Dealer crashes customer car part 2

This story is an addition to the original “dealer crashes customer car” story which was posted in the Ferrari FF/F12 section on Ferrarichat.com in July 2014

The Dealer Wide World Ferrari Maserati of Spring Valley New York crashed my 2013 Ferrari FF. As I wrote last summer about my tale of woe, I did not want to disclose the dealer's name to save face for them and believe that some good would prevail. However, it has now been a full year since I acquired my 2013 Ferrari FF. To recap, for those who may not remember the story, I was a new owner to a 2013 Ferrari FF. When I leased/ purchased the vehicle I kept it at the dealership for 30 days, avoiding the poor road conditions in the northeast. I picked up the car on March 24th, 2014. I only had the car for the next 18 days with a total odometer reading of 1700 miles (Yes I drive my cars and don’t keep them covered in my garage).

On April 15th, 2014, the car went back to the dealer due to noticeable wheel vibration through the steering wheel. It was determined that the wheels needed to be rebalanced. On April 22, seven days after dropping the car off, I got a call from the dealer that many personal Ferrari owners would hate to hear.

The dealer told me that my car was involved in an accident during a test drive by one of the dealer’s mechanics. The general manager told me that the car had hit a guardrail, which caused serious front bumper, hood, several internal components, side panel, and both headlight damage. . The mechanic managed to limp the car back to the dealership with no call to the police and no police report filed. The dealer was not transparent with any other details. (With that said, I can’t determine if the test drive turned into a joy ride gone wrong…well at least a $52,000 one)

I was told I had to call my insurance company. Within two weeks a check totaling $52,000 was issued to the dealer to repair the car. For the next 92 Days, by the end of July, the car was finally repaired. In addition to the $52,000 there was an additional $10,000 for supplemental damage totaling the “test drive” bill to $62,000.

To make maters worse, one would assume, if one made wrong, one would try to make right. This was not the case. While I was waiting for the car, the dealer never bothered to offer me a loaner vehicle to drive. With the dealership’s now evident radio-silent presence, I hired council to protect my interest.

On July 24th, 2014, when the car was fully repaired and I was told to come pick it up, I did not know where I stood with the dealer. While the dealer was being uncommunicative on their end, after three months October 2014, my attorney and I decided it was best to take back the car to at least drive the damn thing (6 months at the dealers lot).

Since October 21st, 2014, when I took back the FF, my attorney recommended several propositions to the dealer in order to “move on” from this hiccup. The dealer was taciturn leaving their attorneys do the dirty work.

Six weeks ago, around mid January, there was a mediation meeting between three parties a mediator from the state of New Jersey, my lawyer, and the dealer’s lawyers. My lawyer proposed three options. After 3 hours , the dealer’s lawyer said they would get back to us within 1-2 business days. Now six weeks later, it has been dejavu once again; I have still not gotten any answer.

To Ferrari, a car company that reaffirms passion, emotion, performance, and most importantly “The Ferrari Experience”, my Ferrari experience has been a complete nightmare. I have been a Ferrari owner since 1992 and a returning customer to Wide World Ferrari Maserati of Spring Valley since 1997,buying 6 vehicles from them...

I have had the car back in my possession for the last 4 1/2 months. This unfortunate roller-coaster experience I have put up with has negatively impacted my view on Ferrari and the dealership themselves. I assumed that the big head honchos at Ferrari North America (F.N.A), who I personally reached out to including the vice president of sales and marketing director, would take action to ameliorate the situation. But to no avail they have not helped treating me no better than a Toyota Prius owner, or maybe that would be better. Is this how you plan on treating your customer's Ferrari?

Bottom line, if you can buy a car from anyone else but Wide World Ferrari Maserati of Spring Valley New York, you have my blessings!

 

I guess my only question is, "What did you propose to the dealer?"

Interested only because, after the article in Forza, their "legal expert" seemed to feel there wasn't much room for discussion about anything other than diminished value.

If that's what you're chasing, then this could get interesting, and become important information for any high end car owner here.

