Getting my money back from OPC :-(

[Leonard]

1 minute ago, solwisesteve said:

Thanks for the advice...

I'm going to go and sit in front of the telly now with a laphroaig and try to think of something less stressful ;-)

good plan. I was pretty p*ssed about mine. But I let the stress go and just made sure OPC was going to sort. I know i have the car I want the way I want it then which in end is all that matters. I also asked for some compensation which I got. 

[Jason986S]

4 minutes ago, Paul O said:

Seeing this another way, it sounds like the brakes and pipes need renewing and it needs a polish?

doesnt sound earth shattering to be demanding a refund. I think you'd be on a hiding to nothing.

if Leeds is the local for you, have Aberdeen foot the bill for Leeds to put new stuff on, get Leeds to do their full pre-sale inspection and sort any other issues, and have their detailer sort the car. If Aberdeen get shirty, get Porsche UK involved. 

For ease I would accept this, but remain disappointed and expect some kind of gesture to return some faith in the brand. 

But I can appreciate a 981 is no peanuts purchase. Especially from an OPC where exceptional exacting condition standards are a given under THEIR own terms, and we pay for such privilege (when it happens).

best of luck, keep us informed!

p.s I'm pleased I'm in the south west not near Aberdeen, as Swindon and Exeter OPC have been great for me and my relatives. Can also say Porsche Mayfair were spot on too (other than drilling 10mm holes in some supplied private plates - who uses full blown bolts to mount a number plate!)

[CMA]

So you say it's a 3 year old car and it has corroded brake pipes already? Are they that fragile on Porsche's?

Brakes and a polish don't seem enough to warrant a rejection, although corroded brake pipes are concerning. As annoying as it is just deal with the OPCs and see where you get

[topradio]

55 minutes ago, solwisesteve said:

Thanks for the advice...

I'm going to go and sit in front of the telly now with a laphroaig and try to think of something less stressful ;-)

I haven't got a pet frog so I watch telly with the cat

Seriously though, does anybody think that they actually do a 111 point check?

When I took my car for service they pointed out that my warranty had expired and they could renew it for 2 years for a crazy price and they would reduce the cost of the 111 point check by 50%.

I was tempted to point out that they had just serviced the car, did they not look at it while doing it? I didn't bother as I had no intention of extending the warranty.

[r1flyguy]

My recent experience involved a few issue i was not happy with and i gave the OPC the opportunity to resolve them given the outlay on the vehicle.

The response from the 'salesman' with whom i dealt with was certainly not professional and thus i felt the need to escalate the matter by informing Porsche UK of my concerns.

IF i was overreacting i would have agreed as such if a response with a suitable explanantion was forthcoming, however Porsche UK was in touch with me within 24hrs as was the OPC's branch manager and the issues i raised were sorted.

 

It appears my concerns were valid and were dealt with very professionally in the end.

A stern letter with your experience, evidence and concerns to Porsche UK are a good way of bringing an OPC's 'dodgy' actions to note and they do not take kindly to their reputation being tarnished but give the selling OPC time to reply, this provides a basis of good or bad aftersales

 

good luck & hope you get it sorted.

 

[Stuart21UK]

3 hours ago, pipsqueak said:

You would think so but I rejected a used Mercedes from a main dealer when it didn't meet the standards they boasted about.

Question for those who have taken out a Porsche warranty did you have to rectify any advisories noticed on the 111 point inspection before they agreed to provide cover ?

I had no advisories to worry about when I extended mine at the three year point...

[solwisesteve]

12 hours ago, Paul O said:

Seeing this another way, it sounds like the brakes and pipes need renewing and it needs a polish?

doesnt sound earth shattering to be demanding a refund. I think you'd be on a hiding to nothing.

if Leeds is the local for you, have Aberdeen foot the bill for Leeds to put new stuff on, get Leeds to do their full pre-sale inspection and sort any other issues, and have their detailer sort the car. If Aberdeen get shirty, get Porsche UK involved. 

Logically you are right but emotion has now come into the fold. In my opinion Aberdeen has been remiss; does the '111 point check' not include the condition of the disks and brake pipes? Is refinishing of the paint work not is the check list for an assured vehicle? The OPC has not taken due care to ensure the car was presented according to the terms of an assured vehicle. However, if I'd known that the brakes had been replaced and the paint work properley sorted before purchase then I might well have gone ahead.

[RBD914 v2]

I think you need legal advice as to whether you are able to reject the car, then decide whether you want to take this course of action or have it rectified.

