Newport European Motorcars Ltd

I'm not taking any sides and I understand you are upset but these modifications that you are talking about.... Were they obvious changes and/or were they documented changes that you are sure Newport knew about? If it was just a change in the seat padding it sounds like, I would think that it would have been hard for them to know about it unless someone drove that car from Newport for some time that was experienced with the cars and knew how the seat should have been.

Granted they sound like they might be handling things the wrong way. The remarks that they have made are totally uncalled for.

 

I am David Boggess, the guy with the problem with Newport European.

Any discussion about me making other excuses for returning the car is a compltete fabrication, and there is clear written proof of this. This has been typical of Newport European's misinformation tactics. I never, ever, used any other excuse to return the vehicle. This is a documented fact in a series of emails from the beginning. From day two of owning the car I complained about the seats, and it's always been about the seats, never anything else. It's true I didn't know what was wrong with the seats in the first few days, but I was sending photos of the seats with measurements showing they were off within days of delivery. At first I thought the seat size was small or medium, and I had made it very, very clear before I bought the car that I didn't want anyhting but a large seat, especially with a "sport" seat. All that changed was that I found out that the seats had been altered and not the wrong size from the factory.

As far as the seats being a "minor" change, Ferrari of Orange County has made it clear on their invoice (see my website) that the seats have to be replaced to be brought back to factory OEM specs. Remember, the seats were altered to fit a guy who claims to have had 180 surgeries to his leg, safe to say his anatomy probably isn't what Ferrari was thinking of supporting when they designed the seat. This a Stradale, not a touring car. Proper and safe support is paramount for the suspension on this car, especially for the track work this car was designed for.

Newport European's handling of my situation has been disgusting. Look at the website for yourself before you listen to propaganda. I have posted Newport European's own emails, Ferrari's invoice, and the letter from the American Arbitration Association. I think it's pretty damn tuff to defend their stance.

http://www.bewareofnewportdeserteuropean.com/

Thanks,
David
Anyone with questions, call (949) 244-8690 and I'll answer everything.

 

I'll take a side in this-

**** happens. Go buy some new Sparco seats and drive the car. Tell the next buyer the situation and throw them into the deal (he'll probably be thrilled that they're in great condition).

I really think a jury or judge will be less than sympathetic in awarding a $200k Ferrari owner a settlement because his seats were "uncomfortable". Until that day- you're not driving the car, life is still too short, and your attorney isn't working this case pro bono.

 

Look at it this way. At least your seat did not have a dead drug dealer sitting in for three days, like someones Lamborghini.

Oh, and the website thing....that show's what a child you are.

 

Wayne, although I think I have safely proven to Chase it's not buyers remorse, you're probably right. Chase does need to know what their dealer has done however, and there are things they can do to help without cancelling the contract. I have no intentions of sueing Chase and never have, just pressure to help with something while we go to court. I will always hold up my end of the contract with Chase despite what Newport European has done contractually.

Chris, Newport European told me I was buying a Stradale with factory seats and that's what I should get. I agree life is too short for this, but sometimes stuff happens and you have to stand your ground. I'm not worried about going to court over this.

MrScarface, you're right also, it could be a lot worse. It may sound corny to you, but that website may save somebody else from the nonsense I am dealing with. If it helps just one person, it was worth it. Otherwise why would we be reading messages on this chat?

Thanks,
David

 

This whole issue is about not being comfortable in the seats? Not at all a reason to have the dealer buy the car back.
Get some new seats that meet your needs, and drive the car.

 

from the data shared here, it sounds like this situation escalated unnecessarily.

replacing the driver's seat temporarily with some used sparco and then replacing it with a new seat when it came in from italy wouldn't cost all that much (net-net).

demanding that they assume the payments is iffier, since it sounds like the buyer has had a hand in the delays (via escalation).

it seems to me that as soon as the seat was identified as problematic, it could have been replaced within 48 hours (72 at the outside) with something non-standard, relatively inexpensive, and temporary --- but wholly functional.

what does a new CS seat cost? four figures?

doody.

