My wife and I took delivery of a Model X and Model S two years ago with a fantastic delivery experience. Very different experience now: we just survived disastrous delivery experiences with our second Model X and S lease deliveries: 3 hour waits, failure to refund promised deposit on cancelled model 3 order, failure to properly return lease return to US bank, failure to deliver new registration in timely manner, delivery center "loss" of deposit check--had to email copy of cancelled check with no apology and still no registration. After numerous phone calls and emails and much frustration, everything is only now in order over a month after delivery. On the positive side, the new Model X and Model S are fantastic-much better than our previous Tesla's. I am happy that my new leases are 3 years rather than 2 so I do not have to deal with Tesla delivery too soon. I am hoping they will "grow up" by then.
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Worse car buying experience ever!
- Thread starter N2B8
- Start date
I am 100% in agreement with this. My 2015 Model S delivery was amazing; they took the time to go over the vehicle with me and address any concerns. I was able to pickup in MA because they drove to NH and got me temp tags. They even handled registering the car for me; all I had to do was pickup my plates.
Fast forward to 2018, my Model X delivery in Sep almost didn't happen after they decided I had modded the car and it would need "$4000" in fixes. If it wasn't for our local sales guy, I'd have walked away. Then, they took over a month to pay off my Model S trade-in loan. That was after yelling at multiple managers, DAs and sales; including calling Tesla CS who promised me she would call me back the next day, and of course, never did. My Model 3 was just delivered on Sat, after waiting for 3 WEEKS for Tesla to find a carrier to deliver my car. 3 weeks since sending full payment. Of course, we were promised a Wed delivery which never materialized until I complained on Fri and asked to be prioritized.
Tesla has dropped the ball multiple times, and in two or three years time if this hasn't been solved, I will not be buying again. I love the cars and the technology, but to treat your customers who are shelling out so much money for your products this way is pretty disrespectful, especially for the early adopters.
Wait till the actual delivery. I b*tched about waiting 90 minutes when my car had been sitting at the SC for over a week and some folks said it was acceptable. My car has swirl marks, scratches, misaligned trunk, crappy paint at the trunk seam / weld points, and sharp as razor section on the rear passenger door.
With all that, I LOVE this car.
I had a tiger striped hood delivery problem one year ago but got over it quickly, yet remember when every little thing drove me crazy so I feel your collective pain. I have had plenty of horrible (and excellent) experiences at all other brands mentioned here in purchasing over 15 new cars (BMW was worst).
From my MS delivery last year to tesla solar installation last month with body, SC and mobile visits in between, I can report the hardest working, most knowledgeable, dedicated, local, national, tech, sales and service people I have ever met, dealing with growing pains and doing an awesome job every day. It has not been perfect by any stretch but they care and are doing their best accomplishing what none other have in the same timeframe. Stop expecting a 6 year old (MS quantity deliveries) car company to execute like a 106 yr old one.
Keep up the good work Tesla and thanks for
making a real difference following a real mission statement!
From my MS delivery last year to tesla solar installation last month with body, SC and mobile visits in between, I can report the hardest working, most knowledgeable, dedicated, local, national, tech, sales and service people I have ever met, dealing with growing pains and doing an awesome job every day. It has not been perfect by any stretch but they care and are doing their best accomplishing what none other have in the same timeframe. Stop expecting a 6 year old (MS quantity deliveries) car company to execute like a 106 yr old one.
Keep up the good work Tesla and thanks for
making a real difference following a real mission statement!
Glamisduner
Active Member
I feel you OP. I was supposed to get mine in september and got it in mid october. They sold my first car to someone in freemont (I bet it was perfect), gave me a beat up first delivery, which I rejected. I was supposed to have another delivery but postponed for a week, ended up taking the second delivery with issues due to my loan lock running out, and having to commute in a borrowed car (I sold my car before the supposed September delivery where they gave the car to someone else). But I REALLY wish I didn't take it. Less than 10 days after my delivery date they dropped the price $5500 on my configuration (well it was 5k to get pup and white interior dropped $500 like the day after delivery too). I had the car for about 2 weeks, part of which I was out of town. Then it's been back at service ever since!
So now I have to wait longer than everyone for their new fancy performance cars with PUP and I still don't have my car. It's been in the shop for 22 days fixing paint issues, deep scratches, paint chips, and misaligned doors frunk and trunk handles window trim. 8 more and I think I can file it as a lemon per CA law which I intend to do since they are treating reservation holders and P3D- people unfairly.
I'm supposed to PPF and tint the day I get it back and not even sure I should bother with doing those things anymore since it will likely be a lemon.
So now I have to wait longer than everyone for their new fancy performance cars with PUP and I still don't have my car. It's been in the shop for 22 days fixing paint issues, deep scratches, paint chips, and misaligned doors frunk and trunk handles window trim. 8 more and I think I can file it as a lemon per CA law which I intend to do since they are treating reservation holders and P3D- people unfairly.
I'm supposed to PPF and tint the day I get it back and not even sure I should bother with doing those things anymore since it will likely be a lemon.
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As for the price drop yep it's like meaning to sell some stock at a price and you get a phone call and then when get ready to place your order you look back at the current price and it's dropped! Shouldn't really blame Tesla for what amounts to bad timing, but I do know how you feel.
