Dealer lying about the car not being delivered by Porsche

[Peter W]

@satchurator @B61 yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you, the buyer has a contract with the dealer, and that is it. Both parties have their obligations, and the car cannot be sold to anyone else.
I have been through the same myself while waiting for my CT to arrive. Some buyers can be real difficult and demanding "I want to see MY car" when the dealer is prepping the car, doing pre sale service or in a previous thread, using the car in an Instagram message.

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[Archimedes]

Would be funny if the salesman just didn't know the car was there, and then he stumbles across this thread containing four pages of typical Internet assuming, hand wringing, arguing, and all manner of sound and fury signifying nothing.

 

[Capt Mike]

I have been patiently waiting for my Taycan for >6mo. On Friday (6/3) TYD showed that the car was delivered at the dealer. I called my SA to schedule delivery and ask if the car arrived there. He said car is not there yet, and he will give me a call whenever the car got to them.

Today (Saturday 6/4) morning I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would drive by the dealership. I saw my car (confirmed via VIN), still wrapped in the protective sheet from the factory. At that point I haven’t received any communication from the dealer.

A few minutes ago, I gave them a call again, only for the SA to tell me that the car isn’t there (!!!). I asked him if he was sure since TYD shows it there, and he said no car yet.

I do not understand why is this person lying to me. Is this incompetence or something more sinister going on? How should I deal with this? I am paying a lot of $$$ for this car, but this is beyond what I would have expected!

I have the car already in the Porsche App too (via an invite from Porsche).

I'm afraid he's looking at another buyer with the possibility of inflating the cost above MSRP.

 

[B61]

I have been patiently waiting for my Taycan for >6mo. On Friday (6/3) TYD showed that the car was delivered at the dealer. I called my SA to schedule delivery and ask if the car arrived there. He said car is not there yet, and he will give me a call whenever the car got to them.

Today (Saturday 6/4) morning I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would drive by the dealership. I saw my car (confirmed via VIN), still wrapped in the protective sheet from the factory. At that point I haven’t received any communication from the dealer.

A few minutes ago, I gave them a call again, only for the SA to tell me that the car isn’t there (!!!). I asked him if he was sure since TYD shows it there, and he said no car yet.

I do not understand why is this person lying to me. Is this incompetence or something more sinister going on? How should I deal with this? I am paying a lot of $$$ for this car, but this is beyond what I would have expected!

I have the car already in the Porsche App too (via an invite from Porsche).

After four pages, let’s read @kokos first post again:
- i have been patiently waiting
- 6/3 SA said: no car here
- 6/4 i saw my car (VIN confirmed)…no call from dealer
- SA said that his car is not there
…
@Peter W : I don’t see “I want to see my car” in his comments at all, so I rest my case.

 

[LonePalmBJ]

I have been patiently waiting for my Taycan for >6mo. On Friday (6/3) TYD showed that the car was delivered at the dealer. I called my SA to schedule delivery and ask if the car arrived there. He said car is not there yet, and he will give me a call whenever the car got to them.

Today (Saturday 6/4) morning I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would drive by the dealership. I saw my car (confirmed via VIN), still wrapped in the protective sheet from the factory. At that point I haven’t received any communication from the dealer.

A few minutes ago, I gave them a call again, only for the SA to tell me that the car isn’t there (!!!). I asked him if he was sure since TYD shows it there, and he said no car yet.

I do not understand why is this person lying to me. Is this incompetence or something more sinister going on? How should I deal with this? I am paying a lot of $$$ for this car, but this is beyond what I would have expected!

I have the car already in the Porsche App too (via an invite from Porsche).

This seems like a manifestation of Hanlon's Razor. Good luck. I hope you receive your car soon.

 

[whitex]

Couldn’t agree with you.
Track Your Dreams…is about Your (his) car.
also, he paid a huge deposit, so he‘ has rights to say MY car.
finaly…we are saying ”my” car since the very first post…

Hmm... so by your definition, if a meteor falls on that car, it's HIS insurance which will pay for it? Act of God, so no liable party. When the ship with a load of Porsches sunk, was it the new owners (who by your definition owned those cars because they paid a good deposit) who made insurance claims, and then their insurance companies went after the shipping company for reimbursement?

