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Advice Needed: Dealership Experience

4K views 43 replies 23 participants last post by  SomeGuy 
#1 ·
Hi all! I'm new here! I factory ordered my first ever Porsche last week - Macan S. I've driven a Lexus for 10+ years and I was looking for a reliable SUV. The pre-purchase experience was good. SA followed through, answered my questions etc. I finally went for test drive last week, decided to order it - January allocation. During the test drive, then subsequent selection and price negotiation, SA was flirtatious - I am a female. He commented on my looks, figure, age etc. I ignored it and I tried to take that as compliment. The next day, more staring, and a Facebook friend request. I placed the order regardless, with 10K deposit.

Then Monday this week, I asked him to provide me with an order confirmation, his response was "I am not in control of the process in Germany", and "I told you specially a few weeks etc.". Rude. Needless to say, I am very frustrated and upset. If you want to make a customer regret buying a Porsche, this is the way to do it.

My question is WHAT SHOULD I DO? I still need them to update me with order status, and his behavior towards me is making me extremely uncomfortable and frustrated. And I now have serious trust issues with this dealership (a huge one in the midwest)

Thank you!
 
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#4 ·
This sounds odd. but in his defense it does take a bit for the factory to give you a confirmation. When I special ordered mine it had to get approved due to the Paint To Sample and that took about 3 weeks.
 
#7 ·
For whatever reason or even no reason, a customer can request a different SA anytime. Problem solved, hopefully.
 
#10 ·
I would try to avoid escalation of the situation at this time. Just get a different SA.
 
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#12 ·
Totally agree. NEVER start a war with a dealership....simply ask for a different SA stating that you two just don't click.

When I ordered my first Macan (an S), from Porsche of Burlington, then 2 weeks later wanted to cancel for a GTS instead, Management there cancelled the order and gave my deposit back, but refused to work with me after that. Ended up going to another dealership. To this day, the sales department at Porsche of Burlington won't even return my calls.

Their loss....I've bought two Macan GTSs from Norwell Porsche in two years.
 
#14 ·
Totally agreee with the above, I had paperwork via online within 10 minutes from the end of phone conversation. Punt that SA and get another immediately, no need for that B.S.
 
#16 ·
There are a couple issues here . . . . one is a legal/ethical and the second is a competency issue.

Item 1: The behavior of the Sales Advisor (formerly known as car salesman) is out of line. Woman buy 62% of the cars in the USA and that sort of "flirtatious" behavior is insulting, non-professional and perhaps illegal. I'm as "guy" as the nest "guy" but there is a time and a place. This was a professional dealing in a car dealership, not after work drinks in a bar. My better half is a major consumer of cars . . including more than a half dozen 911 variants and knows more about the 959 than any guy I've ever met. I shudder to think. It's a bad deal.

Item 2: The $10,000 deposit SOUNDS (I could be way off base here) way out of line. I've seen a Cessna Citation ordered with a $10,000 deposit. Look, it's a Porsche Macan. Not only is it the cheapest car we own it's a car that I'd wager a dealer could care less (unless you've ordered something weird) that you cancel since they sell like hotcakes. The Macan has nothing even close to it in terms of demand, in the Porsche line. My last purchase involved a $2,500 deposit and, in all candor, I don't get too spun up because I figured it would make the car seem that much less expensive when it arrived.

I agree that I would not escalate it and I'd not do anything crazy but I would call the GM and ask for a 5 minute personal meeting. I'd explain it and also that you have no desire to escalate the situation but you expect to be treated with the respect, professionalism and decorum of ANY customer who walked through their doors.

It's a shame that car dealers foment this sort of thing. To this day, I hold Porsche dealers, with some notable exceptions, in the same regard as carnival midway workers. I dealt with some folks who were pretty good but they fell far short of my expectations. That was 18 months ago. We've bought 3 cars since and I'm not the least bit angry at them, I'll just never return. Life's too short.

Bottom line . . . we are thrilled to have you here and collectively joined in hoping this plays out well. You're going to love the car.

 
#17 ·
Hi all! I'm new here! I factory ordered my first ever Porsche last week - Macan S. I've driven a Lexus for 10+ years and I was looking for a reliable SUV. The pre-purchase experience was good. SA followed through, answered my questions etc. I finally went for test drive last week, decided to order it - January allocation. During the test drive, then subsequent selection and price negotiation, SA was flirtatious - I am a female. He commented on my looks, figure, age etc. I ignored it and I tried to take that as compliment. The next day, more staring, and a Facebook friend request. I placed the order regardless, with 10K deposit.

Then Monday this week, I asked him to provide me with an order confirmation, his response was "I am not in control of the process in Germany", and "I told you specially a few weeks etc.". Rude. Needless to say, I am very frustrated and upset. If you want to make a customer regret buying a Porsche, this is the way to do it.

My question is WHAT SHOULD I DO? I still need them to update me with order status, and his behavior towards me is making me extremely uncomfortable and frustrated. And I now have serious trust issues with this dealership (a huge one in the midwest)

Thank you!
I don't think you should link the two. If you thought the flirting was inappropriate initially or continued beyond a point were you overtly signaled that you were not interested maybe that was the time to speak with the GM. Guys do not always interpret signals correctly and women do not always give clear signals when it comes to fliting and interactions. If he was rude rather than just being curt, complain about the rudeness.
 
#20 ·
All good advice . . . there is no right or wrong. I really like the "you don't have to give a reason" thinking . . . your objective is to get information, get a car and be happy . . . not to cure the world's ills starting in a car dealership.

I'm enjoying reading each of these.

Funny anecdote . . . .

