All:

I run into my fair share of unscrupulous companies in my journey through car buying and through the modding process. That's why I try my best to stick with the winners I've grown to trust. I've given props to those companies before, and make it a point to give props when service and expectations have been exceeded.

For those vendors & dealers that provide sub-par service, I tend to not broadcast my negative experiences. Mostly because I think one must expect a certain level of bad behavior and bad service as an undercurrent to this industry. Calling out every infraction would quickly become just a negative storm of unproductive chatter on the forums.

However, I do believe there are times that merit calling out a vendor or a dealer that has significantly wronged someone. The challenge here of course is that say, my bad experience may have been an isolated one. On the other hand, it may be a systemic problem with the vendor or dealer.

So I'll just lay out the facts as I see them in a recent transgression.

Company Name: Lujack's North Park Auto Plaza (or Lujack Porsche)
URL: www.lujack.com
Location: Davenport, Iowa

Key issues:
* Purchased my 997.2S a couple of weeks ago through them
* Lujack represented the car as in "excellent" condition, not a scratch or a blemish. Lujack represented the car as being in roadworthy condition, with no damage whatsoever and CPO ready
* I bought the car site unseen (as I do most of my cars) based on the representation -- though I usually do a PPI, this time I did not. I did, however, run a full CarFax, plus ran a check through another Porsche dealer for warranty claims, etc.
* Car was delivered to me last week on enclosed carry. Truck driver told me there was damage to rear wheel and tire that he noted prior to him taking delivery.
* The damage was significant to the tire -- at least 1/4" deep gash in sidewall of tire and major road rash on wheel in that area
* Called used car sales manager within minutes, and informed him of the situation. I told him I was taking my car to my local dealer for some mods the following week (today) and that I'd have the service manager there assess the safety of the tire and whether he thought the wheel could be repaired versus replaced. Lujack used car sale manager said he'd take car of the damages
* My service manager said wheel could be repaired to like new condition for only $135 (versus $1200 or so for a new wheel), but the gash in the tire was not able to be plugged and was a safety hazzard. So I sent this information via email to Lujack used car sales manager and he promptly informed me he'd only pay for the $135 repair to the wheel, and would decline the apx. $500 for tire replacement, mounting, and balancing.
* Lujack service manager would not budge from his position, and so I'm pursuing this matter further.

So those are the facts as I see them. Interpret what you will regarding this dealer. Maybe some or many people have had great experiences with them. I will never use them again, nor recommend them to anyone.

 

Sorry to hear the bad news! I hope things will work out for you.

 

It would be so nice to see trust , respect, integrity and professionalism as standard practice at all automotive dealerships. The sad reality is that it isn't the case and its for that reason that I usually insist that every inspection be performed on a used car and that the owner must see it in person ,must deal with the transport , and even then .. there's room for doubt .

Over time there are individuals within dealerships who consistently meet the bar of expectations of honesty . Those the the ones who build trust but even they face business obstacles that hinge on their management .

If the 500 bucks lost as well as the inconvenience is what it cost you .. it's bad .. but at least its not as financially catastrophic as had they sold you a disaster car sight unseen. Nonetheless --you have every right to feel disappointed .

I hope it works out so that this hiccup in your ownership experience is behind you with happier days ahead .

 

I think the internet and social networking movements are going to slowly have direct impact on businesses (and individuals) with less-than-honest behavior. This particular situation might have 'saved' the dealer $500, but when word gets out to their potential customer base such as these forums, it's safe to say that the short-term gain will be more than lost in terms of lost clients.

Sorry to hear about that, good luck in a more acceptable resolution.

 

Yes I agree. This forum is a very powerful marketing tool for the Porsche community. Targeted demographics can be just as effective on the con side of the process as the pro side. Having said that I wouldn't hesitate to get your pound of flesh by forwarding a copy of your post to the service manager and the general manager of Lujack Porsche. I would almost guarantee you'll get their attention on this matter.

 

I have a good friend that bought a high end computer component. At purchase he even paid extra for a premium service package since he would be using this for his business. Well, the component failed and took 4 terra-bytes of precious data with it. He called support and after two months of getting the run around he posted on twitter about his experience. He just told me yesterday that the CEO of said company left a message on his cell trying to rectify the situation.

The thing is, this negative review stays around and anyone looking to find info about that company can easily stumble upon it.

