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Experience of Official Porsche Dealers

Michael Zapties

New member
Joined
3 Oct 2005
Messages
12
One point I'd like to mention is about the Official Porsche Centres. At the start of my buying process, I called one of them up (will keep it anonymous, unless there are requests to name and shame) to arrange a test drive of a Tiptronic. I also told them that I had about £40-45k to spend on a Y/01/02 996. The conversations that followed were totally crazy.

I was immediately asked which car I wanted to buy from their list. I said I needed to test drive a Tip (which they had at £56k) and that I would wait for one to come up in my price range. Nothing on their list was in my range. However how would I decide to buy a Tip without driving one. Chicken and egg..... I genuinely wanted to start up a relationship with someone who could help me make a decision and possibly become a Porsche buyer for the next few years. You'd think that salesmen would jump at those sort of customers, right ? The salesman said that there was no point driving the 2002 996 Tip/Convertible valued at £56k because it was out of my price range and that it would be a different drive to an older car (Y/01). What !!!!!!???? The car drives totally differently after 3 yrs right ???? He also said that there are no cars of the age I was after , for sub £45k. I explained to him that I knew people who had bought Y/01 Reg 996's for around £40k. He said they would not have been bought from an OPC. I told him that one was from Sussex OPC and one from Silverstone OPC. He was a bit taken aback, but continued to patronise me, avoid giving me a test drive and was basically saying that I was wasting his time. I never knew buying a car was so difficult !!!!!! He'd obviously pigein holed me as an entry level buyer who would need his hand held too much. I could have been a customer for many years if he had treated me differently. I spoke to a few dealers and was getting similar vibes off them.

The place I eventually bought my 996 from was brilliant. Arranged a test drive during the day at my work ! Treated me like a customer !

So, unless you've got loads of cash, have driven the exact model you want and just want walk in and buy, go to an Official Porsche Centre. I'm sure there are plenty that do. For the others.......don't bother, ther are plenty of independent specialists out there who care a little bit more.

Cheers

Michael


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35800
 
Oh and by the way, he called me up 6 weeks later to tell me that he still had nothing for me to drive !!!! I told him that it was all over, already bought and explained the age and exact spec to him etc. I asked him how much he think I paid and he guessed £30-35k, when there was a very similar car on the Porsche website for £45k !!!!!! Knowing full wel it was decent price. I think he wanted to try and make me feel that I had paid too much at £37.5k + my official Porsche Warranty. My mum could sell cars better..........

What a loser.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35802
 
you should have gone to Mr Pearce and saved yourself a lot of hassle..........

Migration info. Legacy thread was 35803
 
Seems very similar to my experience (so far) with my OPC (although I think the individual sales guys are very different). Some of them just don't want to acknowlege that we have a choice.

I can see that they must get many folk popping in for a quick joy ride when they have no intention of buying. But they must realize those people just lie to get the ride. Those of us who explain the detail of what we want, budget, etc etc may be a bit picky but one day they will sell us something if they build a relationship.

On one of my visits they actually tried to get me to buy a boxster because my budget would not stretch to the particular (limited) set of 911s in their hands (and their other group dealerships - they would not even look at the main porsche.com search engine for fear of me spotting an ideal car at a compeditor dealership.)

But I guess that's how they have discovered they need to behave to shoe their children.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35829
 
My experience has up to now been quite good although they did try and sell my inappropriate cars which did not meet the criteria that I has stated........however, now I am waiting for my refund back from the deposit I put down and 2 weeks on nothing has arrived despite my second request for the money back and an acknowledgement that it is on its way.....

Trouble is being, thousands of miles away does not easily allow me to call them or go down there and get it myself....


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35834
 
Mike, you were probably just a little bit unlucky with that particular sales guy!?

I walked into the Chiswick OPC and arranged a test drive (996 Turbo and 997 C2S back to back) no probs. The sales person was guy a young guy and was very helpful which was surprising because i was half expecting them to be patronising.

Admittedly the cars on their list were more expensive compared to the independents...

so er... just out of interest..... which OPC was it?


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35836
 
I must admit so far on the buying side my experience with OPCs has been good.

