Porsche Bolton "Joyriding"

[Richard Dawson]

I recieved a call from a friend of mine on Thursday telling me my RS had been stolen and had just undertaken him round a roundabout. It had 2 people in it and was being driven like a t£$%$^r.

Imagine my concern as the car was in for the engine wiring loom recall and 4 wheel alignment at the new Porsche main agent in Bolton.

To add to the horror I use 15w 50 oil and the roundabout is c 1min from the dealership i.e the car would be cold.

I immediately drove to the dealership and tackled them. Once the service manager deigned to come out of his office to speak to me, he said "he'd look into it".

Following a little more straight talking he assured me that the car was warm as he knew they had the radiators out and so run it up to temp to bleed it. Not a good answer really unless my 993 is fairly unique....

At this point I got the dealer principle involved, who seemed to care even less (in a manner reflective of the overbearing arrogance Porsche seem to exude these days) and said he'd look into it..

I had to leave the car as it was back in bits to fix a small oil leak they'd found.

I went in on Friday to check progress, no one updated me on the "looking into it", no one apologised any further nor has any suggestion of a discount been offered.

I collect the car tomorrow and will be really upset if I have to pay in a way that will include writing to the local press, Porsche AG and every forum I can find together with the dozen or so friends who own Porsches from the dealer.

A lesson to us all the in addition to main agents caring about older Porsches like a piece of dirt on their shoe they also joyride your car for you.

Thing is whilst we like 993s and think they are quick imagine how tempting a 997 turbo is to the in-house joyrider!!

Beware, and keep out of Porsche Bolton at all costs lest your own car overtakes you.

I'll let you know the outcome after I kick off again tomorrow.

 

[Guest]

Are you sure Bolton has a Porsche centre?

 

[Guest]

It certainly does...

Not sure what to suggest, but seem like disgraceful behaviour from the dealers.

 

[Guest]

If you take a car more than 3 years old to the main dealer, their not interested in you or your car. I recived very poor treatment from Porsche Colchester with my old Boxster, they simply were not bothered.

 

[Guest]

sorry adi99601 i have to disagree with the last comment i take both my wifes 2004 boxster and my 2002 turbo to colchester and i think the service i receive is really very good.

 

[Rintoul]

Ditto
Porsche Kendal looked after my last 2000C4 very well indeed, and I expect the same with my 2004 tt when it needs servicing (longer gaps between services now). Even though |I have moved and other OPCs are probably nearer I shall be staying with them.
I am sure that service levels will vary according to dealerships, why not try a different one, with a courtesy car it isn,t too much hassle.

 

[rob.kellock]

sorry to hear that. you must let us know how you get on. when mine went in there i asked them to keep hold of it until it was right (after it had to go back 3 times to fix the results of the service) and i was told it had been used to take someone home to Stockport. i was therefore somewhat surprised to find 2 Warrington addresses programmed into the satnav when i next had cause to use it a few weeks later...

 

[Blade_uk]

I take my 1999 Gt3 to Chapelgate in Ferndown Dorset & feel like I get treated the same as someone who has just bought a brand new car, this is my first Porsche & Im loving the whole experience, Ive even had the door panel removed in the workshop & a plug dried out free of charge when my drivers window wasnt closing fully when shutting the door. My local OPC seem a really nice bunch of guys who really love the cars

 

[Bull996]

ORIGINAL: Blade_uk

I take my 1999 Gt3 to Chapelgate in Ferndown Dorset & feel like I get treated the same as someone who has just bought a brand new car, this is my first Porsche & Im loving the whole experience, Ive even had the door panel removed in the workshop & a plug dried out free of charge when my drivers window wasnt closing fully when shutting the door. My local OPC seem a really nice bunch of guys who really love the cars

Same at Wilmslow with my 99. Couldnt be better.

 

[Rotorhead]

I've never had a problem with an OPC.

In fact in 1987 I bought a new 944 Turbo from Malaya Billingshurst and asked the service manager to run it in for me over the first 1000 miles.

It is normal practice for the car to be road tested with two occupants.

 

[OGiii]

Richard

I use Hartech in Bolton, they give better service than any main agent of any make I've ever had!

 

[Rotorhead]

ORIGINAL: Adi99601

If you take a car more than 3 years old to the main dealer, their not interested in you or your car. I recived very poor treatment from Porsche Colchester with my old Boxster, they simply were not bothered.