The answer to both of the above (and countless other examples along same lines) is a resounding NO, which means you don't own that car before it's delivered to you. In Washington state (where OP is from) the law clearly states you don't own or have any legal rights whatsoever to the car before it is officially delivered to you (legally the dealer can just give you back your deposit and cancel the transaction).

 

[Archimedes]

I'm afraid he's looking at another buyer with the possibility of inflating the cost above MSRP.

 

[B61]

Hmm... so by your definition, if a meteor falls on that car, it's HIS insurance which will pay for it? Act of God, so no liable party. When the ship with a load of Porsches sunk, was it the new owners (who by your definition owned those cars because they paid a good deposit) who made insurance claims, and then their insurance companies went after the shipping company for reimbursement?

The answer to both of the above (and countless other examples along same lines) is a resounding NO, which means you don't own that car before it's delivered to you. In Washington state (where OP is from) the law clearly states you don't own or have any legal rights whatsoever to the car before it is officially delivered to you (legally the dealer can just give you back your deposit and cancel the transaction).

Of course you are right... legally... I was talking emotionally. After all, we are on the forum, not on the court
I couldn't recall, that one would post something like: "I've seen Taycan with a VIN that I'll become an owner... or, here are pictures of the car that I don't own yet, etc

 

[whitex]

Of course you are right... legally... I was talking emotionally. After all, we are on the forum, not on the court

Emotional ownership. Hmmm... isn't that just another term for obsession?

I couldn't recall, that one would post something like: "I've seen Taycan with a VIN that I'll become an owner... or, here are pictures of the car that I don't own yet, etc

I am tempted to make such a post, someday when Porsche builds me one. The thing is, I don't see myself going to the dealership to take pictures of the pre-PDI car, unless it was stuck in delivered but pre-PDI for a few days while the dealer claims they cannot find it. Maybe if the SA takes a picture and sends it to me, I could post it here under "the car I ordered has arrived at the dealer, one step closer to owning it". Then again, I could post a picture from the configurator today saying "the car I am going to order when Porsche figures out the logistics to build it". I guess I'm not he emotional type. ?‍

 

[wurzitup]

This seems like a manifestation of Hanlon's Razor. Good luck. I hope you receive your car soon.

I love this- I've never heard this before........ but have long believed it to be. How wonderful and appropriate this has been thought of this way for centuries.......

 

[mdrobc1213]

Hmm... so by your definition, if a meteor falls on that car, it's HIS insurance which will pay for it? Act of God, so no liable party. When the ship with a load of Porsches sunk, was it the new owners (who by your definition owned those cars because they paid a good deposit) who made insurance claims, and then their insurance companies went after the shipping company for reimbursement?

The answer to both of the above (and countless other examples along same lines) is a resounding NO, which means you don't own that car before it's delivered to you. In Washington state (where OP is from) the law clearly states you don't own or have any legal rights whatsoever to the car before it is officially delivered to you (legally the dealer can just give you back your deposit and cancel the transaction).

As whitex has noted that is very TRUE...see my post but have seen a WA dealer do exactly that years ago with a friends spec'd car. In the US usually the contract is fulfilled by both parties and they walk away happy...one with keys the other with a payment/check however in WA IF the dealer decides NOT to sell the car to said buyer for ANY reason they choose then the buyer has really no recourse despite a VIN and papers saying he ordered it and legally not much you can do other than take your deposit back...again as whitex says...have seen it literally happen for a spec'd Porsche by the GM and SA. Caveat Emptor...

I get what you're saying, but in this case the SA might have checked inventory on the computer. Computer databases don't always update in real-time. Maybe the car was not yet processed by whoever enters it into the PDI system. Who knows.

The customer has a contract and a VIN number, whether the dealer told them the car is there and not yet ready for pickup, or said the car is not there doesn't make any difference. This is in Washington state where I live, and (unfortunately) had an opportunity to learn the legal rights the dealers association managed to secure for themselves by lobbying (read "bribing") politicians. In WA state, the dealer can back out of the deal any time before they hand you the keys, and their sole obligation is to return your deposit. I only know this because it happened to me once - the dealer started asking for more money than our purchase contract stated, so I got some lawyers involved and found out there is nothing I can do. I could have paid more, or take my deposit and walk - my only two choices. I walked on principle by the way, and after contacting the manufacturer got a $900 credit direct from the manufacturer towards any new car or theirs (which I used at another dealership) This by the way means the SA in question here didn't have to play any games if they wanted to yank the car from @kokos to sell to someone else. Bad PR, but totally legal.

