I have a major dilemma with a Ferrari dealer I need to make a decision on, would appreciate advice..

Hi all, I'm having an issue with a Ferrari dealer. I would rather not say which unless I have a reason to.

The shocks on my 2010 California all needed to be replaced, I had decided to go aftermarket with a KW full suspension upgrade. I honestly would have liked to keep it stock just for reseals purposes as I didn't plan to keep it for much longer but it didn't make much sense to pay crazy Ferrari prices for an OEM suspension that wasn't all that great to begin with.

Well just before I was going to pull the trigger on that a Ferrari dealer came back to me with the following email:

Hello Francis and we are hoping your car is remaining problem free since you’ve picked it up post repairs and feel free

To let us know your satisfaction level with the recent service we performed for you.


Also , please see the pricing for new suspension shocks/springs to be installed on all 4 corners of your vehicle including a

Four wheel alignment after :

• 2 – Frt. Shock/spring assy. - $ 3,300 ea. ( 6,600 pr.)
• 2 – RR. Shock/spring assy. - $ 2,260 ea. ( 4,520 pr. )
• Labor to R&R shocks and perform 4 wheel align- $ 2,250
• Tax - $ 667.20
• Total - $ 14,037.20

Also if you have done during the winter of 2024 we can offer you a discount and complete this for $ 11k out the door

Including free pickup and reunite service.


Please let us know if you are interested and would like to book this for this upcoming winter season ?



This was perfect and I was shocked, it was still more than the aftermarket suspension and going back to OEM wasn't going to perform as well as the aftermarket system but I felt it was better to keep everything stock.

Well long story short, car is done today and they didn't do the springs only the shocks. Spoke to the service manager and was told it was just an error with the verbiage and of course they're not going to give me shocks and they would just put the old shocks back on if I wanted to come get the car. I kept my cool and tried to compromise, told them to just give me the 11k out the door plus the 10% FCA discount and we'll call it even. They were hesitant at this and made it sound like I was trying to rip them off, I felt this was very reasonable on my end but apparently they didn't it's not like i tried to hold them up for new springs as they original quoted me. I told them "you can tell me no" and then I'll just have a decision to make. They came back and accepted the proposal.

Even still I'm obviously not happy here. For less than the cost of just 4 new shocks that weren't that great to begin with I could have an entirely new suspension that performed better.


I don't know what to do here, I can tell them to put the old shocks back on and ruin my relationship with this dealer and go back to my original plan of aftermarket, mind you this isn't the first time I've had an issue with this dealer, or I can just suck it up and pay the 10k and take it as a lesson learned.

What do you guys think?

 

I would ask to speak with the GM directly.

Two gentleman can hash this out with both sides not feeling ripped off. At the moment, if I were you, I would be extremely unhappy with this outcome, and it doesn't seem reasonable YOU have to just eat it and suck it up.

Sorry for the hassle.

 

I'd be asking for my old **** back and do the job myself with aftermarket parts.

 

You guys are nuts for taking your cars to the dealership for regular work.

 

I’m a little confused, but if they quoted you $11K in writing for parts, labor and tax exactly as you’re showing it, then that’s what they should charge. Too bad so sad if they have a “verbiage” problem. They should eat that and take it up with the employee who gave you the quote.

 

I’ve found that “good relationships” with dealers…at least for service…are a one-way proposition. Use them for warranty and nothing else.

 

Its easy. They violated a contract. No point in being concerned with keeping a good relationship with a business than is screwing you.
Does your state have a consumer protection agency, especially one specifically for auto industry issues? Some do and they can be very powerful. If you were in California for example the Bureau of Automotive Repairs would very easily fix this for you. There is no ambiguity here, if the facts are as you say, they screwed you.

 

I echo @19633500GT sentiments.

I too would be quite disturbed. Do you have an official work order?

