pick the car up. Got there and fanny bag was on his `day off` and I had some other gadgey. Had a quick look round the car, because as far as all concerned, I had bought it. In 10 seconds I noticed a

 cracked rear light, kerbed wheels (all of them), Balance weights on the OUTSIDE of the wheels (they had fitted new Pirellis and stuck the weights on the outside of the rims).

 

Car had 500 miles more than they said. I did buy it as I knew it was a decent deal and I could rectify some of it with clever wording when I got home. I did totice when I did get home there was also a knocking from the rear end (they had MOT`d it) . Turned out it needed ta shock on the back (OEM Bilsteins) . I rang Jeep UK. No fucking about and asked for the complaints dept. I worded a very strong email in their direction and BANG! Instant result. Manager at Hughes rang offering to help.  I ended up getting two brand new shocks sent and a load of other stuff to rectify what was wrong and an updated Jeep warranty for another year.

 

Still, if they had of been honest, which they never are, it wouldn`t have got to that.

[Keymaster]

Dealers are dealers. It`s their job to make money and that is their main priority, the `providing a service` bit varies from place to place.

 

Salesmen are the real crooks.

You speak the truth

 

My mate signed on the dotted line for a 63 plate fiesta costing £11500 the other week, after going in there to enquire about a 12 plate on the forecourt for £6000. Thats essentially the same car, 18 months difference in age, for nearly twice the price. I'm absolutely livid with him for doing it, he must of walked into the dealers with MUG written on his fod in neon pink. The salesman must have thought it was christmas again already, the justification for the price difference seems to hinge entirely around "well the new one has got an aston martin style grille, and everyone wants the latest style car, dont they"

 

Highlights* of the deal:

• Didnt negotiate the screen price
• Didnt test drive it
• Bought in dark so wasnt sure what colour it was til he collected it 2 days later
• Signed up to 4 years PCP finance at 18% APR
• Spent an additional £2400 cash (literally every penny he owned) on a "dealer lifetime warranty" and GAP insurance (bare in mind he told them he only wanted to keep the car 2 years & it still has 2 years Ford warranty on it). Making it impossible to just take it back & lash the keys at the prick who sold him it, as there is no way he would get that back to use to buy something else with.

Fucking hell.

 

Oh, and when he initially asked about the £6000 Fiesta, he was told it was actually £6500 & "no dealer ever puts the real price on their website"

 

Salesman 1 v My mate -1000000000000000000000000000

[2MB]

Safe to say such unfortunate souls as described above are the average car dealer's target market

[AlabamaShrimp]

What I don't understand is why people always want a discount on the screen price of a car? Why should they be any different from everything else you buy? I've never asked for a discount from morrisons

[alf892]

I don't think the actual main dealer sales operations are as bad as most on here would like to believe. Service..........yes.

[Parky]

Just got a mail shot from the local Fiat place

 

"It's been six months since we treated your fuel system! It is important to ensure the system is clean to ensure maximum reliability, economy and emissions so book your car in and we will treat the system keeping the car like new!"

 

After the last service, no thanks. Anyway, why take time off work and pay you £15 to tip a bottle of Redex in the tank when I can buy that from ECP for a fiver and do it myself?

 

And a reminder on the tyres - only £75 for Federals (fitting, valve and balancing extra). Erm no, I think I will get the Pirellis from Blackcircles for £50 each all in, thanks.

 

I HAVE to Find a decent independent Fiat garage as on the 500 you have to reset the ECU post oil change or else the car does wierd shit apparently. And I am not letting the main dealers anywhere near it again.

[Keymaster]

What I don't understand is why people always want a discount on the screen price of a car? Why should they be any different from everything else you but? I've never asked for a discount from morrisons

 

Surely its just the done thing with cars. Seller adds a bit on to cover, then knocks a bit off when the buyer makes an offer, buyer drives off happy thinking he negotiated a boss deal, seller gets what he wanted in the first place.

 

Everyone should negotiate. Its normal practise in other countries & cultures. We are too polite...if you dont ask, you dont get! Granted it wont work in Tesco etc, but in independents it might... I once bought a mug from the Beatles shop in Liverpool for 1p & the promise of a pack of jaffa cakes!!

[Keymaster]

Just got a mail shot from the local Fiat place

 

 

Oddly enough that my mate story I posted was a Fiat main dealer

[EssDeeWon]

What I don't understand is why people always want a discount on the screen price of a car? Why should they be any different from everything else you but? I've never asked for a discount from morrisons

 

Two totally different industries.

 

If Morrisons knocked 10% off everything they'd go bust in no time. Their stock is already bottom end priced to stay competitive with other leading supermarkets. You can't get 10p knocked off a pack of biscuits because Morrsions, Asda, Sainsbury's and Co-op would all politely refuse.

 

But dealers price up cars to allow for some negotiation, often about 10% on top of their lower margin, sometimes more.

[AlabamaShrimp]

What if they only mark them up as people expect money off?

[gordonbennet]

Sales staff, takes all sorts.

