JimSand

As a new GT3 owner I would like to experience the European Delivery however my local dealership in Southern California stated that they don't offer it because is too much of a liability ... doesn't make much sense

I then called Porsche directly at 1-800-Porsche and they stated that some dealerships don't offer it because they don't want to pay for it, so since I made the investment of paying a $5,000.00 markup fee back in October only because I couldn't find any other allocations available in any USA dealerships, I feel this is the least the dealership can do for a new Porsche owner.

Can any of you experience Rennlist members point me in the right direction to get my dealership to agree to the European Delivery?

Thank you and Happy New Year,
Jim

24Chromium

The dealership won't allow it due to the fact that you paid over sticker. The actual signing of the paperwork, and therefore the payment in full, happens at delivery. The factory won't be accounting for the $5000 markup. The dealership gets cut out of it. I'm quite certain it's just that simple.

Mike in CA

Jim, your dealer is being cheap and short-sighted. Cheap from the standpoint of not wanting to incur any additional cost and short-sighted in that he is antagonizing a potential repeat customer. If you're out of the area, maybe they figure they can take that risk, but it's bad business. I don't see any other "liability" from their standpoint.

You've done what I would have done which is to call PCNA, but it sounds like they're washing their hands of the situation. You could make a big stink with the dealer and/or go public on the forum with their name but you might risk issues with your allocation.

I've done tourist delivery more than once and never had a problem, but my dealer has always been cooperative. If yours isn't willing to play along, and you don't have options to go elsewhere because of the allocation situation, you're in a tough spot.

24Chromium

If you look back at the history of Euro delivery with Porsche, they used to charge the customer for it. BMW, for example, did not charge the customer for it, and you typically got a very healthy discount to boot!

It's my understanding that now that Porsche no longer charges the customer for it (see the configurator), they do however charge the dealer. I've been told that the cost is about $3k US. The only upside for the dealer is that the car doesn't count against his allocation.

Given the low volume production of the GT cars, who knows about that allocation exception.

Mike in CA

24Chromium is correct; the dealer will incur additional cost and is trying to maximize his profit, which is why the only liability to him is monetary; ie he's being "cheap".

A suggestion to the OP: I know you've already paid $5K over for the privilege of buying this car but maybe if you approached the dealer with an offer to cover his tourist delivery cost (or meet him half way) he might go along.

sgroer

Don't forget that Porsche usually provides an additional allocation to the dealer to help defray the cost of the Euro delivery. Now, in this case, that allocation may be for another model, but it's still an allocation they otherwise didn't have.

Sonnen Porsche

I encouraged all of my GT3 clients to do the European delivery even though it does cost the dealership and me as well. I do more Euro deliveries than any other salesman in the country and the postcards I get from the happy clients more than make up for the small loss of profit and my commission. We do not get another GT3 allocation on top however just a Turbo or Turbo S....not terrible....

Cyrek

It should be encouraged and they should at minimum attempt to appease the customer

frayed

I believe folks have covered it:

- dealer pays
- PAG gives perks in the form of additional allocation(s) on desirable models
- I do think euro deliver counts against their GT3 allocations, but there's a bit of goodwill and horsetrading that happens behind the scenes to make up for the cost. See bullet above.

Your dealership is being myopic and engaging in blatant jackassery.

ny991

From what I have heard, the dealer pays $4000 and gets two additional allocations. The allocations are not necessarily for the same model.

kfmcmahon

My dealer told me that the customer used to have to pay around $3k for the European delivery option, but now the dealership has to eat that cost. Needless to say they were not thrilled that I wanted to take the Zuffenhausen delivery option with mine.

Sonnen Porsche

One extra allocation....not two.

Drifting

The dealer has the pay the cost, nowadays. Porsche used to cover the cost of european delivery many years ago.

I'm doing it and my dealer was very open with me about the cost of european delivery. They said that Porsche charges them $3,000 when a customer requests european delivery and on most cars the dealers makes up the cost of the $3,000 by not discounting the car as much as they would otherwise. GT3 is different as most GT3s sell for MSRP

On a regular 911, Cayenne etc, the dealer has a lot of wiggle room between MSRP and their invoice costs. As others have posted on RL in the past, plenty of people get 5-10% off the cost of their 911, which can be 5-15 thousand dollars. If a customer asks for european delivery, that's fine, they just don't get the same discount off their car, and the 3 grand is buried in that partial discount.

My dealer said that they sell their GT3s at MSRP. If I want european delivery, they will arrange it, but I have the pay the $3,000 cost of that delivery.
So that's what I"m doing. It's worth it to drive the roads a GT3 was designed for, (besides a track).

major dad

I live in Ireland ( Europe) and have done a Factory collection for my last 997 GT3. Here's some info.

In Ireland/UK the buyer pays an extra $3000. He gets 2X flights to Stuttgart airport transfer, Hotel and dinner, and a factory tour and handover.

Euro dealers are forbidden to sell over list price. Is this not true in the USA ?

Factory collection is not possible for GT3's for winter months due to not fitting winter tyres I think.

Lovely car Karl, will look great parked beside my RS later in the year !

Drifting

Hmm, I need to talk to my dealer about getting hotel and dinner at least.

What do you mean 2x flights to stuttgart? You mean roundtrip ticket?
From the UK?