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Ferrari has such a famous brand that the automaker can get away with nearly anything it wants. It’s no shock that it has infamously bad customer service. Jay Leno compares going into the dealership to a trip “to a dominatrix.”
How Ferrari’s blacklist works
Here are some examples: Ferrari prohibits flipping a new car or making unauthorized modifications. It limits sales of special editions and even custom vehicles to “collectors” who’ve already “invested” in multiple entry-level cars. And finally, if you anger the company, you may find yourself on its infamous blacklist, prohibited from buying any new or certified pre-owned Ferraris. More commonly, you’ll just get your “investor” status revoked and be blocked from getting in line for special editions.
Ferrari doesn’t publish its blacklist, so to figure out who’s on it we usually need to wait until celebrities complain. But at least 10 have made a fuss.
Kim Kardashian and family
According to Pop Buzz, Ferrari actually confirmed that Kim Kardashian is banned from buying special editions. It called out how the entire Kardashian clan was “not taking care of their Ferraris.” It didn’t elaborate, so we don’t know whether this was skipping dealership maintenance or featuring cars that were dirty on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Justin Bieber
The final reason Ferrari banned Justin Bieber is hilarious. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, he got in trouble for going partying in L.A., taking a taxi home, and forgetting where he’d parked his Ferrari for two weeks. That must be a nice problem to have. In all fairness, Bieber was reportedly on his final warning after crashing a car avoiding the paparazzi, wrapping cars, installing wide-body kits, and slapping his name and a fresh coat of paint on a new Ferrari, then trying to resell it for more money.
50 Cent
When this rapper’s Ferrari 488’s battery died he called a tow truck. Once it was on the flatbed he snapped a photo of the supercar and posted it to social media. Ferrari wouldn’t want anyone thinking its cars are unreliable. So even though the problem could have just been a dead battery for a car parked a long time, it banned 50 Cent.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Legendary boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. just had to buy a Ferrari to keep up with his friend 50 Cent. But when he sold it within a year of buying, Ferrari decided he was no longer welcome in its dealerships. To prevent speculation and car flipping, Ferrari requires new car owners keep their rides for at least one year.
Lindsay Lohan
According to the Unión Rayo website, Ferrari’s problem with Lindsay Lohan is her legal issues that stem from alcohol and drug abuse. Even though she turned her life around years ago, the supercar manufacturer won’t budge. I wonder how the company feels about Ferraris driven by actual war criminals?
Deadmau5
DJ Deadmau5 bought a Ferrari 458, then designed an over-the-top custom wrap. He did the car up bright blue with cartoon graphics. It featured a pixelated “Nyan Cat” that had a Pop-Tart for a body and left a trail of rainbows. The resulting “Purrari” became a viral internet meme. But I guess if you’re Ferrari, all attention isn’t good attention. The automaker banned Deadmau5, citing its policy against unsanctioned modifications.
Tyga
The story goes that rapper Tyga leased a 2012 Ferrari 458. When he failed to make his payments on time the automaker didn’t just repossess the car. It told him it wouldn’t be doing business with him ever again.
Bill Ceno
This highly successful web designer honestly seems to be one of the more levelheaded Ferrari fans out there. He has a huge collection of classics, such as a Ferrari F50 and even an Enzo. When the LaFerrari Aperta came out, he contacted Maranello about paying full sticker to add the rare new car to his collection. Company brass said they didn’t care how many rare Ferraris he owned; he hadn’t bought any of them new. So even though the man is practically Ferrari royalty, he was out of luck.
Chris Harris
This one hits near and dear to my heart. Chris Harris is an automotive journalist who’s reviewed nearly every vehicle under the sun. But Harris wrote a scoop about Ferrari building its test cars for journalists to a higher caliber than its production models. You’d think a regular Ferrari would be up to snuff, but apparently not. Well, I guess the winningest brand in motorsports history still has a thin skin, and it banned Harris from tests for a while. You can see him test an F80 in the video above. I certainly hope it’s a regular production car.
Julia Roberts
I’ll come clean: the actress Julia Roberts can still buy a Ferrari. But while she was shooting Pretty Woman, the filmmakers approached Ferrari about featuring one of its supercars in the now-classic movie. Rumor has it the automaker was “outraged anyone would even suggest placing a lady of disrepute into one of their cars on screen.” Lotus, however, jumped at the opportunity. The resulting scene is burned into the mind of many a car enthusiast, with Roberts adorably listing the specs of the car while slapping gears and inspiring Richard Gere to live a little. And of course, Lotus sales tripled.
Jay Leno
The comedian and TV star is the patron saint of car collectors and worth $400 million. But he doesn’t own a single Ferrari. Is he blacklisted? Not quite. He doesn’t mince words on the prancing pony. He loves the machines, but not the company. “They are a pain in the a–! Every time I go into a dealership they automatically slap more money on the price. That’s just b—s—.”
Ferrari’s celebrity pricing is well documented, but Leno isn’t having any of it. Add in the “dominatrix”-like customer service and he’ll stick to his McLaren F1 and P1, thank you very much. With millions of car enthusiasts watching Leno’s every move, that’s a missed opportunity for Ferrari.
I’ve long said that Ferrari should worry less about poorly behaved celebrities tarnishing its brand image, and maybe do more to stop dictators from buying Ferrari supercars.
