Kicked out of Ferrari Dealership in Orlando

Every one is entitled to an opinion. I hope you never need a friend.

 

What the hell !!!!

Did I just fall into a Chick Flick ???

G

 

A few ramblings:

I was at Sport Auto (NC) and a car (very old and beat up) pulled up with a lady and a couple of kids. The oldest boy, maybe 10 years old gets out and tentatively looks in the door. The manager walked to the door, opened it to let him in, said hello, and asked if he wanted a brochure from Lamborghini. The kids eyes were like saucers. When they left he said "We get that all the time. But you know what? That kid's a future customer."

A good buddy of mine just bought a Ford GT. He trader a C6 Vette. When he initially went to buy the Vette, they wouldn't let him drive it, and generally acted like he wasn't good enough. When he went to look at the GT, they threw him the keys and told him to take his time. It didn't sell him on the GT, but it kept him from buying a Z06.

Our local jeweler once commented on how you could never tell from appearances who had money. He said a guy came in in coveralls with no shirt and bought 2 Rolex watches, one for him and one for his wife, for their anniversary. He said you could see clay on the floor everywhere the guy walked. When it came time to pay, he pulled a roll of bills out of his chest pocket and laid out 20k in cash.

 

Were there any others at the dealership or was it just the three of you?

Just curious.

 

I amost died when I saw this, because the same thing happend to me-I am formerly known as JDAVID from the original post.

On the way to Sebring for the 12 hour race this year, I stopped in due to the fact that I had two friends who purchased cars there-a 430 and a 360 spyder. Also, my car was running rough. The shop mechanics agreed to look at it and even went out with me. My plan was to see the race, then two weeks latter, have an engine out service, and enjoy the FCA track day that FCF was a sponsor of.

While they looked at my car, I walked in the Dealership to look around-there were two very rare cars I had just seen at the Amelia Island Concours-something you do not see in many dealerships, so I was pleased and felt honored to be in such outstanding company.

I walked around, and noticed that two salesmen who had their desk pushed up against a wall boiler room style with about 15 feet between them were talking about lunch while I looked about. I noticed a 328 that looked like my friends that he traded on the 360 Syder. I stopped in front of the salesman's desk, the one more toward the front window facing the road, and as he continued to talk about lunch with the other salesman who was sitting 10-15 feet away, I asked if that was my friends car that he traded for the 360 Syder. He said "Excuss me", due to the fact that a custormer was standing in front of him and had interrupted his story about lunch. I asked him the question again, and he said "No, no, that car has already been sold." This is where I made a mistake, as my original question was mis spoken. I asked him what did the car bring? And he rightfully said "Sir, that information is confidential, we cannot share that with you." To that I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to ask what were you asking. He looked at me, becoming agitaded by the minute and said "Sir, I told you that information is confidential". To that I said "Don't you not have a website, or other means to publish your asking prices? Surely that was published and you know what you are asking?" To that his face became twisted as though he were in pain and he loudly said "Sir, why are you badgering me about a car that has already been sold?" The other twin salesman began to look intently over at me at this point. I sware to you they looked like the Bobsy Twins, but from the Sapranos. Spiked up hair, yankee accents, overwieght tough guy acts and all, but it gets worse. I shook my head and walked over to retreive my Ferrari travel bag that I placed by the service door. As I began to retrive it, I began to get angry, and I could not help but go back over and tell the saleman what I thought of him and his actions. Both came out from behind their desk, as though ready to fight. I said "It is guys like you that make the Ferrari experiance really such, and justify the stories about arrogance" as well as a few other words that I cannot remember. What I do remember is the Bobsy Twin from the Sapranos jumping up and hollering "We sell more Ferraries than anybody etc etc as I walked out the door.

To this I could only wonder in amazment as to how I reached this place. Like most, I don't like being treated like a twit, so I suppose you could chaulk it up to my ego. These guys are loaded with lots and lots of ego and arrogance. You have to wonder if it comes from the top down. I know it cost them business, but maybe that's the trade off. Perhaps they figure they make more than it cost. Besides, they are what they are-gloirfied car saleman, cut in the same cloth as before, same as it ever was, but at a different level.

This was my first bad experiance, although I must say Chris, their PR manager, did a great job in speaking with me afterwards at the track. He appears to be first class and very professional.

Good things, however, did happend on this trip. My car continued to misfire. Once in Sebring I looked in the phone book and noted a Bosche certified rep. I called, and this Englishman answered the phone. He was and is John Dean, holder of multilple Sebring records in SCCA, and the long time voice of Sebring. What a find, he had my car going in no time, as all it needed was the connections for the flywheel cleaned to begin with. Latter he instructed me and also drove my car. He is very quick, and I would recomend him to anyone who needs instructing or mechanical help while at Sebring. He tells me that his son, who is a pro driver is even quicker.

Don't just blow off this post, Tmobileguy is right on as far as I am concerned.

 

As someone who has been a very satisfied customer of FofCFL, I would add that my experience with the dealer has been one of the reasons I own these cars. They have treated me like a king since I walked in during their first week of business. Your experience seems very uncharacteristic of those that I know there.

