| Author | Message | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 401 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hey Marc! Excellent - CONGRATULATIONS! Your car looks stunning. I look forward to chewing the fat with you in the UK. MARK | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 672 Registered: 12-2002 |
Marc, I know that feeling! The same thing happened to me. Don't you love it!! congratulations on your new car. Ton | ||
| Marc Hartog (Hedge)
New member Username: Hedge Post Number: 42 Registered: 6-2003 |
The drive home was awesome! Only made better when I stopped at a bar in Germany to ask for directions and a really helpful guy came out to point the way..on looking at the car he said 'is that your car? sheeet!'..when we turned around and drove past, everyone who had been in the bar was outside looking! They didn't used to do that to my BMW! What a car! | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 374 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Marc, Wonderful news that we have another 328 joining the gang here. Congratulations! My wife is already in Hertfordshire and I will be there within the next few months. Race up the A1? You've got to be crazy - with the number of German-made speed cameras I spotted there last weekend, there's no way I'll be racing anyone on the A1  It's a year since I got my car and so I know how you feel. Enjoy the drive back home - it will be an experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life! See you in Hertfordshire. MARK | ||
| Marc Hartog (Hedge)
New member Username: Hedge Post Number: 37 Registered: 6-2003 |
Sirs, I hope to be posting a less blue story about an equally red car about this time next week. I have agreed to purchase my first Ferrari, a red/black 328 GTS, which I am flying over to Singen to collect and drive home next Tuesday. Very excited of course - this has been a dream for, erm, ever. I am taking my Dad with me and we are going to have a leisurely road trip home - a bit of quality time which I am looking forward to. I have been posting on http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/174013/304880.html?1061309262 about my new car if you are interested. Marc, If you ever head back this way, I live in Hertfordshire. Race you up the A1? All the best, Marc | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 355 Registered: 10-2002 |
Gentlemen! I apologise for having kept such a low profile over the past weeks. It's been an incredibly busy and stressful time for my wife and I, both professionally and personally. To cut a long story short: * We both resigned our current jobs * We have both found new jobs in another country! * We have found successors to fill the jobs we are vacating. * My wife has already started working in the new country * We are looking for a home there. * We drove the 328 on a wonderful 18 hour trip to the new country last weekend. * This is my last month in this job - and then I take three months off to "chill out". * My new job starts on January 1, 2004. So....my wife and I are currently living apart, and my Ferrari is far away in a different country!  Debra is flying in to spend the weekend with me, and we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of our first date on September 7. So it will be impossible for me to be at the N�rburgring on Sunday. I would love to, but our (long distance) relationship is more important at this stage! I can't believe all the activity on F-Chat! It seems that as the end of summer approaches, members are spending more time indoors! The bull*** at http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/132929/304631.html?1061948524 is just unbelievable. Wahnsinn...as we say in Africa! More details of the changes in our lives, improvements to our car and the good driving we've had in due course. It's good to be back!!  MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 302 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Stephen, Thanks for getting in touch. I am currently on the search for a new place, probably in Hertfordshire, and am a bit of a nomad at the moment! Once I'm settled it would be good to meet with like-minded individuals like yourself as I know no one with a Ferrari, bar the friends I've developed here in cyber space! So thanks for the lead and let's keep in touch, Rubber side down! MARK | ||
| stephen winter (355f)
New member Username: 355f Post Number: 2 Registered: 6-2003 |
hi there very sorry to hear about all the problems you have expereinced. Im not sure where you live but if you care to contact AUTOTECH 01242 820821 they have done several very good jobs for me and have been working on F cars for about 20 years regards stephen | ||
| Mark Collins (Markcollins)
Junior Member Username: Markcollins Post Number: 241 Registered: 7-2002 |
Mark that is terrible about your car, not sure why I hadn't read the Thread before. I wondered with the problems whether perhaps somebody had tried to steal the car from the dealer, ie problems with locks, torn rubber around the door, what appears like accident damage? | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 292 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Everyone, Long time no chat - it's been just TOO busy at this end...and I though summer's were for relaxing! In half an hour I leave for South Africa where I'll befor the whole of next week. See you all on the 16th! Regards, MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 227 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Wolfgang, Debra & I returned from our week in Spain last night and, after 2,000 km in a rented Renault Clio, it's good to get back to FerrariChat! We did not see a single F-car in Espana. This morning I find myself in the Lufthansa Business Lounge at Frankfurt Airport en route to Nigeria where I'll be spending the week. I thought I'd use this "free time" to catch up on some correspondence. I scanned the 150 e-mails in my in-box last night and don't think I've received anything from your connections at Ferrari. Have you perhaps heard from them since we last spoke? Thanks mate - speak with you soon (also regarding dates for Fehr), MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 163 Registered: 10-2002 |
