Key Fob Nightmare

[Soolim]

Seriously?

If it was just "some random guy who happened to be walking by" then why did that guy "comes out of his neighbors yard and walks down street". I assume he knows his neighbors and this is obviously not them. Then later, the same guy returns. So he used circumstantial evidence (set out in his post -- which I understood fine) to tell us why he called the police. People are serving life in jail based solely on circumstantial evidence.

To the op -- Jimtesla -- please let us know if you asked your neighbour if they know who this was on their property?

I thought the loaner car was locked out at shopping mall? OP assumed that the strange guy found the loaner car FOB. What is the final location of the loaner car when OP called the police?

 

[Electricfan]

I love this post

My experience - when I think somebody has taken something of mine I'm usually wrong and find it later (100% wrong as far as I can remember)

Great experience to share of ramifications of lost key fob though

Sorry for your frustration, good luck holding onto your fob in future

Agree, this writing style reminds of haiku, and is a good break from normal (see link below - you should repost there)

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/38450-Tesla-Poetry-Limericks-Haiku?highlight=limerick

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[roblab]

Since I didn't see it actually explained in this thread, I wish to say that Tesla is designed to be started and driven with the key only near. If the key disappears after starting, the car doesn't seem to mind. Getting out of the driver's seat makes the car search for the fob again.

I had offered my car to a friend to take for a drive. Yeah, I know, but that's me. I was sitting in the passenger seat explaining the car, and then had him drive it around the block to make sure he understood a little more than the basics. We pulled back into the driveway, I got out and his wife got in. And they were off.

About ten minutes later they called me, frantic. They had gotten out at a 7-11 and the car wouldn't start. I am guessing the driver got out, the wife stayed, but either way, I suddenly realized the fob was still in my pocket. After profuse apologies, my wife and I raced to where the app showed they were (this was pre app unlock) and handed over the fob.

I picture the kid dropping the fob somewhere. I guess it's possible the stranger found it and picked it up, but there's no proof of anything. It could be in the bushes, the lawn, the mall, who knows? I tend to think what I would do, so I don't put evil intentions on the stranger.

 

[Lloyd]

Nope, I had a Dollar car in Hawaii many years ago. Lost the keys swimming and had to pay for an expensive tow and key replacment because they did not have a 2nd set.

- - - Updated - - -

Whenever I rent a car, I only get one set of keys.
I assume the rental company has the other set so they can help me out if I lose the keys.

Nope, I had a Dollar car in Hawaii many years ago. Lost the keys swimming and had to pay for an expensive tow and key replacment because they did not have a 2nd set.

...............

To add to this story, while I was hitching back to the car agency and my hotel, the disabled rental car was broken into, and my wallet, camera and my girlfriends stuff was stolen. Then the car agency would not rent another car to me because I did not have a drivers license! American express saved the vacation with a temporary ID, Cash and a new card. Additionally they got me a room at the hotel that I wanted to stay in but no rooms were available.

 

[mspohr]

Nope, I had a Dollar car in Hawaii many years ago. Lost the keys swimming and had to pay for an expensive tow and key replacment because they did not have a 2nd set.

- - - Updated - - -



Nope, I had a Dollar car in Hawaii many years ago. Lost the keys swimming and had to pay for an expensive tow and key replacment because they did not have a 2nd set.

Wow... I assumed that rental companies would be helpful but the Internet is full of stories about people losing their rental car keys and having to pay for a tow plus hundreds of dollars for a replacement key.
Here's one humorous take on the situation:
Rental Car Companies Are Idiots When It Comes To Keys

I guess this guy would be better off with Tesla since presumably they have a spare key fob in the shop which they could run out to him (with his repaired car).

 

[Canuck]

To add to this story, while I was hitching back to the car agency and my hotel, the disabled rental car was broken into, and my wallet, camera and my girlfriends stuff was stolen. Then the car agency would not rent another car to me because I did not have a drivers license! American express saved the vacation with a temporary ID, Cash and a new card. Additionally they got me a room at the hotel that I wanted to stay in but no rooms were available.

American Express will be contacting you soon to do a commercial for them about your experience.

I thought the loaner car was locked out at shopping mall? OP assumed that the strange guy found the loaner car FOB. What is the final location of the loaner car when OP called the police?

The theory is that he dropped the key while getting into it at home on his way to the mall. Creepy guy picks it up and keeps returning to try get the car. Tesla needs to quickly put a bait car in it's place that the key will work on...

- YouTube

 

[Soolim]

Wonder how much it cost to replace a lost FOB.

 

[mspohr]

Wonder how much it cost to replace a lost FOB.

