Disgusted by Ferrari's Policy of Selling Their Cars...

I see your point, but consider the opposite side: there are 5,000 people waiting for
the 4000 Ferraris made every year (probably more). Why should YOU be moved to the front of the list?

Ferrari has a business model where they make just enough cars so that in the very worst economic environment possible, they are 125% oversubscribed. In a wonderful economic climate, they become 200%+ oversubscribed.

Ferrari has 3 choices: A) raise prices to eliminate much of the oversupply--and then have to move prices based upon economic conditions, B) raise production capabilities so that they can make cars at a rate that still leaves the market oversubscribed--and then have to shutter production when downturns come, or C) make as many cars as they like, sell each one at a profit, and sell each new car at MSRP.

Now which one is more favorable to the 50% of us that can just barely afford Ferraris?
Which option makes the Ferrari factory easier to run and manage?

But is sounds to me like you are taking the attitude: "Hey, I'm rich, why don't THEY cater to my needs?"

If this is what you want, I suggest you buy a Gallardo or Murcielago. If enough people go out and buy a Gal or a Murci this will take enough demand out fo the Ferrari list so that your average Ferrari buyer can get sub-year wait times and we all go home happy.

But lets go back to your ownership position: Why did you only hold on to your new F355 Spider for 5000 miles? its just barely broken in at this point, with the very vast majority of its useful life in front of it. In addition, you held onto it for 5 years (1000 miles/year). At this rate of driving, why have a Ferrari at all? you culd rent one for a lot less outlay! Are you really just looking for a garage queen? If so, I doubly recommend a Gallardo and leave the real driving machines to people who drive them.

 

I know people at Hermes, so really I am not just throwing out exampels, it is a fact.
Remember in sex and city show, Sam was blasting off at Hermes PR cuz she was not able to get her client Lucy Liu a bag, but she saw a nobody woman on streets of Manhattan in sweat pants carrying one? It is funny, but that's how it is.

Although I am sure Gwyneth Paltrow can have it using other ways, just like I can go buy a used Moneda at 50% more than new list price.

 

No one asked to be move to the front of list.
The point is:
If I walk into a dealer today, ask to be on the 420 list, I should be allowed, as long as I meet any financial requirement that's equally applied on any other buyer. Also, if John Smith(who is a 6th time buyer at the dealership, on close personal basis with salesman) walks in next week and puts himself on the list, I shall get my allocation before him.

 

why did the dealer give you 3k off the car in 1996 when there was still a large waiting list in 96 for spiders?

 

Australian F-Chatters pay dearly.

 

Leica:

I think you touched a nerve with some folks who paid over sticker for a "used" car.

I personally think it is a disgusting business practice. I have a friend who bought a Testarossa back in 1987, when it first came to the US. He paid sticker and no wait...and it was a pretty hot car back then. Fast-foward 15 years....same friend wanted a 360 Spider (he still has the Testarossa). The dealers played their game pushing the used models and a highly suspect waiting list. He ended up ordering the car in Italy. The car was built with every option.. Challenge grill, red calipers, modular rims, Daytona seats...etc. He drove it there for less than a month and imported it back to the US. This is where the story gets bad. It has been sitting in the shop for 6 months waiting to get U.S. Emissions certified. However, he has no intentions of selling the 360 (or the Testarossa for that matter) and will at least get the exact car he wants and pay about $40K less than a typical low mileage "used" model (even with the beating he took on the Euro conversion).

Don't you think Ferrari dealers should sell to those who really appreciate the car as automotive art (and can afford it)...rather than purchased by those whot treat it as a commodity or a trendy item?

Just my $.02,

Tom

 

Now, that is the point. And that doesn't happen. The high profile customers get bumped up, and that sucks.
Also, point very well taken earlier about being 30 and being a future great customer but not getting what you want b.c. there are other buyers who already have standing relationships.
Maybe we are at the point where you have to go through a sort of "residency" - for a few models you play this crappy game until the people actually know you and you finally get in on the inner circle...
I always wonder who gets those first couple years of cars though. I could probably go in and ask to be on the 420's replacement and be told that I will get one 18-24 months into production!

