Ticked Off At Pcna

FredC · FredC's Garage

Just need to vent here, I'm finding it hard to swallow this one...I'm in the process of importing a 91 C4 into Canada from California. It's on the transporter as we speak. Canadian customs requires a letter of "non-recall" from Porsche. I call my local dealer who tells me to call PCNA. They put me on to customer service, what I need, according to them, is a "letter of compliance"... they check the VIN over the phone, tell me that there are no recalls, everything is fine and that they will be happy to send me this letter by fax, conditional to a $75.00usd fee, if I want it within three working days, they will be happy to comply for $100.00...go figure! It's a piece of paper!!! do you guys think this is reasonable??

poorsha · 02-17-2005, 06:38 AM

Wht will it cost to store the car on the US side of the border if you don't have everything in place when it arrives abd Canada Customs doesn't allow it into the country?

Grady Clay · 02-17-2005, 06:42 AM

“Mr. Dover, Mr. Ben Dover to a white courtesy phone please.”

You just have to pay, as distasteful as that is. It is like Wayne’s thread on shipping to Canada.

I don’t know what business model PCNA is using but it doesn’t seem to generate customer respect.

Best,
Grady

Tim Polzin · 02-17-2005, 06:45 AM

If it was one year older, you would not have needed the letter. Vehicles 15 years old or older you would also not need to have worried about converting the car to Canadian standards with things like DRL.

Oh well, too late now. Grin and bear it. At least the value of the Looney makes this worthwhile.

Good luck on your new Car. When do the pictures get posted?

Tim

charlesbahn · charlesbahn's Garage

I think they (PCNA) have become Cayennized....not that there's anything wrong with that.

yelcab1 · 02-17-2005, 07:03 AM

Fred,

This is a favor to you right?
It's $100 an hour to see an accountant, $250/hr to see an attorney. $5,000 to see the IRS.

So, someone at PCNA has to track the VIN down, generate a letter (and become liable for it now), and fax it to you, all in 1 hour of work.

That is fair.

FredC · FredC's Garage

OKyelcab1, now that you put it in this context, I am filling out the application as we speak, not that I'm amused, I've been a 911 guy for some 25 years now and whenever I am forced to go the dealer route, I feel somewhat typecast into an income level which I do not belong to...

Wavey · 02-17-2005, 08:09 AM

Bad form on their part IMO. This is a case where a tiny effort on their part could generate significant goodwill with a customer. I do little stuff for free all the time for my best customers, sometimes even for new customers. The loyalty and repeat business it generates is very valuable.

chrisp · 02-17-2005, 08:19 AM

I think you could be considered a potential customer (parts and service) but are you really a true customer (buying parts currently)? It's a 14 year old car.

You need the document and they are the only ones who can supply.

They are in the business of selling new cars and certified used cars.

I am making it very cut and dry but isn't that really how they need to make their business decisions?

mede8er · mede8er's Garage

After you get the fax make copies with the VIN number whited out and sell them on Ebay....should recoup your investment.....

Just KIDDING!!!!........

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

That would burn me as well - considering that they've demonstrated the ability to pull the info on the fly- getting this printed out isn't a labor intensive procedure. I can understand maybe $25 for an administration fee, but $100 for this is awfully chintzy of them.

What's worse is that the info is for federal compliance, not for vanity reasons.

rjp

hkspwrsche · 02-17-2005, 10:00 AM

Your local dealer may not be able to help you but, this has come up on a honda forum I visit (because of my other car) and the nearest US dealer might be able to generate a letter or print out verifing no outstanding recalls. It worked on an S2000 recently for someone. On the other hand they may not. Worth a try.
Good luck

89911 · 02-17-2005, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by yelcab1
Fred,

This is a favor to you right?
It's $100 an hour to see an accountant, $250/hr to see an attorney. $5,000 to see the IRS.

So, someone at PCNA has to track the VIN down, generate a letter (and become liable for it now), and fax it to you, all in 1 hour of work.

That is fair.

kind of. If you are a dues paying member and your asking the club to do something in return for your yearly membership, It's not too hard to think they may do this for you. Again, for a small fee.

Wavey · 02-17-2005, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisp
I think you could be considered a potential customer (parts and service) but are you really a true customer (buying parts currently)? It's a 14 year old car.

You need the document and they are the only ones who can supply.

They are in the business of selling new cars and certified used cars.

I am making it very cut and dry but isn't that really how they need to make their business decisions?

So they have him over a barrel. Does that mean they HAVE to charge him, just because they CAN?

They are in the business of selling new cars and certified used cars,
plus all the periferal things that make people want to do business with them, like having a decent waiting room at the service department, providing a courtesy shuttle or loaner, etc.

I don't think they NEED to charge him. The may want to do it, they can do it, but this seems a little greedy.

Someone correct me if my math is wrong, but look at it this way. Last year their net profit was 1 billion Euros. Let's just say it was USD (which makes my arguement weaker) - this $100 fee represents .000000001%. Hardly gonna kill them, even if they get hundreds of request like this a year, which I doubt. Porsche looses more washers down the assembly room drain than that every hour.

This is like the $1860 invoice we got from our attorney last year, which had an additional 67 cents added on for copies and postage. Give me a break.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

15 years....model year or build date? Have you tried THAT dodge?

divezic · divezic's Garage

US DOT laws determine the age of a car by model year number and don't differentiate by build date.

I would think Canadian laws are similar.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Well..SOME states register vehicles on the year they were sold....so left overs can become a year newer.....

creaturecat · 02-17-2005, 05:19 PM

must be quite a profit margin with the "certificate of authenticity" as well.

Driver Ed · Driver Ed's Garage

Fred: Have you ever seen such a letter? More to the point, have the customs officers?

Seriously, though that's kind of a pain. I'm going to be in Ottowa next week, but alas I'll be flying there...

Jim Garfield · 02-17-2005, 06:16 PM

I got a letter of compliance from them about 4 years ago for a car that I was bringing from Canada to the US. PCNA were very helpful and and there was no charge for the letter which, believe me, you will need at the border.

If they are now charging $100 for this service....WHAT ARE THEY THINKING???
Have they heard of public relations? Don't they realize that the sour taste that this leaves will come back to haunt them? Seems petty, small minded, and short sighted to me.