BAD Brandywine Porsche Experience

[viper501]

I lost my engine (or at least a valve on number 2) back at the end of May. I trailered the car back to my local indie and started shopping around for a replacement engine. I'd read a discussion on 6speedonline.com about engine pricing and one of the participants works for Brandywine. He indicated that the price in reman'd engines was about 6800.00. I contacted him via P.M. and he informed me that the engine price was 7500.00 plus a core charge, plus shipping.

I was also informed that I would have to wire the total, including the refundable core charge, to Brandywine's bank. I was a bit taken aback by the concept of wiring that kind of money with no realistic recourse if there were a problem. I was also concerned about how the core charge would be refunded and the fact that they would have to cut me a check and there was no indication how long that would take them to do nor any gaurantee they would actually cut it. However, I made arrangements to have that done once I had the bank information and the total charge. I repeatedly emailed and called my contact at Brandywine. I made it very clear to him that my 911 was a daily driver and that I needed the engine as soon as possible. He kept reassuring me that the engine had been ordered and that it was going to come in very soon. In fact, each time I contacted him, he gave me a new arrival date.

As you can see from the email thread pasted in this post, he assured me that the engine had been ordered and that it would be in on a certain date. I called the dealership again on July 5 and reached a different parts guy and asked him if he could check on the order.

He couldn't find my name in the computer, much less an order for an engine. He connected me to the parts manager who identified himself as Rick. Rick initially put the blame on me for not having wired the money. I tried to explain that I could have understood that if the parts guy had told me that they were waiting on payment before ordering the motor *and* if he had not *repeatedly* assured me that the engine was on its way and would be in on this day and that day. Rick put me on the speakerphone with the parts guy that I'd been talking to for almost three weeks and asked me to repeat my assertion that I'd been repeatedly told the engine was on its way. I did and Rick very pointedly asked parts guy whether he had told me that the engine was enroute. After a very pregnant pause, parts guy manned up and admitted that he had been telling me that the engine had been ordered. Rick told me that he would call me back, which he did.

When Rick called back, he said that he would order the engine the next day but only after I wired over ten thousand dollars to them. He didn't offer to expedite the shipping at their expense or anything else. In fact, he didn't even offer an apology. He repeatedly demanded that I send them the money via wire before the engine would be ordered. Furthermore, he said that I could not use a credit card to pay the core charge in contradiction to parts guy's statements to me.

Needless to say, I was less than enthusiastic about sending that much money with no recourse to a business that had demonstrated their lack of reliability and trustworthiness.

I decided to rethink things and ended up calling Sunset Porsche. They ordered the motor that day, without me providing a bank wire. In fact, the engine was ordered on Friday, July 6, arrived at Sunset and was shipped to me on July 12. The difference in price was so worth it to not have to deal with Brandywine.

I'm also concerned about the way in which Brandywine qouted me a flat freight rate of five hundred dollars to ship from PA to SC. Interestingly, Sunset's actual shipping charge was $460 to ship from Oregon to SC. Hmmmm. Sort of makes me suspect that Brandywine was bumping their shipping charges to compensate for the price reduction.

I have removed some of the identifying information out of respect for the parts guy manning up and admitting that he'd been blowing smoke and to ensure that no private financial information gets out on the internet. Its threaded backwards so you'll need to read from bottom to top.

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-----Original Message-----

From: [them]

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 1:06 PM

To: [me]

Subject: RE: [POTENTIAL SPAM] RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[me],

the arrival date is for its arrival here at Brandywine Porsche, the VA

was a typo, sorry about that, yes that is correct you can use your cc to

pay for the core charge, thank you

[them]

-----Original Message-----

From: [me]

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:36 AM

To: [them]

Subject: RE: [POTENTIAL SPAM] RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[them],

Thanks for the update. Is the arrival date for delivery to me or to you

in PA? Also, the engine is being shipped to South Carolina, not

Virginia. Please double check that the engine is going to the right

location.

As I understand it, I can wire you the eight thousand dollars and give

you a credit card for the 2325.47 core charge, correct? If so, I'll

have the money wired today and call you after lunch with the credit card

for the core.

Please let me know.

