Worst Main Dealer Stories, get it off your chest!

[Hendry]

That sort of happened to me as well. I bought a 2,5 year old Xantia from Armadale many moons back. I took it back for warranty & the service manager saidhe would need to ask the sales dude if I paid enough for the car to allow the work to be done. You could have knocked me over with a wet kipper when I heard that one! I reminded him that the car was supplied with Citroen hallmark warranty, which iany claim is paid by Citroen UK not Uncle Arnie! Must have a wee warranty scam going.

It's all a lot of rubbish because legally they can't not fix it whether it eats in to their profit as back then any car under 5 years old and under 60K miles comes with a card saying you have a 1 month parts and labour warranty so anything goes wrong in that time they have to fix it, they can't just say "oh if we pay for that repair we will have lost money on the deal"

 

For that reason if you saw a car at a far away branch and wanted it transferred to a local one for you to buy they are supposed to do it for any car but regularly used to refuse if it was an older car and/or high mileage incase a fault occurred in the warranty period which would eat up all their profit.

[fiatdaft]

What a load of pish.

FACT: Arnold Clarks youngest son Adam was me best pal when we were wee. That never got me a discount.

 

I've known a few folk that have worked for them and the stories make the mind boggle. We're talking about people who are told to lie, told to hide things from the customer as a matter of company policy. People work for them out of desperation. I once met this guy at an auction that was buying cars for the AC group. He told me they will buy any old crap and an old mini cab could be Arnolds Deal of the Week in a few days. The service books are always hidden from the customer and they say they will send it to you. They MOT cars in the same way Kwikfit do, but instead of selling you new stuff you don't need they will just charge you and not bother fitting it.

[kinkersaab]

As someone who is in the trade and as been for a long time, I can give my un biased view.

Arnold Clark is shite, I would do anything possible in order to not give them a penny of mine If at all possible. I'm sure they have good folk in amongst the bad, and I'm sure some franchises are ok, but overall they have a shocking reputation and that suits and helps me/us no end.

[Junkman]

I do urge you all to read a book called "The Insolent Chariots" by John Keats. It is available for pennies on Amazon.

Despite the book was written in 1950s America, it can't be beaten for providing a deep insight into the practices of the automotive retail trade and it hasn't lost a bit of it's topicality in half a century.

 

[mk1_4dr]

At least £13 on Amazon, it does look interesting though.

[Junkman]

It's money well spent, trust me.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I only know one person who's bought a car from them, and funnily enough it's a story of poor service and unnecessary stress. 

[Mr Lobster]

Actually I bought my Seat from AC and it is probably the best car I've ever owned. 

 

OK so I was staff at the time so I got a significant discount and I knew it was ex rental - been on long term hire to a senior person within a company in Scotland - and I could print the history out down to the last bulb but I have to say I  got a very good deal on it and it has been the best car I have ever bought.

 

They get a lot of complaints because they are incredibly ruthless and hard faced but they also get a lot of repeat customers because they are very cheap. As much as people complain, the people who were buying late used cars went there because they were still a lot cheaper than the competition.  

 

Yep the aftersales service is terrible but they work on the old pile it high, sell it cheap basis and it works for them as the company is very profitable. 

[Richard]

At least £13 on Amazon, it does look interesting though.

 

 

It's cheaper on AbeBooks, though annoyingly the UK seller is charging more to post a paperback than the US ones are to post a hardback. http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=the+insolent+chariots&sts=t&x=48&y=6

[Station]

Someone clipped my front bumper on my Astra in 2006 - I wasn't going to make a claim, but the fellow who crashed into me did (and blaming me - he got found out though). Car was taken away to be 'repaired'. Was told the car had been written off as it was too costly to fix the three scratches on the bumper (new bumper 600 quid, not including fitting, respraying). the car was at Vauxhall garage in Bootle.