Will do Amar, MARK | ||
| Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member Username: Amar360 Post Number: 172 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mark, What do you mean by TAME mortgage consultant?! My mortgage broker has found some great deals for me; his fees are quite high but worth the eventual savings and avoidance of hassle in my opinion. Let me know by email ([email protected]) what you're looking for. Regards, Amar | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 159 Registered: 10-2002 |
How about Stevenage guys? Have not been there yet....what's it like? MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 152 Registered: 10-2002 |
Wolfgang, That's great! I will be in a meeting for a couple of hours from 14h00, and later in the afternoon will have to go and collect my motorcycle from my local BMW dealer. I took it for a service this moring. Nevertheless, I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 151 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Guys, We had a busy weekend! Mostly around Harpenden, St Albans and Redbourne. Saw some nice places, but very few that met all our criteria. For me three things are important - double garage (guess why ), a fairly large 3rd or 4th room that I can use as a study, and a broadband internet connection. Being on a direct commuter line into London is also a major consideration. The most difficult criteria to meet was the double garage (within our price range). Those houses that we did see with doubles, lacked any sense of design, flair or character! The one that we are considering is still being built (across the road from a golf course) and will be absolutely gorgeous...but it only has a single garage . We were discussing the place again tonight - at THAT price we brobably won't go for it. Interesting - we went back to take a second look at two new developments that we viewed 3-4 weeks ago. In both instances prices had DROPPED by about GBP 50k!! My God - that would buy me a nice red car!! I wonder if the market really has turned...and if we should wait a few more weeks for further cuts?? I have been scanning prices beyond Herts...and one can clearly get more for less. But am I prepared for a longer commute?! Tough call! May have to get myself a BMW C1 - http://www.bmw.co.uk/c1/ and drag my reputation through the mud! The quest continues... By the way, does anyone out there know a tame mortgage consultant that I could speak with? MARK | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 387 Registered: 12-2002 |
Mark, Are you back home again? How was your trip? Did you find anything interesting? Ton | ||
| Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member Username: Amar360 Post Number: 171 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mark, How was the weekend in Herts? Did you find a nice home? See you soon in London... | ||
| Wolfgang Eistert (53345)
Junior Member Username: 53345 Post Number: 104 Registered: 3-2003 |
Mark, the meeting is tomorrow, Thursday.10 April at 10:30 a.m. till 13:00 p.m. Ferrari Headquarter Germany, Wiesbaden. I will call you during the meeting over mobil. Stay in touch and....  Wolfgang | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 147 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Wolfgang, Have a good meeting on Wednesday - I look forward to speaking with you later in the day. Cheers, MARK | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 384 Registered: 12-2002 |
Mark, In that case put your bags down and settle. Ton | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 144 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Everyone from the great metropolis of Dunstable! . Today's house hunting expedition was tiring, and the highlight was spotting two Ferraris at different times of the day. At lunch time in Harpenden we first saw a 348 and later in the day a 355. The last time we were here we drove behind a 360....I like this place! Cheers, MARK | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 380 Registered: 12-2002 |
Mark, Good hunting! I hope that you find what you are looking for. I also find it amazing to experience the coherency of this growing European group. It is very nice that everybody wants to put so much effort in this chatsite. It adds extra value to the already unbelievable Ferrari owning experience. Ton | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 143 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Amar & Craig, I have been registered on this list since October last year and clearly should have become active on it a lot sooner than I did. Not knowing another Ferrari owner, I have had no network to call on for help or guidance and threfore appreciate all the advice and offers of help that I have received since starting this thread last night. Thanks a 1,000 times everyone...I have a feeling that with all of your support & help this sad affair will soon be put to rest. I will be house hunting in Hertfordshire again this weekend. I'll keep my eyes open for all of you out there enjoying the spring sunshine!  Regards, MARK | ||
