ANOTHER customer lost

If that's the case, he of all people, should understand and appreciate the fact that he has to order and be on the waiting list for his new Ferrari like everybody else.

Just like Leno, he also allowed fame and fortune to fuel his ego and has now lost touch with reality.

 

I'm missing something here. Why not just go to eBay and buy a Ferrari? No waiting list or anything. Maybe I'm just too nit-witted to understand.

 

To some extent, problems are at the dealer level. But, FNA still has control over allocation. FNA has extensive rules about what's okay and what's not, and if those rules are not adhered to, they can hold back or move allocation. Worse, they have LONG memories.

As written several times, there are more buyers for these cars than new cars available. As a result, some mechanism has to be in place to determine who's going to get them. Owners with long histories and a practice of buying and holding (as opposed to flipping) are higher up the pecking order (the so-called "List"). As also written, VIPs/Celebrities can get a specially-approved allocation IF FNA signs off on it. It's good for the marque for their products to be seen with them.

I don't see anything improper, although perhaps these matters could be handled more diplomatically. That's not really the Ferrari (or Italian, for that matter) way, though. To expect anything different is surprising. MANY long time owners have turned their backs on the marque. And, stunts like Classiche are just more opportunities to gouge and potentially alienate owners. That's an aside, but it's yet another example of how Ferrari treats its "customers". I have many good stories about Ferrari ownership and the dealer, but I don't think you get as many disdainful acts by other marques. I don't know if it's a good policy or not to treat your customers poorly, BUT the proof is in the numbers, and Ferrari seems healthy enough to argue (or convince itself) that it's doing something right. If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

CW

 

Always an option. But, you cannot spec the car the way you want it.

CW

 

Something else that is turning off more & more Ferrari owner's, and I heard this from several people at the last Ferrari national meet I attended; the attitude of so many of the Ferrari dealers, and indenpendent shops, when you drop off your car for repair, just leave us a blank check, and WE will fill in the zeros! Actually overheard a service writer at a shop say to another employee,"if they can afford a Ferrari, they can afford whatever I want to charge them". The customer is NOTHING to them but dollar $ign$!!!

 

Baloney. Sounds more like whining.

The dealers are obligated UNDER LAW and audited routinely and vigorously by FNA to submit a formal estimate to the customer and have it signed in advance for any work done.

I ran my own independent shop for 10 years. If I didn't have a signed repair estimate invoice for the work done, the owner could simply refuse to pay and the law in CA would let them do it. You do not need to pay for any unauthorized repairs. Putting you car in a garage is not a legal form printing money whenever you want. In California, you can go to the Bureau of Auto Repairs (BAR) website and see clearly what all auto repair shops are obligated to do. I'm sure all 50 states have something similar.

So....POPPYCOKC!

 

What a load.

There is a lot of competition in this business and if a client didn't like how they were treated there are many options.

I wouldn't have a full calendar until July if I treated customers that way. Not to mention the state would shut my doors.

 

LOVE IT! Once again Rifledriver hits the nail on the head.

 

Once again just pointing this out...

His story of poor treatment does not stem from a recent interaction. I read the article. He is talking about how he was treated when he walked in as a 20 something year old unknown, he doesn't give the year so he could have been anywhere from 19 to 24 based on the model mentioned, before his baseball success and before his race team and expected to jump the line and just write a check for a new, current model.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and it is easy for us to say now that perhaps he should have had the red carpet rolled out for him back then. But come on. Are we really getting all up in arms because a dealer told a young anonymous walk-in to go to the back of the line and wait his turn?

 

+1

 

Ferrari is in an envious, yet difficult situation. They routinely have long waiting lists, have new customers that want their product, but don't want to upset their existing - and sometimes - long term clients. People that have the means to afford a new Ferrari haven't gotten to that level of success by accepting no for an answer.
In regards to this baseball player, we also don't know the other side of the story. Maybe he was a complete ***** as well. There are always two sides to a story.
Kevin

 

Oh, come on...

A good looking star athlete in HS and college act like a ***** on an ego trip at 21 when walking into a Ferrari dealer? Never happens!

 

Lol! I would have NEVER been like that either.....

 

Believe half of what you see...and nothing of what you hear.

 

With all that money he should buy a place in a smaller market and get a quick allocation....I'm a nobody....bought a used Scud Oct 2011 and just got a brand new 458....I couldn't be happier with my Ferrari experience thus far....

 

His Ferrari was pretty unique, a 599 with 6 speed.

 

Cubs?
Never heard of them.....

 

I don't know when BMW had a $160k car??? I have purchased 3 New BMW's including M cars very recent and I never spent more than 95k. On the other other hand I just paid $160k for a 2007 F430 spider.

 

The current BMW 760Li can go over $165k depending on the options you want. Back in the day, the Z8 was close at $137k.

The Alpina B7 prices aren't really published, but the LWB version is over $140k I think depending on options.

 

I think Ferrari owners (and I've had seven of them, five purchased new) are too ready to drink the Kool Aid about the demand for cars. Look at the current lineup:

458 Spider: admittedly a waiting list
458 Coupe: walk in the door and order one, likely would have a June build
FF: sale proof in the US
California: new ones available in dealer showrooms, which makes the ongoing strength of used prices all the more surprising.
F12: Figure wait lists for about two years, at most. At that point you'll likely be able to buy a lightly used one for 125K back of MSRP (just my crystal ball, of course, based on my own V12 experiences.)
"La Ferrari:" unobtainable

With the possible exception of the 458 Spider there just are not huge lines anymore. I don't fault dealers for using any shortage to game up used car sales, but at least acknowledge the issues of perception and experience it creates.

 

Fixed

 

Agree on all points,just adding another observation:
458 Spider NOW is not nearly as hot and does not demand as high premiums as the 430 Spider AFTER 2 years in production,F12,while highly desirable and the IT car for the moment,will not demand (IMO) as high premiums as the 599 commanded in it's 1st year (When $500k+ were not uncommon).
Hell,even Scuderia,when released,commanded $50k premium in many cases.
These premiums are not coming back this year,not at that level at least.
....and remember what happened to 599s just a couple years later,not to mention the Scuds......
Times are changing......

 

As an FYI, next weeks episode of "The Grid" is going to do a story on C.J.'s race team.

 

The world of 2006 is not the world of 2013