cavemanmoore

I wrote the email below to recount my experience over the last two days. I needed to blow off steam and, for me, writing helps. Thanks for letting me vent here.

Dear Porsche,

I am reaching out to recount a recent experience at your dealership, which, sadly, left me both bewildered and disappointed.

To provide context, I have been a dedicated Porsche enthusiast. This recent experience would have marked the purchase of my third Porsche, and I was even anticipating another in the near future. My commitment to the brand stems from its reputed excellence, and the belief that Porsche stands for not just extraordinary vehicles but also exceptional service.

Given the above, I never expected the series of missteps that marred my recent interaction with Porsche of Nashville:

• Financing Confusion: After placing a deposit and obtaining external financing, I was informed that Porsche of Nashville doesn't entertain external financing. I acquiesced to your dealership's terms but was explicit about a single credit pull to protect my credit score.
• Sudden Pickup Schedule: On August 29th, the abrupt notification for a next-day car pickup, particularly when I was mid-business trip and not based in Tennessee, resulted in major disruptions to both my professional and personal schedules.
• Check Acceptance Issues: After numerous assurances, the abrupt refusal of my out-of-state check, despite prior knowledge of my payment method, was bewildering. My wife and I were left stranded, necessitating unexpected expenditures and plans.
• Lack of Proper Resolution: The ordeal culminated in a lackluster response, suggesting I acquire a cashier's check — a solution I found was not feasible. The suggestion to ship the car to me later, devoid of any tangible resolution or understanding, was the final straw.

Porsche of Nashville's justifications, while human, were far from professional. I was taken aback to hear explanations surrounding personal circumstances like “new babies at home,” especially when they should not intrude upon a client's experience.

It is often said that a brand's true colors shine, not when everything goes right, but when things go wrong. Based on this experience, it's clear that while mistakes are human, the handling of them is what delineates a brand's stature.

In a turn of events, I visited Ferrari while still in Nashville. The contrast in experience was profound. I was met with the level of service I had initially sought from Porsche, leading me not only to an immediate purchase but also plans for another soon.

The purpose of this letter is not to castigate, but to highlight the glaring discrepancies in expected service versus received. A brand like Porsche, in my view, should not only meet but exceed client expectations.

While I have always held Porsche in high esteem, this experience has undeniably tarnished that image. I am transitioning from a loyal Porsche enthusiast to a newfound Ferrari admirer, primarily due to the vast difference in client experience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it provides some valuable insights into areas where service can be enhanced.

Sincerely,

Christopher L. Moore

eclou

wow sorry to hear. I would write directly to the GM of the dealership and PCNA

ss2z06

That’s really sad to hear. Most of the things in your experience could have been avoided had they paid any kind of attention ahead of time.

Did you end up not purchasing the Porsche or did you still get that but also purchase the Ferrari? What model Ferrari if you don’t mind me asking. I’m not trying to deviate from the main topic but hopefully with the new car that was unanticipated there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

cavemanmoore

Thanks for the feedback and understanding. To clarify, I don't have any plans to send the email elsewhere. Unless a significant discount is offered, covering the expenses we incurred, I'm doubtful about achieving a satisfactory resolution. My primary intention was to find a space to share my experience and feel heard.

On a related note, it's intriguing that when my wife inquired about the role of a "Customer Experience" associate at the dealership, the response was solely centered on ensuring customers leave positive feedback on surveys. This sheds some light on their priorities.

I bought a 488 and while I haven't had the chance to drive it yet, I'll definitely share my impressions once I do. I would still love to own the TTS. However, the purchase experience holds significant value for me, and given the recent events, I'm skeptical about that happening.

AlexCeres

That’s bizarre. I’ve never had a dealer refuse money from external banks. I’ve also never had a dealer care when I picked up a car. They’re generally happy to keep physical possession of the car until payment clears anyway. A week or even two delay has always been met with apathy. Generally accepting a personal check is a no no, doubly so for out of state, so it’s really weird your SA would have told you that’s a good idea. They don’t sound very good at their job. They also don’t appear to give a **** about an out of state customer, which isn’t unusual.

