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Worst Tesla Delivery experience (in my experience)
- Thread starter ViperDoc
- Start date
My delivery experience was also terrible. The big complaint I have was total disorganization, dishonesty, and a lack of any customer service skills. We really wanted the car but not many people I know in the market for $50k+ vehicle would have put up with it.
First, I got the text saying the car was ready. Then they wanted final payment before I had a VIN. Then 3 days later I get my VIN and they tell me the car is at the nearest dealer (Seattle, ~2300 miles away) ready for delivery as soon as final payment. So I scramble, pay to overnight the finance docs and check to me then overnight the payment to Tesla in NV ($100 out of pocket and my time). Car sat in Seattle another 2 weeks...
Now my other issue. They kept telling me they were waiting for a truck to be full (lie). This is the 5th car I’ve purchased and had shipped from Seattle to Anchorage. They do not go on a truck through Canada they go on a barge. I looked it up the Seattle Tesla dealer where my car sat for 16 days after I paid is a 1.6 mile drive and a 1.2 mile walk from the port... Really, there was no reason for it to sit. Someone could have driven it there and walked back to the dealer in 30 min. Once on the barge it’s a 3 day trip to Anchorage there is no variability to this. The barges run non stop back and forth between Seattle and Anchorage. My inside delivery person kept telling me 2 weeks on the trucks (when it was on the barge). Then I asked to pick it up at the port in Anchorage since I live “up the hill” from town. I wanted to take it straight to get winter tires put on since during the 3 weeks now it took to get here the roads were snow covered. I get a random call that the delivery truck is at my house 5 days after it arrived at the port. So now I have to drive (white knuckled) down the hillside to get the Nokian Hakka 9 put on. Oh and I still don’t have what I need to register it. So we get the car 21 days after we paid and I should have taken 3-4.
I guess to summarize. I wasn’t the amount of time that bothered me it was the total disorganization, I’m pretty sure either the people at Tesla are compulsive liars or there was a 2-3 week window where they didn’t know where my car was. And there was little to no proactive communication from Tesla throughout the process. If they would have waited until the car was almos ready to ship to AK before they reached out, great! If when they assigned my VIN told me no hurry for payment we are still 3 weeks out, great! If they could have actually (or honistly) told me where my car was over the course of the 21 days, fine I appreacieate honistly. Is it possible I had unrealistic expectations? Probably not. If they want to compete with luxury brands (or any brand for that matter) once there are other competitive electric options in the market they are in trouble.
Now before anyone else says I wouldn’t pay for the car until it’s received. No one that I know of will ship a new car to Alaska without final payment. If you want it from them cough it up, if not pay way more and buy locally, most of our Alaska dealers are owned by the same group and terrible. I’ve bought New: a Porsche, 2 Mercedes, a Subaru, and a Lexus from Seattle and shipped them up. On the 2nd Mercedes they had me pre pay $1200 for shipping until I got the loan finalized but that was the 3rd car I bought from that dealer group.
First, I got the text saying the car was ready. Then they wanted final payment before I had a VIN. Then 3 days later I get my VIN and they tell me the car is at the nearest dealer (Seattle, ~2300 miles away) ready for delivery as soon as final payment. So I scramble, pay to overnight the finance docs and check to me then overnight the payment to Tesla in NV ($100 out of pocket and my time). Car sat in Seattle another 2 weeks...
Now my other issue. They kept telling me they were waiting for a truck to be full (lie). This is the 5th car I’ve purchased and had shipped from Seattle to Anchorage. They do not go on a truck through Canada they go on a barge. I looked it up the Seattle Tesla dealer where my car sat for 16 days after I paid is a 1.6 mile drive and a 1.2 mile walk from the port... Really, there was no reason for it to sit. Someone could have driven it there and walked back to the dealer in 30 min. Once on the barge it’s a 3 day trip to Anchorage there is no variability to this. The barges run non stop back and forth between Seattle and Anchorage. My inside delivery person kept telling me 2 weeks on the trucks (when it was on the barge). Then I asked to pick it up at the port in Anchorage since I live “up the hill” from town. I wanted to take it straight to get winter tires put on since during the 3 weeks now it took to get here the roads were snow covered. I get a random call that the delivery truck is at my house 5 days after it arrived at the port. So now I have to drive (white knuckled) down the hillside to get the Nokian Hakka 9 put on. Oh and I still don’t have what I need to register it. So we get the car 21 days after we paid and I should have taken 3-4.
I guess to summarize. I wasn’t the amount of time that bothered me it was the total disorganization, I’m pretty sure either the people at Tesla are compulsive liars or there was a 2-3 week window where they didn’t know where my car was. And there was little to no proactive communication from Tesla throughout the process. If they would have waited until the car was almos ready to ship to AK before they reached out, great! If when they assigned my VIN told me no hurry for payment we are still 3 weeks out, great! If they could have actually (or honistly) told me where my car was over the course of the 21 days, fine I appreacieate honistly. Is it possible I had unrealistic expectations? Probably not. If they want to compete with luxury brands (or any brand for that matter) once there are other competitive electric options in the market they are in trouble.
Now before anyone else says I wouldn’t pay for the car until it’s received. No one that I know of will ship a new car to Alaska without final payment. If you want it from them cough it up, if not pay way more and buy locally, most of our Alaska dealers are owned by the same group and terrible. I’ve bought New: a Porsche, 2 Mercedes, a Subaru, and a Lexus from Seattle and shipped them up. On the 2nd Mercedes they had me pre pay $1200 for shipping until I got the loan finalized but that was the 3rd car I bought from that dealer group.
You have a unique delivery issue with Alaska, but ANYONE else pre paying is simply foolish. In addition, NYS has added protections, e.g. you DO get 100% refund if your car is not delivered within 30 days of the promised date. SO no loss if one decides to cancel EVEN AFTER getting the VIN. If you had a delivery date (and hopefully took a picture of it in your account that stated Sept-November, if you do not receive delivery by end Dec. you may receive ALL deposits back.
C141medic
Active Member
Unfortunately, you don’t have an option not to pay prior to delivery in certain states. Either you pay if you want the car or no soup for you.
Also I feel I should mention. We love the model 3 and even given the challenges getting it and the disorganization would go through it all again to get another one. As soon as there is an all electric highly off road capable SUV that can tow 7000lbs I will be replacing my LX570 (Toyota Land Cruiser).
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