Hi-I used to work for GMW Trust a few years ago!
So this is my first ever lease through SS, though my wife has had one previously (she's a nurse). My experience is as follows:
- Ordered February through Fleet Management/Solutions. Received confirmation of order a couple of days after submitting Docs
- Contacted the lease company after the budget announcement to confirm the order had gone through in time to beat the OLEV grant being abolished for £50k+ cars. They said that they'd held back on orders until they knew what the budget statement was going to be.
- Told that I would have to have to be quoted again by Fleet, as the cost would obviously be different. They said they would class it as a new order, meaning my delivery date would also be pushed back.
- Ordered the car 23rd March, got documents, started waiting.
- I'd seen on here that people had been reserving existing inventory cars, then transferring them to the lease company (which seems like absolute common sense). I emailed VWFS asking if I had been matched to a car yet/RN. They said "we haven't even placed the order, as we haven't had a signed order form yet" (In spite of me getting an order confirmation). The offending document was sent through to VWFS straight away, and conformation received from Fleet.
- I phoned Tesla about reserving an existing inventory car and transferring it over to the lease company. They were brilliant, and said, "yes of course". They told me that once the car was delivered, the £100 would be refunded. I asked about what would happen if it turned out I'd already been matched to another car, and they said: "we'll still refund you, and just place the car you reserved back in the existing inventory"
- Reserved the car, everything showed up on my account and the Tesla App. Fine. Tesla had told me that I would know when/if the car had been transferred to the leasing company, as I'd be locked back out of my app, and my account wouldn't show my car up any more. That happened a couple of weeks ago now. I was told that the turnaround is usually 1-2 weeks between the transfer to lease company, and me getting the car.
- Last Friday I asked for an RN from VWFS as I'm looking into getting the car transported here myself (but emailed Fleet to try and make contact with VWFS). I was cc'd into an email within an hour saying that Purchasing had been asked if they could provide the number. Got another email this morning saying that Public Sector part of VWFS are still chasing the RN from Purchasing, and will update asap.
I don't know if any of that helps, but I would add that there is apparently some kind of arrangement you can make with your lease company to extend the lease under these kinds of circumstances? I would imagine Fleet would help you make the swap over as seamless as possible?
Just for info-You won't see anything linked to your Tesla app until you either reserve the car, or you're in possession of the car, as under all other circumstances, the car belongs to the lease company until they link the account to you personally (I think I've got that right!).
I've found communications a little frustrating, but I'm also mindful that they're all working on a skeleton crew, and also working differentlyto normal, but I would say that Fleet Management have been great, and Tesla have been superb up to now.
Hope that helps!!