Sad Experience at Ferrari Las Vegas

where did you get the F8 from? Amir from BH was great but he left...

 

I have never once gotten that “snobbiness” in dealing with people in the 3 store network. I assume you are referring to MAG. Full disclosure, I have done Corso Pilota with that group as well as attended a very generous dinner at Nobu they put on. So you could argue that it is bribery, ha! I also live in the least pretentious area of their three stores, so maybe that helps.

 

Rancho Mirage

 

actually it's the other one, not MAG. But I did buy one from Newport, but well George left Newport too, and I only liked him.

 

south bay people is actually pretty nice. They just had a pozzi tdf that looks amazing!

 

So why exactly did we need to know about how "rich" your brother is, or how he bought a hall of famers house or how his son goes to Stanford..pretty tacky post if you ask me..as for the pic at dealership, thats how it works, some high end consignment clients might absolutely not want their car photographed at the dealer.

I smell a troll!

 

Brendan is at BH now, moved from South Bay and is highly recommended for anyone wanting to talk shop with Bev Hills. Awesome low key guy

 

Good to hear, PM me contact please.
Maybe he can repair the image.

 

One thing you need to understand is this. What you describe is not corporate Ferrari, that is FNA and the individual dealers in the US first and foremost. The culture you describe of cars being difficult to purchase, is so far from what we have here in Europe. The games, the "lists" and all the rest of it, is in part something customers have helped create. If a rep in a dealership here in northern Europe asked a new client to purchase a used car, just to get a regular F8, he would be asked to sit on it. Like I said earlier, I have experienced a few US dealerships just to visit and browse, and it was never a very relaxed or fun experience. Not saying all dealerships are like that, but the one I visited in New York and the two I visited in Cali was not very nice. This is years ago and has nothing to do with Covid. They were just a bit uninterested from the word go, and treated everyone there like the clients where there to please the business, This is not corporate Ferrari in Maranello, nor is such behaviour common in Euro dealerships. I don't expect a dealer to go above and beyond when I'm just looking at cars for fun, but simple courtesy goes a long way. If I some day chose to move to the states, well, I'd need a dealer, so like was said earlier, treat everyone as a potential client. Now all that being said, there are as a new client still a right and a wrong way of doing things, and there seems to be a bit of an entitlement issue from both the OP's brother and the sales rep.

 

Everyone is trying to keep it quiet. Its not pretty. It could have happened to any dealership. It just happened to happen to them.

Because the person who broke in died on the showroom floor in police custody, I think you can imagine WHY.

Some of you guys need to chill a bit. You don't know the entire story.

 

I have only had personal experience with 3 Ferrari dealers- Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Ferrari of Ontario. All of them were pleasurable, respectful and cordial. However, the entire experience from Ferrari of Ontario was exceptional. From the onset of discussions on purchasing the F8 to the specing process and ultimately delivery, it was the most satisfying buying experience I have had. The entire staff was friendly, helpful and very accommodating. Special kudos must be extended to Giuseppe Porretta, the general sales manager. Not only is he exceptionally knowledgable, he is the consummate gentleman who exhibits enormous integrity. I cannot proffer sufficient praise upon him for how exemplary I was treated. This dealership upholds the highest standards of customer service and satisfaction and cannot be more highly recommended.

 

I agree.

 

She would, but she's having a mid-life crisis right now (aka she just turned 30).

Ray

 

If you want to really get the sales people in your local Ferrari dealership excited, show up driving an older Ferrari - and what them to sell it for you. For example, if you buy a used 360 or 458 and then show up wanting to sell that and get into the F8, they will probably be a bit more responsive.

Keep in mind that most Ferrari dealerships have a fairly large pool of already known customers to draw from. Generally speaking, these are people who typically just blindly sign up for whatever the next car is and then faithfully bring in their previous cars back in to be sold. This gives the dealer profits from two fronts, not just one. So if you are not a known customer and you are just fishing around to get into whatever the latest car is, there isn't going to be a huge motivation to sell you a car. Also, in a lot of instances, the dealers (and this is just my experience and assumption) sometimes like to wait until the factory is near the end of a production run on a specific model, then attempt to "do you a favor" and you into that car near the end of its production life (part of the reason is all their regular customers are just about done driving the car and so they know a huge flood of those used cars are coming and going to push the prices down). Just ask Sam Pellegrino about that; I think he learned that the hard way on his 488.