 

It's not just Ferrari. I bought a stainless steel Rolex Daytona. To hear Rolex tell you, it takes a act of God to buy one. I took my little boys to get some ice cream and walked into a local jeweler. I asked about purchasing one and the metro-sexual behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. He asked my name , I asked him why and he said they only sold them to their preferred customers he wanted to check how many dollars we spent with them, I walked out . A couple of days later going to lunch I stopped in at another jewelers a couple of miles away and asked them to fix the clasp on my Sub.I asked them if they had a Daytona the lady said yes they had just had a new delivery of watches (mom & pop store, authorized dealer). I bought it on the spot. Just for ****'s and giggles I went back to store A and asked the metro again if had a Daytona. He looked over, he was waiting on someone and gave me a annoyed look. I pulled my hand out of my pocket to show him the watch on my wrist and my receipt dated for the same day ( this store wanted a few thousand over MSRP- I paid list) then I flipped him off and walked out. Petty yes but he just annoyed the crap out of me. Damn I hate shopping for stuff, this is why Mrs. WFO buys pretty much everything.


Most high end places pull this crap all the time. Damn, just make the damn thing and sell it without a hassle. I don't care that the neighbors drive 360's good for them they are a dime a dozen in my area. This waiting for game is BS.

 

Owning a Ferrari isnt a God given right just because you have money. There are steps to getting one just like anything else in life. Go down to your dealer and buy a used F-car and then you can get on the list for the new 420. Then you trade it in when the new car comes in. The money you lost of the first car is made up by the new car. I dont understand why people trip in this issue, the rules are pretty simple...play by them and be happy. Dont hate...participate. I like Ferrari just the way it is...very exclusive. And yes I get water/coffee whenever I go to my dealer but I know of many dealerships that think that are doing you a favor by even selling you the car, that should stop.

 

Dude, the reason nobody will put you on the 420 list is... you do NOT listen!

Re-read what you quoted above... here I'll point you to it; "Go into your dealer and ask to buy a 355 Spider or 360 Spider to enjoy while you wait for your name to come up on the 420 list." If you just ask to be put on the 420 list, you'll get a no. If you ask to buy Ferraris from them while you wait your turn on the 420 list, I'll bet you get on the 420 list... unless your past behavior with them has pissed them off.

Get it? Your priority on the "list" isn't just your willingness to buy that one car. Your priority on the "list" is your desire to buy Ferraris... to be an ongoing steady customer.

Now to your restaurant analogy...

 

Never has been about the money. Life is short never know when your time is up. I'm jaded, the models I've owned have been nice but not the be all end all for me. The fun factor is there but so is the numerous warranty repairs. Actually had a service manager tell me that because of it's performance I should expect to have problems . One of my beaters a S2000 Honda has a 9000 RPM redline which I use every time I drive it . 120 hp per liter ( 2 liter motor) , mid 5's 0 to 60 and flatout around 157 . It's a year and a half old and other than oil changes no problems . Not a Ferrari but a decent ragtop to pitch into corners that doesn't leak either the top or under the car . If Honda can make such a motor that runs as stressed as this one and make it reliable why can't Ferrari ? Sitting around waiting for a phone call so you "have the privledge of writing a decent sized check" to some may be correct I still think it's BS. Many other manf's. would love to collect that check. In the end to each their own , I may buy another in the future if it's not a hassle. I got lucky with the 360 ,kinda fell into my lap. But waiting months is nut's. As for buying used, not for me for a couple of reasons. I like driving them like rentals and having the dealer pay for repairs. Because I drive them like a rental I would not buy a used car. I would assume others drive like me.

 

You don't think restaurants treat their regulars differently? In fact, there's many a restaurant that you can walk into and ask for a table... and get a "no"... despite the fact that when one of their regulars walks up behind you and asks the same question you did, they get a "yes". No offense to you... they just hold some tables open to accommodate the typical number of regulars that show up last minute.

Unfair? Hell no, those regulars spend gobs of money there... and form a steady stream of income that the restaurant can base its business upon.

Now consider Ferrari... they have some customers that buy every single new model of Ferrari built. That's a "regular" that forms a steady income stream for that dealer. They have some other customers that participate in the Challenge races... spending gobs of money each season with the dealer. That's a "regular". The fact that Ferrari holds spots on their waiting list for such customers is not "unfair" or unreasonable. In fact, the customers spending that kind of $$$ with the dealer consistently expects nothing less!!

