Yes, i want to let off some steam. And the points I'm making have been discussed with my delivery center in Glendale, AZ. By posting this thread, maybe someone about to take delivery will be more aware and prepared better.
This is my second Tesla. The first one was a new car, and we had a mostly great delivery experience, complete with the rapt attention of a delivery team member who answered our questions and was helpful in assisting us to figure out how to perform the basic functions, like setting up the phones as keys.
Not so with the used car.
For starters, the paperwork.
I filled out the ownership forms showing that the car was being purchased by our trust, and naming both myself and my wife as trustees. I also filled out the paperwork to transfer our then-current license plate to the new car. It has a year left to run and was already paid for. And it was a handicapped plate,
Five weeks later, I found out that the ownership papers were processed by a third party when I received my title. It showed the trust as the owner, but did not list the trustees, which meant technically that we had to show permission from the trust to operate the vehicle and/or to sell or trade it in. Putting the names on the title avoids all of this stuff, and, since we supplied the information on our application form, the third party should have used it appropriately.
The application for a plate also was messed up. NO indication of transfer - a new plate instead. No indication of handicapped status either.
Getting these documents corrected required about three hours at the DMV, plus fees.
We were able to add the trustees to the title easily.
A new law had gone into effect during the five weeks we waited. It added hundreds of dollars to our registration fee, with NO credit for the remainder on the old plate. All of a sudden, we were out $245. The good news was that we were able to transfer the old plate, and recover our handicapped status.
Next, the delivery process itself.
Our delivery person met us in the lobby with the aforementioned paperwork and a temporary tag. He walked us out to the car, and let us look it over - nice, shiny and clean inside as well. He then went back into the office to get the keys, leaving us out next to the car for about ten minutes, After handing us the card keys and affixing the temporary tag., he went back inside. No quick tours, no instructions and no guidance on the MY in any way.
Finally, there's included equipment. Used Teslas are supposed to come with a J-1772 adapter.
I looked inside the car and trunks for the J-1772 adapter. Not in the car, so I went into the service area and got one.
A couple of days later, I got an email from Tesla asking me to pay my bill. They had charged me to make two keys and for the J-1772 adapter. I called the service center, got the manager, and discussed this with him. He agreed that there should be no charge for either the cards or the adapter, and authorized a credit to wipe them out. Score one for the home team.
Because I found out about the license plate issues weeks later, I was not able to negotiate any settlement on the extra amounts that I had to pay.
I love my car. I really do.
This is my second Tesla. The first one was a new car, and we had a mostly great delivery experience, complete with the rapt attention of a delivery team member who answered our questions and was helpful in assisting us to figure out how to perform the basic functions, like setting up the phones as keys.
Not so with the used car.
For starters, the paperwork.
I filled out the ownership forms showing that the car was being purchased by our trust, and naming both myself and my wife as trustees. I also filled out the paperwork to transfer our then-current license plate to the new car. It has a year left to run and was already paid for. And it was a handicapped plate,
Five weeks later, I found out that the ownership papers were processed by a third party when I received my title. It showed the trust as the owner, but did not list the trustees, which meant technically that we had to show permission from the trust to operate the vehicle and/or to sell or trade it in. Putting the names on the title avoids all of this stuff, and, since we supplied the information on our application form, the third party should have used it appropriately.
The application for a plate also was messed up. NO indication of transfer - a new plate instead. No indication of handicapped status either.
Getting these documents corrected required about three hours at the DMV, plus fees.
We were able to add the trustees to the title easily.
A new law had gone into effect during the five weeks we waited. It added hundreds of dollars to our registration fee, with NO credit for the remainder on the old plate. All of a sudden, we were out $245. The good news was that we were able to transfer the old plate, and recover our handicapped status.
Next, the delivery process itself.
Our delivery person met us in the lobby with the aforementioned paperwork and a temporary tag. He walked us out to the car, and let us look it over - nice, shiny and clean inside as well. He then went back into the office to get the keys, leaving us out next to the car for about ten minutes, After handing us the card keys and affixing the temporary tag., he went back inside. No quick tours, no instructions and no guidance on the MY in any way.
Finally, there's included equipment. Used Teslas are supposed to come with a J-1772 adapter.
I looked inside the car and trunks for the J-1772 adapter. Not in the car, so I went into the service area and got one.
A couple of days later, I got an email from Tesla asking me to pay my bill. They had charged me to make two keys and for the J-1772 adapter. I called the service center, got the manager, and discussed this with him. He agreed that there should be no charge for either the cards or the adapter, and authorized a credit to wipe them out. Score one for the home team.
Because I found out about the license plate issues weeks later, I was not able to negotiate any settlement on the extra amounts that I had to pay.
I love my car. I really do.
