Somebody at Ferrari hates me... no Stradale for Brian... again...

I hate to say it but the whole "buy another car" thing probably isn't doing it for Brian. Neither will buying a used one, I suspect. Have you guys read any of his posts over the last 4 months? The guy is frigging dying to get his Stradale. He's agonizing over options, drooling over pics, planning out drives. Another car is not going to cut it here.

Brain, the bottom line is that I don't know why this is happening or what exactly is happening. But that's because I don't own an F dealership or work at FNA. Someone at one of those places knows what's going on and you need to get them to tell you. This is the second time that something has happened and it's not a normal thing. Someone should give you an explanation if you make enough noise, and it won't be the Italians because they don't care.

By the way, have you run a serial number check on your "damaged" car to see if it's on the road somewhere, by chance? It would be easy if you got the whole VIN but it might be possible if you just have the serial number.

 

Brian,

Your Dealer is selling your allocated Car to the highest bidder!!!!
Think about it? Jay Leno doesn't own a Ferrari because when
He shows up he's told that such n such car is going for 50K
over book! He doesn't play that game… But others with the
means would gladly pay 50K+ to get a car that they don't want
to wait 2-3 years to get. Other members posting on this thread
have stated that you should be able to track your cars progress
all the way to your dealer. If they've done it twice to you what
makes you think they won't do it again?
Tell them to give you some kind of confirmation number that
can be verified by FNA, or the Factory, ( they don't need a
computer for this),or you'd kindly like your deposit back!

 

Wow, that's a lot of BS to put up with. Frankly I'm amazed you've put up with it for this long. There are a lot of competitors out there in your price range. Unless you're in love with the Ferrari branded colonic their giving you I'd suggest an alternative.

GT2
Gallardo/Murci
Ford GT

ChuckEBaby is spot on. "Your" 360CS is probably sleeping in the garage of someone willing to shell out a premium to have it now. You should decide if the premium is worth it. Many here will tell you it's stupid, but how much extra would you have paid to not go through your current hassle? I've got a friend who HAS to have the newest toys. He pays dearly in premium over sticker, but as they say, you get what you pay for. He pays, he gets his cars now.

 

If the serial number is just the last few digits of the VIN, the correct VIN can be imputed from information readily available on the web.

I would go around the dealer and make contact with someone at Ferrari who can confirm or deny your suspicions about others taking your cars at the last minute/for a premium.

While it is excruciating right now, you will forget all about it if and when you do get the car (as long as you get a good 'un--if you have warranty issues after all this, I am sure I will read about it in the paper). It's a matter of hanging in there as long as there is no foul play.

If there have been shady dealings, however, you would be a fool to give your money to Ferrari. Get the Gallardo and be done with it. Even if you insist on still getting an F-car, you ought to buy a used one and go to a private guy for servicing. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on...

 

Brian,

I've only been a member here for only a few months. I don't post
a lot because I'm on the phones all day. But I check in on this
forum continually throughout the day. I'm learning a lot since
I caught the bug a few years back and your posts/responses are
one of the many reasons this forum has become such a great
place to hang and learn. I'm sure most of the folks that contribute
here feel the same as I do. Have a trusted friend (such as myself,
"I only want a ride in it! Lol<sorry), order one for you from a
dealership located somewhere other than Texas.
Sign an agreement Cost/Cost…

 

Brian,

If you think you are getting screwed now just wait until you have to service your car. Anything that comes for sale with an optional battery charger...well...unless this is a track car I'd buy a P-bug! And I have had 3 Ferraris and 2 P-bugs.

 

I don't know how things work in the US so cannot make any comment except to say it must be hard for you to keep cool. Have you tried to speak to FNA and if so what do they say? Have you considered sending a letter/fax to Ferrari in Italy?

 

Brian I would buy a stradale on the market now and just have it painted titanium. Really if you don't plan on selling it anytime soon it probably won't make a dif. Just my .02, I give you a lot of credit though for hanging in there.
ERik

 

Ive never met an American auto dealer that didnt charge as much as they possibly could. Yea, Brian can have a GT if he is the highest bidder.

 

Brian,
My dealing with FoD was a very good experience. I think Rob may be on to something about FNA. Could be they have control of the car until its on the Carriage truck, and then the dealer assumes control. I believe the dealer isnt invoiced until the car is on the way (to the dealer). Anyway, sucks about your car, hopefully your luck will change soon.
Matt

 

Brian, go to another dealer, and tell them to request to FNA that whatever car is yours, should go through them to be sold to YOU. This, combined with calling the highest FNA person up on the ladder should get results. The new dealer will want a lifelong customer, and will probably be friendly enough to tell you what happened to the other CS, the one that "fell off the boat." I wouldnt buy from that dealer, FNA is a wholesaler, they don't have preferences, they get paid the same from all dealers I believe...Def. a new dealer, and for god's sake try a gallardo! (my pick anyway)

 

What I think stinks the most, is that Ferrari's "preferred customer" is obviously someone with finacial clout to pay a premium for what they want.

Why wouldnt't it be the customer who has regualrily tracked his 360, and done a damn fine job of representing Ferrari at the race circuit, ie Brian.

Keep up the fight for your CS.