As a guy named Courtney (named after an English race car driver in 1953) I end up with some funny stories and perhaps have been granted, by accident, a glimpse at what some women have to tolerate. I had a vendor once, in the heyday of my construction career, who grew friendlier and friendlier in his e-mails. It wasn't long before I realized he thought I was female. I didn't do anything to encourage him but I also didn't let on I was a ex-USMC and White House Advance dude either . . . After a while he was coming to town for some meetings and sent me a nice note . . . asking me to meet him at his hotel after his last meeting to share a drink and maybe dinner.

I got 2 free drinks . . . a mediocre steak and a great laugh.

:)
 
#21 ·
LOL Courtney! At least that guy kept his offer.
 
#23 ·
Hi, it's not acceptable. I'd recommend speaking up to the GM and asking for a different SA (either in person or over the phone). While this type of behavior should not be tolerated, it also sounds like something you'll regret if you don't say anything. You should have a voice in how you're treated, your voice matters.

Whatever decision you make, you're not wrong. Good luck and welcome to the community.
 
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#26 ·
I would make an appointment to speak with the General Manager of the dealership- be it on the phone or in person if that is possible. I would lay out your issues re the feeling of sexual harassment and how that made you feel. Identify what he said did exactly that led you to believe he was out of line and inappropriate.

Then I would talk to the sales manager about the rude treatment. Totally different issue although one could connect the dots that re rebuffed his advance and that is why he is treating you rudely. Regardless, I would talk about the rude treatment and ask if that is what is expected.

Good luck and enjoy your Macan S when it arrives.
 
#29 ·
Hi all! I'm new here! I factory ordered my first ever Porsche last week - Macan S. I've driven a Lexus for 10+ years and I was looking for a reliable SUV. The pre-purchase experience was good. SA followed through, answered my questions etc. I finally went for test drive last week, decided to order it - January allocation. During the test drive, then subsequent selection and price negotiation, SA was flirtatious - I am a female. He commented on my looks, figure, age etc. I ignored it and I tried to take that as compliment. The next day, more staring, and a Facebook friend request. I placed the order regardless, with 10K deposit.

Then Monday this week, I asked him to provide me with an order confirmation, his response was "I am not in control of the process in Germany", and "I told you specially a few weeks etc.". Rude. Needless to say, I am very frustrated and upset. If you want to make a customer regret buying a Porsche, this is the way to do it.

My question is WHAT SHOULD I DO? I still need them to update me with order status, and his behavior towards me is making me extremely uncomfortable and frustrated. And I now have serious trust issues with this dealership (a huge one in the midwest)

Thank you!

It's too late to stop payment on the check so I will make suggestions based on them having 10K of your money . Also you mentioned you got information from a forum and he make a judgement call . He's clearly not your buddy so this is what I would do from. here .

First off (just FYI) I was told its a about a 4 month wait so the question in my mind would be is there a way to end it sooner . Do they have anything on their lot close to your spec? If not .. some dealerships will dealer swap .

Is your build complicated or unusual? The goal (in my line of thinking) is not drag out months with this because 4 months is an approximation . With Covid and Germany measures as well as the factory things are a bit tricky .

Supposing they have your money, there's nothing on the lot , and no one else has a car close then realize that if or when you involve the manager he might be supportive but that's unknown . For whatever reason he hired that guy so the apple may not fall far from the tree . Be aware of the possibility even though I hope its not the case. Simply ask the manager for some reassurance with a buyers order . Request an approximate deadline if possible on that order . They should not be able to hold your deposit beyond a respectable timeline . Start out calmly and firm . Try not to complain about the salesman unless you have no other choice . I am suggesting to take the high road ONLY because they have your money .

10K is. a lot of money to give as a deposit BTW . They really got you backed in but if they are a stand ups dealership they would refund your money if you requested . I know mine would . I usually give 2500 .

Lastly ... you are not the first woman who has voiced concerns on this forum . I wish I could change a lot of things in society so all I can say is .. be tough ... you have support here .

Good luck.
 
#30 · (Edited)
@Yyy, I'd make an appointment with the GM, and make it in person. Just describe exactly how things went down, as you've done here, and see what happens. My guess is that you'll get an apology from the GM, and be assigned a new SA.

Yep, $10K strikes me as way too much of a deposit. IIRC, I put down $4k on a $69K ordered S back in the summer of 2017. You read the List Your Discount thread? As I've posted here before, my wife and I ordered our car from an Atlanta dealership, as opposed to our sole local dealer (about 20 minutes from our house), because the price was much better down there (and we had a PEC delivery, anyway) and also because, although the local dealership eventually came close, in terms of price, we weren't thrilled with the way we were treated there (the service department is much better).

Last, it's good to be retired, and I hope you all get there. I point this out because the 50 miles that's been bandied about here means nothing to me. And I wonder whether it's that critical, even to working folks. I've traveled, by bike and car, 150 miles, dozens of times, just to get a good hotdog or a couple of primo slices of pizza for lunch. And last year, my wife and I drove the Macan up to Maine, about 250 miles away, because she wanted a decent lobster roll for lunch.
 
#37 ·
I would never leave a $10K deposit. I have bought many expensive cars, and probably ordered 1/2 of those. All that was ever required was to give them my CC for a $1K deposit to show I was serious. Then they never charged the CC for the deposit. A long time ago, maybe 30 years, I wrote a check for a deposit for $500 and when the car came in they handed me back the check that was stapled into the order file with my name on it.
 
#39 ·
My deposit was $1k. I would never give $10k in deposit for a car. Hum, maybe if I was buying a Ferrari? No way for a Macan. OP probably needs to read the contract she signed and what the $10k means. I would ask to deal with a different SA. Asking to be a friend on FB? WTF!!! If it was on LinkedIn maybe but FB is way out of line. Last resource, go to Porsche NA. At the end, they are representing Porsche and if they are out of line Porsche should know it.
 
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