With all due respect, that is the type of casual generalisation that blights the web forums and diminishes their credibility.

It is possible to have an excellent relationship with an OPC, and they will look after you and your cars, however old.

In practice, though, there are specialist independents with greater experience of earlier Porsches. But even they can make mistakes.

 

[Rodney Naghar]

i was told it had been used to take someone home to Stockport.

Er...come again? They used your car to take someone home? What's that all about then?
Did you drop off your car and explcitlty tell them to freely use it for all their customers needs, or just to get it fixed?
Did they reimburse you for wear and tear and depreciation and used fuel? I would be absolutely livid....and to later find out they possibly lied about the destination too!
Shocking!

 

[pwafer]

ORIGINAL: Rodney Naghar

i was told it had been used to take someone home to Stockport.

Er...come again? They used your car to take someone home? What's that all about then?
Did you drop off your car and explcitlty tell them to freely use it for all their customers needs, or just to get it fixed?
Did they reimburse you for wear and tear and depreciation and used fuel? I would be absolutely livid....and to later find out they possibly lied about the destination too!
Shocking!

Ditto Rodney's remarks..... without asking you first, they are taking the P. My supplying OPC (Nottingham) and my service/local OPC (Tonbridge) have always treated me with great respect, regardless that I drive a 3+ yr old car.

I suggest asking to speak with the branch manager, not the service manager. Speaking with a 'sales' person is often better, because they benefit from you being happy.... and potentialy buying something from them in the future.

If you get no joy, then I'm sure your local paper (or even the tabloids with such a prestige mark as Porsche) would like a bit of a story "Porsche Bolton use customers car as taxi!"

[&:]

 

[924nutter]

I am quite sure that Julian 27 will correct me if I am fundamentally incorrect. There used to be an offence called unlawfull taking, maybe now called taking without consent. This tries to block the loophole in the theft law where the intent to permanently deprive a person of ownership has to be proven before an offence can be classed as theft. With that in mind, telling the dealership that the mileage has been noted, and that if a distance of ten miles ( for the purposes of a test drive) is exceeded it will be reported as a case of unlawful taking, might just get their attention. I guess the dealership has the equipment to reset the distance recorder, but they can't reset the sat-nav, can they? I find this sort of off hand treatment of customer's cars reprehensible.

 

[juliany27]

Superlawyer to the rescue.

Yes, section 12 of the Theft Act 1968 [as amended] makes it an offence to take a motor vehicle without the consent of the lawful owner, although there are some defences available to this. Using a customers' car to take someone home is not something which any reputable dealership would, should or could consider within any implied consent given by the lawful owner.

Quite why two people are needed for a high speed check of a car is difficult to understand and, especially, to take another customer home [or whatever] is inexcusable. It might also invalidate the insurance policy of the dealership ...

Now that is really serious for everyone concerned except the rightful owner.

 

[rob.kellock]

sorry, i should have made myself clearer - when my car went back in for the 3rd time I made it plain that i didn't want it back until it was fixed and I invited the service manager to use it for a couple of days to ensure that the problem had indeed been repaired. It was he who took it home to Stockport. obviously i would have been happier if had not had to go back once...

 

[Guest]

What are you babling on about?

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: oliver

ORIGINAL: Adi99601

If you take a car more than 3 years old to the main dealer, their not interested in you or your car. I recived very poor treatment from Porsche Colchester with my old Boxster, they simply were not bothered.

With all due respect, that is the type of casual generalisation that blights the web forums and diminishes their credibility.

What?

 

[Richard Dawson]

Update

Collected the car today from Bolton.

Dave Brown, who is a service advisor ex Stratstone, is everso helpful and pleasant, looked after me. The service manger then had a chat and said sorry and they have offered to waive the bill or do a free service when due.

Clearly I am still upset but they were sincere, have looked into it and as a result I will use them again. To be fair they have also clearly spent plenty of time on the setup as the settings are within a minute or two each side and sorted one or two other small issues. That gives me confidence they do know what they are doing, not least because the car was serviced by a specialist a few weeks ago and some of the things should have been picked up.

If nothing else lightening can't strike twice..can it!

So whilst the joyride was bad it is only fair to report the good bit today.