Purchasing experience is SO much worse than it was a few years ago

[bcsteeve]

I bought a 2015 Model S and the purchase, delivery, and service experience was so very good.

I bought a 2019 Model 3 and the purchase went fine, but the delivery was so meh. Service was ok.

I'm just now trying so hard to buy a 2023 Model Y and it is OMG like pulling teeth!

Firstly: out of market experience. I live about 4.5 hours drive, or a 1 hour flight from the nearest dealership.

In 2015, they gave me white glove service and delivered the S to my door. The guy was literally wearing white gloves when he handed me my fob.
In 2019, they offered me a choice to deliver the vehicle or else I could come get it and receive $980 off the price. I took the latter.
In 2023... all I get is "no". Can you deliver it? No. Is there any money off if I come get it? No. Ok, I'll fly out on the 21st and pick it up. No... it needs to be on the day we say. Can I at least have Winter tires put on (at my cost) so I can safely drive home over the mountains? No. You need to book another appointment 2-3 weeks later.

Secondly: The purchase flow.

In 2015, we did it over the phone. It was easy. They took a credit card deposit and I wired the rest.
In 2019, I did the credit card deposit over the phone and brought a cashier's cheque for the rest.
In 2023, the website takes my deposit just fine, but then the process is interrupted by some server failure. I can't get it to work. Eventually I discover it works through the app, but I get so far and another error occurs. I finally dig out a phone number (damn that's hard to find) and get an automated attendant who sounds like it MIGHT transfer me to a human... after I enter in my 5-digit zip code. I live in Canada. We don't have 5-digit zip codes.

Sigh.


I'm still trying to buy this car, but man they're making it difficult. So much so that... and I never thought I'd say this... I find myself wishing it would work like a normal dealership. And that's saying something, because I *HATE* the normal dealership model.

Tesla needs to take a step back at least to 2019, hopefully to 2015. Figure your *(@#$ out, because you won't always have rabid customers clawing at your door trying to buy everything you make.

 

[bcsteeve]

The terrible experience continues lol

I finally got the app to work and I go to confirm a delivery date of the 21st. No, it has to be the 13th, 14th or 15th. yeah, whatever, Fine. I hope my boss lets me have the day off and I book the airfare and hotel. Then.. THEN... after I've confirmed the time and booked accomodations... I'm told, "oh but the car may or may not be ready in time. We'll let you know".

FFS.

 

[Alonzo]

Just be glad it's not end of quarter. Tesla gets real persnickety about that time. Just for consolation, the buying process is a whole lot more convoluted in Texas.

 

[bcsteeve]

Yeah, I still have no idea if I wasted money on the airfare and hotel because the car may or may not be there. No idea if I can get winter tires for the trip back. Safety first, right?

I

 

[asterothe]

Sorry to hear your ordeal. It was not as much as yours but my '17 experience was superior to '23.

 

[cwerdna]

Yikes. Sounds like a symptom of Tesla and Elon not caring besides being spread too thin. They have enough demand so they don't care. And, you're in Canada which is a very small auto market vs. the US. Canadian auto market annual unit sales are a bit less than California.

And, since there's no other seller of new Teslas, there aren't independent dealers competing for your business.

When sales start getting affected significantly and it starts costing them $, they might care more.

 

[bcsteeve]

You're bang on. Tesla is focused on their loud shareholder core, who only care about short term performance. Long term, this is going to bite them. The parade of salivating people wanting your product amid zero competition is not going to last forever. Loyalty will matter. Customer service will matter.

But I accept that it doesn't now. They get my sale now (probably... I suppose it depends on what happens next week!). But it puts a sour taste in my mouth, and 5 years from now when I'm looking for my next car, I will hunt hard for a different option. I did that this time, but just didn't find anything compelling enough (that was also available). And it is already costing them sales down the road, because I speak negatively in my circle about the experience. When I spoke of my experience in 2015, everyone under my influence was dreaming of having a Tesla too. Now I feel a little bit ashamed of driving these things.


Your point on Canada though... we're not an insignificant market by any stretch. Comparing us to California... well... can you imagine the hit a company takes if they don't sell in California! That's a big deal. Furthermore, Every major brand in every segment outside of assault rifle sales competes in the Canadian market hard. We accept that we may not get ALL the options, and we accept that things generally cost a little more here (oddly, however, vehicles are generally an exception - but not with Tesla), but a company that ignores the Canadian market is not competing because their competition is catering to us. Tesla will eventually have to sort that out. Eventually. Not yet. I get that.

 

[bfilippo]

Crazy that they would not deliver it. While my experience up here in coastal Maine (similar distance to closest SC in MA), was not perfect via the folks in NJ (closest SC that can sell to us because of arcane New England tax laws and dealership lobbying), I did receive my Model Y on a truck on the day they said it would come without any issue, other than another truck having to come the following night to pickup my trade-in. All said, I agree that it sounds like it has gone down in quality and could be made better fairly easily.

 

[leoita]

It was fairly easy for me, though. Getting the Tesla financing simplified the process. I just paid off the down payment on site.. They did reschedule the pickup only once, though..

 

[cwerdna]

Your point on Canada though... we're not an insignificant market by any stretch. Comparing us to California... well... can you imagine the hit a company takes if they don't sell in California! That's a big deal. Furthermore, Every major brand in every segment outside of assault rifle sales competes in the Canadian market hard. We accept that we may not get ALL the options, and we accept that things generally cost a little more here (oddly, however, vehicles are generally an exception - but not with Tesla), but a company that ignores the Canadian market is not competing because their competition is catering to us. Tesla will eventually have to sort that out. Eventually. Not yet. I get that.

