10% Non-Refundable Deposit for MY 2023 for an Allocation Reasonable?

[iSTATUS]

Hi All,

Question, my SA advised the dealer still has allocation for MY 23 Taycan now, however deliver will be btw 6-9mos depending on the heater part issue. He's asking for 10% Non-Refundable deposit to secure my allocation. Is that reasonable? Any thoughts?

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[mcdermottm]

FWIW, I was required to put a "10%" deposit down at my freeze date. It ended up being just being $10k instead of 10%. I never asked if it was refundable or not, though.

 

[Tooney]

I don't think it's reasonable. You are locked in but delivery of the car isn't?

 

[DerekS]

I've never been asked for more than $1500.

 

[tchavei]

I paid a $10k deposit on signing the contract with a promise of an allocation "soon". I don't think it was non-refundable since without an allocation... I mean... That would be a breach of the contract.

Luckily I got an allocation 2 weeks later.

 

[Torv]

Hi All,

Question, my SA advised the dealer still has allocation for MY 23 Taycan now, however deliver will be btw 6-9mos depending on the heater part issue. He's asking for 10% Non-Refundable deposit to secure my allocation. Is that reasonable? Any thoughts?

That's unconscionable! This dealer is behaving unethically and I would report them to Porsche North America in Atlanta. Run, do not walk away from these clowns.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Sounds totally bogus predatory dealer tactic.
Plue, makes no sense under current conditions for this kind of ask.
I would refer you to our super star on the forum @ssim whose SA is the real deal for any such info

My view is:
MY23 allocation is unlikely, but possible only because if someone is giving it away (I am in Indiana, but my dealer was able to get an allocation trade from Hawaii, but the dealer has to hustle for it on your behalf, as this will not happen on its own)
There is no such a thing as securing an allocation as they either have it or they do not
Per my SA the standard deposit down is $2,500 with a build code (change it all you want until lock date) that goes into dealer's PO (may need to be revised if you change your build)
Then when allocation is available then they assign the build code to it and then it is yours backed by the PO locking any prices, fees, discounts you agreed to

 

[Bill33525]

I don't know why any deposit is required as they can sell any car that gets to the showroom floor.
I did post a 2K deposit on a car that was already on the boat to Jacksonville, Fl.

 

[tchavei]

I don't know why any deposit is required as they can sell any car that gets to the showroom floor.
I did post a 2K deposit on a car that was already on the boat to Jacksonville, Fl.

No idea but I contacted every dealer in Portugal and every single one required the same 10k deposit to place a customer order request (placing an order request apparently gives the dealership higher chance of getting an allocation).

I mean, I kinda get it. What if I backed out right now when the car is pending delivery? Had a placed a €500 deposit, I could just walk away and the dealership would be stuck with a car built to my personal specifications. Not easy to sell of the lot.

 

[ssim]

Sounds totally bogus predatory dealer tactic.
Plue, makes no sense under current conditions for this kind of ask.
I would refer you to our super star on the forum @ssim whose SA is the real deal for any such info

My view is:
MY23 allocation is unlikely, but possible only because if someone is giving it away (I am in Indiana, but my dealer was able to get an allocation trade from Hawaii, but the dealer has to hustle for it on your behalf, as this will not happen on its own)
There is no such a thing as securing an allocation as they either have it or they do not
Per my SA the standard deposit down is $2,500 with a build code (change it all you want until lock date) that goes into dealer's PO (may need to be revised if you change your build)
Then when allocation is available then they assign the build code to it and then it is yours backed by the PO locking any prices, fees, discounts you agreed to

I think there are still some open MY23 slots…Porsche pushed some cars back. They’re likely at V210, so about to lock, but still have a little bit of wiggle room.

For deposits, $2.5-5k CC is normal. If you’ve bought many cars from a dealer, they may not even need a deposit. But a small CC deposit is fair. You should really only be paying a deposit once there’s an allocation for you (my SA doesn’t collect a deposit for order demands, which I think is awesome).

However, if you are building a heavy MSRP or ‘unique’ color combo, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d want $10-20k. I’m not a fan of large deposits, but in some cases, it makes sense.

For example, if you were to order a $120k CT4 from my SA, your deposit would be $2.5-5k. It’s technically non-refundable after the allocation locks, but if there are extenuating circumstances beyond “I just changed my mind,” he’ll likely refund it. Even if you change your mind, he’d likely refund.

If you order a $150k CT4, he may want a $20-25k deposit that’s non-refundable after lock, and I wouldn’t blame him. As the market is a little shaky, they need to be more careful…and getting stuck with a super loaded MSRP or unique color combo that would be hard to sell is not ideal. Sure, every car will eventually sell, but they may have to discount it to move the unit…and keeping the deposit would cover that.

At the moment, there’s someone who messaged me for CT4 who’s MSRP is $150k. I always run through builds with people to remove fluff, and I give the heads-up that their deposit might be larger than expected because of the build. If someone’s super committed to their build, the deposit is never really an issue.

My $0.02!

 

[gryphon99]

My deposit for a MY23 4s was $2500 on a car that MSRP was about $138,000. IMO $10k is absolutely absurd.

 

[n4ronin]

Hi All,

Question, my SA advised the dealer still has allocation for MY 23 Taycan now, however deliver will be btw 6-9mos depending on the heater part issue. He's asking for 10% Non-Refundable deposit to secure my allocation. Is that reasonable? Any thoughts?

Depends on the dealer and your configuration. I had one ask for 10K and another ask for 5K because I ordered a Frozen Blue. They said had I picked one of the standard colors it would have only been a 2,500 non refundable deposit. 10% is too much.

 

[Redhot2474]

I’m in the US and had to give a 10k no refundable deposit - I had ability to find someone to transfer to if needed - I think a non refundable deposit it standard for an allocation (not just holding a spot in line)

 

[Tucson_Jim]

My deposit was $5K non-refundable, but when the car was delayed by "heater-gate" until late October, they let me cancel and refunded my $$. While I bought a used Turbo instead, they gave me a good price on an extended warranty, so it all worked out.

 

[Farinas]

22 4s ordered nov. 2021 delivered in June 2022. 5k non refundable. 10 is a bit steep.

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