Port Installed Options???

[edsiajb]

OK...I know these Passats are built 12 miles northeast of Chattanooga TN, because I've been to the factory and seen it for myself. I live near Birmingham AL, and was shopping for a Passat this past weekend.

The dealers keep mentioning "Port Installed Options"...i.e. floor mats, real lid spoiler lip, etc. Now I'm no geography genius, but I haven't seen any ports between Chattanooga and Birmingham...heck, it's hardly any more than a two hour drive.

So where are these "Port Installed Options" actually installed? My guess is that the dealer actually installs them....

Sounds to me like a way to avoid the term "Dealer Installed"...so that folks won't ask the dealer to take those items off the car and off the invoice.....

 

[rmeyer23]

OK...I know these Passats are built 12 miles northeast of Chattanooga TN, because I've been to the factory and seen it for myself. I live near Birmingham AL, and was shopping for a Passat this past weekend.

The dealers keep mentioning "Port Installed Options"...i.e. floor mats, real lid spoiler lip, etc. Now I'm no geography genius, but I haven't seen any ports between Chattanooga and Birmingham...heck, it's hardly any more than a two hour drive.

So where are these "Port Installed Options" actually installed? My guess is that the dealer actually installs them....

Sounds to me like a way to avoid the term "Dealer Installed"...so that folks won't ask the dealer to take those items off the car and off the invoice.....

Port Installed Options is a holdover from when all foreign cars came over by boat. They have a 3rd party in Chattanooga that installs what you are correctly assuming are the previous "dealer installed options".

I do not know if it is still in effect, but in 4th quarter of last year, the Midwest Regions had a group of these Port Installed Options automatically installed on every Passat shipped into their region. My dealer told me that all cars coming to his dealership, whether as an order or for dealer stock, would have these installed. We had a battle over that one. (I am no fan of the rear lip spoiler.)

If you order a car from scratch, you can choose whether you want any of these Port Installed Options on your car. If you buy off of the lot, at least here in the Midwest, you may be stuck with them.

Ron m

 

[Papachristou]

(I am no fan of the rear lip spoiler.)

speak for yourself had one on my audi and love it! classy imo.

these are great money makers for the dealer. first off, they are already installed on the car so they cant be "removed". i looked at a passat dsg this weekend and they had the spoiler on it listed at $600! I told the salesman on the VW website the spoiler option is only $470. so they try to make a little extra cash on them.

 

[MyAvocation]

On the order pick sheets I saw around the same timeframe as Ron the lip spoiler was bundled with other items. I too grilled the dealer over stupid stuff like the $15 first aid kit. Do you see the word 'ambulance' on this car?

 

[rmeyer23]

On the order pick sheets I saw around the same timeframe as Ron the lip spoiler was bundled with other items. I too grilled the dealer over stupid stuff like the $15 first aid kit. Do you see the word 'ambulance' on this car?

I had one dealer tell me that he thought the SEL was priced too low. Port Installed Options; how to jack up the sale price of the car by adding some overpriced items.

Ron M

 

[Papachristou]

On the order pick sheets I saw around the same timeframe as Ron the lip spoiler was bundled with other items. I too grilled the dealer over stupid stuff like the $15 first aid kit. Do you see the word 'ambulance' on this car?

lmao, classic , the dealer that i talked to that had the spoiler priced at $600 had the floor mats for $280 i think and the first aid kit at $35. Floor mats on VW site are $235 i think? and im sure the spoiler was $470 or so.

I had one dealer tell me that he thought the SEL was priced too low. Port Installed Options; how to jack up the sale price of the car by adding some overpriced items.

Ron M

yeah, i think my company rents cars too cheaply but you cant argue with Corporate about pricing. yes, i think your definition of PIO is on wikipedia!