[me]

-----Original Message-----

From: [them]

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 10:29 AM

To: [me]

Subject: RE: [POTENTIAL SPAM] RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[me],

the motor is on its way it will most likely will arrive on Monday of

next week Wednesday at the absolute latest, I understand your situation

and we are working to get this wrapped up as fast as possible, when

shipping engines the trucking companies take extra care because they are

shipping flammable liquids, I will keep you posted on the shipping, the

total cost will be $10325.47 this price includes the engine, core charge

and shipping, the brake down is as follows.

engine = $7500

Core charge = $2325.47

shipping one way to VA $500 w/shipping insurance

let me know if you have any questions, thanks again

[them]

-----Original Message-----

From: [me]

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 8:46 AM

To: [them]

Subject: [POTENTIAL SPAM] RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

Importance: Low

[them],

Please verify for me that the engine is enroute. I need a projected

arrival date so I can get the car in the rotation at my shop. I also

still don't have a total price so I have not been able to wire the

money. I'm sorry if I seem like I am bugging you about this but the

downtime of my car, since it is my only car, is pretty critical. I want

to make sure that there are no avoidable delays.

Thanks.

[me]

*****

This message was sent wirelessly from my mobile handset.

----- Original Message -----

From: [them]

Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:37 am

To:[me]

Subject: RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[me],

sorry about the delay, she came in a little later then expected, the

info is as followed, let me know if you have anymore questions, thank

you

[bank info]

l Message-----

From: [me]

Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:10 AM

To: [them]

Subject: RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[them],

Any news?

[me]

_____

From: [them]

Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 8:28 AM

To: [me]

Subject: RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[me],

the dealerships accountant had left early on Friday and will be

returning today around 10am, she is the only one with the account info,

as soon as she gets in I will pass along the wire transfer info to you,

if you could provide me with the shipping address I will get the

shipping price for you, thank you [me]

[them]

-----Original Message-----

From: [me]

Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 10:24 AM

To: [them]

Subject: RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[them],

Looks like this is the way I'm gonna go. Let me know what you need to

get it ordered. Also, give me a price on a clutch kit and a can of

coolant.

[me]

_____

From:[them]

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 4:41 PM

To: [me]

Subject: RE: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[me],

I looked into the pricing on these engines about 2 months ago and I was

under the same impression, its seems that Porsche has increased the

price of there engines and dropped the price of the cores, but I have

confirmed that this pricing is correct, I would only extend this

discounted price to my fellow 6-speeders, and yes I an engine installed

by an independent shop can be warrantied but it only covers the engine

not labor or anything else just the engine, thanks again for the inquiry

let me know if I can help you out in any other way, thanks

[them]

-----Original Message-----

From: [me]

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 3:06 PM

To: [them]

Subject: Porsche reman engine qoute.

[them],

Wanted to touch base with you again and make sure you'd seen the

response that I sent to you by p.m. on 6speedonline.com. Specifically,

you indicated the motor pricing was 7500 but I was under the impression

that the reman'd motors were 6800 and change. Can you confirm the

pricing. Also, can you verify that the two year warranty on the engine

applies regardless of who installs (i.e. an independent shop).

Thanks.

[me] (aka viper501)

[Me],

the reman engine lists for $9304.96 your price would be $7500, at this

price i will need the core back, at the time of the order i will have to

charge you for the core, the core charge will be $2325.47, i can

determen the shipping for you if you provide me with an address, thanks

again [me]

Cheers

[Them]

[violaGT3]

Well isn't that special. It's good to hear you are getting it taken care of, but it sucks that you had to play games with Brandywine. I just would not bother with anyone who told me I "had" to wire funds, period. It seems as though I am going to just leave the engine replacement for the day it croaks. Although it started odd the other day, it was real rough for the first 15sec or so? Dunno, but it still performs well so I'll just hit up the tranny and clutch. If you would post the final figures on the replacement.

[viper501]

Viola, drive it and enjoy it. Don't worry about 'cause it will just drive ya nuts. With the clutch, new coolant hoses, new clutch release lever, engine, shipping (both to and fro), light weigh flywheel, and installation, I figure I'm gonna hit just over 10k. I'm saving a *lot* on the installation but dumping it back into the car with the rest of the preventative maintenance and upgrades.

[viper501]

I'm pleased to report that Sunset Porsche ordered the engine on July 6 and has managed to have it delivered to my indie on July 17. Given that the engine went from Atlanta to Portland to South Carolina I am very pleased. I am especially pleased that Sunset was actually able to do in seven business days when Brandywine couldn't even manage to order the engine in more time.