Nokona

I'm hoping to get some advice from folks who may have bought a new porsche from a dealership at great distance from home. I found an oustanding new 997.2 2CS cabriolet at a porsche dealership about 1200 miles away. It had all the options I wanted, the interior and exterior I wanted, and from the photos provided, looked outstanding. I negotiated a really great deal. Early in the negotiations, I was assured (via email) there were no scratches on the new car "at all". The car had been at the dealership for well over a year. Although it had less than 200 miles, never titled, never driven as a demo, etc. I suspect there was plenty of walk around traffic on the showroom floor, however. I requested the car be detailed and transported to me in by an enclosed transporter.

When the car arrived, it was not clean or detailed. I went over it that day, and found several scuffs and scratches. I had my detail guy wash, clay, polish, buff and wax the car. He got out everything but two deep scratches. Given the location of these scratches, and their appearance, I doubt they occured during transport. There was no documentation at the dealership on the condition of the exterior prior to transport. When I signed off on the delivery, the diagram on the receipt which would indicate location of blemishes, dents, scratches, etc., was not filled out.

I obtained an estimate ($1100) from a local body shop, shared that with the dealership, asking them to pay for the repairs. The dealership have come back saying they are unable to do so. They sold the car to me at a loss, and there is no room in the price to pay for the repairs.

I know I'm hosed, but was hoping someone may have had a similar experience, and have suggestions. My wife had suggested to me that I put $1000 in escrow until the car arrived. I should have negotiated this. I have no regrets, but .....

Thanks in advance.

p-cardriver

They should make this right. It is a new car and should be delivered as such.

Was your detailing and closed transport "request" in writing and on the paperwork?

Nokona

Yes, there was a signed work order for the detailing as well as the enclosed transport. I agreed to the carrier they used after talking with them. Thanks.

Mark Harris

I have purchased (5) cars via web fly and drive. I always do my due diligence prior to traveling to the car and every time I have found items with the car that were disappointing but never enough to fly back home. Some issues I was able to negotiate before signing the papers others I didn't discover until I got home.

Once you or your car leaves a dealership on a remote purchase its end of story. You are not a repeat buyer and the dealership will not get the maintenance on your car so they could care less if you are unhappy the minute you drive off.

Drive the car a bunch and in a couple of years you will care less about a few scratches.

jhbrennan

Agree. My last 4 purchases have been from out of state but I always traveled to see the car before I signed anything.

TooSixy

Bought mine from a dealership in Connecticut and I live in Florida. I flew out to inspect the car prior to signing the paperwork and handing over the check. It arrived in perfect condition and was cleaned and detailed prior to being loaded into the FedEx Auto Transport truck.

It is too late now, but you should have flown out there and inspected it before buying. I suggest to bring it to a reputable paint shop and see what they can do. If the scratches are in inconspicuous places, you might try to learn to live with it.

Nevertheless, please post pics

aaks38

you know i purchased a used 07 and was so upset when i got a few chips and scratches recently....it comes with the territory of owning these cars as they are magnets for chips and scratches. I dont think there is much you can do after taking delivery and its probably not worth the mental aggravation..consider it a lesson learned that you should overlook a car in detail and always bring a long a second set of eyes...

My advice is to get a good kit such as langka or dr colorchip, they dont cost no more than 40 bucks and can save you from hundreds of dollars in touch up repairs..

Ucube

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the remote dealer. Honesty and integrity are sorely lacking in some businesses these days, it seems. I would continue to push for them to make it right, even if only partially. Otherwise, it may be a tough pill to swallow for a while, knowing they took advantage of your trust.

It's tales like these that I have never -- and will never -- buy a car without first inspecting it personally. I will gladly pay more for a car I can readily see than one I am unable to for whatever reason. Good luck and enjoy your new car!

Nokona

Thanks for the advice guys. Yes, I did think seriously about flying down there, but just couldn't make the timing fit with work. And, it was really, really a great deal. So, I guess I shouldn't be too upset. I take your points of flying in, which I will definitely do next time. This is the second porsche I have bought remotely. The first, from Brandywine Porsche outside Philadelphia, was an outstanding experience, on all fronts. There was an issue with the convertible top which they took care of remotely. I'm going to ge the scratches fixed professionally, because I am ****, and move on. I appreciate your comments. Will post pictures, need to take them, but now the weather is really crappy. This is a really great forum!

BostonDuce

Unfortunately, most dealer's description of a perfect finish is far from a legitimate "perfect finish"

Can you catch your fingernail in the scratches...are they deep enough to see primer? If no, you may be able to temporarily hide them (until the product washes off) with a product that is known to have 'fillers' in it such as Bilt-Hamber paste. You could try what aaks 38 suggested, or you may be able to find someone who knows how to fill it with 2 step touch-up.

Your body shop is talking about painting major area's of the car to blend in the repair @ $1100.00. You really don't want to do that on a new car if you can at all help it. You may be reminded of it forever with anything less than a perfect job-especially with metallic paint (if you have it).

You can try to pin the damage on the transport, but your odds get slimmer by the minute after you sign for it as received. You would need some written statement from the dealer that the car was "perfect" at pick-up, then hope to rewind time with a claim of hidden damage. Did you transport it registered? You can try your insurance company in that case provided your deductible is covered.

Just FYI, 200 miles on a "new" car suntanned for over a year on the lot is not "just out of the wrapper" new. That car has been driven by many-and many times. Not trying rub it in-I've been in your position before. BTW, the escrow idea would be just about impossible to do with a dealer-they usually want escrow from you to cover your state taxes.

Finally, the dealer's statement that they sold it at a loss is total BS. Maybe a loss of potential profit, since they are now compelled to sell a car below a over-inflated MSRP, but not a true out-of-pocket loss. Plus, there are double-secret factory to dealer incentives which they keep if they don't put it on the deal.

Don't let a few blemished ruin your experience!!

BD

henrysko

^ +1.

Life is way too short to worry over a relatively minor mistake. Hey, you just got a new P car @ a great deal.

That's what you should celebrate.

And Congrats!

Nokona

Guys:

Thanks for the advice and moral support. As requested, here it is, 2009 997.2 2CS Cabriolet, cream white with cocoa interior, with 198 miles. No regrets.

fjpdds

Awesome!

RED HORSE

A nice looking car. As others have said, drive it and enjoy it. Cars that are driven get dings.

yemenmocha

I did the performance center delivery with my M3, so in a sense I had the car built and took delivery of a car I had not seen before (can't just choose another car on the lot if you don't like it). Long story short we found a ding that was not easy to repair, and BMW paid for the area to be repaired/repainted (more than a grand) and for a top of the line rental car while I was being inconvenienced.