My appearance on weekends is identical to you and your friends (Khaki shorts, tee shirts, sandals) and that has not detered me from "touching and feeling" any of their cars, including sitting in any. I've seen them move ropes aside to allow parents to get pictures of their toddlers sitting in 333sp's, so something doesn't seem right to me.

Having said that, something happened there that night that impressed you the wrong way. I don't think that's the impression the dealership wants you to have of them, they are not a bunch of arrogant people. I'd give them another shot. Anything can happen one time, but if you get the same response again, then I can't blame you for whatever judgement you make.

 

Amen to that! Ferrari of Atlanta is truely nice. I visited there last June and pulled up in a 2000 VW Beetle. Talked with the sales manager about everything from F-chat to F1. He told me to feel free to look around and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I didn't dare ask to sit in one or god forbid test drive. I told him my personal policy with Ferrraris is that I have never laid a finger on one, nor will I, until the paperwork is signed making it mine.

 

I think the Ferrari salesmen in Orlando just like to go home as early as possiable. On May 13th, me and my girlfriend wanted to stop by after coming from the Lamborghini dealership on our way back home to Tampa. We got there 15 minutes before their closing time (at least what their closing time is posted on their door) and the doors were locked with out a person in site. There was another couple that pulled up the same time we did and we just all looked through the windows. I bought a Lamborghini on Monday May 15th and I guess will have to wait a couple of months before I buy a Ferrari.

 

This is really funny. The same thing happened to me last weekend. I went to the mercedes dealer to buy my wife a new peace sign for the front of her wagon. some moron broke hers off. at the parts counter there were a bunch of mercedes brochures. my 9 year old boy liked them and decided he was gonna start collecting them. we were in an autopark with a bunch of dealers so i said lets go over to the porsche dealer and get some more brochures. we walked in and they basically said we can't see the porches because they keep them put away. i told him i was looking for a ferrari and my son was the porsche man. he gave him a really nice brochure.

 

I agree with your comments. But then again he wanted to buy this for his fiancée as an engagement present. Someone is OWNED. Sounds Asian to me. They need to impress. Thanks for chiming in.

 

I'm sorry to hear of your experience, I know it's frustrating. Surprisingly, I've only had one official Ferrari dealer salesman be gruff and impatient with me. All the others were accomodating. In fact, my worst car shopping/browsing experiences ever were at Nissan and Toyota dealers.

At the other end, Aston Martin & Lotus New England were among the nicest salesmen I've ever met, and when I said I couldn't buy for a while because I was still in law school, he still took time to show me through a bunch of their cars and gave me the AM and Lotus pamphlets and magazines and always (of course I've been more than once!) invited me to come back and shop seriously.

Also really nice to me were Park Place in Bellevue, WA. I used to stop in every once and a while and their former finance manager Joe McGraw would show me all of the cool cars on the lot.

 

Definitely worth getting a Ferrari after manning up for the 5 carat rock. I felt the same way after going for a measely 2 1/4 carat flawless at Asprey's, and your buddy went more than double that!

Good on 'em!

 

BFD

 

Ha! You've got to celebrate small victories and life milestones. Otherwise you become jaded to life/reality.

There lies dragons...

 

classy... real classy...

 

I go to Ferrari of Central Florida at least twice a year and I have to say, I have never been treated better at any other Ferrari Dealership. They give let me wander around and help me with questions and even one time a salesman by the name of Scottie, entertained my 2 year old when I was looking at cars. Of course I always show up in the middle of the day so I have plenty of time to browse and admire. By far my favorite dealership.

Personally when I am shopping for a car or anything substantial for that matter I always try to give my self enough time before the place closes, maybe this is something I learned from working at a record shop in a mall for a few years. There is nothing worse than working 10 hours getting ready to close and some browser comes strolling in at 5 till closing. It drives you mad, and sometimes it is a impulse buyer that spends a good amount of money, but 99% time they leave without buying a thing.

 

Any followup from NNO?

Has your friend been back to the dealership? I'd like to hear a follow-up to that if he has.

Overall, I'm in my early 20s and have never had a problem with any salesman or dealership, whether it be Ferrari/Maserati, Mercedes, whatever..

 

Well mine is for sale there, its a 01 360 F1.

 

I work in sales.... I have to pick the good from the bad. How did you help your case?

The fact that your friend IS an impulse buyer makes this tricky.

But getting there right before close was poor planning on your part, if the sole reason for going to Orlando was to see this dealer. It sounds like you missed the boat by showing up kind of late?

How did you guys get the timing wrong?
Did the dealer close early?
Did you guys go to Disney or do something fun in Orlando first that day?
Maybe your trip to the dealer should have spilled over into the next day, if it took that long to travel to Orlando?

 

When something goes this wrong.... it is because both side failed to connect. Usually both parties have some % of fault.
Did you feel that any of the misunderstanding was on your part? Or was it 100% of the dealers fault?

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