If the former, be prepared to follow through, get legal representation and physically return the car. If the latter, you need Porsche UK on your side, so as has already been suggested, send them a letter listing your grievances, being crystal clear about the actions you want taken to rectify the car, copying in the Dealer Principle at Aberdeen OPC.

Keep to the facts and don't be emotive, also worth mentioning that you are active on Porsche owners forums and owners clubs, but would rather not go public at this stage.

Be careful not to get caught in a blame slanging match between Leeds and Aberdeen OPC as this will just sap your time, energy and patience, as well as weaken your case if it goes on too long.

Hope this helps - Good luck!

[solwisesteve]

13 minutes ago, RBD914 v2 said:

I think you need legal advice as to whether you are able to reject the car, then decide whether you want to take this course of action or have it rectified.

If the former, be prepared to follow through, get legal representation and physically return the car. If the latter, you need Porsche UK on your side, so as has already been suggested, send them a letter listing your grievances, being crystal clear about the actions you want taken to rectify the car, copying in the Dealer Principle at Aberdeen OPC.

Keep to the facts and don't be emotive, also worth mentioning that you are active on Porsche owners forums and owners clubs, but would rather not go public at this stage.

Be careful not to get caught in a blame slanging match between Leeds and Aberdeen OPC as this will just sap your time, energy and patience, as well as weaken your case if it goes on too long.

Hope this helps - Good luck!

I'm going to wait to hear what they say this morning before going any further. As you say the options are refund or rectify. I'd prefer refund because, as has been pointed out, for the brake pipes to need sorting after three years is a bit unusual and might indicate there are further corrosion issues unseen or unknown. The discs and pads being heavily scored, and I'd seen the video, the scoring is quite severe, might mean that the previous owner put it away in a garage with the discs wet and then parked up for a while and then the rust on the discs scrapes the surface. Okay that can happen, and the manual does warn about putting the car away with wet discs, though I've never had it that bad with other sports cars I've put into the garage for the winter.

I'd accept the fault rectified but at the very least I want ALL the issues sorting, the assured warranty reissuing, loan car whilst the work is carried out and possible the 111 point check redone (can I believe the other 109 points on the check were down?).

btw does anyone have a list of these 111 points please?

[solwisesteve]

Okay... just had a call from Aberdeen.

The bottom line is the issues are being fixed today by the Leeds dealer. The vehicle will be returned to me with brand new brakes and all the issues sorted.

The dealer agrees that the MOT should have been done before sale BUT advisories on brakes do not constitute a reason to do the work before sale. As far as Aberdeen is concerned this wasn't a problem and even with the advisories the vehicle still passes Porsches own requirements for 'approved' status. They also point out that the discs on these cars generally need sorting when a car gets to 20K miles/3 years (really!?) so this isn't a surprise and the good news is I won't have to worry about this any more in my ownership.

I suppose this is the answer I expected. Am I happy about it? No. Am I going to accept this? Probably :-(

[Leonard]

I would speak to Leeds and ask them if there is anything else in their opinion that should have been rectified

Have you got any photos of car? We can then at least tell you how awesome it looks and make you feel a bit better about it  

[Jofoley]

1 hour ago, solwisesteve said:

Okay... just had a call from Aberdeen.

The bottom line is the issues are being fixed today by the Leeds dealer. The vehicle will be returned to me with brand new brakes and all the issues sorted.

The dealer agrees that the MOT should have been done before sale BUT advisories on brakes do not constitute a reason to do the work before sale. As far as Aberdeen is concerned this wasn't a problem and even with the advisories the vehicle still passes Porsches own requirements for 'approved' status. They also point out that the discs on these cars generally need sorting when a car gets to 20K miles/3 years (really!?) so this isn't a surprise and the good news is I won't have to worry about this any more in my ownership.

I suppose this is the answer I expected. Am I happy about it? No. Am I going to accept this? Probably :-(

I would write to the dealer principal and Porsche UK stating you want a full refund. Dont accept the offer they have made, just re-iterate you want to return the car for a full refund. In the meantime take some advice starting with C.A.B who can either help or recommend the next step.

[solwisesteve]

39 minutes ago, Jofoley said:

I would write to the dealer principal and Porsche UK stating you want a full refund. Dont accept the offer they have made, just re-iterate you want to return the car for a full refund. In the meantime take some advice starting with C.A.B who can either help or recommend the next step.

