taylorcoleman

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All:

I run into my fair share of unscrupulous companies in my journey through car buying and through the modding process. That's why I try my best to stick with the winners I've grown to trust. I've given props to those companies before, and make it a point to give props when service and expectations have been exceeded.

For those vendors & dealers that provide sub-par service, I tend to not broadcast my negative experiences. Mostly because I think one must expect a certain level of bad behavior and bad service as an undercurrent to this industry. Calling out every infraction would quickly become just a negative storm of unproductive chatter on the forums.

However, I do believe there are times that merit calling out a vendor or a dealer that has significantly wronged someone. The challenge here of course is that say, my bad experience may have been an isolated one. On the other hand, it may be a systemic problem with the vendor or dealer.

So I'll just lay out the facts as I see them in a recent transgression.

Company Name: Lujack's North Park Auto Plaza (or Lujack Porsche)
URL: www.lujack.com
Location: Davenport, Iowa

Key issues:
* Purchased my 997.2S a couple of weeks ago through them
* Lujack represented the car as in "excellent" condition, not a scratch or a blemish. Lujack represented the car as being in roadworthy condition, with no damage whatsoever and CPO ready
* I bought the car site unseen (as I do most of my cars) based on the representation -- though I usually do a PPI, this time I did not. I did, however, run a full CarFax, plus ran a check through another Porsche dealer for warranty claims, etc.
* Car was delivered to me last week on enclosed carry. Truck driver told me there was damage to rear wheel and tire that he noted prior to him taking delivery.
* The damage was significant to the tire -- at least 1/4" deep gash in sidewall of tire and major road rash on wheel in that area
* Called used car sales manager within minutes, and informed him of the situation. I told him I was taking my car to my local dealer for some mods the following week (today) and that I'd have the service manager there assess the safety of the tire and whether he thought the wheel could be repaired versus replaced. Lujack used car sale manager said he'd take car of the damages
* My service manager said wheel could be repaired to like new condition for only $135 (versus $1200 or so for a new wheel), but the gash in the tire was not able to be plugged and was a safety hazzard. So I sent this information via email to Lujack used car sales manager and he promptly informed me he'd only pay for the $135 repair to the wheel, and would decline the apx. $500 for tire replacement, mounting, and balancing.
* Lujack service manager would not budge from his position, and so I'm pursuing this matter further.

So those are the facts as I see them. Interpret what you will regarding this dealer. Maybe some or many people have had great experiences with them. I will never use them again, nor recommend them to anyone.

atr911

Are the tires brand new? If not, you may even need a pair.

I think this is silly. If the tire is unsafe and the damage was noted there should be no question. Are there no safety inspections in your state? This wouldn't have passed in Ontario.

sandwedge

Are you sure you talked to the "right" service manager? You'd think Lujack has more than one since they sell 13 other brands besides Porsche http://www.lujack.com/site/. Never saw a Porsche dealership like it. Maybe you drew the Kia/Hyundai manager or the Chevy guy? With all this under one roof I can think of a lot of bad scenarios.

richc

What was his/her reason for declining the tire replacement?

Tsurara

I'm not an expert in this field but I am pretty sure it is not legal for a dealership to sell you a used car that won't pass a safety inspection.

Hope it gets worked out.

kdurg

You've admitted having PPIs on previous purchases and you decided not to this time. It nipped you in the *** and now you're whining about the dealer ?

Due diligence is ultimately up to you.

FWIW---why didn't the driver ( if he truly noted the damage prior to loading the vehicle) make you aware of it to release himself from liability ?

Your experience doesn't seem to have been managed properly on multiple levels.

With that said, good luck with the repairs---- we'd all love to see pics of your new car when you're ready.

JasonKM

If the dealer provide a state safety inspection, that tire would not have passed. I would threaten to report them to the state licensing/tranport dealer in regards to issuing safety certificates for cars that clearly do not pass inspection.

I would also raise this to the sale manager and general manager. If the driver noted this when he picked it up, he probably had someone on the dealer sign-off/agree the damage was there.

Edgy01

One's credibility on Rennlist is generally enhanced when they contribute a bit over time. Have we seen a photo of your newest acquisition? Model Year? I have to say that I'm generally a bit wary of someone who complains and has few postings against their name.

We also would expect you to return to this posting with more details and follow up information, and show some interest in what others have suggested to you.

Otherwise, I would see this as essentially tossing a hand grenade into a closet!

taylorcoleman

Hi all. Sorry for being absent. This matter is now pending litigation so I cannot comment further. Although I'm new to this forum, I did my best to resolve this matter otherwise.

Eric - Plug Guy

I can vouch for TC.....know him from other boards. Good luck with the suit, bud.



I think this is the vehicle....

Sadiq

PPI or not, a dealer still needs to live up to his word. Also, as others have said, a car needs to be able to pass inspection when it's sold.

Edgy01

Well THAT'S the problem--the car is BLACK!

tooloud10

I'd never trust a dealer that has a sign in the showroom that says that a Jaguar is "the most dependable car"!

EDIT: The more I think about this, the more I realize that I don't think it's fair to call out a dealer without hearing their side of the story. Is there any evidence that the truck driver didn't damage the car and blame the dealership? Who arranged for the trucking? Weren't there closeup pictures of the car taken before purchase? Seems like this one should be pretty easy to rectify.

JoeShark

The dealer (or supposedly someone representing the dealer) responds. See post #30:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...erience-2.html

However, that only seemed to magnify the mystery.