Bad experience with Brandywine

Just sharing to make make you guys aware of their customer service. This is what happened to me : - ordered a set of wheel spacers about 3 weeks ago. Talked to Jason. He made me a 249$ package deal. - after one week I check my credit card statement and see that Brandywine had charged me 379$. I give the company a call and talk to Kyle. He tells me to wait untill Jason is back the next day. - Call back the next day, the receptionist tells me Jason is on another line. Finally, in the afternoon I get somebody else on the line. Jason had 'left the company'. Translation : must have been fired in the morning. - That same person tells me he will take care of things, which means sending out the shipment (finally !) and reversing part of the charge. - I receive the shipment a week later : 2 spacers instead of 4 (??!!). I call back and had to do the whole story again. The sales rep told me he could not honor the initial offer. - I ended up sending the 2 spacers back. Today I saw the reversal on my credit card. They had even charged me a 10% restocking fee. Net, this whole joke has cost me about 50$. For nothing. I do understand that there can be personnel issues, but this is not an excuse to drop your customer service levels and/or not to honor offers made in your name. Net, I am very dissapointed with this company and their values and behaviors. Be careful to do business with these people.

[email removed] Email Frank the story and be straight up with him. He will make it right.

I would write a letter to their general manager and very calmly explain the situation (as you have above). Might even drop a cc to PCNA. I know it's only $50, but it's the principle. Let us know how you make out. I had a similar experience with Don Rosen Imports on an Audi loyalty rebate - it took their GM to get it straightened out -- and to get me a check for the $750 I was due. I wouldn't even bother talking to the lower level folks - go to the decision-makers. Good luck Phil G. '04 C4S Coupe, Atlas/Black

Write the dealer if you're looking for personal satisfaction .... but for that re-stocking fee, just dispute it with your credit card company. I can't imagine losing that argument ... and I sure wouldn't let the $50 ride on finding a sympathetic ear at Brandywine.

They jerked me around for about 2 months regarding some corner markers. Wasn't a lot of money and it eventually worked itself out, but annoying none the less.

I had a similar experience where they overcharged me $125 on a hardtop wall rack. After several phone calls and sending a letter with no satisfaction (just unfulfilled promises to issue me a credit), I gave up. They lost many times that amount on the business I have since sent to Sunset Imports.

Everytime I have dealt with them I talked directly to Justin and he has never given me any problem. Even paid return shipping of a set of PSE cans I bought new that looked like they were years old and possibly used. Pissed? Of course I was, but he sent me a UPS retun label and I shipped them back and got a new set BEFORE the old ones were even sent back. I find it hard to believe they would treat you that way but it does make sense since I haven't dealt with anybody BUT justin. Like others have said, they do ALOT of business with us Rennlisters and would not want to loose this cash cow! Talk to them and they WILL make it right. If they don't post back here and trust me, we will speak with out wallets!!!

I've dealt with Justin as well, and I never had any issues. AFIW, He is the only one who knew anything in that place, so i hope he is not fired.

While I agree that Justin is (was) knowledgeable, he does not (did not) have a sense of customer service. A year and a half ago I bought two GT3 seats and a set of Champion Wheels. A $ 6K transaction. It took almost a month to get the stuff, zero communication, overcharging, downright incompetence, arguing with me, insinuating that I ought to be grateful for getting the stuff at that price and just stop bothering them etc, and never once did Justin or anyone else call me and I didn't even ask for an apology. Just communication. What's going on with my order kind of communication. I had to call them at least a dozen times just to push the process along. Terrible, indifferent service. A real pity.

Yikes! PK996C2, that was my experience with B-Wine just this past month on a used set of Tequipment ovals. Granted, it was nowhere near a $6K transaction, but their communication and level of service post-sale was basically nonexistent. They continuously ignored my request for a total charge (including tax and shipping) and a tracking number. It took nearly two weeks before I received the tips on a $20 shipping charge. I was quite surprised since they seemed to be well recommended on this forum. Yvesatlanta, if Eric's suggestion doesn't pan out, then I'm sure a dispute through your CC company will take care of the $50 charge.

I bought alu rings for the dash gauges.....and 2 of them where damaged...put them on and you can't really see that they are damaged, so I didn't complain about it...but still...if you buy new stuff it should not be damaged at all! Almost everything you purchase now-a-days has something wrong with it!! Mostly because it is made in the peoples republic of China...and they are known to be cheap manufacturers, not known for their quality of workmanship!! Companies want to maximize their profit (Porsche has the same policy!) they don't care that much for quality anymore!! Which is very sad! But we are so used to it that we hardly every do anything about it any longer!

customer service aint what it used to be...actually it never was!!!

I purchased my Aero I skirts from Justin at Bwine and the transaction was smooth and the price couldn't be beat. I can see that without him there, they're probably like any other regular overpriced dealer parts department like my local dealer.

They have actually been banned from Rennlist for creating fake user accounts and pretending to be customers...

I talk to Lou over there, never had a problem and their shipping is usually very cheap.

That is too bad, Brandywine used to have some of the best pricing out there. I too had a similar experience. I now go trough Suncoast Porsche in Sarasota (they usually have the best prices like Brandywine used to).

