Insurance choices

[Nosevi]

Stuart, the buying bit was easy. Stuart was okay to deal with, he was quite new to Ferrari at the time. Sale went through quickly, probably too quickly TBH. I was keen, he was keen.
The car however, was... well looked okay but had lots of niggly issues. I never saw the supposed 190 point check, despite asking on several occasions. I posted a long list of problems I had with the car within hours of getting it home, after 180 mile return trip.
I believe they strategically didn't collect the car back until 6 weeks later. Watering down my ability to refuse the car and get a full refund. When they took the car back they had it for 6 weeks and this is during the summer, so when I most wanted it. When it was returned not everything was resolved. Body repair they had to do was done sub standard. During the 6 weeks they had the car, I did send them a rejection letter where they did lend me a GTC4 Lusso for a week as I needed a Ferrari for the CS Cotswold run, as a pacifier. During the time they had the car, when contacting the service department to get updates on progress, they NEVER returned calls until I really started to complain. You always got reception and the service person was always with a customer, yeh right. Okay, please ask them to call back as it's very important. No return call. It always ended with me calling sales to rant and then I would finally get a call back to update on progress. Shocking outfit.

In all whole thing was a disaster, I didn't sell it back to them. Sold it SOR as I want to try and get the max return, when I say return I mean minimise my loss. Which was £18k over 12 months. But actually if I really look at it, taking into account the time they had the car and the time it was SOR in the showroom, I only really had the car 9 months. Dream was shattered.
Having the 458 was supposed to be the pinnacle of my Ferrari ownership. Last one I was going to buy.
Well.. maybe the last I will ever buy

Real shame to hear. Got to say, Andy, the one thing I’ve been disappointed with over my 10 or so years in Ferrari ownership so far is the general level of service at service time. I can honestly say the little village garage who take care of my daily take more care when servicing it than I’ve often experienced when my Ferrari has been serviced. A mate of mine took the decision when he bought his 348 not to protect the value and to look after it himself instead. I envy him at times, often when I get my car back from a service and have to correct things that were poorly done when she was in the hands of the experts.

[milkshaker0007]

Real shame to hear. Got to say, Andy, the one thing I’ve been disappointed with over my 10 or so years in Ferrari ownership so far is the general level of service at service time. I can honestly say the little village garage who take care of my daily take more care when servicing it than I’ve often experienced when my Ferrari has been serviced. A mate of mine took the decision when he bought his 348 not to protect the value and to look after it himself instead. I envy him at times, often when I get my car back from a service and have to correct things that were poorly done when she was in the hands of the experts.

I feel your pain Pete, PM'd you some of my horror's

[Nosevi]

I feel your pain Pete, PM'd you some of my horror's

Have replied. Got to say what you've told me doesn't surprise me - this is my car not long after her annual just before lockdown when I found brake fluid had been spilt down the front of the reservoir and into the bottom of the car, few drops on the carcoon floor mat gave it away. No damage done but right pain in the backside to clean up. Shouldn't be having to do this after paying a fair amount to have a specialist or main dealer do the service.

[ronrob]

Have replied. Got to say what you've told me doesn't surprise me - this is my car not long after her annual just before lockdown when I found brake fluid had been spilt down the front of the reservoir and into the bottom of the car, few drops on the carcoon floor mat gave it away. No damage done but right pain in the backside to clean up. Shouldn't be having to do this after paying a fair amount to have a specialist or main dealer do the service.

As you probably know, that was almost certainly due to careless use of a power brake bleeder and the operator would have known that it had happened. You presumably complained? In 16 years, the only time Ferrari have seen my car (F355) was for the fuel hose recall. I'll happily take the hit when my car is worth nothing because there are no stamps in the book.

[PAUL V]

Stuart, the buying bit was easy. Stuart was okay to deal with, he was quite new to Ferrari at the time. Sale went through quickly, probably too quickly TBH. I was keen, he was keen.
The car however, was... well looked okay but had lots of niggly issues. I never saw the supposed 190 point check, despite asking on several occasions. I posted a long list of problems I had with the car within hours of getting it home, after 180 mile return trip.
I believe they strategically didn't collect the car back until 6 weeks later. Watering down my ability to refuse the car and get a full refund. When they took the car back they had it for 6 weeks and this is during the summer, so when I most wanted it. When it was returned not everything was resolved. Body repair they had to do was done sub standard. During the 6 weeks they had the car, I did send them a rejection letter where they did lend me a GTC4 Lusso for a week as I needed a Ferrari for the CS Cotswold run, as a pacifier. During the time they had the car, when contacting the service department to get updates on progress, they NEVER returned calls until I really started to complain. You always got reception and the service person was always with a customer, yeh right. Okay, please ask them to call back as it's very important. No return call. It always ended with me calling sales to rant and then I would finally get a call back to update on progress. Shocking outfit.

In all whole thing was a disaster, I didn't sell it back to them. Sold it SOR as I want to try and get the max return, when I say return I mean minimise my loss. Which was £18k over 12 months. But actually if I really look at it, taking into account the time they had the car and the time it was SOR in the showroom, I only really had the car 9 months. Dream was shattered.
Having the 458 was supposed to be the pinnacle of my Ferrari ownership. Last one I was going to buy.
Well.. maybe the last I will ever buy

Thats shame that you had a negative exuberance with them, i can see how that can put a downer on the ownership.


With me today they could not have done anymore, very happy with everything car included

[Nosevi]

As you probably know, that was almost certainly due to careless use of a power brake bleeder and the operator would have known that it had happened. You presumably complained? In 16 years, the only time Ferrari have seen my car (F355) was for the fuel hose recall. I'll happily take the hit when my car is worth nothing because there are no stamps in the book.

Yep, that’s my guess too and like you say, no way you wouldn’t notice. By the time I noticed the drops of fluid on the carcoon ground mat we were in lockdown so just cracked on and sorted it myself, no one there to complain to. Probably fall on deaf ears anyway although with a brake fluid change being part of the service and a brake fluid spill being there after it, it’d be fairly difficult to deny it. Bit like the fact the oil was over filled.......

Just fed up with it tbh. There must be places out there who take pride in their work. Have heard good things about Bell Classic (in fact people like Faisal told me to take her there for this service - lesson learnt.....) Bit of a trek from here but might have to give them a go.

[ronrob]

Yep, that’s my guess too and like you say, no way you wouldn’t notice. By the time I noticed the drops of fluid on the carcoon ground mat we were in lockdown so just cracked on and sorted it myself, no one there to complain to. Probably fall on deaf ears anyway although with a brake fluid change being part of the service and a brake fluid spill being there after it, it’d be fairly difficult to deny it. Bit like the fact the oil was over filled.......

Just fed up with it tbh. There must be places out there who take pride in their work. Have heard good things about Bell Classic (in fact people like Faisal told me to take her there for this service - lesson learnt.....) Bit of a trek from here but might have to give them a go.

If you don't tell them, they will never improve. Better still - tell them to have a look on this site. If I had a Ferrari outlet, I would be looking at forums. I am pretty sure that insurance companies have learned to do so.

[Nosevi]

If you don't tell them, they will never improve. Better still - tell them to have a look on this site. If I had a Ferrari outlet, I would be looking at forums. I am pretty sure that insurance companies have learned to do so.

All good points. Had they been there at the time they certainly would have heard from me.