Tesla Chat Support sucks...

[TX_M3P+]

Check out this chat conversation with chat support agent Tigran, regarding my HW 3.0 upgrade appointment cancellation...

Welcome to Tesla


Bot
02:43 PM
Hi there! How can we help you today?



Shonn
02:20 PM
Trying to understand why my appointment for FSD upgrade was canceled.



Bot
02:20 PM
We're connecting you with a Tesla expert..



Shonn
02:21 PM
Hello?



Tigran
02:21 PM
Hello Shonn



Shonn
02:22 PM
Hi



Tigran
02:22 PM
Please verify our email, VIN and full name



Shonn
02:22 PM
shonn.burton@yahoo.com



Shonn
02:22 PM
Shonn Burton



Shonn
02:23 PM
VIN: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX



Tigran
02:24 PM
thanks



Tigran
02:25 PM
I am still showing your appt in tact



Tigran
02:25 PM
Who and when cancelled it ?



Shonn
02:25 PM
I just scheduled a 2nd appoinemtn via the app



Shonn
02:25 PM
trying to understand why the first one was canceled.



Tigran
02:26 PM
Oh I see,



Tigran
02:26 PM
15125874808, this number received a text message about an hour ago



Tigran
02:26 PM
explaining why it was cancelled



Tigran
02:27 PM
Hello, this is Tesla, due to a great amount of requests for the full self-driving upgrade we are experiencing a shortage of some required parts. There is no ETA on the parts at this time. We will be cancelling this appointment, and will reach out to you via e-mail once the parts become available. Any messages after this will not be monitored. If you wish to reach a support member, please visit www.tesla.com/support for live chat. Thank you!



Shonn
02:27 PM
Yes, but I had a service guy here yesterday to replace my rear spoiler and he indicated that there were plenty of parts available and he suggested for me to schedule the appointment.



Tigran
02:28 PM
Well looks like not this particular part, sorry



Shonn
02:28 PM
So I paid $4000 for a part that Tesla doesn't have?



Tigran
02:30 PM
There is a shortage due to a national emergency and factory shut down , you will receive a notification once the part is in.



Shonn
02:31 PM
I would like to know how long I have to wait. I paid $4000 expecting to geth the upgrade immediatly. Noting in the p[urchase process indicated that there would be delays or part shortages.



Tigran
02:32 PM
The factory reopened as of yesterday, we are hoping to ramp up ASAP, as the message states we don't have an ETA just yet



Shonn
02:33 PM
The tesla service guy that did my spoiler replacement had to order to the part for California and there was no issue getting that part delivered. Why is this any different?



Tigran
02:34 PM
Due to too great amount of requests as the message suggests



Shonn
02:35 PM
Then that should be conveyed prior to making a $4000 purchase, not after!



Shonn
02:35 PM
Certainly not weeks after!



Tigran
02:36 PM
Your FSD features are already available to you , this chip upgrade is designed for future features , they are not fully out yet



Shonn
02:36 PM
No I do not have many of the new features becuase they are dependent on HW 3.0. My car has HE 2.5.



Shonn
02:37 PM
HW 2.5



Shonn
02:37 PM
I don't have the new driving visualizations or the new stop at stop lights or stop signs feature.



Tigran
02:38 PM
I understand there are traffic recognition and visualization that you are missing, please allow a little more time as we are upgrading on first come first serve basis as fast as possible . Our apologies for the delay



Shonn
02:39 PM
I'm just trying to understand how long the delay will be, that's all. If it's a few more weeks, fine. If it's going to be months that's not ok.



Tigran
02:40 PM
Local service has no ETA Shonn, but it should be just weeks we hope



Shonn
02:40 PM
That's not very reassuring Tigran



Shonn
02:41 PM
Is it possible to get my money refunded?



Shonn
02:41 PM
What is my time frame for refund?



Tigran
02:42 PM
When did you place an order ? You should have 48 hours to request the refund via your mobile app



Tigran
02:43 PM
I am going to end this conversation. Please reach out if you need further assistance. Thank you!

Right at the end he asked me when I made my purchase then ended the chat session while I was typing my response! What horrible support! From these forums I know that people have been waiting a long time for Tesla to contact them for this update, but I had a Tesla Repair Tech at my house yesterday that told me they had plenty of parts and that I should just schedule the appointment though the app, so I did. Then today they cancel the service appointment stating they have a parts shortage. I just wish Tesla people would be straight with you. One guy tells me one thing and the next guy tells me something completely different! Very frustrating to pay $4k for an upgrade where there was no indication of a parts shortage or HW delay, to find out several weeks after making the purchase and now outside of a refund window. Guess I'm now stuck like all the rest that made the purchase when buying the car with no option for refund. I really don't want a refund I just want them to tell me how long I have to wait.

 

[Ravire]

Many people have been waiting for an upgrade and the mobile tech could have been mistaken. They won’t gain anything from irritating you so why would they lie about parts and with the factory shutdown and the virus I’d give them the benefit of the doubt

 

[Salted]

Okay, that sucks. Let me buy you a drink.

