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 here about engine pricing and one of the participants worked for Brandywine. He indicated that the price on 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.

************************************************** **************************
-----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]

 

Bummer. Well documented. I've had good experience with Brandywine personally, but I understand your frustration. Particularly since this was your daily driver.

 

Not adding fuel to the flames...but what the hell is up with all the recent negative remarks+experiences with brandywine? it's been from sales to parts to management of all ranks. Just that time of year when everyone there is out of wack? Nuts.

 

Jay was very helpful the other day at Brandywine when I was over there to pick up a sway link....

 

what was the cost at sunset?

 

You did all the right things including giving us the heads-up...and maybe saving some other guy in the future from the same fate. I've been royally screwed before and it ain't no fun! I lost money, lost of my car seat time and years of worry off my life!

 

I have to say...ALL the service I have ever had done there has been TOP NOTCH and Jay and Eric are really stand up guys...sometimes, stuff just happens though...

 

Wow- that is pretty bad though, and it's documented.
And not even an apology from Brandywine?? I'd consider it a far bit more than 'stuff happens'.

So it would seem they are good for small things but don't count on them for anything big and important?

anyway, I wish you luck with the engine replacement- sorry to hear you had to go through that.

 

"blowing smoke"? Isnt that a fancy way of saying the guy was lying to you the whole time? Pretty screwed up id say..

 

Pardon my ignorance... what exactly is special about Sunset all the way in Oregon and Brandywine in PA?

Isn't there a Porsche Dealership in South Carolina you can use?

 

Damn...no matter how good the price, or service,
when someone lies to you like that, they lose all integrity.
I can't find myself doing business with someone I can't trust.

 

Price....sometimes those dealers can save you 50% on parts pricing...on an engine thats 8 grand.....Each dealer sets the prices independantly...I have seen a HUGE difference in prices between my local dealers...no rhyme or reason...FWIW my local dealer couldnt even come close to Brandywine prices on GT3 mk II skirts a few years back...$599 SHIPPED...my dealer was over a grand....and wouldnt match the price.

 

I have used Sunset many times.

Sunset - dealer cost plus 15% (and shipping of course). Even with all that, Sunset is usually 20-25% cheaper than my local dealer here in So Cal.

The parts guys are very friendly and go the extra mile to get ya what you need.

 

this week monday bought B&M short shifter from Brandywine via ebay- good price + $12.50 shipping- paid immediately via pay pal-
get email saying they need minimum of $40 to ship item that they can't even ship to west coast for $12.50 much less to HI. Sent 4 emails questioning the shipping since the ebay offer showed set shipping price- offered to pay us postal rates but said $40 to ship this was too much.
No response to any of my 4 emails- started a pay pal dispute- said i wanted item shipped as shown on ebay or my $ refunded. no response to that either.
Thurday finally called Brandywine and spoke to Brian. His name was on email i received though he said he did not send me any email, didn't know anything about request for more $ and had not seen any of my email to them- said it must have been the parts guys who used his name.
He told me the short shift item was shipped -couldn't give me any numbers as shipping guy was out. i've not received anything yet- waiting to see if it will come early next week or if i need to call.
It is inexcusable that none of my emails to the parts folks from monday thruough thursday were responded to, the pay pal item was not responded to. I'll follow up on this next week- I hate this aggrevation over a small item.

 

i've had + experiences with brandywine too.. i would just blame the staff =P but thanks for the post!