| Craig Williams (Craigw)
Junior Member Username: Craigw Post Number: 101 Registered: 4-2002 |
Mark, I have just read your story with continuing horror. This is truly terrible and you cannot allow this dealer to get away with this. It is a real shame that this has marred what should have been an amazing experience, I'm quite certain that the remainder of your Ferrari owning experience will be fantastic. In terms of bodywork repairs, QV Ferrari in Ascot near london have a very good bodyshop. 01344 622 011 | ||
| Amar Inam (Amar360)
Junior Member Username: Amar360 Post Number: 166 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mark, I am horrified and sad the dealer so miserably spoilt what should have been one of your happiest experiences. Contacting Ferrari Germany makes sense, and if it doesn't work let me know - I have a friend at Ferrari (whom Jens also met in Maranello) whom you could speak with if Ferrari Germany or the dealer refuse to do anything. Good luck, Amar | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 379 Registered: 12-2002 |
Mark, Thanks for your email. I hope that it will work out for you. Ton | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 142 Registered: 10-2002 |
I've just spoken with Wolfgang on the phone - this list is just the best! MARK | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 141 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Guys, Thanks for your support. Yes, the dealer is "official" and has a high profile in the German market. I will reply to you all offline. Regards, MARK | ||
| Ton Visser (Lion315)
Member Username: Lion315 Post Number: 378 Registered: 12-2002 |
Mark, This really sucks! 1. get a good lawyer and sue them for the repaircosts. 2. contact Ferrari Germany (or even Ferrari Italia) and explain the problem. Ton | ||
| Wolfgang Eistert (53345)
Junior Member Username: 53345 Post Number: 100 Registered: 3-2003 |
Mark, wow, what a horrible story. I`m shamed that it happened in Germany. Very important questions: Is this a offical Ferrari dealer here in Germany? The reason I`m serious asking you is: I`m inveted on Thursday (10.April) next week at Ferrari Wiesbaden, Germany Headquarter for an interview with Piedro Innocenti and it would be a honour & pleasure for me to help you with some good contacts. Please just drop me a privat mail and I will do my very, very best to hlep you. Wolfgang | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
Member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 460 Registered: 9-2001 |
Mark, This is an absolutely unacceptable behavior of the Dealer! If they should be an official Ferrari Dealer I would immediately report to Ferrari Deutschland. It�s a total joke IMO! Makes me really angry cause the damage will cost you a huge amount of money to repair (Repair, repaint etc. not to mention the costs for a whole new front spoiler)! Definitely try to sue the dealer! You got witnesses for before and after condition. Should be enough to kick them in their fat ass! Sorry that everything happened in Germany Still enjoy the car now and try to forget the anger as soon as possible! Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens Haller | ||
| Mark Pautz (Malfark)
Junior Member Username: Malfark Post Number: 138 Registered: 10-2002 |
Ton�s report on the purchase of his car (http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/174013/206814.html?1048458917) has inspired me to write something about my car. Yes � �the adventure has started�, but it�s not all been plain sailing� August 31, 2002 was a special day for me. All my life I have wanted to own a Ferrari and, at age 41, I was finally fulfilling my dream. After a long search I had tracked down a beautiful 328 GTS in excellent condition. The car was presented to me by a Danish-based company and the seller was based in a village in Germany. At the time I was working on an assignment in Eastern Europe. As Germany was within easy driving distance, my wife and I arranged to meet the broker and the seller on the morning of Saturday, August 31 in the owner�s village, where the car was garaged. We found his house without too much difficulty and were excited to find the car in immaculate condition. It was a two-owner 1986 model, originally registered in France and with only 23,371 on the clock. The car was registered to the seller�s company in Germany, and he had acquired the it 10 years earlier after it had returned from a short stay in the USA. For about the last seven years the car had been on red �dealer plates�, had only been driven once a month in the summer, and had been carefully looked after in the seller�s garage. He had a full service record and log-book for the car and indicated to me that it had never been driven in the rain. As a long-time Italian car owner, I studied the car in the finest detail and can assure you that the body-work was perfect. In fact, the broker confided in me that it was one of the best 328�s he had seen in a long time. I agreed that the car was in superb condition and the body certainly needed no attention, bar a few chips (mostly to the edges of the doors and wheel arches) that were perfectly normal for a car of 16 years old. The car still had its original paint job and was only on its second set of tyres. Unfortunately due to insurance complications, I could not test drive the car personally, but did enjoy a long ride as a passenger. The test drive confirmed