Sounds familiar...this does happen guys. Luckily there was some recourse and a bit of minimal assistance by going to the PCNA but that isn't always the case. Also one can't pin your hopes on the fact that PCNA will penalize such dealers with lower allocations as each dealer is their own independent company separate from Porsche.

@satchurator @B61 yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you, the buyer has a contract with the dealer, and that is it. Both parties have their obligations, and the car cannot be sold to anyone else.
I have been through the same myself while waiting for my CT to arrive. Some buyers can be real difficult and demanding "I want to see MY car" when the dealer is prepping the car, doing pre sale service or in a previous thread, using the car in an Instagram message.

Not yours till you pay for it and all parties sign off on the final sales contract to be honest..at least in the US.

I'm afraid he's looking at another buyer with the possibility of inflating the cost above MSRP.

Hmm... so by your definition, if a meteor falls on that car, it's HIS insurance which will pay for it? Act of God, so no liable party. When the ship with a load of Porsches sunk, was it the new owners (who by your definition owned those cars because they paid a good deposit) who made insurance claims, and then their insurance companies went after the shipping company for reimbursement?

The answer to both of the above (and countless other examples along same lines) is a resounding NO, which means you don't own that car before it's delivered to you. In Washington state (where OP is from) the law clearly states you don't own or have any legal rights whatsoever to the car before it is officially delivered to you (legally the dealer can just give you back your deposit and cancel the transaction).

Story would give my friend flashbacks to his GT4 search and almost purchase a few years ago! Heard similar stories across the GT3 forums for years also off an on.

 

[andix]

Could be any reason from…
idiots (increasing probability these days), incompetence, to …cheating (they found a "better" customer).

I'd take pictures of the VIN, App screen and ask their management if they want to deliver or discuss with your lawyer.

 

[whitex]

Could be any reason from…
idiots (increasing probability these days), incompetence, to …cheating (they found a "better" customer).

I'd take pictures of the VIN, App screen and ask their management if they want to deliver or discuss with your lawyer.

Talking with the lawyer will just cost you money. In Washington state the dealer has full legal right to sell that car to someone else - they don't need to lie to you about it. Not only that, the SA did not say that the car was lost, or undeliverable, simply that it's not there yet on the day it was dropped off.

It is interesting how many people get very upset over such a small event - a sales person providing incorrect (car just got there, but SA didn't bother checking) but inconsequential (does not affect delivery timeline whatsoever, since the SA is not he one doing the PDI) information to a client. I guess this is why lawyers will always have a job pacifying their clients that everything is ok for $500 per hour.

 

[WattTurbo]

Just ran across this news story. Is this similar to what your dealer is doing to you? Backing out! I am kidding of course!

 

[kokos]

I held off replying on this thread (wow it really took off!) until I took possession of the car. Now I can say that this is actually my car as I paid for it (@Peter W ) and can provide some more commentary.

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for the feedback and support. This forum has been an enormous resource and community.

To clarify, there was no anger, rather than disappointment from the experience by using this dealer. My expectations for customer service was significantly higher than what I've experienced. I pay premium $, dealer gets a large cut, I expect a premium experience. As customers we should not accept anything less. Is the market working against us? Yes -- but that's not really an excuse.

Summary of my communication with the dealer/SA amounts to a total of 3 emails over the course of 6 months, and a totality of 3 phone-calls from me after TYD showed that the car is at the dealership (and the other 2 phone calls would have been unnecessary if the SA actually called with an update, as they promised they would do).

I never asked for anything I expect to be unreasonable; specifically I asked:
- Is there car there?
- Does it have all parts/any stop-sales attached?
- When could we schedule a delivery date?
Never asked for photos, I did not email every hour, did not call every minute.

Comparing my experience with others in this thread/forum goes to show the wide range of support you receive from dealers, and I would rate my experience to the bottom.

Bottom-line, I would attribute all of this to Hanlon's Razor (TIL; thanks @LonePalmBJ ).

Now onto many happy miles! ?

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