 

I used to deliver new PSA's mainly, one of my regular drops one of the sales bods, a twat before this episode, was bragging to me about his latest killing.

 

He'd sold a Citroen C8 to a local taxi driver, course the fuckin thing spent increasing amounts of time at the workshops being fixed cos it was a pile o' shit, our poor taxi driver losing money hand over fist.

After only about a year of this he was in a terrible state, so agreed to trade it back in for some paltry figure against a new C5.

 

The price they gave him, i forget the figures involved but put it this way they added many thousands to the trade in and put that pile of dung straight on the forecourt for some other poor sod to saddle themselves with.

 

Sales bod thought he was the king dick of all time as he regaled this laughing his pin head off, i let the twat know what i thought of him as he'd just about put the final knife in the back of a normal working bloke just trying to earn himself a living by ripping the poor bastard off over the trade in, where by rights that heap of crap C8 should in any just world have been replaced free...cunt.

 

 

Yet other sites i went to the people were as far removed from that arse hole as you could get...my favourite delivery was to Spot of Chasetown Staffs, Citroen dealer, no longer there sadly, like turning the clock back three decades to a better time going there, loyal customer following too.

[EssDeeWon]

What if they only mark them up as people expect money off?

 

Yes, Thats exactly what they do.

 

Do you turn up and pay the full asking price when you buy a car?

[chaseracer]

...my favourite delivery was to Spot of Chasetown Staffs, Citroen dealer, no longer there sadly, like turning the clock back three decades to a better time going there, loyal customer following too.

 

I remember them well - Chasetown is about three miles from here - there's a Cooperative supermarket there now...

[Matt]

You speak the truth

 

My mate signed on the dotted line for a 63 plate fiesta costing £11500 the other week, after going in there to enquire about a 12 plate on the forecourt for £6000. Thats essentially the same car, 18 months difference in age, for nearly twice the price. I'm absolutely livid with him for doing it, he must of walked into the dealers with MUG written on his fod in neon pink. The salesman must have thought it was christmas again already, the justification for the price difference seems to hinge entirely around "well the new one has got an aston martin style grille, and everyone wants the latest style car, dont they"

 

Highlights* of the deal:

• Didnt negotiate the screen price
• Didnt test drive it
• Bought in dark so wasnt sure what colour it was til he collected it 2 days later
• Signed up to 4 years PCP finance at 18% APR
• Spent an additional £2400 cash (literally every penny he owned) on a "dealer lifetime warranty" and GAP insurance (bare in mind he told them he only wanted to keep the car 2 years & it still has 2 years Ford warranty on it). Making it impossible to just take it back & lash the keys at the prick who sold him it, as there is no way he would get that back to use to buy something else with.

Fucking hell, he is a lovely lad. But an absolute clueless bellwhiff when it comes to money - he doesnt earn a lot, so cant afford to be conned like this.

 

Oh, and when he initially asked about the £6000 Fiesta, he was told it was actually Ã‚£6500 & "no dealer ever puts the real price on their website"

 

Salesman 1 v My mate -1000000000000000000000000000

 

Stories like that make me glad that I'm a tightwad, IDGAF what the neighbours think of my car but when the weather allows me to actually keep it properly clean people walk past and remark at how nice it is fairly often even though it's 13 years old and cost under a bag. An 11 grand Fiesta wouldn't leave such an impression or wouldn't prompt people to make those comments which I guess is the reason for having the current model in the first place...

[Split_Pin]

on the 500 you have to reset the ECU post oil change or else the car does wierd shit apparently. And I am not letting the main dealers anywhere near it again.

Seriously - WHAT?!!!

[mrcitroen]

Seriously - WHAT?!!!

Yes, seriously. If it is a dizzler you do in order to reset the oil degradation counter. Reason being the way In Which the DPF regens are carried out by the car. The ECU monitors the amount of complete & incomplete cycles. Incomplete cycles lead to fuel ending up in the oil & regens dirty the oil. The ECU takes all this into consideration over a set time and tells you that the oil needs changed. If you don't reset, it brings up a warning light etc etc.

 

fiat Examiner software can be had to load onto your laptop to reset this. I think Sealey sell magic boxes to reset this also.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Yes, Thats exactly what they do.

 

Do you turn up and pay the full asking price when you buy a car?

 

No, but I also don't really buy cars from dealers. I'm funny when getting a car and won't pay a lot as I know roughly how much trade price is. As such I've only had two brand new and both with discount (long stories)

[srad34]

I did my apprenticeship in a Ford dealer in the late 80's/early 90's, I saw customers asking for one thing and being told to do something else by the workshop manager, at the time I was not too phased, but I was not paying the bill.

Replacing clutch cables and charging for a full clutch kit was pretty normal as was charging for cam-belts and only replacing the aux belts. Sadly it was not shoddy service that finished them off but a loss of a huge company car contract. All's well that ends well.  

 

I left the trade when I completed my time and never darkened a Dealer workshop again!