 

Agreed. Perhaps for some dealers (and vendors and other industries) they have not accepted, understood -- or both -- the power of online networking.

Just google: Lujack Experience -- seriously... give it a try. Oh, and click, so the Page Rank will reinforce the ranking If I were going to consider buying a car from Lujack, this would be one of the first Internet queries I'd make.

Now of course if Lujack makes amends, I'd post that exerience as well.

And it's also good to have attorney friends that owe you favors

I'll post the facts as they unfold.

Here is a cut-and-paste from my Google search for Lujack Experience. 2nd listing is . Oh, don't forget to click on the 6spd link -- it's ranked only 4th at the moment

1. Lujack Dealer Terrible Experience - Left Lane Life - The Ultimate ...
   
   All: I run into my fair share of unscrupulous companies in my journey.
   www.leftlanelife.com/.../6723-lujack-dealer-terrible-experience.html - 11 hours ago -
2. Lujack's Iowa Chevrolet Dealer | Davenport Used Cars
   
   So many consumers choose our dealership because Lujack's makes the car buying experience as pleasurable and pressure-free as possible. ...
   www.lujack.com/site/military_specials - Cached -
3. Used Cars Quad Cities | Lujack's | Used Car Dealers In Davenport, IA
   
   Here at Lujack's Northpark Auto Plaza everything we do is aimed at saving you time and money in order to give you the best experience possible. ...
   www.lujack.com/site/all_certified_vehicles - Cached - Similar -
   Show more results from www.lujack.com
4. Lujack Dealer Terrible Experience - 6speedonline.com Forums
   
   All: I run into my fair share of unscrupulous companies in my journey through car buying and through the modding process. That's why I try my best to.
   www.6speedonline.com/.../202858-lujack-dealer-terrible-experience.html - 11 hours ago -

 

taylorcoleman

I feel for you man!!! There is nothing like being taken for and I too had my share of it!! One to be exact! We live, we learn and then we move on!!! It's a shame the way some of these characters treat us!!! What trips me out is it's not about the money it's the principal of doing business and some of them i would never recommend to anyone!!! It's pretty obvious with all the cars you have been thru that money is not the factor here!!!! Hope they realize it and work it out unlike some out there!!!!

 

I understand your frustration. I went through a less then pleasant experience with a well known vendor just recently. No doubt that forums such as these opens peoples eyes.

I hope your situation gets resolved promptly!

 

Boo Hoo---you've had several PPIs done on cars bought in the past but YOU neglected to do so on this one and now you're pointing the ugly finger at the dealer ??

You don't want to hear this but it's your fault. By trying to save the $300 PPI cost you may now have eat the $500.

I think it's ridiculous members are blowing sunshine up yer *** to make you feel better about this when the reality is you could have prevented it.

I swear, some Porsche owners are the biggest ****ing whiners on the planet.

 

I wonder if the damage to the tire and wheel occurred from putting the car on the transport.

Did you get pictures of the car from the dealer before purchase and if so, are any of them of a high enough quality and show the tire/wheel in detail?

I know this is a bit of a moot point as the original post is more about a dealer backing up the products they sell, but I'm just curious.

 

One way to try to protect yourself in the future would be to put as much of the car as they allow, your AMEX. You easily would of been able to challenge that portion and won. Just a suggestion and got some air miles in the process.

This does not excuse the dealership in their misrepresentation of the car and most likely thinking they'd place blame on the transport company. What fools.

I'm sorry for the aggravation you went through. Buying a car should be fun!

 

most car dealers allow $500-1000 on credit card for the deposit only. if you did put any on credit card, certainly charge that back.

in this case, you have documentation from the shipper the car was damaged. you can easily file a small claim against the dealer. not really worth the $500 IMO though.

did they say why they won't replace the tire? seems strange if the damaged tire had plenty of thread.

if you replace only one tire, make sure the other side is not worn out much. you don't want unequally worn or model tires on the same axle.

 

I like your avatar.

 

The purpose of this thread was to:
* Inform the public about my terrible experience with Lujack with fact, not emotion
* Allow for others to share how they either experienced or mitigated such a situation

I never thought to put at least, say, a $2,000 deposit via my credit card which I could charge back if there was a dispute. In addition to a PPI (which I usually do), I'll be sure to add this to my pre-purchase plan.

Again, I don't know if this Lujack terrible experience was an isolated incident or not. I'm simply reporting what happened to me.