 

"for new suspension shocks/springs to be installed on all 4 corners of your vehicle including a Four wheel alignment after"

Seems perfectly clear to me, and I would not settle for less. I would respond something to the effect of "you sent me the proposed scope of work and cost, I agreed to it and I expect you to honor it. If you fail to do so I will pick up the car, and we will settle the difference in small claims court. I am deeply disappointment in bait and switch with someone that I have worked with for many years."

 

What relationship were you concerned about? If there were a relationship to begin with, they would not have done what they did right?

Talk to GM directly and don't take the car back until satisfaction reached including escalation for obvious false advertisement and bait and switch.

 

You're the guy on solid ground - in writing! - so don't roll over when you don't have too...

Kevin

 

@FrancisK what was the part number of the front shock they supplied? If it was 247207, give me a ring at Ricambi America.

 

Thank you for the replies gentlemen and I agree with what you're saying. I never would have went through with this had I know it was only shocks, I wouldn't have paid 10k for OEM shocks that weren't great to begin with.

My only concern is that the quote was only through email so I feel like I'm not exactly on solid ground to demand anything, they'll just say that it wasn't a written quote, work order or whatever you want to call it.

But regardless, so you guys think I either demand springs or just have them put the originals back on and move on?

 

Let this all shake out and I'll get back to you brother, thank you.

 

No official work order, that's the hang up where I don't have much leverage I think. Just the quote in the email.

 

I used to own an auto repair shop in CA. There you have to submit a quote in writing and have it signed. If you go over the estimate, that has to be agreed upon before the work continues. And if you provide less parts or service than what's on the quote that has to be disclosed on the final invoice and the money discounted.

If the shop doesn't do this the owner doesn't have to pay. Its that serious that shops follow the rules, so they do. I don't know the rules of that State but if you don't have a signed invoice for the quote, they could be in pretty big trouble. In CA they certainly would be.

The reason I bring this up is its a legal issue, not just "a misunderstanding" or incorrect email. If a repair shop fails to do the work provided, there's legal ways to correct this. And most shops want to avoid that at all costs if they are the ones in error.

Not sure this helps but I would show the email to the GM or Service Manager and see what they say as the first step. And a little research on signed invoices for authorization of auto repair work in your State might be useful.

 

It's Michigan and that's the part where I think I don't have anything to stand on other than just hoping for the dealer to be ethical, I didn't have any type of signed quote just the email from the service manager.

So right now I'm at 9800 for 4 new crappy OEM magneride shocks or let them put the old ones back on.

 

Michigan... dealer and auto maker "friendly" state.

 

The email clearly states (assuming you posted verbatim) "new shocks/springs" if these needs to go to small claims court, I find it hard for a judge not to point in your favor. Clearly the cost here is the dealership may blacklist you, and worse, you lose the case.

I would try to settle the matter amicably, you might have to meet somewhere in the middle. Sometimes the best outcomes are when both parties are not entirely happy, but the relationship preserved.

 

Demand springs. It's in email. Your action is based on what they wrote. You are 100% in the right.

 

I did post it verbatim, straight copy and paste. So you would suggest I go talk to the GM and if that doesn't work out then pay the 9800 for the shocks and try to recoup the value of the springs in small claims?

 

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(py1xapuv1whsvfhkkvavo1fv))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-act-300-of-1974

This is the web address for the Michigan State Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Act.

I scanned through it and see several sections they violated, again if the facts are as you related. Have a look, the law is on your side here.

Not having an official signed estimate is not an issue for you, the email is still a contract. I am bound by them. Agencies fully understand in this era we often never meet and email is as good as you signing a document in my office for these purposes.

 

I have not embellished one word of it, how do you suggest I handle this? Demand the springs and if they refuse pay for the shocks and take it to court or have them put the originals back on and take it to court?

 

To be clear, the claim being made by the service department of a main Ferrari dealer, is that whoever types their emails is so stupid they don't know how to differentiate between what parts they are and are not changing? Give me a break. In 2024, if a dealership emailed me a written estimate and I relied on it and they change the terms later we have a problem that they created and they have an ethical (and possibly legal) responsibility to fix.

 

If there’s no work order then you didn’t authorize any work to be done.