The lower the mileage, the more value it has; this is something that is especially true with classic and modern Ferraris. Considering this, it appears that certain members of Ferrari allegedly saw a lucrative opportunity to offer a service that allowed customers to have the digital odometers on their cars rolled back.
As reported by The Daily Mail UK, the device that performs this act is called The Deis Tester and was said to be used in the USA. In many areas, altering the mileage of a vehicle is a felony which is why Robert ‘Bud’ Root, an ex-Ferrari salesman of 22 years, was supposedly fired after he had discovered this device at his dealership.
As a result of this, Root whistleblew Ferrari corporate for its actions and is now initiating a class-action lawsuit against the Italian company. Root is adamant that this device could not have been greenlit without Ferrari’s blessings.
In this lawsuit Root also names a number of high-profile customers who opted for this service and claims that certain managers of the Palm Beach dealership were involved in a conspiracy with buyers to avoid paying state sales taxes, which as you can imagine, can be a sizeable amount for a Ferrari.
If Root’s allegations prove to be true, the results could felony charges for those who were involved in the scheme. Root’s allegations in this case are very serious and it’s worth noting that more information needs to be uncovered before we have a clear indication of how substantial this story is. There’s also no word of this happening in other markets.
Ferrari North America has declined to comment on the lawsuit at this moment. The attorney who is representing the dealership in question has stated that “this case is wholly without merit and will be vigorously defended in court.”