I started with Cambridge who were very helpful, not to many questions about my budget and no problems with a 911 test drive. I actually liked the first car I drove but thought I don't want to rush and make my mind up on my first visit. So went away making no commitment. Phoned back a couple of days later and they'd sold it.

After that I spent sometime regularly checking the online dealer search engine and finally the right motor popped up at the Nottingham OPC. I was straight on the phone with a £500 returnable deposit to hold the car until I'd seen it. (turned out they never actually debited the card). It was good service all the way through, even negotiated a little bit off.

The story is a bit different when you come to trade-in. I'm now 4 months down the road and feeling the urge for a Turbo. So off to Cambridge to look at one, trouble is the price they'll give me for the C2 is rubbish (nearly 25% less than I paid 4 months ago) Now I wouldn't mind a sensible trade-in at say 10% off what I paid after only a 1000 miles but not bottom book trade. I'd rather take my chances and sell & buy private.

Andy
04 996 C2 ManualBasalt Black/Black leather


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35855
 
let me guess Hatfield? Useless t@ssers!

Just bought my GT3 from Bournemouth OPC, absolutely A1 service, very nice chaps.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 35857
 
Thanks chaps.........glad to hear it's not just me. Although I'm sure there are more good stories out there. I appreciate they'll get a lot of time wasters just wanting a day out test driving, but they were terrible. It wasn't just one sales guy. I spoke to another about a demonstration day that they had planned the next day. He said he'd call me back later and didn't bother.

I even told them that there was a car in Exeter that looked interesting and said that they were owned by Porsche weren't linked with them (only the ones in London). So much for the network of Porsche dealers ???!!!

As for which OPC it was, how on earth did Member Poon guess it was Hatfield !!!????????

Spot on. Total t*ssers.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35888
 
coz I iz a genius!

no seriously they are my local OPC, went in there three weeks ago to look at a silver mk2 GT3 they had in for £65k.

poorly dressed illiterate salesman comes over and says can I help?

I tell him that I know my Porsches and I want to buy in the next month for cash a used GT3 looking to spend £60k, I like this one but its overpriced, he sucks his teeth and says "its abit".

I say get me your best price

he says OK I'll also see what else we have in "our" network and I'll come back to you. He scribbled my name, spelt Stuart wrong 3 times!!!!, and said he would call.

Well to date I have yet to receive a call and yesterday I spent £59k with those lovely chaps in Bournemouth.

Wallup, Hatfields loss.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 35941
 
My experience of the sales staff (albeit fairly limited) is that OPC stands for Overpaid, Patronising C*#!s. Let's face it the only real work they have to do is talk new buyers up on the options list. The cars, new or second hand, sell themselves.

A couple of years ago when I first thought about a 911, I got so annoyed by the attitude of one salesman that I turned round and said, "so if you were having to buy and run one, what could you afford?"

I'm yet to experience their service departments..........


Migration info. Legacy thread was 35961
 
My car is presently being repaired (2 new alloys, new steering rack and lower suspension arms) at Mid-Sussex OPC and had a major service there a month ago. The service guys there are absolutely fantastic. They were very negotiable on the price and leant me a new Boxter S for a few days too.

Haven't had any personal experience with their sales team but a good friend reliably informs me that the chap he dealt with was great.

So a full thumbs up for Mid-Sussex OPC!


Migration info. Legacy thread was 36052
 
Lucky for me its a story i hear quite often

surprised no one told the

" I went into an OPC on a saturday dressed in jeans so they couldn't be bothered to talk to me, even though I had my cheque book in my back pocket"

I love it when a customer tells me that


Migration info. Legacy thread was 36057
 
Hatfield are a strange bunch. In their defence, I found their service mechanics very nice, pleasant, honest and efficient. Their parts department staff are completely retarded though. In truth, whichever company you go to, inevitabley there will be those that have had good experiences, and those that have had very bad ones. It does seem that Hatfield however keep cropping up on the bad list.

Although i live in London, i would swear by Autobahn in Coventry, and their workshop next door. Nothing but praise for them.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 36059
 
There is a Porsche Approved used car event at Porsche Centre Swindon on 5th & 6th November.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 36060
 

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