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

Read through it. Make note of the act sections they are in violation of and have a sit down with the GM, not one of his lackeys. Show him its in his best interests to make you whole and if not that state agency and your lawyer will handle it from here on out. Also be sure to tell him FNA will be involved and Fchat will get names.

By whole either the contract is met or the money returned. Its highly possible the old parts are gone and that choice is no longer available to them.

 

+1

 

The email is an enforceable quote provided it can be shown the source was an authorized employee acting on companies behalf. It has become a SOP. Legally I am even able to do it via voice instructions with contemporaneous notes of time etc but those can devolve with denials. An email is pretty hard to deny.

 

Don't know if hes a decent mechanic or not but he's a failure as a service manager. Very rare individual who did both well.

 

Unbelievable. I can only speak for myself, but I would get what was offered to me in the email and never do business with them again.

 

That’s often lesser quality than an Indy or DIY…

These prices blow my mind every time someone posts them.

 

Put the old ones back on. Too much for shocks only and making them put it all back not only hurts them more, you can do better on the shocks.

 

After nearly 40 comments I feel some kind of anger or frustration against workshops in general, not just this one… and it might be understood!?!

Personally, I would try to assume that it was a misunderstanding, ok?
So you don’t want to pay for something that according to their writing and your (and ours!) understanding you were supposed to get but were not given, but at the same time if the author of the email made a mistake there’s no reason to try to exploit the shop to your advantage for getting more just for a possible typo mistake.

Imo there are 2 possibilities to discuss with the GM:
1) In your understanding and the email words, the quotation was about shocks&springs. If for that amount they can fit all they wrote you are ok, but if they can’t or they don’t want then,
2) I believe you are entitled to simply have your parts fitted back and the money credited, because it is your free choice to fit whatever parts you like. And if you like to fit non original parts on a 14 years old car there’s nothing wrong. They should fit them back and remain friendly to you. Why not?
And imo you should not feel embarassed or what. The car is yours, and the money too. Isn’t it?
And ultimately, I don’t see any reason why the shop should take you badly for such a position on a clear mistake of theirs: how would you feel if you were the shop GM?

That’s my position.

Ciao ciao,
Nic

 

Unless these folks are literally the only place around you can get any work done, or unless you want to buy a new Ferrari from them in the future, I agree with the prior advice. Make them put the old shocks on (it costs them time and money to redo the work) and then take your 10K and go buy what you wanted in the first place.

Assuming, of course, there's someone else around to install them . . .

 

Don't put any more new money into it. Either get the full refund and have them put everything old back in, or have them put in the new shocks per email.

 

Hmmm, seems to me you may have some bargaining capital to try to negotiate a good deal on a trade for another Ferrari from them? could be win/win? As a gesture of good will and all that.

 

Make sure they do a new 4 corner alignment after they put the original shocks back. Ask for paperwork.

 

+100

 

What would be the point of replacing the shocks and not the springs (assuming both are worn)?

The only way their email would not be binding is if they provided a separate detailed quote that left the spring out. If there was no detailed quote contradicting the email, they need to honor the only quote they gave you. Assuming the springs actually do need to be refreshed, either demand they do the springs for the agreed price, or have them roll back everything and get it done elsewhere.

If the springs don't typically get worn (which, logic says, would be the only reason they didn't replace them), then leave the springs and you should really be entitled to a discount because you thought you were getting a both with that quote.

All of the above said, I would send the part numbers to Ricambi and see what the cost is. I'm guessing Ricambi's price is a lot less. In that case, have the dealer roll it all back and have an independent do it with much lower parts and labor cost.

 

Anyone can install new suspension. It's not rocket science. Takes about 30 mins per corner.

 

Springs don't really wear out in automotive applications. They tend to maintain their rigidity until a coil snaps off. We did some testing a long time ago when I worked with a suspension manufacturer, and springs would outlast shocks by a factor of 10.

But in this case, the point was he was promised new springs, not a cheap proposition, and thus he should insist on getting them.