Picked up my car in September during the Q3 rush and had a few minor paint spots we added to our due bill with the main issue I wanted addressed being a fender that wasn't flush to the bumper/headlight area. Made appointment with service center. Of course this was late September and all the prior Q3 deliveries looking for due bill work were ahead of us. Ended up getting car in to the newly established popup body shop in our area and basically they had it for almost the whole month of October. Looks great and very happy with the results but wasn't crazy they were so busy. I originally had a PPF appointment for beginning of October that got moved to near end of October and since I didn't have it back by then (got it 2 days later but my appointment was already taken by someone else) managed to luckily get it rescheduled for mid-December (detailer was book out through January). Not much I could do about it. I've been driving my car around and do LOVE it so just accepting life is what it is sometimes. Had Model 3 not been so successful I probably wouldn't have had such a long due bill wait but then who knows if Tesla would have survived had it not been reaching those production goals.
BTW you should check with your PPF installer and make sure they can do the PPF right when you get it back. I was told by our detailers that they wanted 2 weeks for the paint to cure before they would want to film. Ultimately you want the best application, so worth checking out and rescheduling if you have to.
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Glamisduner
Active Member
I blame them for giving PUP to everyone except P3D- for free. And getting a "thanks for being an early adopter" while my car sits in the shop and others are having their PUP cars delivered. Not cool tesla! I wouldn't be nearly as mad if they haden't sold my car to someone else in September when I had been waiting for a year n 1/2. It's not like I was holding stock and picked the wrong time to sell. I tried to buy ASAP and telsa finally said ok you can buy now, then changed the price immediately after. It's a little different situation.
KootsChewt
Member
I seem to have been stuck in a "drafting your contract" limbo state now for 2 weeks. I think it is related to requesting a home delivery, since they originally stated they could have me pick it up only 2 days after I was first contacted by my IDA (who confirmed the car was already in Vancouver). The VIN has been assigned now for a week too. Then I just read another post somewhere where a guy had to wait another 3 weeks AFTER he signed his contract & paid to get his car! Pretty frustrated knowing I could have had it 10 days ago if I had just flown to Vancouver...
Glamisduner
Active Member
KootsChewt
Member
Glamisduner
Active Member
Doesnt matter. I think they were drafting my contract for several weeks, and after they sold my car to someone else the progress indicators actually whent backwards lol.
KootsChewt
Member
Yikes, that isn't exactly confidence inspiring! I ordered this one specifically because the local Owner Advisor had it "in stock" and I was worried about the BC Incentive running out of cash in late November or early December. Gah.
Sorry to say but they probably sold your car to someone else. They did that to me in September when they figured out I couldn't pick it up in person and needed delivery.
Glamisduner
Active Member
NathanielHrnblwr
Member
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
For a start, there are several alternatives available right now, at least for customers willing to be flexible in terms of vehicle type, i.e. if you don't specifically need a sedan format. The Hyundai Kona and Jaguar iPace are comparable SUVs, the Ampera-e (aka Bolt) is a comparable minivan, and several others are about to be launched in the next few months, like the EQC, the e-Tron, etc. Sure, none of them deliver the "Tesla package", but when it comes to customer service that is actually a good thing.
And if the customer experience is "the simplest of Tesla's challenges" then why haven't they solved that even after five years in the market?
I agree with the OP and others that Tesla service leaves a lot to be desired. Even over here in Germany, where they are certainly not "swamped" by orders and/or deliveries (look up the numbers, they are pitiful to say the least), their store employees are prone to not keeping promises. Especially when you are told you will be called back, expect to never hear from them again. And if you reply yourself, make sure to get used to a new face to the customer every single time you call. The personnel fluctuation rate there is mind-boggling.
But to be perfectly honest you would have to admit that "above 300 miles" of range is a challenge, even for a Tesla. Sure, if you baby it and not use its potential, you can get 300+ miles out of a Model S or probably even an X, if you are lucky, but under normal driving conditions I wouldn't expect to get 300+ miles on a regular basis.
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Glamisduner
Active Member
I don't think the kona is out yet. If i can lemon my car it would be tempting to buy 2 if then instead of the 3.
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
Not sure about the US. Over here it is available and deliveries I think started in September. I have already seen several in the last few weeks.
Dan Detweiler
Active Member
I think the summary of this entire thread could be "yeah, they had, and to some degree are still having, delivery problems with the exponential ramp they have achieved." No doubt that will probably continue here at the end of the year as they push to get as many cars in the hands of owners before the tax credit begins to phase out. I had a pretty bad delivery experience as well at the end of Q3 with four reschedules and numerous frustrating calls. All I can say is that 1) the car is worth it...no doubt. 2) the delivery process will improve as the company gets used to its new "norm" of delivery volume and 3) there is no doubt in my mind that Tesla is aware of the problem, sees it as a problem and is committed to fixing it in the long run.
Doesn't really help the people that are going through all the issues now, but the long term light at the end of the tunnel I think is not far off.
Just my $.02
Dan
Doesn't really help the people that are going through all the issues now, but the long term light at the end of the tunnel I think is not far off.
Just my $.02
Dan
KootsChewt
Member
That freaked me out a bit - I sent an email last night to the original Owner Advisor - luckily they haven't, he confirmed it is still there, that the local Delivery team was working out logistics to get it to me, and then my contract showed up a few hours later. (They messed up the financing term length, so are now re-working it... even though they had me "confirm" the term length 3 times in the "My Tesla" account, so how they messed that up I don't know! lol)
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