D

 

The update confirms one's worst fears. There has been much interest in how this case resolved and the identity of the dealer. And it certainly seems like you have been treated shabbily.

A few items that you do not make clear:
--What are your current demands of the dealer which were the subject of discussion at the January mediation meeting?
-- What does your attorney advise in terms of pursuing further action, in light of the lack of responsiveness of the dealer -- law suit? arbitration? ...

 

What's unfortunate in this situation is that the dealer basically created $60,000 in business my crashing the car. It's a most fortunate situation for the dealer. I'm not sure how slow their business is for maintenance/repair but because of their unscrupulous track record I wouldn't put it past them. I've mentioned this on your first thread and I think it bares repeating. I took ownership of a 2015 Mercedes S65. I had it for 3 months and it wouldn't stop throwing a check engine light - eventually figured out that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. Mercedes cut me a check for $20,000 for my inconvenience. This was done as a courtesy by Mercedes and without me asking. Something you would figure Ferrari would do in this situation. If you were to trade that car in at the very dealership that wrecked it you would suffer a tremendous loss due to the accident being on the carfax - easily a $50-75k depreciation hit. I wish you luck in dealing with the dealership but if I were you I would start a steady writing campaign to Italy - they can't ignore you forever and eventually there will be a response. Maybe even hire a lawyer over there to just try and make contact with the right person in headquarters - much like a lobbyist would do here in the states with a Member of Congress. Just a thought and I don't believe that would cost much.

 

Thanks for that update Rashi. Wow, that is incredibly shabby treatment by that dealer, especially considering how many cars you have purchased from them.

I too would like to know what the three options were that you presented to them.

I can't really blame Ferrari Corporate for not providing compensation to you. Perhaps they have contacted Wide World to no avail. However, my DD is a Lexus LS460 and I'm on a Lexus forum. Over the years there have been a number of cases where Corporate did intercede on behalf of a customer. In the case of repairs the customer wasn't even covered by the warranty but Lexus Corporate covered it anyway as a goodwill gesture.

 

Thanks for the update and it is more than generous of you to wait so long before outing them . I think this will help others avoid that place at all costs.

Based on your account their behavior is not only an embarrassment but a terrible financial decision. Rather than take responsibility they are trying to hide from it. Their naive attempt to hide will only result in even worse damage to themselves.

The damage they caused you is easily quantifiable. Namely loss of use and diminished value of the car not to mention the large inconvenience and wasted time.

However, the financial damage they will cause to themselves by behaving this way is not easily quantifiable, but likely much more "expensive" than handling this correctly. Further, by handling it correctly they could even have generated some goodwill which would also have circulated via word of mouth. IE the Mercedes story earlier in the thread.

Not only is their behavior slimy but it is also downright stupid. Now, instead of generating some good will, they have seriously harmed their reputation really for no reason as they will likely be forced to pay anyway. Their contintinuing fight not to pay will only shine a brighter light on how irresponsibly they handled the situation. All the while their potential future customers will watch the battle play out with disgust. Look no further than the view count of the original thread to see evidence of this!

 

7 days to balance wheels? Maybe you were not in a rush??
Should they have fixed it on their dime? Imagine roads were not icy in April? Maybe involve police since they did not.
Brought my car there once and never again.
Completely unorganized, chipped my cars paint and denied it.
My car came back filthy arriving there pristine.

 

Might want to make note of this thread in the NY-Tri State section, also.

 

My experience is WWOC is a company that moves metal, basicaly in the ilk of used car dealers worldwide. Maybe they can fix/replace parts on some newer cars after the comuter tells them what to do. So preety much the competance of your average mercdes dealer.

These companies rely on wealthy idiots.

Sorry for your loss, sue them and or move on.

Having owned a ferrari now for close on 25 years, having experienced the so called "best" indy shops, wwoc etc, I return as always to Millers. You pay through the nose, but the car is done right and returned in proper condition. if they get it wrong or damage it as we read about(crashed f50 onece), they pay hassle free. In the long run its worth it.

