296 GTS Depost

As long as you haven’t been allocated a car you should get a refund and once you do you are off the list. Not sure if you are expecting to get back your 15k and still be on the list for the car or if you are referring to priority for a future car?

 

If you do back out completely, it could be viewed that you can't be depended upon when an order is placed. Its one of the reasons they ask for a deposit. Its a way to see if one is committed to buying.

There is the level of order you place with your dealer. The dealer enters their orders into the factory system on a separate basis and time of their choosing. This is the real level of order that is placed with the factory. If it gets to the factory and starts the production process, people will be disappointed. You will lose credibility for sure. At that point, the best thing to do to
keep credibility is to buy the GTS and sell it sooner or later for a Pista. I have both a 296 and a Pista and like them for different reasons. I would guess that the majority of Ferrari customers would pick the 296 in real world driving comparison. But both are great.

If it is just an order with the dealer and has not gotten to the factory system, it depends how easy it is for them to fill your open allocation. With the 296GTS, its probably easy. But it will still be remembered by the dealer. Remember that dealerships want to seem and perform at the highest level of credibility to Ferrari factory. So the dealer needs to pick the highest fidelity and reliable customers for manufacturing. That way the dealerships maintains their credibility for allocations, etc.

One saving grace could be you will buy another piece of inventory for sure and don't ask for your deposit back. If you do it at that exact time you cancel, that at least helps at the dealer level.

The least you change from your existing situation the better you will be in “standing” Just put yourself in the dealer’s shoes and see that they also have to look credible as possible that when they place a factory order, it happens. Because if it gets made and the customer bails.…the dealership gets stuck having paid for it regardless if you don’t.

 

All great info. On one car I asked for my deposit back and the dealer was perfectly fine with it. I was so far down the list they realized I probably wasn’t going to get an allocation and they’d end up refunding it anyway. If it’s a large dealership and they have a long list I don’t think they will mind.

 

There is nothing wrong for asking your money back. They have been earning free interest on that money anyway.

 

Way back when, I had a deposit down on a 458 spyder (before they even unveiled the car). When the car launched, I wasn't fond of the way the top looked and I asked for my money back. They happily refunded. They even called me about 24 months later to offer me an allocation if I had changed my mind (keep in mind this was during the GFC). I got my spot on the wait list for the 296 GTS, although I probably wasn't the first call. In the meantime, I do think Ferrari had identified me as a potential long term customer.

 

Indeed, just ask a refund. It's your money

Don't care about what they may think. Plenty of other toys out there.

I totally understand you prefer to get a Pista over a 296.