Getting an allocation for whatever the newest model is, if you don't have a solid track record with your dealer, can sometimes be difficult at best.

The other thing which can really help you build a relationships is to go shopping for a used car which is already on their showroom floor. If you can find one you like that they are selling (and which is actually sitting on their lot in the flesh), you'll definitely get a call back. Once you've owned that car for a while, you'll most likely receive a call with "news" about how they think they can get you into this or that new Ferrari that is coming down the line. The other thing which helps, if you are a sociable type person, is to make friends with the sales people or GM. Go have lunch; go for a test drive; brings them a gift. None of that hurts and usually it helps. Spread the wealth. When I bought my 488, I gave our sales person a fountain pen as a thank you gift. I think it was maybe $800 or $1000. Little stuff like that helps to build friendships and respect. Hanging out and BS'ing over a nice steak dinner never hurt. If you go back and read my stories about shopping for a 458... I walked in off the street and ended up talking to one of their guys there about how Ferrari leases work... we ended up hitting it off and are still friends to this day. We both share a love of cooking and talk all the time about cooking dinner, meats, wines, Ferrari, woman and coffee. He's become one of my best friends.

So as mentioned on other threads, try to look at it more like a family and less like just visiting a car dealership.

Ray

 

With all the respect of the world. I do admire your humbleness, infinite knowledge, success and wisdom, as well as many others here that have helped me learn more about Ferrari and other cars. However, I don't think that buying a car should be that difficult. As we all know, it is already exclusive enough as it is. If you have the means and you aren't blacklisted, why should you be treated differently. Why should you have to "bribe" your way with gifts. (Granted, I will bring a gift to my sales rep and manager as a gesture of gratitude for putting up with me, but this will be after I get my vehicle). Although none of that "hurts" and I understand the business side of the purchasing one car, selling it and getting a new one. It just shouldn't have to be this hard. In addition, you have to start somewhere and that somewhere necessarily (in my opinion) doesn't; nor should it be a pre owned, unless you choose it to be. If I want a new car, I should be able to get a new car. If I have to wait my turn, I will wait for it. I just don't understand it, particularly the nonsense of having to buy a preowned before you're worthy to get a new one. Apparently, from what has been posted here just recently, in Europe is a completely different story. Why is it different here, What is the rationale? When did it start? The brand has its luxury prestige, not because of the culture or subculture of dealerships/staff, but because of the long lineage of exquisite exceptional near godly quality and replicability.

 

Enough blame to go around for both sides is my guess. Customer could have been more flexible and sales people could have been more accommodating.

When my wife & I were in town a few years ago, we just rolled in to look. Driving some cheap rental car. I had just test driven a Grigio Silverstone Portofino at Boardwalk before our flight to Vegas and the wife wanted to see the various silver/grays in the metal. No appointment, just walked in to compare GS to AN to GT side by side in the same light. They had no issues with us looking around. We did point out we were F owners and what we were up to, and didn't take pics of their cars.

I'm sure both could have handled this situation better. That said, I would imagine that the incident a few weeks ago has people at the dealership majorly on edge. If there's a car(s) there your brother and his wife want, I wouldn't let a suboptimal first encounter deter me. Call, make an appointment, test drive the cars. If they like the car and get a good vibe on the dealership, make a deal. Best of luck...T

 

Yeah, I wouldn't suggest bribing; that's not what I was getting at. In my case, with giving the fountain pen as a thank you, it was just that - a thank you. Keep in mind, this was after we had been taken out to several nice dinner and treated to VIP tickets, etc, etc. along the way of building a friendship. Since I didn't want things to feel too one sided, I used picking up the 488 as an opportunity for me to express my thanks for all that had been done for me.