In a pandemic like this, of which we've never experienced before, uncertainty/insecurity are among the few things growing.

The world will catch up as best it can.

Take it easy, and stay safe!

 

[Knightshade]

FWIW I've been getting cancelled appointments for HW3 upgrade due to no parts for over 3 months now.

Long before anything was shut down.

That's a 100% BS excuse.

(Also- the HW3 computers aren't even made at the CA factory in the first place)

Likewise when Tesla was caught months ago still putting 2.5 computers into brand new cars in china because they had no HW3 to put in- that also wasn't the virus.


Asking Tesla employees questions is basically useless-most of them know less than the folks asking the questions... but almost none are properly trained on the basic concept of "If you don't know- tell the customer you do not know but will find out for them"

Instead they just lie to you and hope to get you off the phone/chat/whatever.


Love the car- hate the "service"

 

[TX_M3P+]

A friend of mine that lives a few miles from me just got his HW 3.0 installed about 2 weeks ago, so the Tech that was at my house yesterday was not lying or mistaken. I think the guy on the chat was just making up stuff because there was probably nothing he could do about the problem. I just hate the BS runaround you get sometimes and wish they'd just be more honest about what's really going on. Honestly I was somewhat expecting there to be delays, I just wanted to hold their feet to the fire a bit. They had no problem taking my money, but now they have problems delivering. I'll just have to wait it out.

 

[LionXng]

I agree with the OP there is no reason to put money down and not get anything until Tesla feels like it. But then again... isn't that exactly how we all got our cars?

 

[ry-ballz]

What do you want him to do? Fly to the factory and make you a part?

They'll have it when they have it.

 

[M109Rider]

A friend of mine that lives a few miles from me just got his HW 3.0 installed about 2 weeks ago, so the Tech that was at my house yesterday was not lying or mistaken. I think the guy on the chat was just making up stuff because there was probably nothing he could do about the problem. I just hate the BS runaround you get sometimes and wish they'd just be more honest about what's really going on. Honestly I was somewhat expecting there to be delays, I just wanted to hold their feet to the fire a bit. They had no problem taking my money, but now they have problems delivering. I'll just have to wait it out.

So some parts are free, but most aren’t. It’s not rocket science. When you say you “JUST” wanted to hold there feet to the fire, you really mean be aggressive and demanding, and then complain that they ended the chat. ??

News flash. That’s how orders work. You take money, and deliver when stock is available.

Giving them a hard time, because you want it now, because someone you know got it, is well....

 

[toolman335]

When something like this becomes available, everyone NEEDS it now! Who cares that we're in a pandemic?
When building new cars, why would they put 2.5 in them? Sorry people, but when you buy a Tesla you have to accept that fact that newer Teslas are going to have things that you want. My 2019 is going to leave something to be desired in the very near future.
You have a perfectly fine working car and you want a $4,000 upgrade.
Go voice your complaint to any of the 30+ million freshly unemployed people in this country and let us know how that chat goes.

 

[toolman335]

Who has any luck clicking on the "chat" button with any company? When has that ever yielded fruit?
I can be the guy on the end of the chat for any company in the world and BS my way through a conversation while googling what email or phone number I should refer them to. Chat employees are deflectors by design.
Did you really expect a resolution?

 

[TomB985]

Who has any luck clicking on the "chat" button with any company? When has that ever yielded fruit?
I can be the guy on the end of the chat for any company in the world and BS my way through a conversation while googling what email or phone number I should refer them to. Chat employees are deflectors by design.
Did you really expect a resolution?

I've had luck with the chat function, but when into it with realistic expectations. I didn't expect them to have any visibility on local part inventory, but they were able to help me each time I reached out.

The first time I was asking whether my car had HW3 or not because it was built during the time when both computers are used. I got the correct answer within about five messages. The the next two times I was inquiring whether or not my car was flagged to receive HW3, and likewise got an answer quickly.

I understand that it's frustrating, and the rep you spoke with could have done better, but they aren't as useless as you might think. And, in my opinion, getting THAT butthurt over a computer upgrade that doesn't add much to the car seems excessive. I was in your situation, paid for HW3, and had to wait a bit. Maybe not as long as you, but that's life. Especially in a pandemic.

 

[0mpg]

Ive had luck with chat also even to the point they fixed a stuck update and repushed it while i was chatting. If the service center told you they had parts i would swing by there and call the number on the door.

 

[Knightshade]

When building new cars, why would they put 2.5 in them? .

Because Tesla is, as a company, utterly incompetent when it comes to logistics and supply chain. (remember when the original model 3 mass rollout was happening and Tesla suddenly realized, 2 years after they KNEW IN ADVANCE they'd be needing to transport hundreds of thousands of cars- that hey! maybe we need to get some trucks!)


Which is why they were putting 2.5 into new cars in the US for months after they claimed all new cars got HW3.

And why they were putting 2.5 into new cars in China as recently as Feb/March of this year.