my expectations � the car was mechanically sound and, although the engine was dusty (from years in a garage), it started from cold without hesitation. It sounded superb � there was an aggression in the motor's bark that was best heard around 6,000 RPM where it assaulted my eardrums with a blissful, pumped-up bellow. The last major service was just under 2,000 km ago at which time the cam belt was also changed. The tyres were 7 years old and, although still with good tread, would clearly need replacing. As mentioned above, the car had never been driven in the rain or in the winter. There was no rust and the alloy rims were unscuffed, bar normal wear. My wife and I were both ecstatic and, after a brief negotiation, agreed on a price, paid a cash deposit and signed an Order Confirmation signalling our intent to buy the car. The only grey area was licensing and registration. As the car was on temporary plates I could not drive it away and the broker and I agreed to leave the car safely in the seller�s garage until we had determined where and how to register the car. Since neither of us were German citizens or residents, this would require some additional research. Here is a photo of the car that I took outside the owner�s house on the afternoon of August 31, 2002:  Over the course of the next two to three weeks, the broker and I came to the conclusion that it may be possible to license the car in Germany. However, before we could really do anything, I needed to get it registered. I know almost nothing about car legislation in Germany, but understood that as the Ferrari had been on temporary plates for seven years, it would need to undergo a �TüV / Vollgutachten�. This was apparently a more thorough process than the regular technical certificate (a.k.a. MOT), but I was happy with that as I would then be 100% certain that there was nothing mechanically wrong with my new 328 GTS. The car would also receive a new �Fahrzeugbrief� which would be the first step towards getting the car licensed. One of the broker�s associates suggested that Dealer X in Germany (name will go unmentioned for reasons that will become apparent) would be the best and most convenient place to do the �TüV / Vollgutachten�. As a friend of mine in Germany confirmed that Dealer X was a reputable dealer, and one of the �best in Germany�, I was comfortable for the car to go there. My broker established contact with the Sales Director at Dealer X who agreed to take my car. I phoned the Sales Director and (although my German is as poor as his English) we arranged that I would bring the car in for the �TüV / Vollgutachten� on Friday, September 20, 2002. I will not bore you with the practical difficulties and the logistics involved in getting the car to Dealer X on September 20, but it proved far more complex than I had imagined. Not only was it pouring with rain, but I had the incorrect address and the seller and I ended up at the wrong branch of Dealer X. By the time we got directions to the right place, the rain was bucketing down and my heart had really sunk. After a quick fuel stop the seller and I headed to our meeting with the Sales Director, arriving there before closing time. The seller parked the Ferrari in the parking lot next to Dealer X�s workshops and we went inside to meet with the Sales Director. He was welcoming, took the car�s keys and made small-talk with the seller and myself. He indicated that I would not be able to get my car back within the week as the service department was busy and that the �TüV / Vollgutachten� would take some time. We exchanged business cards and agreed that we would keep in touch to monitor progress. The seller and I left the Sales Manager and went to take one final look at the Ferrari. It was the last time that the seller would see his car of 10 years, and I just wanted to look at the beautiful lines one more time. Although the 328 was wet, it was perfect and it was mine. The Seller and I drove back to his village in my wife�s car where we has a meal and a beer and said our farewells. He was relocating to Italy that week and as this was his last available weekend, we were both glad that we had moved the car to the safe environment of Dealer X. I spent the weekend of September 21-22 with friends in Germany. Two of them drove back to Eastern Europe with me on Sunday, September 22 and they asked me whether we could stop at Dealer X on our way out of the city so that they could take a look at my new car. As it was on our route, I obliged, but was shocked to find that although my car had been moved, it was still standing outside in the rain. If I understood correctly, the Sales Manager had promised that the car would be parked safely under cover while it was with Dealer X. Nevertheless, the car was still immaculate (as we had left it there on Friday) and I took another 11 pictures of it for my files. Here is one of the photos of the car taken where we found the car parked on September 22:  The fact that my car had spent the weekend in the rain was not the only disappointment for me. Although the Sales Manager knew that the car was not insured (I could not insure it without registration papers) and did not have an immobiliser, he still elected to leave it outdoors in a relatively quiet part of town. This was very disturbing. Back home my research into the registration process continued. I had spoken with the Sales Manager through the week and understood that work had not yet commenced on my car. However, he did indicate that the Ferrari would need two new rear tyres and (that together with the �TüV / Vollgutachten�) the