Hillbilly Azure....................

…............Or bluey/grey to you and me! Why do car manufacturers insist on thinking up such silly names for their car colours?

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day. We have a new car. Isn't this a nice present that we've bought for ourselves?

Unfortunately the car buying process was not straight forward so Ann has to RANT!  Feel free to switch to another Blip now.......................... But, we do like to document major events in our lives. Lol!

So, Ann was due to pick up our new car at 1.30pm. Originally she wanted to pick it up late afternoon so that she could do my walk first, but the manager convinced her that 1.30pm was a good time. Yesterday she organised the insurance for the new car which meant that the insurance for the old car ended at 1.30pm and the insurance for the new car started at 1.30pm. Ann raced home from college at 12.30pm (she's still doing training to become the best audio transcriber ever, but that's a whole other story!) and said, 'Molly, I'm just popping out again to pick up our new car. I'll be back at 2pm and then we'll go for your walk.'

I curled up on the sofa for a snooze and I waited and waited and waited.



Meanwhile, at 1.15pm Ann arrived at ''Arnold Clark' (yes we are going to name and shame them) and was told that their 'systems were down' and the car would be about 20 mins. No problem. Ann hadn't had any lunch, so she grabbed herself a free coffee, connected to the free internet and read the two free newspapers. Just before 2pm a message came through on her phone (the message had been left about 1.10pm) from Arnold Clark to say that their systems were down and if she hadn't already left, could she come in about 3.30pm because they were still working on the car. Not being happy with the prospect of having to wait another hour and a half, she wandered over to the manager, told him she'd just received a voicemail and asked, 'Is it really going to be another hour and a half?' His response; 'I haven't left you a message. Who's left you that message? Give me 5 mins and I'll get back to you.' 20 mins later he tells her that D is investigating what is happening. 15 mins later D tells her that their systems have been down yes Ann knows that and software is being updated and it will be about 20 mins. Ann asks if we can complete the paperwork in the meantime and is told no; it will only take 10 mins once the car is ready.

Ann is getting a bit angry at this stage. She said, 'I've got a gorgeous little collie at home I need to walk the dog. She hasn't been out since about 8am'. D says he understands and it will only be another 15 - 20 mins so Ann says she will have a little wander out to B&M and Poundland (which are the only shops in the vicinity). Ann goes to B&M and Poundland and buys me some treats. Yay! She returns half an hour later at about 3.10pm and asks the manager, 'How long is it going to be now?' His reply, 'About 10 mins I'll just check for you.'

Manager doesn't get back to Ann, but 15 mins later, some other 'young minion' (that he's obviously been told to speak to her) does. 'Young minion' says; 'They're just finishing off now. It'll be about 20 mins.'

After another half an hour Ann posts on FB – 'At Arnold Clark, #appalling service'. Well you have to make use of the free wifi don't you?


10 mins later, 'young minion' returns and says that D is just chasing them up and the car will be ready in 10 mins. It's 3.55pm at this point. Ann says, 'Good, can we sort the paper work out now then?' 'Young minion' says, 'NO, it will only take 10 mins once the car is ready.'


Ann goes a bit crazy at this point and says, 'So the car is going to be another 10 mins and then it's going to be another 10 mins to sort out the paper work so it's probably going to be about 4.30pm before everything is sorted. I have stuff to do. I've been here for two and a half hours. If you'd been honest and told me, when I came in, that the car wasn't ready, I would have gone home and come back tomorrow. My gorgeous little collie dog needs a walk.'

Then she felt a bit guilty and so said to 'young minion', 'Look I know it's not your fault, but this is just ridiculous. Am I going to get my new car today or not?'

Young minion' scuttled off, after apologising profusely and offering Ann yet another free coffee. How much free coffee can one drink and are there even customer toilets in the place???

10 mins later, Ann spots the manager going through the door where 'other people have gone before'. 5 mins later he actually comes over and apologises for the delay, thanks Ann for her patience and quotes the; 'systems are down, and software needs to be updated and all the other crap speech'. Ann ignores him. Maybe this is very rude, but to be honest, at this point, all that Ann wanted to do was get home to me because she was conscious of the fact that I hadn't been out since 8am and she's never left me alone for that long before.

At 4.20pm, D comes to Ann and says; 'The car is ready, if you'd like to follow me, we'll do the paperwork. So they do the paperwork. And included in the 'paperwork' D says, 'You'll get your first service free'. Ann says she hadn't realised that. D says, 'Bryan (the manager) has given you a free first service for your patience in waiting for 2 hours.' By this time Ann has waited more than 3 and a half hours; …...........but lets not look a gift horse in the mouth?!!

And by 4.35pm the paperwork is all done. And then D disappears for 15 mins. And then D comes back with a girl who is going to show Ann how all the controls in the car work. Whoopee doo!  By 4.55pm Ann eventually drives her brand new car out of 'Arnold Clark'. Yay!

By 5.30pm my very lovely owner was home, cuddling me and saying, 'MollyCollie, I'm so sorry that you've been left by yourself for so long. We'll go for your walk right now.' And Ann thought I would be desperate for a wee or a poo? So we trekked around the streets for about 45 mins and I didn't have a wee or poo until I'd walked for more than a mile. I know, I know, far too much information. How can dogs do that???



…...........And tomorrow we will post a much better Blip of our 'Hillbilly Azure' new car. Tomorrow we are going out somewhere a bit more exciting than just pounding the streets?!!