Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Servicing Costs - 512TR

[Larry B (larrybard]

Pretty good illustration of supply and demand -- and what happens when there 
are significant market deviations.  Clearly they "should" be charging much 
higher [market] rates, as evidenced by the demand.  One might say their pricing 
is almost downright economically irrational.


Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:23:29 -0500From: ferrari308driver [at] gmail.comTo: 
larrybard [at] hotmail.comSubject: Re: [Ferrari] Servicing Costs - 512TRCC: 
ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
Wow....this won't be constructive to the conversation at hand, but on my 
pre-war Rolls-Royce (which I doubt my 'local dealer' would service at any 
price), I use the most competent pre-war Rolls/Bentley independent service shop 
in the mid-Atlantic area.  His labor rate is $55!  Of course, his waiting list 
is about a year to get in.... 
 
One of the guys who works for him is an outstanding automotive (RR/B only) wood 
refinisher, and he lamented to me recently that he had to up his rate from $25 
to $30/hour.  I'm bringing my car in for all the wood to be redone next 
week.....and his waiting list is in excess of a year. 
 
Supply and demand.....either you wait a long time or you pay a lot!  :-)
 
-matt
'85 euro 308 (55841)
'39 p-iii (3DL170) 
On 11/13/07, Larry B <larrybard [at] hotmail.com> wrote: 
Dennis,Thanks for your as always constructive comments.  I should also have 
noted that I would pay 15% less than the quoted prices, because the dealer has 
a "winter discount" for all servicing performed during the slow months of 
November through January.  And their normal hourly rates are $129, which 
doesn't strike me as egregious relative to the rates some Toyota, Honda, etc. 
dealerships charge for their work, especially given the general level of 
[in]competence one often encounters at those places.  (For which I am reluctant 
to substitute my own mechanical inexperience and potential incompetence -- so 
my trusted non-Ferrari mechanics (who competently service my other 6 assorted 
cars) will probably get the nod for the simple stuff).)Larry