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1st Tesla - Shocked at process

Discussion in 'Model S: Ordering, Production, Delivery' started by brunla, Mar 4, 2021 at 9:00 AM.

  1. brunla

    brunla Member

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    #1 brunla, Mar 4, 2021 at 9:00 AM
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2021 at 9:07 AM
    So I ordered a Model S last October. My SA assured me there was not going to be any "refresh" coming. (First mistake was trusting him.) Forward to December and the Tesla Factory had just shut down. I was concerned hearing about suspension issues in China and also that a refresh could be coming. I was called by delivery department and wanted to ask some questions. Mind you I had already been waiting two months for an $80K car. The delivery department basically said we don't know. Take it or leave it. This was my first experience with Tesla. I have been driving the Lexus brand for 20 years, and drive a less expensive car, and have had a far better experience with the process. Needless to say I didn't take delivery. Then there was the period of darkness where nobody knew anything. I had to pull my current car off the market for sale. Then the refresh news. Ok fine. Glad I waited and didn't buy an outdated car. But then I am told that I will have to pay the new price (when my SA said that you are locked in on pricing no matter what happens) with a measly $2K discount. Fine. I will let it go, although now I am getting really ticked off. Then as I start to question everything this SA told me (including Tesla gives out loaner cars during service in LA - wrong again), I am really disappointed this is the level of customer care they offer. Moving forward my account was changed from Feb 15th- March 15th delivery date to "we will reach out to you". Absolutely no time frame while others who ordered AFTER the refresh was announced have dates or at least the month of March.
    Now I finally get a new order agreement in, and it is wrong. No discounts. No delivery date. Also being told I will not even be able to test drive the car because I will likely have it before showrooms have test vehicles. How does someone now buy a $90k car with a whole new steering system and no stalks without a test drive? And if I delay delivery, I will likely go to the back of the line again and have to wait months. I reach out to a new SA who doesn't respond back. I mean this is absolutely shockingly bad customer service. I might understand for a Model 3, but for a Model S or X they need better customer care. Not impressed with Tesla thus far. At some point this is going to catch up with Tesla as more EV brands hit the road and other options are available.
     
    • Like x 4
  2. DerbyDave

    DerbyDave Member

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    Tesla is like the government. Their employees have no incentive to help you. They are all Tesla employees and you are in the Tesla bureaucracy. It isn't you they want to piss off. Everyone is treated equally (bad). Whether you buy a car or the next person, they don't care. I was having delivery problems living far away from closest Tesla store. Instead of helping, they kept saying I needed to figure it out or they would sell the car I ordered to someone else. I asked them to help me with the issues I had, and they tried to within their constrained authority. Hey, they get the same paycheck no matter if they help or not. Test driving is sometimes an issue. You can spend time going over the car for defects, but sometimes they won't let you drive it until it is yours. Remember, there are many more expensive cars than your Tesla, so whether the Tesla is an expensive car or not, and whether deluxe service should be based on whether the car is $40,000 or $100,000 to the Tesla buraucracy is all the same customer to them. Good luck, you will likely enjoy the car if you can put up with indifference and not getting answers. It is like they have never sold a car before, each time they sell a car.
     
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  3. brunla

    brunla Member

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    Yeah it still just is bad business practice. People that normally spend this amount on a car expect better. Like I said for higher end models they should have a better service system otherwise they will be left in the dust with companies like Lucid. Which means plunging values for cars that we purchased and will one day want to sell.
     
    • Like x 3
  4. Darren Donovan

    Joined:
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    Key West, FL
    IF you go through with this purchase, be prepared for much worse service after the sale. And you WILL need service. After Tesla gets your money, it'll be like you no longer exist.
     
    • Like x 3
  5. SabrToothSqrl

    SabrToothSqrl Active Member

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    Walmart has better customer service than Tesla.
     