When I got there I went to check my car, and was told by a young YTS lad that he was having it. I went into the office and said I want to collect my car. Driving home, I noticed the bonnet wasn't closed, so went to shut it. They had stolen the bonnet catch off it. Also bits of interior trim were missing.

TW@s

[brickwall]

What a load of pish.

 

 

I'm not forcing you to believe. I do know the difference between fresh oil and ancient stale stuff. I do know if an oil filter has been changed. The avertising standards mob have pulled them up several times over adverts for cars that don't exist. Like I say, you free to believe what ya will

[Bobthebeard]

Can't comment on Arnold Clarke as I have never used them, but main dealers need* to maximise profits to pay for the fancy premises, business rates, heating, advertising and all the staff. The electricity bills alone must be huge, given the number of floodlights and illuminated signs often left on for most of the night! Still not an excuse for sharp practice though.

I don't use our main dealer (Honda) as the car is ten years old and high mileage. Tend to do the simple stuff myself, or go to the local independent garage that are honest and upfront, having used them for years.

Last year, whilst I was working away for a week, my wife took the Honda to the main dealer for an MOT. It failed on a cracked/perished suspension bushing. Fair enough.... However the list of advisories included things like corrosion to aircon receiver body, damaged front n/s road wheel, rear tyres different width to fronts, exhaust system corroded.

Estimate for rectification was £££££££S!

Wife rang me to ask if she should book it in with them to get the work done, as the MOT expired in three days. Said no!

Aircon is not a testable item, the damage to front wheel is only light kerbing marks (five years ago) different rear tyre width is fine as both on same axle (205s rear, 195s front) and the exhaust system had zero leaks/blows. Just surface rust.

Took it to the local independent and it passed with one advisory for the suspension bush.

Lots of people who don't know any better would pay for all this to be repaired, thinking it was necessary for the MOT, as would my wife have done if I hadn't put a stop to it.

Sharp practise or what? Just maximising profits no doubt!

Arse.

[brickwall]

In fairness to AC they are very cheap and if you know what you are doing you could get a nice motor. A mate of mine just walked in with some money and said how much he wanted to put down and what he wanted to pay weekly and what had they that needed shifting. They sorted him out with a low spec Focus that needed. He was quite happy.

[Hendry]

The reason AC are so pushy, don't give test drives until the deal is done and try to force you to buy a car you don't want is because the branch gets fined by head office if a car is on sale more than 90days, and the salesmen get fined by their boss (not head office as its not a company policy just something managers of individual branches decid to do) if they take a customer out a test drive and it doesn't lead to a sale hence they only let you test drive once a deals been done.

 

They also heavily target add ons like supagard, extended warranty, service plans, gap insurance etc as they have more profit margin %age in them than the cars.

 

I remember one of the sales guys boasting he had made £425 commission on selling a £5000 54plate Corsa because he had sold it on finance with all the add ons, had he just sold the car t would've been £75-£100

 

That brings me on to my next point, the same salesman told me about a customer of his from when Reg Vardy owned the dealership before AC bought it over, 06 plate Punto costing £6000, the customer was in £23000 of debt for it, seemingly they used to run a buy now pay nothing until next year or we pay your payments for a year type scheme, only the interest rate was so extortionate that the payments were so high that once people had to start paying themselves they simply couldn't afford to pay them every month, try trading the car in to another dealer and you owed so much more than the car was worth you couldn't afford to trade it in and get out of the deal because of negative equity so the gullible sods would go back to Vardys looking for a way out and would end up with another car on the same scheme, now in double the debt until you owed £20K on a £5K car.

 

It's no wonder you lot all drive old cheap cars with this shit happening, wise move.

[fiatdaft]

Hendry your information is a few years out of date i'm afraid. Wat,you do know the garage would have refused cash as its against the law to take 1 penny more than £9k in cash.

 

Vardy and halshaw do the front loaded finance,not AC.

[fiatdaft]

I SELL 500 CARS A MONTH DUE TO SCRAPPAGE WHILE DOING JOAN COLLINS,VOXHALS ARE SHIT.