This Jason-Justin thing is confusing me. I think it was John who was fired

are you serious? this is as low as any business can get. quite frankly there are very FEW parts shops that know their stuff and are willing to stand up to their mistakes. i know some good shops/suppliers and they will always get my business despite pricing. b/c they know customer service.

I almost forgot about that. I remember some time back as well that Justin (IIRC) came on the board goig back and forth with another board member when he clearly did the board member wrong. Had something to do about a GT3 front spoiler IIRC. Anyway, I go 99% through Sunset (in Oregon) and occasionally through Suncoast (Florida) since they seem to have the BEST prices and more importantly......the BEST customer service.

They even have problems making the small mistakes right. I ordered a set of clear side markers and they sent two left side, duh!!! I then called about the mistake and requested a right side. Brandywine advised they would not ship the right part until I returned one of the markers. To make matters worse they were rude and I even had to pay return shipping for there mistake. Come on Brandywine, your dealing with Porsche owners not Wal-Mart shoppers.

Sunset is my personal favorite, but I imagine Suncoast is the south Florida version. Also, always try to negotiate with your regional dealer. If you have a pretty good relationship with them and have the car serviced there, they are always willing to work with you parts prices. And, you get the benefit of seeing them in person, right away, before they are installed. Funny because it was Rennlist where I learned to try negotiating with the dealer on parts and service first; I had never thought to do that before.

My local dealer will not only NOT negotiate prices on parts but they sell ABOVE retail on many items. I talked to my service guy about it and he said that they are a serperate entity within the dealer and do as they please. Sad, and he agreed with me, after I showed him damn near 20K in items bought over the past several years that ZERO of that went to the parts counter here. Sunset in Oregon has won my business for life. Class act.

I bought an OEM SSK from Brandywine a while ago (dealt with Ralph). It is a fine experience. It will be better if I can get the time to install the thing.

PCA membership will give u 10% discount.

My local dealer is similar. The prices they charge are over list. I have a good relationship with a couple of the guys that work there and they do give me a discount on smaller stuff (i.e. oil filters) but the cost is still higher than Sunset in OR. If I just need a filter or something I will buy it locally to keep the goodwill but other bigger purchases�no way. I am getting ready to order all the 60k service items from Sunset b/c I can save $100+ dollars. It is a shame the local dealers are like this because I would rather just walk in and buy stuff when I need or want it vs. having to think a head and order it.

Maybe they are more corporate instead of the family run dealership that I use. It's really odd because these guys make a heck of a lot higher margin on service than on parts, so you would think that they want your business. Oh, and here's another cool thing: my local dealership offers 30% of service rates if you have a PCA membership, as well as doing the tech certification for DE and autocross. Rock on. But Dell, you're spot on about Sunset: I deal with Jeff over there and he is always the most helpful.

One more story about Brandywine...... I just remembered about my SSK purchase last year. I was cruising eBay one day and missed out saw that I missed out on several auctions B-Wine had for $199 B&M SSK's. SO I just called Justin personally to purchase direct without involving eBay (saving him fee's, etc.) and he said $250! Do my disbelief he said that he only had a "set amount" at $199. I passed and ended up purchasing my SSK from a board member (brand new for $175). Days later I say that B-Wine had new auctions posted for SSK's at..........$199!!!!!! It amazed me that over the years I had spent close to 10K with Justin and he had attitude he did. Sad. Hence.....as Edward said. Working with Jeff (and Phil) over at Sunset is great!

There was a Json that used to work at Windward

I would wait for the charge to show up on the CC and dispute the charge with your CC Co. Why should you have to pay a fee to restock when it was their fault for messing up the order? It wasn't like you order something and then decided you no longer wanted the item.

And they didn't learn the first time around because several months later they got busted pulling the same stunt over on 6speedonline and pete's boxster board.

I'm about to deal with Eric Haas in the body shop at Brandywine to have the clearbra that came with my C4S from Isringhausen (CPO, not new car) replaced with a 3M product. As I live in the northwest Philly suburbs, they're the only local dealer I can find that does this. Anyone have experience with B'wine on clearbra installs or with Eric for that matter? Phil

Sorry for chiming in back so late. Been rather bsuy at the office. Net, I don't care about the 50$, it's the principle. In the meantime I've taken my business to Sunset. Case closed. I'll let the power of the internet take care of these guys. One correction : I dealt with Justin (not Jason - my apologies for that), so he's the guy that got fired.

I bought my GT3 seats from Brandywine, and it went without a hitch.

I have had nothing but great experiences with Jeff at Sunset. As for the "principle" .... everyone has their own limit. I've wrestled with Amex and mail order crooks over $5. I'd do it again before I'd let anyone put their hand in my pocket. Its the principle.

HA! I can beat that. I fought with Chase Visa over a $1 finance charge and I won. LoL My coworkers kept saying its only a $1 let it go. No way, Credit Card CO. are evil.

Purchased instrument rings, and then OEM SSK,and clear side markers from B'wine. Transactions were smooth and easy. Spoke with Justin for both orders, gave additional discount( on SSK) from Ebay price for Rennlist membership.