 

it's totally not that simple, burnout.

doody.

 

Hey now, Motown ain't so bad!! I lived there, dad still lives there, went to UM. I know, I know, it ain't Hoboken !!!

 

To be totally honest, I would be surprised if Brian's first car was simply sold to another customer. I have a feeling that something was messed up in the process and the car was not what Brian had ordered and when it got to port the problem was realized. Or something. I don't know if there could really be that much lack of ethics at the dealership to sell Brian's car out from under him. Call me naive but I don't think that it would happen like that and no one here would know anything about it.

 

Give up, go buy something from stock. Or Like stated above, jump into the worldwide marketplace, with your check book open!

They have a nice used 550 Barchetta on the floor at FoH.

You can't drive "Blue Sky", man, and that's what they've been selling you.

Geez, you could have been driving a used JMB 360GT by now. I've seen 'em on the market.

Cash is King, baby

 

This is spot on, the problems with the FERRARI experience are almost ALWAYS due to the individual dealer, not FNA per se. Many are good and provide a great experience, however, I am hearing more and more from friends in the community that an alarming number are becoming very slip-shod in their handling of customers. For starters, and I won't name names, many are absolutely unwilling to deal with any cars in the 1980-1992 range unless it's a supercar (F40) flagship (512TR) etc. Go to many showrooms and you will not see any 308,328,348 as they are BENEATH some of these dealers, you will see TR and 512BB however. Secondly, the so-called "preferred customer" status is most certainly up for sale to the highest bidder at many dealers. Now do not get me wrong, I am no socialist, but Ferrari should really REWARD those that are true afficionados of the cars, especially since many of them stuck it out through the "questionable" reliability and workmanship periods of the late 70's and early 80's. This is a fact that can be seen by all the crazy speculation that has gone on in Fcars since the intro of the 288 and F40 and STILL continued into the late 90's with 360 and 360 spyders, regardless of Ferrari SPa's attempt to halt speculation with the lease -to-buy program initiated with the F50. The problem is, too many Johnny-come-lately dot.com and athletes go into dealers with suitcases full of cash (I'm embellishing here) and the dealers see $$$$ cha-ching!!!! I think ANYONE THAT WANTS A NEW FERRARI AND CAN AFFORD ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE ONE, don't get me wrong, I am already reading in my mind all the retorts of people that are going to be offended by what I am writing, but to SCREW a customer, like what has happened to you, is an undefendable offense. It is apparent to me that someone got your car, plain and simple, there was no "damage sustained while shipping" PERIOD. Let me repeat: I AM NO SOCIALIST, I understand the dealer is in business, as we all are, TO MAKE MONEY, and to that end they SHOULD make as much as they can, whenever they can, but NOT at the expense of a customer's loyalty.

I say, buy something pre-owned, preferable through a non-dealer source, and have it thoroughly checked over. Then you find a COMPETENT, well trained mechanic in your area that is experienced with Fcars to maintain it. The dealerships poor treatment and service WILL come back to haunt them if more of us did just that. Why? Because all the guys that just HAVE TO HAVE THE NEWEST, LATEST AND GREATEST F CAR TOY HAVE WHAT IN COMMON? Earlier model trade ins, even if they are only a year or two old, the dealer has to move that inventory. Sure they will make $XXXX on a new car, but if fewer people in the market took the dealers **** and bought their pre-owned (many times already sufficiently deppreciated) models from sources OTHER than dealers (private sales, other marques dealers, exotic brokers, etc.) the dollars made on those new sales would actually be diminished in a percentage of profit standpoint because they would be carrying the weight of the trade-in inventory that they were not moving, plus the loss of the very HIGH-MARGIN maintenance income, I guarrantee, after a short while of that, some of these dealers would be scratching their heads saying WTF?

The power of the internet I say!!

 

Great Thread. I say get something else. The love is just not there. They will pass over you again or you can buy a Maser and move up on the F car list.

 

Agree with most everyone here also. Stop this nonesense and move on buy from somewhere else that has the car now or buy a totally different vehicle. Its just not worth all this headache and hassle for a car! Its just insane waiting and waiting years for a car! Drop the ferrari ball and chain and take a look at some other vehicles.

 

Thats for sure....I had a moment of idealism when I made that post. Ah, back to reality...

 

Ferrari (through it's dealer and/or subsidiary) does not deserve its customers and your business, you should buy a GT2 or GT3. After all, they're not that uglier than a Modena (just teasing ;-) )

 

Holy Cow.... lightning can strike in the same place twice!!
Sorry to hear this Brian.
But Yoshi brings up a good point with personnel changes.
How would you like to be the commission salesman who is trying
to feed his family and FNA keeps yanking the rug out from under you.
Brian what does your salesman say?
I would think he would be jumping up and down on someones desk
wanting to know where the the car is.

 

Tifosi69....

Your post emphasises all the reasons why I love Porsche. You can always get a new Porsche regardless of who you are.

Brian.......

Go drive a GT2 (if you haven't already).........then ask yourself "why" you would want a 360CS.

 

Unfortunately, where I live ain't Hoboken either. South Jersey is kind of like the land that time forgot. But hey, at least we're known for our blueberries!