In-State Driver's License (Georgia) for Delivery?

[Ltdvorak]

Hi Team TMC,

First post here as I await delivery of my M3 Dual Motor. I wanted to get the community's input on something I was told by my Sales Advisor at the store in Atlanta where my car will be delivered.

Back story: I'm moving from California to Atlanta on a tight timeline on July 1 (as in, last day of work here June 30, then fly to Atlanta July 1 and start new job within 10 days). I ordered my car here in California for delivery to Atlanta (delivery window in advance of July 1), and at that time the California Sales Advisor told me that I could take delivery remotely by Tesla Direct Drop in the driveway of my new house. As I have come to learn in the weeks since: Not true in Georgia. Anyway, the Atlanta Sales Advisor I am now working with has been awesome and is basically working things out for me so that I can take delivery without flying to Atlanta just for that (impossible due to my job anyway).

But, what he has told me is that I still need a valid Georgia driver's license number in order to purchase the vehicle from them -- they can't use an out-of-state license at the time of delivery. This is a problem since I simply can't get to Atlanta before July 1, and Georgia won't issue a new license unless you physically go to the DMV office. The one solution I do have is to fly my wife out to Atlanta in advance, and she can go ahead and get a Georgia license, and then she would take delivery as the owner of the car. This would require re-doing my financing, not to mention... I want to be the owner of the car! So: A potential but by far not-preferred solution.

Has anyone dealt with this issue before, whether in Georgia or in another state? Any idea of why this is a requirement? Any work-arounds? Appreciate the input of the TMC brain trust.

-Ltdvorak

 

[haroldo]

Call the Georgia DMV, they might have a workaround??
What about delaying delivery a week, or two…rent a car until you get the new car

 

[sroy]

What is your ordering date and current forecast delivery date? You may be worrying needlessly as it seems all Q2 deliveries are looking to be delayed for everybody. Yesterday evening it appears like every member of this forum with a late Q1 order, refused Q1 delivery or Q2 order are all being delayed by at least 1 week as of yesterday.

 

[Ltdvorak]

Order date April 4. Previously delivery showing as late May to first 3 weeks of June, as of yesterday "9 to 13 weeks from order date," which would put it June 6-July 4. If it happens to be delivered at the very end of that range, then we're OK. But will still have the problem if it comes sooner.

How does delaying delivery work? I was told by the Sales Advisor that when the car comes, you have 4 days to come get it, and if you can't make it happen, they'll probably give your car to someone else. True? True with exceptions? If I can delay a week or two when the delivery date is assigned, problem solved.

I looked more into buying/registering/titling a new car in Georgia as a non-resident with an out-of-state DL (if the car comes before I physically arrive in Georgia, I will technically still be a California resident). It appears there is totally a legal framework for this, but it's very uncommon since most Georgia non-residents want to register/title a car they buy in Georgia in their home state (even if they will primarily use it in Georgia) to avoid Georgia ad valorem tax (TAVT). My guess is the Tesla folks in Atlanta are just not used to this or have never encountered it, and they have a blanket "Georgia DL for everyone" rule (the state is pretty rabid about anyone who meets the legal definition of a Georgia resident having a Georgia DL). May have to try to push back on this as a "special circumstance." Can anyone think of a way this will go awry?

 

[sroy]

Your order was early enough to believe, under normal circumstances, you could get it before July first.

Normally, it is within 3 days of the suggested date that you must take delivery otherwise the car gets assigned to someone else and you go back in queue. Based on Q1 sales and current Q2 sales that would mean you would get the car late Q3 instead. It is very rare, if at all, that “your car” will wait for you if you can’t make it especially it that means the sale registers to another quarter. Furthermore based on others reports, the volume is so high you don’t get to choose at all when that is. You usually get 1 slot option (ex: that friday at 1pm) and it’s either “yes or no” rather than “can you do thus at 3?”.