I think you'd have to trace things clear back to how Enzo Ferrari did business and how Ferrari came about in order to really unearth the underpinnings of it all. My main point is to just not approach it like going into your local Honda dealership or Toyota franchise. Dealing w/ Ferrari has always been a little different and with regard to the original OP's post, I think the more you have some understanding of that, the more smoothly things can function.

I do think, as Ferrari increases production, and perhaps heads a slightly new direction, we may see some changes in how things are done around the camp fire.

Ray

 

I agree with gratitude gifts. People think that Ferrari sales staff make hundreds of thousands of dollars and may reach a million. They could make hundreds of thousands but unfortunately or fortunately, they are all capped to a little over 200k. They are also not allowed to own Ferraris either while they work. Not sure if this is only of current models. But the blanket statement says that they aren't.

I also completely agree with you as not approaching it as a local Honda/Toyota or Ford dealer because it just isn't, but that should be already known.

Lastly, absolutely.. Ferrari is heading a different direction. I think that they are sensing that with the new EV era coming on hard upon us all and the warranted resistance to go full electric, they may be feeling the pressure and trying to get as many ICE or even hybrids as they can before they have to adapt full electric or potentially go extinct. The future remains now uncertain for ICE, unless Porsche McLaren come out with that synthetic environmentally friendly ICE fuel. Time will tell.

 

I’ve got an angle or two.

Be nice. I love the cars and the guys know it. So many entitled people and not so nice to deal with.

Stick with it - won’t sell you a new one ? Persist. There’s enough to go around

Ask real questions. About models, culture, options.

Be nice. Did I say that already ? When the owner or manager asks how things are - tell them how well you’re being treated. If it’s true. Or find a nice unique thing to say that changes things. People are the same everywhere.


But seriously it’s like anything. Eventually the relationship is there and people look for you on a Saturday or Thursday. You know not go five minutes before closing or that your sales person doesn’t work on Tuesday. And the guys with nothing to do all see each other there on Saturday. The regular crowd who have over seventy cars between the eight or nine people there.


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If I did that the store would empty out pretty quickly. Nobody wants to see me naked anymore

 

All great advice. Also helps to know your Ferrari history. If someone mentions "Gilles Villeneuve" and you don't know who the heck they are referring to, that probably won't help your case much.

A lot of the sales people at Ferrari spend a lot of time at the track and entertaining customers who absolutely live, eat, breath and drink Ferrari culture. If you are just some rich guy that knows little to nothing about cars and/or the history of Ferrari - and thinks because you have a big bank account you can waltz in and buy any car you want - you might be in for a rude awakening at some of these dealerships.

There are many great documentaries now about both the history of Ferrari as well as the life of Enzo Ferrari.

I think having some understanding of the history and the brand helps. I mean, heck, even with my little Toyota pickup truck, I studied the history of Toyota and where the company came from and how it grew, etc. I'm maybe not a Toyota expert, but at least I know something about the history of the company and their cars. With my truck specifically, I have probably turned just about every nut and bolt on the truck. Same with Ferrari.. I've always tried to be a student of Ferrari history and learned as much as I can about how Enzo built the company, his approach to things and also how the cars have evolved over the years.

Bottom line, like ScottS says, you are still dealing with people and that means building good relationships and not being a jerk or anything.

Ray

 

The best part of the whole post. LOL!

 

Anymore? So there was a point where someone wanted to see you naked??

 

I didn't know he moved. Liked him! Eddie is also great at South Bay. Have bought a few from him...

 

You know that when I go and chat with the owner when he’s in - I’m taken back to being a kid while my dad told me about cars, Enzo. And life.

Same when you’re hanging out and you learn something about the history and culture that is. It written in books. People know when you love what they love and not simply wanting a possession.

There is a system in the app. It will rate your “heat” in the Ferrari world. Not your influence but your contact, your involvement etc. In the near future they will ping you to keep your heat going to feed the Ferrari Furnace.

Remember if it was easy or accessible we wouldn’t want it. Anybody buy a new Supra ?


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