Tesla fob is $113 plus about $30 for programming.

 

[jimtelsa]

So after son got to mall, he put tesla in park and got fob not in car error. He never left car, looking for fob inside and then called me. I went outside of house to look for fob, and retrace his steps leading up to him arriving at mall. While outside in my driveway, looking for the fob, an older man came out of my neighbors side yard and walked down street.
Not being able to locate fob I drove up to mall. while there called Tesla, explained situation. The best they could do was lock the car and notify my Tesla center that the fob was not present. Notified Mall that car would be in parking lot over night and asked that they not tow vehicle. After arriving back home decided to go on a scavenger hunt for the fob, using flashlights each one scanning side of street all the way out of complex. While doing so, suspicious man came back. Seeing us tried to do a quick u turn. We were able to get license plate number. Continued on to look for the fob. After scouring the area, we came up empty. Went to neighbors house to see if they knew guy coming from yard. No answer despite dogs barking and front door open. went to another neighbor who got in touch withe them. Just 16 year old daughter home alone and did not have anybody over. Mom was at work. She was now freaked out and went over to stay at neighbors house. At this point I decided to call Police. After Police arrive i explain situation. All neighbors came out to see whats up. Police officer goes to check on cars and house. Everythings fine, and then comes back and informs me that License plate was a dead chevy, bad plate. When I check on number he has its off by one digit. He re checks and has a match, closes lap top so I dont see information. Explains that he may have been looking for somebodies house, had to take a leak, thats why he came out of the bushes. But they will come back later and check on area. We all went back inside. Next morning went to work. After 9:00 I get a text from my son, he found the fob, about a 1/2 mile from home. It was in the middle of a busy two lane highway. How he found it was beyond me, it was in a black and green neoprene sleeve. It was outside of our original search area. He went back to mall and the fob still worked. There was a note on car that it would be subject to tow for being left in lot overnight. Great. How it was not crushed in the middle of the road, with a 50 MPH speed limit is beyond me. I call Tesla and inform them the Fob is found, they inform me that they should have explained more about the problem of having one fob and what could happen, but hey I got the whole picture now. Still dont know how fob got there..Thrown out window by stranger or maybe left on roof and drive away not knowing it was there and then at a certain speed it fell off? When i arrived home and picked up mail, read note on mailbox that we have been having suspicious cars in neighborhood which have resulted in break ins...So I am glad i reported stranger. Tesla is now at home. Tomorrow will pick up my real one and return this one...Im done

 

[Andyw2100]

I had offered my car to a friend to take for a drive. Yeah, I know, but that's me. I was sitting in the passenger seat explaining the car, and then had him drive it around the block to make sure he understood a little more than the basics. We pulled back into the driveway, I got out and his wife got in. And they were off.

About ten minutes later they called me, frantic. They had gotten out at a 7-11 and the car wouldn't start.

You let your friend test drive your Tesla without you and he parked it at a 7-11, and you're --still friends-- with him (as evidenced by the fact that you did not refer to him as a former friend.)

You're a good man!

 

[Canuck]

So after son got to mall, he put tesla in park and got fob not in car error. He never left car, looking for fob inside and then called me. I went outside of house to look for fob, and retrace his steps leading up to him arriving at mall. While outside in my driveway, looking for the fob, an older man came out of my neighbors side yard and walked down street.
Not being able to locate fob I drove up to mall. while there called Tesla, explained situation. The best they could do was lock the car and notify my Tesla center that the fob was not present. Notified Mall that car would be in parking lot over night and asked that they not tow vehicle. After arriving back home decided to go on a scavenger hunt for the fob, using flashlights each one scanning side of street all the way out of complex. While doing so, suspicious man came back. Seeing us tried to do a quick u turn. We were able to get license plate number. Continued on to look for the fob. After scouring the area, we came up empty. Went to neighbors house to see if they knew guy coming from yard. No answer despite dogs barking and front door open. went to another neighbor who got in touch withe them. Just 16 year old daughter home alone and did not have anybody over. Mom was at work. She was now freaked out and went over to stay at neighbors house. At this point I decided to call Police. After Police arrive i explain situation. All neighbors came out to see whats up. Police officer goes to check on cars and house. Everythings fine, and then comes back and informs me that License plate was a dead chevy, bad plate. When I check on number he has its off by one digit. He re checks and has a match, closes lap top so I dont see information. Explains that he may have been looking for somebodies house, had to take a leak, thats why he came out of the bushes. But they will come back later and check on area. We all went back inside. Next morning went to work. After 9:00 I get a text from my son, he found the fob, about a 1/2 mile from home. It was in the middle of a busy two lane highway. How he found it was beyond me, it was in a black and green neoprene sleeve. It was outside of our original search area. He went back to mall and the fob still worked. There was a note on car that it would be subject to tow for being left in lot overnight. Great. How it was not crushed in the middle of the road, with a 50 MPH speed limit is beyond me. I call Tesla and inform them the Fob is found, they inform me that they should have explained more about the problem of having one fob and what could happen, but hey I got the whole picture now. Still dont know how fob got there..Thrown out window by stranger or maybe left on roof and drive away not knowing it was there and then at a certain speed it fell off? When i arrived home and picked up mail, read note on mailbox that we have been having suspicious cars in neighborhood which have resulted in break ins...So I am glad i reported stranger. Tesla is now at home. Tomorrow will pick up my real one and return this one...Im done

