997 try before you buy

[beaver]

Nice letter from Porsche - would I like to borrow a 997 C2S for 24 hours to see what it's like to live with?

No obligation - just go to your local OPC, have a 45 minute briefing and test drive and off you go.

Sounded good to me, even if I didn't want to buy one. So, collected it yesterday from the OPC that supplied me previously with a new Mk2 GT3 and a new 996 GT3RS (and also a Cayenne Turbo for my father). As I'd owned 911's before an dthey lnew me they didn't do the briefing and test drive, just said "sign here, you're on our insurance" and off you go.

So far so good. Drove it a bit through the day, and planned to use it to drive to play football later. On the way to football I drove through a width restriction and heard a horrible dull thud - the sound of the rear wheel clipping a kerb. Got out to have a look, nice chunk out of the tyre and the wheel. Feeling very stupid I returned the car today, explained what had happened and that I wasn't looking to buy one just yet.

Turns out they expect me to pay £230 for the tyre and £100 to refurb the wheel...

So guys - is that fair or unfair?....

P.s saw a lovely black and orange GT3RS being unloaded whilst there today.

[nbetts]

beaver said:

So guys - is that fair or unfair?....

Sadly for you - I think it is fair. Obviously when you signed up they would (or should have mentioned about excesses etc) and you would have signed for them.

Bad luck.

[beaver]

Thought so - except they didn't mention any excess or liabilities.

[fidgits]

I figure you had to sign something before taking the car?

[mikeg996]

Sounds like bobbins to me, the car's insured, they should make a claim.

[Geneve]

Tricky one, as you clearly damaged it.

But surely they must have asked you to sign something or explained the terms of the loan?

Even with a basic loan car the user is normally responsible for either covering it on their own insurance or accepting responsibility for the first £xxx of damage.

Trouble is that kind of damage is within most excesses

[AlexHancock]

Shame but sounds normal to me too. I know I wouldn't claim for a kerbed wheel as the excess is too high and tyres aren't covered by insurance. Always worth checking exactly what your liability is before driving away.

[gpm3d]

I think they are being fair - lets face it if you hire a car from any where things like tyres are never covered. I've had that in Eire once - car cost €40 for a days hire, puncture on the way back to the airport and a €120 bill to repair. Read the (not so small) small print!
Graham

[911wise]

Given the amount of money you have previously spent with them and the potential for future business, you would think they would wave the damage cost as a gesture of good will. It constantly annoys me that Porsche charge full price for these things when the work will probally be done in house. A tyre certainly wont cost them full list, and the amount of wheels they refurb every month I'm sure they get a good deal on that too.

[will968]

911wise said:

Given the amount of money you have previously spent with them and the potential for future business, you would think they would wave the damage cost as a gesture of good will.

I Agree. A new mk2 GT3, a new GT3RS and a Cayenne Turbo must mean you've spent itro £200k with them. You'd hope they might see you as a good customer, and likely to spend more with them in the future. If you started using another OPC I bet they'd wish they had waved the excess and paid it themselves.

[lynchygt3]

i'd pay for it if it was me after all it was you that done it not them but that's just me if you dont want to and they never said anything about an excess then i cant see how they can make you

[cardigankid]

I think that they were more than decent lending you the car in the first place. Pay without question. What OPC did you say that was?

[Adam B]

beaver said:

Thought so - except they didn't mention any excess or liabilities.

caveat emptor, if you sign an agreement you should read it, not expect it to be read out to you

it would have mentioned an excess (probably £500) and the damage is less than that

costs seem a tad excessive however - they should charge what they get charged by 3rd party not what they would charge you if it was your car getting those items done in a service. is the tyre really damaged?

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 29th November 18:16

[hutchingsp]

I think I can see both sides to this. Yes, you damaged their car. On the other hand they are a business and they only invite customers borrow cars because ultimately they hope to get them to buy a car from them, not saying that means they deserve it but presumably they cover themselves for such incidents via quite comprehensive insurance.

For my money, if they clearly said "you are on our insurance" before you went out then I would expect them to cover it, you're either "on their insurance" or you aren't.

I don't see how you're only on their insurance if it's something more serious than something that they didn't define when loaning you the car?

[beaver]

hutchingsp said:

I think I can see both sides to this. Yes, you damaged their car. On the other hand they are a business and they only invite customers borrow cars because ultimately they hope to get them to buy a car from them, not saying that means they deserve it but presumably they cover themselves for such incidents via quite comprehensive insurance.

For my money, if they clearly said "you are on our insurance" before you went out then I would expect them to cover it, you're either "on their insurance" or you aren't.

I don't see how you're only on their insurance if it's something more serious than something that they didn't define when loaning you the car?

That's how I see it, they badgered me to borrow it and tried the hard sell when I took them up on their offer. I did say I would think about ordering one next year, and as someone else pointed out i have already spent a lot of money with them so i would have thought it in their interest to waive it.

[911wise]

If you genuinley are going to buy one next year, tell dealer that you was going to order one but in light of the treatment you have received you have been put off dealing with them. Given your previous expenditure with them they'll know your not a timewaster. Speak to a salesman about this and I bet he gets the charge waved if he thinks he's gonna lose a 70k sale.

[Koln-RS]

In fairness they lent you a car and, unfortunately, you damaged it.

If there was a disclaimer, then you should pay. If not, then you could tell them where to go.

However, far better to find an amicable resolve. Drop the DP a line and ask if he can suggest a solution that leaves everyone satisfied.

[gmk666]

Sorry to hear that. I'm 'borrowing' a 997S cabrio on Monday from an OPC in West London, and I think I'll be reading that liability document before I sign it now.

[Vesuvius 996]

You bent it, you should pay as per the document you signed.

BUT you should pay COST only.

Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Wednesday 29th November 20:13

[beaver]

gmk666 said:

Sorry to hear that. I'm 'borrowing' a 997S cabrio on Monday from an OPC in West London, and I think I'll be reading that liability document before I sign it now.

Let me know what it says!