The inference was that advisories on the MOT, even if it means a potential huge bill within the next 12 months, are not infringements of Porsches policy for an approved vehicle so the dealer didn't do anything wrong HOWEVER they did do wrong in not supplying the MOT at day one. I suppose, on that line, you could say the fact that they're doing the work even when they don't have to is an admission that my request (refund) is perhaps justified - it's probably a grey area.

[Mr96er]

If the car had turned up with new brakes and paint sorted and an MOT you' d have been in high cotton. That is the car they are offering you now, so maybe take the win? 

You'll likely not have any further dealings with the duplicitous Aberdeen outfit, and can bask in the comfort of knowing Leeds are going to take good care of you.

Still a win!

Now, how about some photos!   

 

[Greenman]

4 hours ago, solwisesteve said:

btw does anyone have a list of these 111 points please?

I have the 111 point check for my car.  The points applicable to your problems are:

28 - Brake lines and hoses

29 - Brake Pads (max 50% wear, min pad thickness 4mm)

30 - Brake Disks (<1mm wear)

2- Paintwork

[lordlee]

18 hours ago, solwisesteve said:

Should I be talking to Porsche UK?

Yes, make them aware of your issue and ask them with help in mediating a satisfactory outcome.

[solwisesteve]

7 minutes ago, Greenman said:

I have the 111 point check for my car.  The points applicable to your problems are:

28 - Brake lines and hoses

29 - Brake Pads (max 50% wear, min pad thickness 4mm)

30 - Brake Disks (<1mm wear)

2- Paintwork

According to the service manager then if it passes the MOT then that's a tick for 28,29,30

[solwisesteve]

13 minutes ago, Loz987 said:

If the car had turned up with new brakes and paint sorted and an MOT you' d have been in high cotton. That is the car they are offering you now, so maybe take the win? 

You'll likely not have any further dealings with the duplicitous Aberdeen outfit, and can bask in the comfort of knowing Leeds are going to take good care of you.

Still a win!

Now, how about some photos!   

 

Agreed. After calming down I think this is a win.

I have to get it back from Leeds first of all for the photos! ;-)

[lordlee]

4 minutes ago, solwisesteve said:

Agreed. After calming down I think this is a win.

I have to get it back from Leeds first of all for the photos! ;-)

Sounds like you've accepted it and are prepared to move forward with the car. 

Can I wholeheartedly suggest dropping the roof, weather permitting, and taking the car on a nice run through your favourite roads. If you arent smiling by the time you've come home you either have no heart or you've really messed up buying a Boxster. I suspect however that you'll be beaming and all past issues will be forgotten. 

[Greenman]

2 minutes ago, solwisesteve said:

According to the service manager then if it passes the MOT then that's a tick for 28,29,30

That's shouldn't be true though should it.  MOT is based on whether the car brakes effectively even if only 5% of useful pad life yet. These checks clearly should highlight any imminent issues. 

[solwisesteve]

15 minutes ago, Greenman said:

That's shouldn't be true though should it.  MOT is based on whether the car brakes effectively even if only 5% of useful pad life yet. These checks clearly should highlight any imminent issues. 

Well that's what they told me concerning the issue of the brake pipes and the corroded/scored discs. The pads were okay thickness wise but, obviously, after pressing against the scored discs then they will be grooved; so still thick enough to pass the 111 check.

One of the lessons I've learnt here is just cause it gets through the 111 check and the MOT doesn't mean there won't be a huge repair bill in the next few months! I suppose you really need to have an independent engineer look the vehicle over before purchase, that or know what you're doing and get it up on the ramps at the dealer.

[Menoporsche]

I'm guessing that what's acceptable to one service manager is not acceptable to another. So the fact that one OPC says it's OK does not mean that's nationwide.

Up to you if you want to continue it.

[Jason986S]

I would speak to Porsche GB as suggests above. They should give a broad honest opinion from the point of view of the brand and their policy as an umbrella. Not just that of an indevidual OPC service manager's interpretation. Which may or may not be correct. 

[topradio]

Ok, so what have we learned here. The dealers can charge top dollar because they carry out a 'smoke and mirrors' 111 point check to ensure that you get a car that is in perfect condition. This sets them apart from independent dealers who can't offer this reassurance.

What they don't do is throw a bucket of water over it, stick it on the forecourt and put the pictures in the web.

[daz05]

Was this the grey boxster s they had in stock. I looked at it but found another car, spotted the corroded brake likes in the mot history. They spent quite a lot painting it as it was quite badly chipped on the lower sections of the car.