 

what an awful story. Thanks for posting it. And i hope that you get some resolution

 

I would recogmend that you also contact the FTC in Washington, DC. How I see it, you purchased that CS from a pretty reputable dealership. They should work a little harder to make sure you are satisfied with your purchase. It wasn't like the problem was obvious(wheels,wings,etc). Inorder for you to determine that there was a problem, you had to drive it for a period of time. Therefore, you had to make a purchase. You did what was right, now they should stand behind what they sell.

 

Should this go to court, you will likely have to show that you tried to mitigate damages. Asking for a 50,000$ discount because of a seat problem, on a 200,000$ car, seems unreasonable...

The dealership should, in my opinion, credit you for the price of a correct seat (?10,000 - an absolutely insane price, BTW), and give you a temporary seat to use. Taking the car back would also be reasonable.

Should this go to trial, you will also have to prove that:

1) dealership knew the seat was altered...but didn't disclose
2) dealership specifically stated that the seat was not altered

Both tough to do...

 

Do you have pics of exactly how they altered the seats?

Your local to both their locations, didn't you look the car over before you signed a $1/4m contract?

Yes the dealer should have disclosed this but remember what your dealing with. As much as it sucks a lot of high $$$ car dealers are just as shady as the local honda salesman, they just wear a nicer suit.

Unless your going after them on principle alone i'd honestly cut your losses, buy a seat that is comfortable and call it experience.

Please post some pics of the CS seats. Have you considered selling them to recoupe the cost of new seats?

 

Seems like a tough situation - good luck with it. Have you gone down to Newport and had a one-on-one face-to-face with Gary. Putting your guard down and explaining the situation honestly, and in person might be a good way to go.

$10,500 per seat (which is unbelievable in and unto itself) x 2 = $21,000. Even with labor, I can't imagine the bill topping $25K. Where is the other $25K of estimated cost coming from?

 

this seems a little over the top just for a set of crappy seats, no? buy some recaros, get them covered in leather and drive the **** outta that car.

sell the old ones on ebay. some jackass will buythem.

 

i doubt you'd need two seats. the car's not that old. esp. if it's alcantara - in theory.

doody.

 

Sorry to hear about the problem, but the people I know that have dealt with them, myself included have had very positive experiences. Too bad this got to this point. Did you speak to Fernando himself on what it would require to fix the seat besides FOC? Tim is a pretty stand up guy and something doesn't sound right. Either way best of luck to you.

 

this is excellent advice from vik and tony t. we all deal w/ conflicts everyday. i find it's often easier to arrive at solutions and reach compromises when problems are dealt with "in person". legal action should always be the last resort....when attorneys get involved, things get a lot more impersonal and the stake gets much higher.

best of luck to you.

 

The way I look at it, this could have been avoided and finalized when you test drove the car.....or when pick up if you didn't have a chance to test the car. You are local. I don't buy anything without seeing and touching.

 

I talked to my guy who does boat and car interiors and if you would be able to provide factory seats as a template it wouldn't be much of a deal to get yours back to normal. Also, there are factory seats available in Europe when people converted their car for racing purposes. I would definetely spend my money and my energy somewhere else. You may be right what you are saying but the world is full of unfairness and your problem is minor. I believe it is more important to concentrate on the real issues in ones life rather than fighting windmills. Good luck.

 

Great solution, although now I feel (from the buyer's perspective) it has become a battle of principle.

 

Just a techincal question here -
Did you show up to buy the car, and physically drive it off the lot yourself?

I ask only because your ability to unwind the deal increases if the dealer did not follow this simple CA-DMV protocol.

 

There is 2 sides to every story. I definitely side with this dealership. I heard you DID demo the car. It is a sports version. What did you expect. I know this is just a case of buyers remorse. Originally (I heard) the buyers remorse came because this owner found a Stradale with a stripe for the same price. I find it funny that this is not expressed in his web-site. Not because the seats!!! Don't go after a dealership because you made a little mistake. Step up!!! Big toys for big boys. Now that F-chat members know the (otherside) let's hear some comments.

 

My take on the situation: Were the seats modified? If so was this disclosed to the buyer before he signed anything? Irregardless if he drove the car or had any complaints at all, he should have been told if they were altered. Normally I wouldn't say this is a huge deal, but heck they are $20k seats and i'd want to have documentation of everytime the previous owner farted in it.