Man Tries To Buy Porsche. Then He Learns Another Customer Brided The Dealership For His Car: 'He Had The Final Say'

'If you are ever frustrated not being able to get the car you want...'

Porsche Dealership Never Had What Customers Wanted. Then The Sales Manager Got Sued

Photo by: thechristopherpearce & fotofotofoto

Steve Ecker

By: Steve Ecker

Feb 12, at 8:00am ET

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Luxury car buyers often spend months or even years tracking down rare models. It can lead some to wish there was a way to jump ahead in line. People in one southern state may have found a way.

But now a sales manager at a Porsche dealership in Charleston, South Carolina, has been accused of accepting bribes to sell exclusive vehicles to certain customers.

In a TikTok, Christopher Pearce (@thechristopherpearce) of Daily Car News reports on a court case involving a sales manager allegedly selling Porsches to customers in exchange for payouts.

Pearce’s video recently resurfaced when another account reposted it.

"Another scumbag dealership story. If you are ever frustrated not being able to get the cars you really want, it’s probably similar to what’s going down at this dealership in Charleston, South Carolina," Pearce begins.

The dealership in discussion is Porsche Charleston. This dealership is reportedly suing a former sales manager for allegedly accepting bribes from customers.

The sales manager being sued is James Marino. Marino was allegedly giving priority to customers in exchange for cash. Marino denies wrongdoing in the suit, which was originally filed in 2024. The case is still pending.

"According to the lawsuit, apparently he had the final say in determining who had the ability to buy these highly sought after Porsches. Allegedly the whole scandal started in 2022. That’s when started requiring buyers to pay him thousands of dollars under the table in order to get access to these exclusive cars," Pearce reports.

Why Is It So Hard To Get A Porsche?

Porsche is a highly desired car brand for enthusiasts. One of the most sought-after models is the Porsche 911.

HotCars reports there is a limited supply of the Porsche 911s in the US. Porsche is still dealing with COVID-19-related supply chain issues and generally produces limited quantities to maintain the vehicle’s exclusivity. Limited supply has led to price markups and potentially contributed to a decline in demand.

Motor1 previously reported that Porsche's global sales declined by 8% in the first quarter of 2025.

Another reason why it’s so difficult to buy some Porsches is that dealerships often prioritize customers with existing relationships with the business. Porsche enthusiasts have accepted this reality, but some still wonder why it’s so challenging to buy a Porsche.

"Pretty much every 911 is sold before it gets to the dealer. So you have to order or buy used," one person opined on Reddit.

"Porsche is now a relationship based sale for the rich kids. You want a 250K car, you better know someone," another complained on the same thread.

Due to the high demand, some buyers have started flipping the Porsche 911 S/T for profit. To combat this, Porsche is requiring buyers to lease the car for 12 months before gaining full ownership, Forbes reports.

Considering the challenges to land one of these fine-crafted vehicles, it makes some sense that people resort to extreme means of securing one.

People React To Alleged Porsche Bribery Case

The allegations against Marino, who denies wrongdoing, were met with some disapproval. Many blame the luxury market itself, though not everyone was bothered.

"You’re saying this story like you’re surprised. This is at all the high end dealerships. Definitely not a remote incident," one commented on Pearce's post.

Said another, "I don’t see the problem, money talks."

"I bet it was passed through to the dealer owners. Porsche needs to clean house," another opined on the reposted video. (The dealership is suing Marino.)

What do you think?

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"The dealership is the least of his issues; now the IRS might be looking into his unreported income," a second suggested.

Motor1 has contacted Pearce via email and Marino's counsel via its website and Facebook direct message. We’ve submitted an online contact request on Porsche Charleston's website. We’ll update this if any of them respond.

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