bizarre experience @ Leith Porsche, Cary, NC

Had a strange experience with Leith Porsche/Jaguar in Cary NC (see my recent posting on 996 pricing), which I think is probably just a matter of a sales guy talking out of his rear end when he shouldn't have. I was looking at a fairly stripped down 02 996 (C2, no Litronic, no PSM, pretty basic, comes with Porsche certification). After a test drive, the sales guy (initials RR) throws out an offer before I leave of 56k with new tires, witnessed by my friend. I fax back a counter offer of 52k to try to haggle a bit. He calls back leaving a message, indignantly saying no way he can take anywhere near that. When I get back with him, he now says he can't take less than 60k, and acts very stressed out about the whole thing. Sounds like either a real weak attempt at bait and switch, or more likely a case of throwing out numbers without talking to daddy (sales manager). Too bad he wasted my time, I liked the car, and would have liked to know the real deal up front. If you deal with Leith, get your price quotes in writing, not that it matters in the end, I guess. These guys have a lot full of used Boxsters and 996s with very few new ones out there, other than a few C4S cars. I bet there are deals to be had there, if you deal with someone who knows what they are talking about. YMMV Al

SALESMAN!! ugh!

there is a threshold of discount, after which a salesman must ask 'daddy' as you so eloquently put it. his sales manager has the final say. the best way to buy a car is to talk directly to the sales manager and skip the salesman during the negotiation process. thats what i did for my 2005 turbo S cab order, and i've recieved the only discount on that car that i know of in the world

I would go back and attempt to do so, but the sales guy has pissed me off so badly now that I will be taking my business elsewhere. I don't mind paying what the car is worth, but I won't put up with people who flip-flop. The guy adamantly denied the 56K offer despite my witness. Salesmen = pond scum, IMO.

All the guy is doing is trying to make you do is work really hard to get the original # he quoted you so that you wont try to negotiate below the $56 number. Call the Porsche guys in Charlotte. They would ike nothing better than to sell a car in Raleigh and have you talk them up!

I know you are frustrated.....but you may want to do a little homework First, they do have a bunch of used stuff to move and time is money.... check and see the sale results from the latest "highline auction"....anything above their costs to send to auction may be acceptable to the GENERAL MANGER Secondly, the Porsche you describe is not a bargain....I was offered a new '03 C2 Coupe with options, the right ones too....for 62K in April....I passed as it was not something I wanted forthe long term and I would have deep in the hole the day I drove away...... As to PSM...it is nice to have but not mandatory or why would it be an option? it was only introduced in the '00 or '01 C2 models......your driving skills are just as important in my opinion Good Luck, oh the guys in Greensboro and Charlotte have been very good to me in the past......also, I have found if you want to bottom fish, go with check in hand.......

Your explanation is confusing. You state that he, meaning the sales rep throws out an offer. Generally the owner of the car does not throw out an offer. The buyer throws out an offer and the seller either accepts or rejects it. You did not accept his "offer" as you like to call it for 56K. So in effect the deal DIED the second you said no, walked away, or offered your offer or counter offer. Once that occurs its a whole new ball game. I would say that you would have had a case IF you accepted 56K right there and IF the sales rep would have renegged on that 56K. But that didnt happen.

Never, NEVER discuss price until you are ready to buy...keep "shopping and info gathering" totally separate. When you go in, have a target price, above which you absolutely WILL NOT go in mind. Tell either the Salesman, Sales Manager, General Manager, or Owner Principal on that first (and if need be "last")...I am ready to buy TODAY! Offer 5 percent below your researched target price and be prepared to walk out if in response they do not accept or counter at or below your target. Make sure you clearly give the "body language" that you are very busy, and have limited time to complete this transaction...("I have a toenail surgery and bypass I'm performing at 3 today..."). Do NOT be diverted to any other vehicle other than your target purchase ("...we have one almost like it..."). Do NOT ever discuss other "extras" ( tires, mats, paint & fabric protector,free coffee for life, etc) until acceptance of your offer and do NOT add post acceptance extras during your excitement of offer acceptance. Many people are NOT ready to buy, and a experienced saleman can usually spot "trolling tire kickers". With respect to your recanted offer from the salesman, long, long ago (about 45 plus years!), I bet the Sales Manager $5 at my father's dealership a guy walking in (who had been in for every new transport delivery we received) would never buy, no matter what the price. I offered him a new car way below "actual" invoice...he fumbled thru two dozen or more "offer" slips from various dealerships that slipped out of his Pocket Protector (remember, I said this was LONG AGO), so he could add the "one more" slip...At that point he had become so confused, he couldn't tell the difference between a Cadillac Eldorado and a Vauxhall!...Don't recall what I bought with the five bucks! If you like the car, as suggested, find out how long that car has been on the lot (30 Days- FIRM, 60 Days-Price Floating, 90 Days or long..."off with it's head" to Auction) and get a feeling for the wholesale market or "highline" auction prices. Call or email the General Manager at the dealership, noting that you had a "confusing discussion" with RR (he's probably a "floater" and gone anyway...) and state a firm offer $2K above the wholesale market. If they don't respond positively, walk away... Perry (42 Years of Porsche Ownership + many formative years "long ago and far away" in the automobile business)

I suppose the tough thing in the sales business is differentiating a real buyer from a guy who enjoys test driving high end cars.

It's not that hard to sort out the serious buyers and the dumbasses. Ask the right questions and it's pretty easy to tell. I think the sales experience is different for every store. We're not all "pond scum" as 91S2 so eloquently put it. Personally, I thin kyou get better service from smaller dealerships. Smaller stores can;t afford to let people walk out the door without a deal, whereas a big store knows there will always be a lot of people coming in. Plus, I think the smaller stores will put the time into making sure they know what your needs are as a customer. In this case though, it does sound like the salesguy shot his mouth off when he shouldn't have.

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK WITH THE GUYS AT PERFORMANCE PORSCHE IN CHAPEL HILL.IF YOU ARE CLOSE YOU COULD SWING BY ALSO SPEAK TO THE TECH THAT CHECKED YOUR PROSPECTIVE CAR OVER TOO.