SOUTH FLORIDA.. home of some shady ferrari dealers.. SHADY!!!!!!!!!!

the first tried to sell me a 2001 spider as a u.s car and really thought he can pull that on me.... the second claimed the car was never painted and had a recent full service, but after PPI the car not only needed full service BADLY, but had the entire left side repainted.

makes me not trust any dealers period....

 

what dealers were these?

 

Authorized or independent? You may want to post the dealer name to warn other potential buyers.

 

+1

 

these 2 are independent.... i wouldnt feel right posting their names.. but should anybody on here be in the market for a ferrari in south florida ill gladly answer a 'yes no'.

 

I didn't even consider Fcars from Florida while I was searching for my 360. It was all double talk, BS, and Stories..

Just my .02

 

scary

 

well thankfully you found out early enough and didn't have to deal with any further issues. and hopefully you have moved your search towards an authorized dealer!

 

even authorized dealers can be shady.. my buddy bought a 997 turbo 2007 certified by porsche.... shortly later he found out the car had been hit in front and fixed.. he found out as the car would align properly after 3 alignments.. he threatened to sue porsche... .they refunded his money towards a wholesale purchase of a brand new 2007... he came up huge... but proving that even authorized dealers simply dont go through the cars they take on trade properly enough to assure the customer that the car is absolutely 'story free'.

 

Did you mean a Euro? Because there are 2001 US cars. BTW, nothing wrong with a Euro. Maybe you meant a 2000 Spider?

 

your right... nothing wrong with Euro cars... just seems like the resale value on a US car in the US is a lot higher

 

Can you explain to me why any of that is unique to South Florida? Why wouldn't it be any dealer in any marketplace?

I think if you have a problem with a particular dealership you should name the dealership and even who you spoke with and what they told you that was incorrect, at least they'd have a chance to reply in the forum.

To tell people not to buy Ferrari's from S. Florida because of 'shady dealers' there, is just silly.

 

ok young man... why dont you pay a little closer attention to the original post and thereafter replies.

 

+1

I agree. If your goal is to warn people away from a specific dealer, name the dealer and tell the story. You shouldn't just name a region of the country and advise people to stay away. Clearly you're not going to do business there so what's the issue?

Having said this, it does seem there are more exotic car "stories" that come from South Florida than anywhere else. Not not sure why this is. I heard (to be clear... this is ONLY hearsay) there is some limit on required disclosure of accident information in Florida, so services like CarFax won't pick up if the car was in a flood or a big accident. IF this is true, it may contribute to this reputation.

Anyone know for sure?

Frank

 

Ok old man, I did, and none of them, including the original poster, explained anything about WHY the FL dealers are supposedly 'shady' and why that problem is unique to S Florida.

To just say to 'avoid' them and go where? To S. California?

Most used Ferrari's for sale are NOT at authorized Ferrari dealerships. In fact many times when you look at their used inventories they're low or non-existent.

 

i guess i shouldnt expect you to understand as you dont live in south florida... there are MANY independent dealers out here selling exotics... so one has to be really careful as some dealers have a less than perfect reputation..... in my experience, independent exotic dealers outside of florida seem to be more fair and less shady.

now let it go..

 

+2 Name the dealers. State the facts, the truth never hurt anyone. You're not doing anyone any favors by not naming the dealers.

 

Since many dealers advertise on E-Bay, you can see their ratings and read about customer's feedback. I just did this recently while looking at a dealership from the mid west. They had excellent feedback and ratings. You can also search this board as well, as many "South Florida" dealers have been written about here as well. There is a wealth of public knowledge out there.

C-

 

With highly regarded Ferrari dealers like the Collection and Shelton as well as independent mechanics like Tim Stanford it's hard to take your comment seriously. Orlando dealer (Ferrari of Central Florida) has a great reputation too.

Nearby you'll find a bunch of knock off dealers too. Your taking more chances with these wannabes as they don't have the reputation to keep that the others do.

It's a large market for Ferrari and it draws more of the good as well as the bad. Overall you'd have an easier time finding the car you want in South Florida than just about any other market i'd guess.

 

Looking for a Ferrari isn't easy. I looked for about 10 months and saw about 20 cars before I bought mine. Like most of the other posters I agree there are more reputable dealers in South Florida than shady ones, it is unfortunate the few bad apples make it hard for the majority. Keep at it and you will find your car. I recommend checking the FCA website, Ferrariads.com and maybe subscribing to the FML.

 

Bryan,

You have been a little lacking in your regard for the opinion and solid advice of your fellow members. There is an amazing amount of knowledge that you can be tapping into more effectively to make your first Ferrari ownership experience a good one. You've surely already seen that this is an internet community that truly thrives on respect.

Thanks...F

 

How do you know where I have homes? What's REALLY funny about that is - I'm sitting right now, over by Bayside in Miami, looking out at the water. Smart ass.

Anyone want to go tear it up on South Beach anytime this summer give me a buzz.

 

fred.. i hear ya.. and believe me id like to blend in smoothly and quietly.. thought id share a few experiences that were less than kosher.... i wont mention the dealers names out in the open..... that wouldnt be right... if i can go back in time i wouldnt have posted this in the first place.

 

I know buyer's out here that won't touch FLA cars. Too many issues plus the sun/heat is hard on the leather and the car in general. It just seems like a riskier proposition and it's already risky enough.

 

I agree with much that has been posted. But I do have to say...

I've purchased over a dozen cars from out of state, independent dealers over the last several years and, while it may be coincidence, I have seen much more "shady" (not my word but when in Rome) behavior from FL dealers than dealers in other exotic hot spots (like SoCal). And I have several friends who feel the same way.

That said, I can probably name a lousy independent dealer in almost every state at this point.