I was looking for a Porsche Boxter in a price range that didn't cause me to go into sticker shock. After an extensive internet search, I narrowed my choices down to five vehicles: Two in northern Virginia, two in Maryland, and one in Pennsylvania. I really wasn't in a hurry to purchase the vehicle (I was paying cash - no loan), so I had the luxury of taking my time on making a decision. The cars ranged in age from 1999 - 2005 and had price ranges from $9,000 - $14,500. Milage varied as well, with a high of 75,000 - 42,000. One of the northern Virginia cars was sold as my wife and I were ion our way to view it. What the salesman doesn't know is that if he'd returned my call from the day before, he'd probably have sold the car (another salesman sold the car instead) on a Friday rather than lose his commission on Saturday. Finally, I was left only with the Boxter offered for sale by Mannheim Imports in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I live in the Washington, DC, area so going there meant getting off work early and driving almost two hours to test drive a burgundy colored 2000 Boxter. Before I left the DC area, I called the dealership and spoke with Greg Martin. He promised to hold the car for me until I arrived. The Boxter was waiting for me in front of the dealership upon my arrival, and I was allowed to test drive the vehicle. Greg took me down a road that he believed would convince me just how well the Boxter handled, and he wasn't wrong. The car drove great, had no dents or scratches on it, and the interior was so clean I could have eaten off the floor. As soon as we returned to Mannheim Imports, I knew I'd found the car for me. Greg and I sat down and it took less than five minutes to reach a deal: in fact, the dealership agreed to my offer, asking only that I put down a $500 deposit in order to hold the auto until my return a few days later with a certified check. I was even told that Pennsylvania law prevented the dealership from keeping my deposit in the event I changed my mind and decided not to purchase the vehicle. How many salesmen would tell you that right off the bat? So, on Saturday, when my wife and I arrived with the check, the Boxter was waiting for me by the front door fully gassed and recently cleaned. In fact, it was so clean, it appeared to have been detailed. We spent no more than ten minutes at Manheim Imports and were on our way back to Washington. The car drove great and I was one happy camper.
But the story doesn't end there. I'd had the Boxter less than two weeks when the "Check Engine Light" came on while driving down the interstate. The problem was that two oxygen sensors failed and before I could even hope to have the vehicle pass the DC emissions test, those censors needed to be replaced.
I called Greg that day and informed him what had happened. He said he need to speak with his manager, Jeff, and that he'd get back to me. Now, we've all dealt with car dealers before, so hearing Greg say he'd call me back made me think, "sure, and the check's in the mail." But less than five minutes later, Greg called me back and the dealership agreed to pay for whatever it took to ensure the indicator light went off and the sensor problem was corrected. They even told me to find a local repair shop so that I wouldn't have to drive all the way back to Pennsylvania. I found a good independent repair shop and called Greg to tell him the costs of the repair. Greg asked me to hold while he spoke to Jeff, the manager. I was on hold less than a minute when Greg returned and said there would be no problem with the repair costs I quoted them. I immediately asked to speak to Jeff the manager and could not find enough adjectives to praise Greg's customer service, and Mannheim Import's overall professionalism in dealing with this auto from test drive to finalizing a deal to getting it repaired. To quote Jeff, he said, "We stand by the cars we sell."
I know there are past customers who went to Mannheim Imports and left unsatisfied. I've read some of those posts, and understand that something happened to them while there that left a sour taste in their mouths, But for me, going to Manheim Imports has been the easiest, most stress-free auto purchase I have ever had, and I highly recommend that if you're looking for a good deal, great customer service, and well-maintained cars, go to Mannheim Imports in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You won't regret it. read more