900Plus11

Last week I saw a used CPO 911 on Porsche dealer' lot, visited, saw it, and decided to buy it. Dealer then told us they just got this car so they don't have a chance to perform what it takes to be a certified pre-owned vehicle, and it could take them a week to months before it's sellable.

They took the $5,000 deposit as a reservation fee. I have never experienced this with used car, usually if the car is bing advertised on the site and on the lot, the car is ready to go.

Should I be worried? Almost two weeks passed, I called the dealer to follow up, and all they said to me is "no update, sorry".

asellus

red flags abound. a CPO inspection is measured in hours, not days or weeks. either they're short staffed (small red flag) or they're waiting on parts (potential big red flag). I hope that deposit is refundable.

did they tell you that they have to do all that stuff to it only after you committed to purchase?

900Plus11

The dealer actually told us upfront said that it won't be ready anytime soon as they need to certify this one (before I committed to purchase) but I just don't get why it takes so long. Perhaps you're right, they might short staffed or waiting on parts for replacement...

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asellus

I'd pointedly ask them what is involved with the CPO certification process. If they're a legit dealer, it's usually a certified technician going through the 200-some checklist items and saying "yep I checked, it's good" which is something like a day or two of work if they're being thorough.

That said I don't know what the porsche specific process is, hence encouraging you to ask them directly! They ought to have a reasonable explanation.

Have they taken down the listing yet?

asellus

Hmm, just thought of this -- what if it fails to get certified?

They'd either have to sell it non-CPO, or fix it to be compliant with whatever their CPO guidelines are, which would change their profit margin, which usually would change their listing price...

It's becoming more and more odd to me that you've got an agreement on a car that, for all intents and purposes, isn't for sale yet.

cbredesen

Yep, which raises the question about why it was listed for sale in the first place, as CPO no less. And they took your money!

CSK 911 C4S

A bit shady.

Good luck tell us how it goes.

MPawelek

I looked at a advertised used 911 two months ago at a very reputable Porsche dealership in North Houston and couldn’t believe the shape it was in when I arrived at the dealership. It had been stored outside and still had all the previous owners trash and papers on the floor. The car was filthy inside and out and multiple scrapes and rock chips on the hood that the salesman said they planned to fix. I politely said no thank you and left wondering why they had it listed for sale on their web site. 115k? No thank you!

Two weeks later I bought my present 2015 911 which was a one owner car that had a history of making each and every Porsche service from day one. It runs perfectly and looks like it is right off the showroom floor…😊

Porsche_nuts

$5K "reservation fee"? Maybe weeks or months to CPO? You have got to be kidding me. I'd get my $5K back as soon as possible to I go to another dealer. Plenty of 991s out there.

team23jordan

Plenty of 991s out there with premium$

JW911

Get your money back yesterday! No reputable deal will have you holding off on delivery indefinitely!

IXLR8

Some people are not worthy of a Porsche.

barrios35

When I bought my CPO 911 they reserved it for free.

When I was looking I had a dealership change the price on me because they said they certified it, even though it was already advertised as CPO. I walked away. I am glad I did because the 911 that I found after that was perfect.

No sense in dealing with crappy dealerships

rensoyka

up here in the north it is quite normal for car dealers (not necessarily dealerships) to advertise a car as certified. what they usually mean is once someone commits to the purchase with a down payment they will then do the work to certify it, they don't mean that the car is ready to drive home. I tried to buy a used jeep for my daughter, two weeks later they called to return the down payment as the vehicle was in rough shape mechanically and far too expensive to fix for profit. it was re-listed for sale "as is". this was only a $15k vehicle so no big deal, but I was committed from the beginning that I would only buy a CPO 911 from a porsche dealership (last year). it was a busy dealership but they had the car ready to drive home in a week and it has been perfect.

desmotesta

Always remember that there is a precursor to all of the Red Flags reported by members here.

Any time, A dealer/Seller gives any indication during the process that they are actually doing YOU a favor by selling, be reserving the car for you, by making arrangements for PPI or any inspections.. Run away..

Can you Imagine handing $70,000-$120,000 to someone and THEY are making you feel like they are doing YOU a favor. Can you imagine the absurdity?

I don't care what they are selling and how special it is, always remember YOU are the customer. Period!