Slightly OT: I told you it matters what you wear!
10-31-2001, 10:25 AM
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Slightly OT: I told you it matters what you wear!
(found on vwvortex) Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2001, San Jose Mercury News
Man claiming to be owner swipes Porsche from dealer
BY ANN E. MARIMOW
So this guy in a flashy suit walks into a car dealership and says he's there to pick up his $125,000 Porsche. He drives off in the dark gray, freshly washed beauty.
There's just one problem. The real owner of the car, the one who waited two years for his special order, shows up 20 minutes later.
This is no urban legend.
Palo Alto police on Tuesday were looking for a man who they say duped a local car dealership last weekend and drove off with a custom-ordered Porsche. The real owner arrived soon after to claim his car.
Carlsen Motor Cars received a phone call Friday night from a man inquiring about buying a Porsche 996 Turbo. The man, who called himself Steve, showed up Saturday morning at the dealership at 1730 Embarcadero Road.
Dressed in a gray business suit and holding out his handheld computing device, the man talked briefly with the sales clerk inside and then asked to look around the lot, police said.
The man walked into the detailing shop where an employee was washing a dark gray Porsche with souped up brakes, suspension and horsepower.
According to police detective Dana de la Rocha, the general manager had just told the detailer to finish washing the car because the customer who ordered it was on his way. So when the man told the detailer that the Porsche was his, the detailer turned over the keys.
``This guy just got lucky. He was in the right place at the right time,'' said general sales manager Ron Burton, who immediately knew the car had been stolen and called 911. ``The last time this happened was 20 years ago.''
The man was last seen heading north on Highway 101. The car had no license plates or dealer tags and still belonged to the dealership.
Sales Lesson No. 1: Always ask for identification when you let a $125,000 car off the lot.
Man claiming to be owner swipes Porsche from dealer
BY ANN E. MARIMOW
So this guy in a flashy suit walks into a car dealership and says he's there to pick up his $125,000 Porsche. He drives off in the dark gray, freshly washed beauty.
There's just one problem. The real owner of the car, the one who waited two years for his special order, shows up 20 minutes later.
This is no urban legend.
Palo Alto police on Tuesday were looking for a man who they say duped a local car dealership last weekend and drove off with a custom-ordered Porsche. The real owner arrived soon after to claim his car.
Carlsen Motor Cars received a phone call Friday night from a man inquiring about buying a Porsche 996 Turbo. The man, who called himself Steve, showed up Saturday morning at the dealership at 1730 Embarcadero Road.
Dressed in a gray business suit and holding out his handheld computing device, the man talked briefly with the sales clerk inside and then asked to look around the lot, police said.
The man walked into the detailing shop where an employee was washing a dark gray Porsche with souped up brakes, suspension and horsepower.
According to police detective Dana de la Rocha, the general manager had just told the detailer to finish washing the car because the customer who ordered it was on his way. So when the man told the detailer that the Porsche was his, the detailer turned over the keys.
``This guy just got lucky. He was in the right place at the right time,'' said general sales manager Ron Burton, who immediately knew the car had been stolen and called 911. ``The last time this happened was 20 years ago.''
The man was last seen heading north on Highway 101. The car had no license plates or dealer tags and still belonged to the dealership.
Sales Lesson No. 1: Always ask for identification when you let a $125,000 car off the lot.
10-31-2001, 11:48 AM
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Not always it doesn't!
I've been into my dealer to pick my car up after a service just before closing time when there's hardly anyone but the cleaners about, and found an envelope with my keys in on the service desk. I wasn't challenged when I wandered in wearing jeans and a t-shirt and just picked them up and walked out with them.
What's worse, is they wrote my name and registration number on the envelope in heavy black marker pen! Duuuuurrrrr!
Words were had, and now if I'm running late, my keys get left with the security guard who's told to ask for name and registration and some ID before releasing them.
What's worse, is they wrote my name and registration number on the envelope in heavy black marker pen! Duuuuurrrrr!
Words were had, and now if I'm running late, my keys get left with the security guard who's told to ask for name and registration and some ID before releasing them.
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