So the way I personally see this is:

1- you could do everything possible to get your Georgia license in order before delivery date for which you risk having done that needlessly in case Tesla fails to deliver your unit this quarter OR they push delivery until after July 1st in which case that messing around was unnecessary.

2- you could either hope they deliver after July 1st or accept you need to delay delivery meaning there is a high chance you would only get your car in Q3.

There is no way for you or any of us or even your SA to tell you precisely when the car will actually be delivered because Tesla itself doesn’t.

Normally you must take delivery at your time slot or the car goes to someone else and the delivery center rarely if at all will accept to “hold it for you”. I would say they sure would not be allowed to do so if that means change of quarter. Everyone wants a Tesla meaning they get to set the terms, not the customer.

 

[Ltdvorak]

Yeah in that case delaying delivery = not an option. I could be stuck for months in Georgia without a car, which would cost me a bunch of money for a rental car and be a big mess.

I absolutely can't get to Georgia to arrange the Georgia DL before July 1 (I'm a surgical resident & on-call continuously... can't leave California).

So 2 options remain:

1- Tesla figures out a way to accept my out-of-state DL (seems totally do-able from a legal standpoint, the question is: Does Tesla's usual process allow for this and how much will they have to flex?)

2- Tesla changes the order to my wife, who can go out to Georgia and get her Georgia DL arranged next week. I basically would then drive a car that she legally owns. Whatever.

If they aren't flexible enough to execute either #1 or #2... I'm getting a Mercedes.

 

[sroy]

I honestly recommend the Mercedes. No way 1 is going to fly. 2 could be feasible but there were threads about “handing over” reservations which can’t be done. If you put both names, both must take delivery.

The reality is that a new Tesla is not a car you can decide when you take delivery. Given massive demand from people who would rather accommodate Tesla than the other way around means they don’t have any reason to go through hoops for special cases. It sucks but that’s just how it is.

Alternative would be a used one.

 

[sroy]

That being said I would definitely speak with them to see what can be done as much as possible.

Why not take delivery in CA and re-register in GA after?

 

[Ltdvorak]

Re: Delivery in CA and then re-register in GA: Would have to pay to have the car shipped to GA ($2k+) and then pay Georgia TAVT upon re-registering in GA (so double tax in close succession: sales tax in CA + TAVT in GA). TAVT is not small, so the cost difference of delivery in GA vs. delivery in CA and ship to GA is several thousand dollars. No. Just, no.

Agree I'm going to give them a chance to make this work. I have a really nice Sales Advisor in Atlanta but he's going to be hamstrung by policy and his bosses. We'll see.

It's just crazy because I want the car and they are so, so inflexible that they are going to burn a relationship with 2 doctors (my wife, too) who could be Tesla buyers for life. But, as you say... they don't "need" me, so who cares?

 

[sroy]

It's not about "you giving them a chance" to make it work. It's more about you with their help to find a way to make it work. You could still not get a car by July 1st if they just can't deliver your config to your delivery point. I mean if they can't produce your car this quarter, you would have to wait next quarter regardless of your situation.

When buying a Tesla, you must be aware that you are not in control of the buying process at all and there is nothing you can do about it. Which is true for all Tesla buyer in the world. You must be prepared for the possibility of waiting months before getting your car (and also needing to go back to the service center a couple times if there are fixable "issues" upon delivery. If that's not something you can put up with, you have 2 options: a) admitting to yourself that Tesla is not the car for you or b) buying a used one (for which the delivery date can be made predictable and if any, delivery issues are already addressed).

It's crazy indeed. We are not used as customers to be this irrelevant to a business' success.

 

[sroy]

Hey @Ltdvorak circling back here:

I am in the Orientation Session and if you could arrange someone getting in person, you could have a notarized letter enabling someone to take delivery for you. So you should be able to work it out through that channel.

 

[sroy]

There has to be no trade-ins (but could in some states).

 

[ThomasD]

Have them put a temp plate on it and just use your old Cal address for the car paperwork