full cost would amount to approximately EUR 1,000 plus 16% tax. By Friday, September 27, 2002 I had taken professional advice on the registration process and it became apparent to me that it would be impossible for me (as a non-resident foreigner) to register and license the car in Germany. In light of this there was absolutely no reason for me to continue with the �TüV / Vollgutachten� � I would not be registering the car in German and would not need a German technical certificate. In order to ensure that there was no misunderstanding, I asked my friend in Germany (the same guy who had also been with me on both August 31 and September 20) to call the Sales Director to explain the situation and to cancel both the �TüV / Vollgutachten� as well as the tyres. My friend spoke with the Sales Director and agreed with him that: � all work on the car would be cancelled � I would move the car from Dealer X as soon as I had come up with an alternative to registering the car in Germany and � the car would be kept safely under cover until I finally collected it. I communicated all of the above to my broker who I also asked to contact the Sales Director to confirm the arrangements (i.e. the broker is also fluent in German). The following three weeks were very intense for me: � September 27 � October 4 I researched the possibility of registering the car in Eastern Europe. I took the professional advice of tax lawyer who deals exclusively with cross-border issues. She informed me that had the car been 8 year old (or younger) or 20 years old (or older), I would have had no problem registering it in Eastern Europe. However, as the car was 16 years old, it fell in-between and it would therefore be impossible to register the car. � October 4 � October 11 My final option was to transport the Ferrari to my UK address and to register it there. I was initially reluctant to do this due to the high transport costs and the difficulty with trying to arrange things from Eastern Europe, but at this stage had no option. During this week I got all the necessary registration documents, arranged insurance, ordered tyres, booked a MOT test and organised for an immobiliser to be fitted. I also spoke with a number of transport companies about moving the car from Germany to the UK. � October 11 � October 18 I finally found a British trucking company that would be able to collect the Ferrari from Dealer X � the soonest that the trucking company could do it was October 17, 2002. I contacted the Sales Manager on October 16 informing him that the trucking company would be at his premises on either the 16th or 17th to load the car and take it to the UK. When the Sales Manager did not answer my e-mail, I eventually managed to get hold of him on the phone. He said that the trucking company should not collect the car on the 16th and should only come to Dealer X after 12h00 on the 17th. There was no explanation for this strange request. I expected that, as a dealer working regular office hours, any time during the course of the business day would have been acceptable! I also asked the Sales Manager how much I owed him for services rendered (i.e. safe storage of the car from September 20) and he indicated EUR 100 would cover his costs. As I was not in Germany, I offered to provide him with my credit card number, but this was not acceptable to him; he wanted payment in cash. Accordingly I contacted the trucking company and arranged with them that: - they would only collect the car on the 18th as requested by the Sales Manager (they were not happy with this as their driver would have to spend an additional night in Germany waiting to go to Dealer X) and - their driver would pay the Sales Manager the EUR 100 I owed him and add it to my invoice. The only concern they had was whether their driver would be carrying enough cash or not. So, after three exceptionally busy weeks, it seemed that everything was finally on track and I would eventually be able to drive my car. Unfortunately it was at this stage that things started to go from bad to worse. At about lunch time on Friday, October 18, 2002 I received a call from the owner of the trucking company in the UK. He indicated that (after having had to wait for the morning outside Dealer X) his driver had been granted access to my car, and that it was not in the condition he had expected. The most serious concerns that he had was that the car had a dent in the passenger-sides front wing and that the front bumper was cracked. Suffice it to say I was absolutely shocked as the car was not in this state when I left it at Dealer X on September 20, 2002. I received a faxed copy of the driver�s International Consignment Note that contained (inter alia) the following comments: 1. Front bumper badly scratched 2. Very bad dent in passenger�s front wing 3. Cracked front bumper 4. Had trouble unlocking door 5. Driver�s side would not unlock I also got the driver�s mobile phone number and gave him a call outside Dealer X. He explained to me that when he met the Sales Manager the first problem had been that he did not have the EUR 100 in cash and the Sales Manager was not keen to charge the amount to a credit card. However, he eventually agreed to this and the driver charged the EUR 100 to his personal credit card. The next issue was the state of the car. The driver said to me that it was clear to him that my car had been standing outside, exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. It was wet, dirty and covered in leaves. I was livid as the Sales Manager had committed to keeping the car under cover, but it had