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  6. Sbaimo

    Sbaimo Member

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    I feel like that now and I haven’t even paid for the damn thing. 100 dollar deposit. That’s it. No car. No news. And as you stated, I expect car to need a lot of service before it is up to snuff. Not sure why I even went down this road. But I will wait for awhile
     
  7. ct101

    ct101 Member

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    They're riding on the product and reputation, and unfortunately they can do that - for a while. But the EV landscape is changing rapidly right now, and the "Tesla Advantage" is diminishing by the day. It doesn't help that their CEO is an .. odd person .. with the sensibilities of a 14 year old.

    Unfortunately right now Tesla's position is "we don't need your money". Nothing you've said here is wrong or out of line, but believe it or not people will call you out on "whining" since Tesla has a fanboy base as bad as Apple.

    I have gone from curious, to excited, to concerned, to frustrated, to angry with my S purchase. Not the phases you want a customer going through, but that apparently is the "Tesla way", I'm told.
     
    • Like x 1
  8. HankLloydRight

    HankLloydRight No Roads

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    “This is the way.”
     
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  9. CyberGus

    CyberGus Not Just a Member

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    [​IMG]
     
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  10. trm2

    trm2 Active Member

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    So does every cable company.
     
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  11. Tres_Azul

    Tres_Azul Member

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    I feel you. My SR+ is my first/last Tesla. Shockingly bad customer service and piss poor paint, fit & finish. Want Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus to hurry it up already with the BEV development. (less so for Lexus... the gross predator mouth grilles are a stank-nasty design ethos)
     
  12. Tigers

    Tigers Member

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    The one thing I have to say is that the Tesla service has been no issue. I had to fix a few things on my car, which shouldn't happen, but it was painless, no arguments, they did it quickly and I was out the door. IDK maybe I'm lucky?
     
    • Like x 1
  13. sewing1

    sewing1 2020 Model Y LR AWD

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    Welcome to the Tesla Experience! But you'll love your car.
     
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  14. Uncle Paul

    Uncle Paul Well-Known Member

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    It is like ordering an iPhone...we will call you when it comes in...silence...
     
  15. Puma2020

    Puma2020 Member

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    Ferengi Rule of Acquistion #1:
    Once you have their money, never give it back

    Maybe #16 as well
    A deal is a deal ... until a better one comes along
     
  16. captanzuelo

    captanzuelo Member

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    Tesla has the superior product. Until that changes, they can keep treating us all like sh*t and we will happily come back for more. Its a take it or leave it attitude, because if you don't take it then the next Joe Shmoe will happily fork over his money for it. My next EV will probably be a Tesla(Even after the crappy treatment they've given me with my Y). After that, I hope the other manufacturers catch up with enticing products.
     
  17. David_Cary

    David_Cary Active Member

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    I too get frustrated with Tesla but it isn't like the alternatives with comparable specs/prices and amazing quality/reliability are just around the corner.
    The early entrants from the legacy manufacturers aren't going to be more reliable and they won't compare on specs/prices.
    I won't buy an Apple because of their crap - but Samsung is comparable and better in many ways.
    Lucid does not equal Samsung. Not by several orders of magnitude. And Toyota/VW might as well be Blackberry.
    I got mad during our March 2019 model 3 purchase. The car is flawless and has never been touched by Tesla since the drop off. 20k miles.
    This isn't new for Tesla and I could sell that car for very close to purchase price. So resale value hasn't been touched by Tesla's BS.
    (Resale value on some high end S's have been hammered by price drops but base S's mostly are fine)
     
  18. hcdavis3

    hcdavis3 HCD3

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    I’m lucky too. My service center is awesome. Always has been. Dedham, MA.
     
  19. Puma2020

    Puma2020 Member

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    Aftermarket forces are trying to fulfill the lack of service from Tesla.
    There are a few places that now provide the service/repair such as
    Electrified Garage Tesla Service Center
    However, you have to pay extra for this "service".
     
  20. Hayseed_MS

    Hayseed_MS Member

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    Be careful, that can get you in trouble...
     

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