Just for some perspective, China's become the world's largest auto market, having passed the US awhile ago. For 2022, per China's 2022 auto sales rise 9.5% but growth weakening
"Sales of SUVs, sedans and minivans rose to 23.6 million, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, edged up 2.1% to 26.9 million."

And, BEV sales in China each year are several times that of the US.

For the US, per NADA Issues Analysis of 2022 Auto Sales and 2023 Sales Forecast
"2022 ended with new light-vehicle sales reaching 13.7 million units, the lowest full year sales total since 2011. Year-over-year 2022 sales decreased 8.2% compared to 2021 with the decrease primarily attributed to the ongoing semiconductor microchip shortage and additional supply chain disruptions."

How bad was 2022 for the Canadian auto market? | Driving By Numbers says:
"2022 was worse. Way worse.

Canadian auto sales dipped a further 9 per cent to a 13-year low of just 1.51 million units.

But what does 1.51 million units actually mean? What’s the frame of reference? How do we put a 13-per-cent year-over-year drop into context? Just how bad was 2022 for auto sales in Canada?"

So, one can see why Elon/Tesla may not care about Canada that much vs. many other places they sell.

 

[Watts_Up]

Tesla needs to take a step back at least to 2019, hopefully to 2015. Figure your *(@#$ out,
because you won't always have rabid customers clawing at your door trying to buy everything you make.

Tesla was doing home delivery during the recent pandemic,
so I wonder why Tesla don't provide this option anymore.

Maybe the customer could paid a fee for it, but the important
issue is that Tesla implemented a working 'contactless' process.

In fact, during the pandemic, Tesla provided also 'contactless' tests drive,
and recently restarted this process: Test drive a Tesla with just your phone

Your experience remind me the following Genesis 'Concierge' delivery:
This is How Genesis Cars Are Delivered in Canada, in a Giant Glass Box

This above video is a little bit older but here is the Genesis 'Concierge' service
that Tesla should provide for remote customers, like in your situation.

Concierge service delivered right to your door​

​

From test drives to signing the documents to bringing your vehicle in for service ​

or collision repairs, do it all from wherever you are, on your schedule. ​

 

[tashtibet]

been watching the inventory for sometime and pounced on the White/White with $4K discount plus $1k less for being Cybertruck reservation holder. Traded in my 2020 and picked it in 4 days-smooth & easy!

 

[ven7782]

but a company that ignores the Canadian market is not competing

It has nothing to do with Canada. I took delivery of my MY on 12/26 in NJ and it was utter chaos. There was a huge line at the counter just to hand over my cashier check. After that I was told to wait in a lounge packed with people with no place to sit and the coffee machine ran out of coffee. I waited for 1.5 hours before I got a buzz on my phone to go pick my MY and get the hell out of there. No one talked to me as everyone was busy. I picked my car and left as soon as I could. I am sure your experience was better than this. If demand exceeds supply it is not the company fault anymore.

 

[Rocdude]

1000% agree. Tesla's customer service was what made me buy a Tesla. But the service has been steadily deteriorating since 2020. I will probably not buy a Tesla as my next car.

 

[ven7782]

1000% agree. Tesla's customer service was what made me buy a Tesla. But the service has been steadily deteriorating since 2020. I will probably not buy a Tesla as my next car.

The drive quality and the tech is the reason why I buy a car. Customer service while important is not the deciding factor.

 

[GBMaryland]

I will honestly say that both my first and second purchases of a Tesla pretty much a pathetic experience.

At least on the first one they showed me some thing about the car and some basics about it to use.

The second one they basically told me to go out and look for my car, see if there’s anything wrong, and come back and sign the paperwork.

The service experiences are generally pretty awful.

The mobile service tends to be pretty good.

 

[vickh]

I will honestly say that both my first and second purchases of a Tesla pretty much a pathetic experience.

At least on the first one they showed me some thing about the car and some basics about it to use.

The second one they basically told me to go out and look for my car, see if there’s anything wrong, and come back and sign the paperwork.

The service experiences are generally pretty awful.

The mobile service tends to be pretty good.

Right mobile service is a gamechanger for me+service is not a profit center like the stealerships

service centers are too busy in my area though.

 

[GBMaryland]

Right mobile service is a gamechanger for me+service is not a profit center like the stealerships

service centers are too busy in my area though.

We had the same issue in this area and it seems like they’re getting better about how busy They are.

That being said, they still do the same old stuff they always do:

For example, they moved the service center from its previous location to a new location and never said anything. I go to drop my car off at the service center and the police is abandoned, and the new appointment didn’t make it clear that there was a different location in the same town.

 

[Alonzo]

service is not a profit center like the stealerships

service centers are too busy in my area though.

The local Chevy dealer gets $160 an hour for labor. My nearest Tesla service center gets $225 hour. If they're "too busy", I'm guessing they're a profit center. I read where one Model 3 owner got an estimate of $200 for a lube job from Tesla. Even a "stealership" doesn't charge that much.

Tesla service centers are in business to make a profit, just like other brands' service centers.

 

[mborkow]

My purchasing experience today was awesome. I arrived a few minutes early to my appointment but there was no line, customer rep took me out to my car immediately, told me to take as long as I wanted checking it out, and if/when I was ready to accept the car come back inside and let him know. Once I did, he had me tap through a brief acceptance process in the app on my phone and I was done. I didn’t have to sign anything (I guess I did that last night on my phone), no credit check, no trying to talk me into buying some warranty or protection plan I didn’t want or need…best car purchase process through which I’ve ever been.