Rather than waving $300K for a higher MSRP 360, spend some bucks on other Ferraris for a while... become a regular... see where that gets you.

 

Final point relative to the above statements:

Others have pointed out that raising MSRP to lessen US demand would have the problems of killing worldwide demand and/or boosting gray market. But consider another fundamental problem...

By inflating MSRP just to control demand, Ferrari would be reducing the availability of the car to hard-core enthusiasts, the track junkies, the Ferraristi, etc., that are just barely able to afford the car where it is...

Thus, a side-effect of raising MSRP is that they lower the percentage of Ferrari enthusiasts that can own the cars... and raise the percentage of rich people who just want the coolest things with their $$$. As an enthusiast with $$$, that may not directly affect me... but it may indirectly affect me as my fellow Ferrari owners would be percentage-wise less enthusiasts and more just rich guys who aren't really into cars.

Thus, I wouldn't mind even lower MSRP and even longer waiting lists... it means a much more enthusiastic group of owners to socialize with. Not to mention saving me a few $$.

JMNSHO.

 

I still think my perception has some truth to it and the Stepford Ferrari Customers out there who do as they are told means I am not a Ferraristi.

I like cars, not just Ferraris, and that's where I am all messed up.

 

Dood, you are the one that's not listing.

I KNOW why they won't put me on list. That's not my point. The point is, to me that practise isn't fair. Do they have the rights to do so? Hell yeah, I am arguing that at all. My simple point is, rejecting a 1st time customer who can be just as regular as any of the so called "ongoing steady" customer, is stupid.
If you were born with a Ferrari key hanging onto your neck, good for you. For the rest of us, or at least me, I gonna start somewhere.

 

Funny that you preach this to these people when, correct me if I am wrong you are a prior customer and got bent over waiting for your Stradale with a "fell off the boat" or whatever they told you happened to your car. I wouldn't put up with that for a minute spending 50k on a car much less 225. You on the otherhand are still kissing up and still don't have your car, correct?

 

I am not "kissing up"... nobody at FNA cares what I am saying here...

Rather, I am trying to give some Ferrari-wanters some friendly advice... don't fight the system... understand it and work with it. In this case, EITHER you can walk in and buy a great Ferrari and get on a list for the Ferrari you really want... OR you can whine that you'll never play the game right, and you'll also never get that new Ferrari you want.

And, yes, I was annoyed when I had to spend *years* on the darn waiting list; and yes, I was really really annoyed when my car almost got to me and then got "lost at sea" (aka, redirected to a higher priority customer).

I can get pissed and go buy some lesser car... OR, I can accept that's the way the Ferrari world works and eventually get the car I really want.

And, no, I don't yet have my car...
... but I will REAL SOON NOW. Have faith! I do!

 

I am not a Ferrari owner. I was shopping for one two months ago. I arranged a introduction from an old friend who has had them for thirty years. I made an appointment at the dealer and when I showed up I was first given a masarati Cabriolet with an F1 shifter to drive. Then I was given a 360 with an F1 to drive. I was trying to determine which Ferrari I liked. The Maserati was for me to get used to driving an F1 transmission. I was then offerred one of two one year old spyders almost new or a new 575M F1 sitting on the floor. Overall I found it an pleasant experience but was sorely disappointed with the Ferrari. For 200K I expected the car to be extremely fast. I found it to be not exciting at all regarding speed. It had panash but that was it. Maybe I am just not meant to be a Ferrari owner. For that kind of money I expect much more. I am going back to drive a used 550 but I do not expect that to be an faster really. I am not slamming Ferraris, don't get me wrong. I just expect a lot more car and speed for that kind of money. I have wanted to buy one for many years while my best friend has owned every model ever made including old race cars, but now that I finally decided it was time I am disapponted and looking at other cars now. It is kind of a let down actually.
But back to purchasing one: My friend and I have subscribed to the Rausch report off and on for many years and we both feel that is the place to find your Ferrari for a fair price. Just be prepared to fly to see several cars and walk away when they are misrepresented. Whenever we have done this, we have always taken cash in a small case. It works wonders in negotiating a great deal. Remember most dealer cars are on consignment anyway from an owner.
Gary

 

What were you doing, then?

 

Quick question: How has the wait been for the 550/575M? I mean in the recent past and present. Was it as bad as the wait for the 360?

 

Agreed.