 

btw.

[Bobthebeard]

I SELL 500 CARS A MONTH DUE TO SCRAPPAGE WHILE DOING JOAN COLLINS,VOXHALS ARE SHIT.

 

btw.

??

No idea what all this means, but Voxhalls do tend to be a tad shit.... IMHO.

[mrcitroen]

Not sure what bit of Hendry's info is out of date, but AC still would not let me test drive a car last month. No test drive on a used car = no sale simples!

 

BTW I hate salesmen calling me mate & buddy the first they have met me. So unprofessional.

 

On the other hand, I bought my Alfa from Western in Edinburgh. Complete polar opposite to AC. Decent courteous non pushy salesman who was the most polite guy you could ever meet. Only asked once about supagard & did not try to sell any other bolt ons. Srvice dept were just as good. Warranty issues fixed first time every time.

[mrcitroen]

I SELL 500 CARS A MONTH DUE TO SCRAPPAGE WHILE DOING JOAN COLLINS,VOXHALS ARE SHIT.

 

btw.

Is the scrappage scheme still running? I thought it had ceased long ago. Disgusting piece of government propaganda. Trade your serviceable affordable older car in for a Kia & get in debt. Good stuff!

 

I bet if AC a others could have got away with it, they would have put a wee bit of spin on scrappage such as the gov will make all cars over X years old illegal. I bet some dudes out there would believe it as well!

[londonm]

'The reason AC are so pushy, don't give test drives until the deal is done and try to force you to buy a car you don't want is because the branch gets fined by head office if a car is on sale more than 90days, and the salesmen get fined by their boss (not head office as its not a company policy just something managers of individual branches decid to do) if they take a customer out a test drive and it doesn't lead to a sale hence they only let you test drive once a deals been done.'

 

I'd like to see these grunts flog me a car, I'd wave the money in the salemans face before telling him to poke it!

[Pillock]

Hendry your information is a few years out of date i'm afraid. Wat,you do know the garage would have refused cash as its against the law to take 1 penny more than £9k in cash.

 

 

Also slightly out of date - it's now £11,000 before you trigger the interest of HMRC through money-laundering regs.

Unless you register as as high-value dealer (as HMRC specifically suggest motor traders do) then you can take an unlimited amount. So dealers will only refuse cash if they've not bothered to do this.

[mrcitroen]

To be fair, I don't think they want large sums of money on the premises for the security aspect. I don't think I would want that on my premises if I was a dealer. Armed robberies are not plesant!

[Spiny Norman]

 its against the law to take 1 penny more than £9k in cash.

 

Is it bollox 'against the law' to accept more than £9k in cash.

 

That's exactly the sort of crap I'd expect from someone who works for AC to spout so they can push you onto finance.

Many retailers of expensive items (not just cars) may not LIKE having large sums of money on the premises, and there may be some stipulations in their insurance policy that prrevents them from doing so, but to claim it's against the law is just pish.

 

Which law? Links?

[chaseracer]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/mlr/getstarted/register/hvd.htm

[Justin Case]

My wife recently bought  a car from Charles Clark in Wolverhampton. Please tell me they have nothing to with Arnold of the same name

[Mr Lobster]

Its not against the law but money laundering regulations do require the seller to do 'additional checks' (whatever they might be when accepting payment in cash for over €15,000.

 

Regardless of that, those who mentioned not being able to pay cash probably meant pay by debit card. I bought Mrs_Lobsters Mazda for 'cash' but that cash was transacted by means of a debit card.

 

No dealers will want massive amounts of cash anyway, too much risk / hassle.

 

As regards customers being given the hard sell for warranties / finance / paint guard / gap insurance / pictures of the admin girls topless well you would expect that any dealer worth their salt would be doing that - thats where the money is made. The margins on the cars are tiny and if they relied on pure car sales alone they'd all go bust within the week.

