I have been looking for cars and recently found this 08 Carrera S with 46k mileage for only $42500 in CA. Carfax showed clean title, only 1 owner, 10 service record, All looks so ideal and I was so excited when I tried KBB and found the fair price from dealer KBB suggested is close to $47. that's almost 4k+ cheaper! I believe I was definitely going to buy it (if PPI looks good).

With a little bit 'that's strangely too lucky' feeling I started to search online trying to find a place to do PPI nearby (I will not be able to show up and do test drive since it's in another state). Accidentally I found it's yelp review: it's just ugly. basically it got 35 one star out of 41 votes... And the wired thing is that there is also another company located in the same address.

I don't know if it's allowed to paste the link of Yelp reviews here, but some of them are really hilarious. Basically 2/3 of reviews highlights 'BUYER BEWARE', while there are several other reviews very recently strangely with 4-5 stars...

 

I have to admit that I don't do any more than a Google search, plus spend some time on that brand's major forums. If obvious things pop up (Beverly Hills Porsche) I'll shy away from the place.

On the other hand, if it's a small store and even one small thing pops up, I'll run like the wind. With a boutique car like a 911, I wouldn't buy a car from just any store. There are too many unique issues with a 911 that make it different than buying a Honda or Chevy and a used car store that doesn't specialize in Porsches just doesn't have the experience to deal with the car.

In fact, there's a reason that P-cars filter through the system and wind up at small stores. They're often cars with some issue that have been passed on by the Porsche stores and high-end used car stores. Could be collision damage, could be that the car was smoked in or there might be a title issue or impending mechanical catastrophe. You will often find these cars at small stores at a very attractive price.

Caveat emptor.

 

IMHO, run for the hills. If it were me and I was considering buying a car sight unseen from out of state, I wouldn't accept anything less than absolute perfection from all aspects of the transaction, including retailer reputation.

The only time I ever bought a car sight unseen from out of town, it didn't work out for me (it was a lease takeover on a car less than a year old; I wound up having it lemon-law'd). Caveat emptor, indeed.

 

I do review the dealer online before i buy from them. However, i try to read what people say and decide for my self. Because sometimes when something is wrong we tend to scream louder than when things are all okay.
One time i wanted the car so bad i didn't listen to online reviews and i paid the price. Thankfully It wasn't too bad but enough to leave a bitter taste in my mouth and i saw first hand what people were talking about, unfortunately after the purchase was complete. Its been 8 years they still owe me 230 dollars. Don't think i'm getting any of that back.
If it smells remotely fishy, pass it. Look for a more reputable dealership.

 

which dealer?

 

Called OC auto exchange in Fullerton CA, they actually have another name called South California Auto Sales. People were saying in comment that they changed their name just because their name got poor reputation quickly.

See this:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/oc-auto-exchange-fullerton

http://www.yelp.com/biz/southern-cal...ales-fullerton


Hopefully pasting link is not a violation of forum rules here.

 

I would never buy a car sight unseen. Unless you totally trust the seller there is no way it will work out.

 

I know this place, I tried to buy a car for my mother-in-law and they showed a carfax that was clean but then later when going through to finish the paperwork, they provided a document that said the car had frame damage. I was pissed, what a bait and switch. I reported them to BBB and Attorney General's office, They are as fraudulent as you can get. Stay away from them...they are shady and completely untrustworthy. Very dishonest and their lot is usually full of nice cars unfortunately nice cars with bad history that they hide.

 

I would RUN LIKE HELL.

So a little inside knowledge on the way auto auctions work, cars are pretty heavily inspected by the auction company before they go through the auction. If a car has structural damage, paintwork, warning lights, etc they are noted before the auction so the wholesale buyers are aware. These cars sometimes have a clean Carfax, one of many reasons why relying on Carfax to find you a perfect car is foolish. Needless to say, these cars go for significantly less money than a comparable "no-stores" car because most reputable dealerships won't touch them, and neither will I. So the shady places will pick up these cars, get them nice and shiny, band-aid anything obvious, then put them on the lot with a price low enough to make you ignore your gut. IT'S CHEAPER FOR A REASON.