My suspicions are your son is not telling the truth. Can we have him take a lie detector test? (That's a joke, although I would like to see the results.) Do you think he found it somewhere else but for some reason he doesn't want to tell you. What are the odds he would find it 1/2 mile from your home, undamaged, on a busy highway the next day? That doesn't add up.

I really enjoyed reading this thread and your update, except that I feel sorry for your 16 year old neighbour being scared. Hopefully, she is fine now.

Did you use a translator or have someone assist you with the updated post? I'd almost rather have you post it in the poetry style of your first one. It added to the mystery and drama of this interesting story.

We need to hand that fob over to "Forensic Files" (I love that show) and have your son and the creepy guy both take polygraphs. We can get to the bottom of this one yet!

 

[jimtelsa]

No he tells the truth

im trying to please everybody

I think the fob was on the roof

and he took off with it up there

it finally came off with a left turn

and a P85 acceleration......

the neoprene made it stay up there longer

we were close to finding it with our scavenger hunt

To the Hunt....

 

[Jason S]

Fob on roof of car makes perfect sense. <3 the P85 acceleration.

Thanks for posting the end of the story.

 

[Soolim]

So after son got to mall, he put tesla in park and got fob not in car error. He never left car, looking for fob inside and then called me. I went outside of house to look for fob, and retrace his steps leading up to him arriving at mall. While outside in my driveway, looking for the fob, an older man came out of my neighbors side yard and walked down street.
Not being able to locate fob I drove up to mall. while there called Tesla, explained situation. The best they could do was lock the car and notify my Tesla center that the fob was not present. Notified Mall that car would be in parking lot over night and asked that they not tow vehicle. After arriving back home decided to go on a scavenger hunt for the fob, using flashlights each one scanning side of street all the way out of complex. While doing so, suspicious man came back. Seeing us tried to do a quick u turn. We were able to get license plate number. Continued on to look for the fob. After scouring the area, we came up empty. Went to neighbors house to see if they knew guy coming from yard. No answer despite dogs barking and front door open. went to another neighbor who got in touch withe them. Just 16 year old daughter home alone and did not have anybody over. Mom was at work. She was now freaked out and went over to stay at neighbors house. At this point I decided to call Police. After Police arrive i explain situation. All neighbors came out to see whats up. Police officer goes to check on cars and house. Everythings fine, and then comes back and informs me that License plate was a dead chevy, bad plate. When I check on number he has its off by one digit. He re checks and has a match, closes lap top so I dont see information. Explains that he may have been looking for somebodies house, had to take a leak, thats why he came out of the bushes. But they will come back later and check on area. We all went back inside. Next morning went to work. After 9:00 I get a text from my son, he found the fob, about a 1/2 mile from home. It was in the middle of a busy two lane highway. How he found it was beyond me, it was in a black and green neoprene sleeve. It was outside of our original search area. He went back to mall and the fob still worked. There was a note on car that it would be subject to tow for being left in lot overnight. Great. How it was not crushed in the middle of the road, with a 50 MPH speed limit is beyond me. I call Tesla and inform them the Fob is found, they inform me that they should have explained more about the problem of having one fob and what could happen, but hey I got the whole picture now. Still dont know how fob got there..Thrown out window by stranger or maybe left on roof and drive away not knowing it was there and then at a certain speed it fell off? When i arrived home and picked up mail, read note on mailbox that we have been having suspicious cars in neighborhood which have resulted in break ins...So I am glad i reported stranger. Tesla is now at home. Tomorrow will pick up my real one and return this one...Im done

Thanks for the conclusion, and accommodating post. I am glad there is a happy ending to this story.

 

[Electricfan]

AWESOME! Happy endings are so rare these days! :biggrin:

 

[garygid]

Don't most loaner/rental agreements limit the driving to just one specific driver?