 

We had to sit through a long and dull spiel about how it was financially better for us to borrow money from Mazda rather than pay with money that was already in the bank and the benefits of gap insurance. Tedious but they have to try.

[Alexg]

Cash meaning pound notes, you can pay what you like on a debit card.

 

Edit: as Lobster has just mentioned

[Mr Lobster]

Also and as this thread seems to have crept some way from is originally intended subject. I worked for AC and for Pendragon and whilst AC could be demanding they were actually ok if you hit targets and it could be very lucrative as well. 

 

Pendragon was just plain wierd. For the first eight weeks of my employment, once a week I had to attend an induction thing where they drilled into you the company values and had a diagram shaped a bit like an onion which represented all the 'stakeholders' in the business and you were seriously expected to remember this absolutely word for word. 

 

Next up came the Learning Library. Each dealership had a small library with motivational books which they really did expect you to take home and read - my manager kept banging on about had I read Who Moved My Cheese or The Elephant That Learned to Fly or some such bollocks. They were seriously into all that.

 

That last straw that broke the Lobsters back was when I was forced to head office in Nottingham to complete my indoctrination which was basically to make sure that you had been fully reprogrammed. I was bored to fuckery and left there about 5pm in a very dark mood to drive three hours home. My company car at the time was a nice W plate Mondeo Ghia X V6. Sadly due to me taking my frustrations out on it about five miles from home (on the A56 at Rising Bridge if you care) I redlined it for the final time at which point it through an oil light on and started making knocking noises.

 

Naturally I drove it the rest of the way regardless and enjoyed my lie in the following day as I waited for a recovery truck

 

 

They were worse than AC with customers though. If you went in with a p/x the favourite trick was to take your keys so they could assess you car and not give them back unless you either got very forceful and shouty or signed on the dotted line for a Fiesta Festival or whatever.

 

Moral of the story - a lot of the big dealer groups exist to make lots of money and couldn't really give a toss about the customer although it goes without saying that there are some very good people in all of them but it all comes down to the senior managements approach.

[Alexg]

That brings me on to my next point, the same salesman told me about a customer of his from when Reg Vardy owned the dealership before AC bought it over, 06 plate Punto costing £6000, the customer was in £23000 of debt for it, seemingly they used to run a buy now pay nothing until next year or we pay your payments for a year type scheme, only the interest rate was so extortionate that the payments were so high that once people had to start paying themselves they simply couldn't afford to pay them every month, try trading the car in to another dealer and you owed so much more than the car was worth you couldn't afford to trade it in and get out of the deal because of negative equity so the gullible sods would go back to Vardys looking for a way out and would end up with another car on the same scheme, now in double the debt until you owed £20K on a £5K car.

 

 

I'm not so sure about that, there's clearly more to this than meets the eye. It is possible to lump a chunk of negative equity from a previous PX on top. That said, to owe £23000 on a Fiat Punto I don't think is possible (unless it's a sorted Abarth). Firstly, finance companies have to underwrite the business and they have no interest in lending way over the cars value. This is because they'll either end up with a termination at midway point (customer can return the car legally and owe nothing) or the customer will default meaning they all lose out. Perhaps the total amount payable was £23000, but you'd have to have horrendous credit and be rather dumb to sign up to that.

[Hendry]

Hendry your information is a few years out of date i'm afraid. Wat,you do know the garage would have refused cash as its against the law to take 1 penny more than £9k in cash.

 

Vardy and halshaw do the front loaded finance,not AC.

I expect it would be out of date seeing as I left 3 years ago as I stated earlier in this thread, at no point did I say these were still the company's practices I was merely stating what went on when I worked there which everyone else seemed to understand just fine, but the fact you said that my information was out of date but didn't deny this happened just confirms for everyone else that AC got up to this malarkey and I am pretty sure no one in their right mind would go near them if they knew half this shit went on.

 

Just go back to fooling yourself you don't work for a rogue outfit.