 

+1

Clearly the relationship with the dealership has been irrevocably damaged. You have waited a long time and given the dealer every opportunity to make it right. Time to burn bridges.

 

After reading this, I will certainly never have anything to do with WWFM. Why take the risk? Reputation is everything and for a few dollars, it seems from your story that they could have made you happy and saved theirs. But as you tell it they evidently chose not to, and I suspect the price for that will be much higher.

I hope you are at least able to move on and once again enjoy the experience of owning a Ferrari.

 

I'm sorry this happened. One question - why did you go through your insurance company? I'm sure the dealership should have been covered for this situation, no?

Erik

 

Sorry to hear this.

What type of resolution were you and your attorney seeking? Brand new car?

 

If I read that right it implies that your insurance paid for the damages. I would think that the dealer would be responsible for the damages as the wreck happened while the car was in their care.

 

And the dealer certainly doesn't want that big a claim to be recorded on their own insurance policy, which is why they asked him to start the claim on his own policy.

 

dirty laundry

 

That's what I would have thought.

 

This is my question as well - I don't see how under these circumstances could the owner's insurance ever be liable.

Erik

 

Could someone provide some additional color on this. When we drop our cars off at an authorized dealer are we consenting to having our insurance cover any mishaps?

 

Every insurance company that I have ever dealt with would investigate this kind of claim and do their best to not pay if they were not liable.

If Rahsi's insurance picked up the tab under the general comprehensive rider, then I have to believe they are going after the dealer or the dealer's insurance as nobody wants to eat a $60k claim hit they are not on the hook for. There appear to be parts of this story that I am missing.

 

Every state is different however in my state Virginia my auto insurance covers my car for anybody that I give permission to drive it. SO if it happened to me I call my insurance and they would deal with who's fault it is no need in me having to deal with it . As the dealer will surely say they were testing the car which you gave them permission to do and it was just one of those thing that happens and they would not just jump up and pay it. I know two people over the years that this type of thing happened to and in both cases their insurance pays for it . Now in all likeliness they will go after the dealers insurance and reach a settlement which you will have already agreed to help them with by accepting your car insurance which you did when you paid the bill..
bottom line it is the thing that protects us from this type of loss..
In Va it is a good deal for the customer and does not go against you when it comes to rates...

 

If the owners insurance company had to pay this, I am sure his insurance company will file a lawsuit if they can not get back the $60k they paid out.

Appreciate the fact you mentioned the dealer as all of us should avoid the dealer at all cost including purchase or repairs.

Rashi, have you considered sending a letter to all the North American Ferrari dealers about this situation naming the dealer in the your letter. They all know each other and what this one dealer has done does hurt the brand and maybe dealer pressure may move this. Bit as you are doing I would do the same and get a lawyer involved and then file a lawsuit.

Best of luck and hope in the end you get everything you deserve and never do business with this dealer again.

 

You mention lease/purchase.....was the car leased? If so, at least you don't have to worry about diminished value.

 

I'm at a loss ... You purchased SIX cars from this dealer ... And their response was this? I'd imagine they don't sell Yugos there so your purchases have totaled more than $1m, possibly $2m ... There has to be more to this. I'm not doubting you, honestly, but this is beyond just normal car dealer bull****. Unless New York is different, the shop is required to have insurance and it is NOT yours that should have covered the damage. And while legally the shop is not obligated to replace the car, I can't imagine there is another dealer anywhere that wouldn't have done exactly that for a customer who purchased six cars from them. Your insurance company will subrogate the damages to theirs and you should for diminished value and legal costs, not to mention lost time and likely emotional distress, just to be an *******. Based on your story, I'd say they deserve it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

yes he should certainly get the diminished value and in all likeliness if he can show diminished value (not a problem) his insurance should be willing to sue the dealer for it and the owner never has to say a cross word to the dealer..
Now the big question is where does he go for car number 7 I know i would find another dealer.