clearly spent the month outdoors. Thirdly, the driver informed me that the Sales Manager was refusing to sign the International Consignment Note saying that the car was in the same condition it was when delivered to Dealer X on September 20, and that no damage had been caused to the car while it had been in the care of Dealer X. The driver was not prepared to load the car onto the back o his truck until someone acknowledged the condition the car was in prior to loading. It would be an understatement to say that I was angry. Between my phone calls to the trucking company in the UK and their driver I had sent the Sales Manager an urgent e-mail asking him to contact me and clarify the situation. I followed this up with a phone call. He explained to me that, from his perspective, there was nothing wrong with the car and that the driver was over-reacting. When I questioned him about the dent in the passenger-side front wing and the cracked bumper, he underplayed the situation, implying that the driver was being excessively critical and that there was nothing wrong with my Ferrari. I called the driver once again and asked him from all his years of experience of transporting classic and exotic cars, how he would rate the damage that he saw to the car. He told me that the dent was three to four fingers long and that the paint was scraped down to bare metal. He said that the damage was �pretty serious for a Ferrari�. This was a difficult situation for me. It sounded to me as if the car had been damaged while in the care of Dealer X, but the representative of that company was denying this and refusing to sign a damage report. The driver told me that the Sales Manager had said that he was not going to sign the International Consignment Note as no vehicle check list had been completed when the Ferrari was left with Dealer X on September 20. This astounded me � surely the onus was on the Sales Manager (and not on me as the customer) to ensure that this formality was completed when the car was entrusted to Dealer X! The situation was further complicated by the fact that the driver would not load the car onto his truck unless he (and the trucking company) were indemnified from all pre-existing damage. In light of this I drafted a note that I sent to the owner in the UK indemnifying is company and indicating that if I had any claims, I would pursue them with Dealer X. Once I had sent this memo to the UK, the driver loaded my car onto his truck and left Dealer X without the Sales Manager acknowledging the company�s accountability for the damage caused to my car. When my car eventually arrived in the UK on October 23, 2002, I was waiting to meet it. When the car was driven off of the back of the truck I immediately confirmed what the driver had told me � the car had been damaged while in the care of Dealer X. The photo below was taken on October 23 and shows both the dent in the front-right wing and the crack in the spoiler that must have been caused in the same incident (circled in white):  The two close-up photographs below were also taken on the 23rd and one can clearly see from the dent that the damage was new � the paint is still flaking from the dent and the metal of the body work is starting to tarnish from exposure to the rain:  When the front-right wing was knocked, the integrated bumper and spoiled were also scraped and this resulted in a hairline crack in the fibreglass of the spoiler that was not there when I bought the car.  On closer inspection I found more new damage to the car! As the car had been standing outside in the rain for a month, both door lock had started to stick. Opening the doors proved challenging (but this was soon rectified with some lubrication). The long, one-piece door & roof seal had been torn on the driver�s side, and has a chunk taken out of it. I found the freshly torn piece behind the driver�s seat. Likewise with the rubber seal in the engine cover � I guess someone must have been leaning over the engine with his hands on the seal, and this had torn it from its beading.  The first time that I drove my Ferrari was in England. Unfortunately some unknown and faceless individual had stolen this small pleasure from me by seriously damaging my car while it was out of my control in a different country. What was supposed to have been the high point of a 41 year wait became one of the most depressing days of my life. As a Psychologist, I was aware of myself going through all the classic phases of grieving - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and (finally) acceptance. Although I now accept the damage as being a fact of life, I am not prepared to �forgive and forget�. My car was damaged while in the care of Dealer X and I would hope that (as one of the premier dealer of exotic and classic cars in Germany), Dealer X will one day accept accountability for the damage. OK � so that�s my tale of triumph and tragedy. Before packing my new car away for the winter I had the MOT done, fitted new tyres, had a Thatcham approved immobiliser installed, went through the registration process, had new number plates made and fitted, insured the car and did some of the best motoring in my life! The damage is a thorn in my side but, my God, the car remains beautiful�absolutely beautiful!     I have not had the damage repaired yet and will probably wait till the summer (if we have one in the UK this year ) so that I can personally monitor the work being done. In the interim, I would be happy to take advice on where I should have the work done, and what I can expect to pay for the repair. Regards, MARK |