Hey guys, I’ve found myself in quite the pickle and was wondering if anyone has been in the same shoes or knows anyone who has been in the same shoes.

I ordered a black on black 992 4S in Toronto from my local Porsche dealer. Most exciting thing I’ve ever done and couldn’t wait for it to get here.

My car has just arrived at the dealership but I have been offered a position within my company in the New York City office that I can not say no to. I definitely would not want to have 992 in NYC with me, between parking, traffic, and all the damaged vehicles...

That said, I’ve already placed my deposit, the car has just arrived yesterday. What is the best way to get out of the situation with Porsche Toronto, hoping to get my deposit back.

Kind regards for any advice and help offered,
I thought the text from the dealer was going to be the most exciting moment, but I’m very nervous now.

 

Congratulations on your new opportunity. I've found the best thing to do in theses situations is be honest, this happens all the time and the spec you picked isn't it so unique that they won't be able to sell it in the due course of business.

 

Unless you’re planning to street park it, the 992 will be fine in NYC and there are amazing roads just outside of Manhattan. There are a lot of 911s in NYC. Heck, having one in the city is practically a right of passage.

Now, if getting the car and doing the relocation is going to put undue financial pressure on you, then, the consideration is different. As you are well aware, that 911 will be cheaper to buy in the US.

So, this really comes down to the size of the deposit. Canada does not have super awesome consumer protection laws. I don’t think that they even regulate deposits. If the plan is to not take the car, I certainly wouldn’t dally about. If your spec is one that someone else would actually buy, ie popular colors and popular features, the dealer may be more than willing to give you back your deposit and sell the car to someone else. If you went the extra mile making the car your own with unusual options, the dealer may be far less willing to negotiate, decide to keep your deposit and still sell the car to someone else — no refund, because the car spec is hard to sell.

Talk to the dealer. Be prepared to walk away from your deposit if you don’t want to take delivery of this car. Losing the deposit sucks, but if you end up buying one in the US, you will make it up savings, because we don’t have crazy luxury car taxes here.

 

Be honest and tell them the situation.

The deposit is tricky. Normally these "non-refundable" deposits are not enforceable. If you used a CC to pay for it, I suppose you could get your money back on a chargeback if they refuse to refund it. If you signed some sort of executable contract with stipulated sales price and terms, then you may be stuck. Not a lawyer, so take it with a grain of salt.

I suspect they will refund the money, however. It's bad business for a luxury dealer. If you were ordering a $200k Lizard green Panamera Turbo S with red interior - maybe that would be different. A black 911 sells itself.

 

Not actually true. Even in Ontario, with 13% HST, the price in Canada is several thousand cheaper than the US when you factor in the currency exchange. We don't have luxury car taxes here either.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

I’ve just set up to come in and chat with my rep tomorrow morning, so this should unravel very quickly.

I would love to keep the car and bring it to NYC, that would add some financial stress however especially with ensuring proper garage parking, bridge tolls, etc.

Haha everyone always thinks they purchase the “best” spec right that would be easy to resell, this is my Porsche Code : PL3P56R8
I think it should be fairly easy to move, hope that’s not myself being over eager.

 

You haven't even received your car yet, and Eric is already up-selling you on winter tires and new wheels. ABC...always.....be........closing! Eric will be crushed. He just lost a sales commission. Maybe even a set of steak knives.

I can't even begin to imagine, how you order a new car, wait for months, and then pass. That takes intestinal fortitude.

Regarding any deposit issues, just work with your employer, I'm sure if they want you in NYC bad enough, these small financial matters resolve themselves with your relocation package.

 

Haha, tell me about it - I debated saying no to NYC for the sole reason that I had this beautiful car arriving. Was absolutely gutted by his text that the vehicle had arrived. The wife knocked some sense into me a few minutes later.

 

Honestly that's a conservative spec and you have the checked off some of the most popular options (maybe with the exception of keeping standard interior). Shouldn't be a problem for them to move.

 

They already know you want to back out of the deal. No one schedules a "chat' when their car arrives. They show-up early, the next morning, with a checkbook & a big smile. Maybe some bedhead. No talking. No coffee. Just get me the **** out of here, I got places to go.

 

Just a thought, since you’re changing countries with this new job, can your company offer you some relocation support that might defray the cost of garaging in NYC or even losing your deposit?

 

And with no luxury tax or provincial tax (just 5% GST total instead of 13% HST), Alberta is an even cheaper place to buy a Porsche. BC on the other hand has luxury tax and provincial tax.

 

be honest, don't waste anyone's time. They should give you your deposit back. Anyway technically you don't own the car yet, so they owe you this money legally.

 

I’m definitely against bringing it to NYC. Have you seen the garages there? They will make your skin crawl and will result in a ding or two, especially on your black paint.

The garages that won’t make your skin crawl will cost you as much as your cars monthly payment. And don’t even think about street parking... Oh and let's not forget the terrible roads that your tax dollars won't be contributing to, to remove the potholes on the way out the city to get to the better roads in Westchester...

Be honest and drop the car, I’m sure you’ll get the deposit back. Not a biggie IMO.

 

Doubtful. While I personally didn't learn any Canadian law when I was in law school, I assume OP signed something when he ordered the 'custom' car and put down the deposit. So he is likely SOL, legally. Now, if the dealership wants to give him the cash, that's another thing entirely. But I am pretty sure that the Canadian $tealers use paperwork similar to the $tealers in the US, which says something along the lines of 'NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT' in nice big letters.