The 997 isn't a rare car. Keep looking, and find one with a good service history from a reputable seller.

 

There are also many many cars sold and bought at auction that are in great shape with nothing wrong with them. Every car deserves a chance no matter where it is sold from. However with the bad reviews I wouldn't buy it without a ppi.

 

Run!!!

I would wait for a rennlister to sell where you know the history or buy a CPO.

 

Check this one out....someone on Rennlist, appears to be an immaculate car with dealer maintained history. Its in Nebraska, a long way from home but worthy of considering. A great car with great history and care can always be shipped for a reasonable price. Look at his pics and look at the garage. When you see someone with that kind of clean garage, tells you alot about how they care for things.

Rennlist ID: At Law

Year: 2006
Make: Porsche
Model: 911
Mileage (numbers only please): 23059
Options (Please check ALL which apply): Airbags, Air Conditioning, Alarm System, Antilock Brakes, Cruise Control, Foglamps, Intermittent Wipers, Leather Seats, Power Brakes, Power Door Locks, Power Steering, Power Windows, Sunroof, Traction Control
Color: Guards Red
VIN: WP0AA29966S715424
Price (no $ sign please): $39950
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): Midwestern
Body Style: Coupe
Transmission Type: Manual - 6 speed
2 or 4 Wheel Drive?: 2 Wheel Drive
Engine Type: Fuel Injection
Stereo System: AM-FM CD

ABSOLUTELY LIKE NEW 2006 PORSCHE 997 WITH 23,059 MILES.

I am the second owner of my like new 2006 Porsche 997 Carerra 2.
I purchased it in August of 2009 from the original owner. It was
sold new from The Porsche Exchange in Chicago.
Absolutely no paint work / no accidents / no door dings / no scratches.
Always garaged since new. Never seen snow and very little rain.
Never smoked in. The interior is like new and still smells new.

Options:

Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE)
PASM
BOSE Surround Sound System
Power Seat Package
Heated Front Seats
Factory Sport Shifter
Rear Window Wiper
Bi-Xenon Headlamp Package
19" Carerra S Wheels
Wheel Caps with Colored Crests

Feel free to give me a call regarding the vehicle at (402) 202-5907.

Thanks.

Tom

 

I could never buy sight unseen unless it was new and I would be inspecting before final signature and such.

For car dealers, all dealers are bad. So Yelp is useless. Use Yelp for local restaurants and such.

 

This is true with high-production cars. With limited production and/or very expensive cars, it's a pretty good rule of thumb that those cars will be purchased by dealerships of that marque or by used car stores that specialize in high-end cars.

The ones that are not purchased by those kinds of dealerships often have some type of fatal flaw that made the high-end dealer pass on them.

Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, but think about how rarely you see a 911 at a used car store and how quickly they disappear. The Porsche stores and other high-end used car dealers around here are starving for inventory. If a P-car ran through the auction, they'd snap it up if it was a good car.

 

Absolutely. Lots of good cars, including Porsches, are sold at auction every day. Conversely, so is a lot of junk. It's pretty clear to an auction buyer, so you have either dealerships that buy junk or dealerships that don't. That's really where the reputation comes into play.

Actually that's not true. The franchised Porsche dealerships typically don't buy the older models like 997s because they are outside of CPO range. The older cars also don't really fit the customer demographics of most Porsche dealerships.

Your average dealership generally wants nothing to do with a Porsche. Porsche buyers are picky and demanding, and the market is much smaller than for an average car. How many Ford Focus buyers will request an over-rev report, PPI, gallery of photos, etc? The average dealership makes their money on volume, they try to move cars quickly and efficiently. A used Porsche doesn't really fit that model.

But that does leave the specialty independent shops, who will bid on a Porsche. At that point, it's just a question of how low they will go (condition wise) for a car.

But to say that there aren't nice Porsches sold at auction is just flat out wrong. I bought an exceptional 2007 Boxster S at an auction several weeks ago. Factory hard top, sport seats, full leather, PASM, sport chrono, 19" Carrera Classic wheels, full history via the Carfax. Really spectacular condition car. But I bought it knowing that based on the auction inspection report.