Also why nobody at Tesla can ever tell you when they can get you a part, and why they frequently cancel service appointments made weeks or months in advance at the last minute for lack of parts (not just for HW3).

And none of that is "because of the virus" since it's been happening for years now.



Again- I love the car. But the company is genuinely terrible at several basic elements of running a customer-facing business serving large #s of folks all over the world.

 

[trm2]

Who has any luck clicking on the "chat" button with any company? When has that ever yielded fruit?
I can be the guy on the end of the chat for any company in the world and BS my way through a conversation while googling what email or phone number I should refer them to. Chat employees are deflectors by design.
Did you really expect a resolution?

Chat functions usually work very well.
Heck, the OPs chat session also worked well. He found out that the appointment was cancelled because they don’t have the part. When he asked for an ETA, he was told there wasn’t one yet, when he asked again, he got the same response. When he asked yet again.....

 

[TX_M3P+]

What do you want him to do? Fly to the factory and make you a part?

They'll have it when they have it.

I guess you didn't read my entire post. At the end of the chat conversation I indicated that I had a Tesla Mobile Tech at my house the day before and he told me that they have been doing lots of HW 3 upgrades lately because they have lots of available parts. He was the one that suggested that I open the service appointment through the app. A friend of mine that lives a few miles from me just had the HW 3 upgrade done 2 weeks ago, so I know the parts are available. I wasn't necessarily expecting a resolution but I wasn't expecting the BS runaround that I got or the rude disconnect at the end. I don't often drop $4k on any single item, but when I do I expect better treatment and honest answers to my questions.

 

[TX_M3P+]

When something like this becomes available, everyone NEEDS it now! Who cares that we're in a pandemic?
When building new cars, why would they put 2.5 in them? Sorry people, but when you buy a Tesla you have to accept that fact that newer Teslas are going to have things that you want. My 2019 is going to leave something to be desired in the very near future.
You have a perfectly fine working car and you want a $4,000 upgrade.
Go voice your complaint to any of the 30+ million freshly unemployed people in this country and let us know how that chat goes.

My expectation was not to have it now, rather a frustration that they didn't tell me up front that there would be any kind of delay. When this pandemic started I ordered the snap plate from Living Tesla. Their web site clearly indicated that there were delays with new orders and that they were working on getting products out in a timely manner. When I emailed Living Tesla they told me exactly what the delays were and how long I'd have to wait to receive the product. I expect nothing less from Tesla. If there is no indications that there will be a delay when ordering an expensive upgrade, then I at least expect an honest answer about why the upgrade is being delayed. When I have a Tesla Mobile Tech at my house telling me that they have lots of HW3 parts available, who also tells me to schedule the upgrade appointment via the app, then why should I expect there to be delays? I'm a customer willing to spend $4k on an upgrade and just want to be treated as a valued customer. My money is worth a lot to me and my family and it should be worth something to Tesla as well.

When you order a new Tesl from the web site they tell you how long it will take before they deliver the car. Why can't they provide this same info for an expensive upgrade? If it clearly stated that upgrades are completed withing 2-3 months or 3-6 months, then that's fine, at least the expectation is set. Don't just take my money then tell me afterwards we'll email you when it's available!

 

[TomB985]

Again- I love the car. But the company is genuinely terrible at several basic elements of running a customer-facing business serving large #s of folks all over the world.

I will never say they are good at supply chain management, but they have successfully accomplished what most of us thought was impossible just a decade ago. Thousands of part numbers from hundreds of different suppliers come together to make a single car, and this company went from virtually nonexistent to a mass-market automaker with industry-leading product in less than a decade. To the point where they made over 300,000 vehicles just last year.

There are far from supply chain greatness, but probably not "completely, utterly incompetent".

 

[DCGOO]

A friend of mine that lives a few miles from me just got his HW 3.0 installed about 2 weeks ago, so the Tech that was at my house yesterday was not lying or mistaken. I think the guy on the chat was just making up stuff because there was probably nothing he could do about the problem. I just hate the BS runaround you get sometimes and wish they'd just be more honest about what's really going on. Honestly I was somewhat expecting there to be delays, I just wanted to hold their feet to the fire a bit. They had no problem taking my money, but now they have problems delivering. I'll just have to wait it out.

I got my HW3 upgrade for my X just a few weeks ago. But it was ordered in October 2018. Waited 18 months. Line forms back there -->

BTW, Tesla support doesn't suck. It sounds like they were straight with you. You just didn't like the answer.

 

[TomB985]

I got my HW3 upgrade for my X just a few weeks ago. But it was ordered in October 2018. Waited 18 months. Line forms back there -->

I think a lot of the frustration is the inconsistency. Mine was done in about three weeks, and I ordered just over a month ago. I was persistently checking, though, but always kept things polite.

 

[TX_M3P+]

I think a lot of the frustration is the inconsistency. Mine was done in about three weeks, and I ordered just over a month ago. I was persistently checking, though, but always kept things polite.

Yes, that is exactly the frustration. When you say you were persistently checking, how were you checking (by scheduling appointments, contacting chat support, or something else)?