AlexCeres

They’re probably just incompetent but there’s also the darker thought that they intentionally want to blow up your deal.

mr. rpm

Really nothing to do with Porsche the company and everything to do with the individual dealership. Further an out of state check is a non-starter irregardless of what a salesman may have told you. In most cases the salesman has virtually no authority and they will often say things that don’t happen in the end.

DKM

Funny side note, I left Ferrari to come to Porsche because all 3 Ferrari's I spec'd had some type of issue. The answer to my issues, "you don't need to buy the car, and we don't have another allocation for you." I sent a letter to FNA and their answer to me was effectively, "Take it up with the dealer". The last car I spec'd I actually didn't buy because I refused to reward them for stupidity.

BHSAAA

Neutral party who has bought plenty of P cars and F cars: first, out of state check is non-starter unless they hold the car until funds clear (and its easy to wire funds same day from any major Bank so who needs a check?). Second, external financing is ripe with fraud (as are fake cashiers checks, etc) There is a whole behind the scenes procedure to verify external funds, if your source doesn’t participate in the network/process, again the solution is to hold the car until funds clear (smaller credit unions not uncommon). This wasn’t about you, this was about the world we live in today.

Breen

I feel like we’re not getting the full story here and the Porsche dealer may have a different version to tell.

most dealers will not accept a check. It’s not personal, it’s just a common sense requirement. Cashiers checks are quite easy to pull (maybe 5 minutes at the bank) so I’m confused why this would be met with such frustration by the OP. Again, I think on this point we’re not getting the full story, because it doesn’t make sense.

If the OP bought a 488, that’s obviously a used car purchase. Used car lots tend to have more lax requirements, more focused on just closing deals no matter what. The difference is: good luck getting support after the car is yours.

anyways, being in the business, I don’t see anything all that bad in the OP’s list of grievances. Either way, Porsche won’t respond to the email and frankly they don’t care if one person leaves a yelp review. Their product speaks for itself and I’ve found the service to be 10/10 personally.

cavemanmoore

That thought has crossed my mind more than once. Honestly, if this is the case, I would have preferred they just call me and let me know they had decided to sell the car to a local customer.

Breen

I didn’t mean that. I have no doubt the dealer wouldn’t hesitate to tell you if they sold it elsewhere.
I suppose we’ll never know as Porsche Nashville won’t respond here to tell their side

hope you enjoy the 488

cavemanmoore

Agreed. My issue is solely with Porsche of Nashville. The Salesman and Finance Manager made promises that were contrary to the dealers policy, at my expense.

My primary concern isn't with the out-of-state check policy itself. My frustration stems from Porsche of Nashville being fully aware that I would be providing an out-of-state check, yet they still insisted on my immediate arrival. Then, late into the afternoon on the brink of a holiday weekend, they suggested I wire the funds. This would mean waiting until Tuesday or Wednesday for the funds to be verified and received.

If you have doubts about my account, I'd encourage you to reach out to the salesman I dealt with at Porsche of Nashville. DM me, and I'll provide his contact info. I have presented the facts accurately, and tried to ensure my statements aren't slanderous. The General Sales Manager (GSM) at Porsche of Nashville did admit to mistakes on their part, attributing them to "extenuating personal circumstances" that might have rendered their team "extra tired."

Their proposed remedy was to refund my deposit and ship the car to me once they received the wire transfer. At the time, I found this solution lacking, especially considering the money and significant effort I had already invested in adjusting my schedule to make an unplanned trip to Nashville for the purchase.

Breen

No need. I trust what you’re saying, that’s my point. I think you played a greater than zero percent role in the debacle.
why didn’t you just go get a cashiers check when you got to Nashville?

and what were you expecting in return for this email?

pitt911

multiple small mistakes added together and resulted in bad experience
Pick the car next day , most likely was an end of the month sales goal which is an artificial goal created by GM
financing issue .Most likely they were getting bigger kick back from in-house financing
Out of state check issue can be an issue , but this can be bypassed easily by GM . Fear here is lack of funds or identity theft issues
but the crux of the problem is bad frame of mind on behalf of dealership . You are lucky we are selling you a TTS , rather than we are lucky to sell you a TTS