Am I taking crazy pills?

[OptimusSlime]

I'm pretty close to blowing a gasket.

Purchased Model 3 LR AWD. Wire transfer done. Vehicle insured. Should be all set.

Vehicle is sitting in Clarkston (I'm in Michigan) at the service center. Went to pick up car today.

All indications from delivery advisor, Tesla sales dude in California, and every other Tesla person I spoke with over the past few days was that yeah, once funding is received and verified, along with all the paperwork, the car is mine. Definitely was not the case.

Went to Clarkston to get car today via a Lyft, only to be there roughly 5 hours and leave in another Lyft for the 45 minute trek back home.

According to Tesla since I bought an inventory car in the state of Michigan, the car has to physically leave Michigan and go to Ohio before I can take "delivery" of it. BS.

The settlement that my great state came to with Tesla was for registering the car in another state and then transferring that registration to Michigan. The car doesn't have to physically leave the state only to hypothetically make a U turn at the border before I can have it.

It's mine and I've paid for it. My plate transfer was put into the system and they should be handling it. This is the dumbest, most asinine policy/procedure I have ever witnessed.. and that's kinda something since I work for our government and have seen some dumb *sugar*.

So yeah, 200 bucks in Lyfts so far and no car that I already paid for.

Unbelievable.

Anyone else experienced a situation approximating mine?

 

[maldahleh]

Maybe not as bad as yours but similar, I recently moved provinces (in Canada), and still have my old driver's license.

I wanted to switch my license over, but the government isn't offering license exchanges because of COVID though they said that my current license is fine to drive with for a few more months till they start offering license exchanges again. I then spoke with the government agency responsible for registering and plating cars, and they said as long as the car is being purchased here they can register and plate it with my out of province license. I then spoke to insurance who said usually you need to exchange the license within 30 days of the start of the policy, but since the government isn't offering the service currently, they said they'll allow it past 30 days.

Having covered all my bases from a government/insurance standpoint, I ordered the Tesla, paid for it, and waited, eventually I got a text saying the car is on the way to the delivery centre and to schedule an appointment so I scheduled an appointment for delivery.

A day after I schedule my appointment, I get a call from someone at the delivery centre saying they won't release the car without a license from the same province, because apparently the government won't allow them to register/plate it, I said I already spoke with the government and they said it's not a problem, and linked them the page on the government site + the phone number I spoke to. They wouldn't budge and their solution was to release the car to inventory, and put me at the back of the line saying I'd hopefully have a provincial license by the time my turn comes up again.

After that, I called the government again and verified that it wasn't an issue at all and that the government wouldn't prevent them from registering + plating the car, I spoke with a few non-Tesla dealerships and they also all said there would be no problems buying + registering/plating a car with my current license through them.

I spoke with the delivery centre again the next day, got the same story that it was impossible and they can't do it, and to call back the government and see if they can give me a temporary license. So I called the government again, and they again said they aren't doing license exchanges right now but that registering + plating the car is not an issue at all, they said if Tesla won't do it, to ask them to release the car with the sale documents and that I'd have 10 days to go into a government office to register and plate it myself.

So I spoke with Tesla again the next day, another person spoke with me and said that they wouldn't release it, and there's nothing he will do no matter what the government says since he said it's not convenient for them (even though the reason they gave me from the start is that the government won't allow registering + plating it which isn't true). I asked about just giving me the documents so I can register + plate it myself but they said that doesn't work for them and they won't do it.

The next day a Tesla manager called and gave me the same story about how he can't do anything, and his only solution was for me to cancel the order, order it again through my original province, register + plate it to my parent's address, and pick it up there, then drive it back here and exchange the plates.

That's what I ended up going with for now, though my delivery date is now June 27 and it's a huge hassle compared to them just registering + plating it here or at least allowing me to do it which both the government and non-Tesla dealerships said was easy and completely possible.

I was at a point of considering just getting another car and not a Tesla but I've always wanted a Tesla so I guess I'll see how it goes now.

 

[OptimusSlime]

I unfortunately feel your pain.

Dude, at least they have, even though it's BS, a kinda maybe reason to deny you the car with the license issue.

Thing is the car is literally 30 minutes from me right now (I sat in it today). They are telling me the car has to be transferred 3 and a half hours to Cleveland and then "delivered" to me from there.. which means it has to be transported 3 and a half hours back. Or I have to go to Cleveland to pick it up.

This is beyond infuriating.

 

[maldahleh]

yeah I have a feeling they just have their own policies they stick to no matter how inconvenient they are to customers, like they tell me oh by law we can't register and plate the car with your out of province license, the government agency responsible for registering + plating says it's not a problem at all, tell them to call us or at least give you the purchase papers and you'll have 10 days to come register + plate it yourself. No one at tesla is willing to call them, they just repeat the same line over and over.

 

[OptimusSlime]

Well I'm doing my part to contact every part of Tesla's corporate chain to get someone to apply some thought to this.

I paid a not insignificant amount of money for that car. It should be in my driveway this very second. This is the dumbest possible way to handle this by Tesla. Giving me the "Sorry we can't help you" crap isn't flying with me. Someone who works there needs to take this seriously and help.

 

[Silicon Desert]

and they didn't tell you this in advance? pretty crazy.

 

[Silicon Desert]

I guess it is time for one of my sarcastic comments..... hopefully you will see it as sarcastic humor and that it won't really happy.

So the car finally gets to your driveway and you are enjoying it until you see a problem that requires it to go to the service center to be corrected. Are they going to make you take the car back across the border to Cleveland so they can go pick it up, fix it and then deliver it back across the border?

 

[OptimusSlime]

Ha.

Yeah exactly. This is really really exponentially dumb.

 

[Aphinity]

Sorry to hear about your troubles! I guess I'm fortunate that I'm in a town with delivery capabilities, and no crap with state/provincial restrictions on delivery. Oh, and a drivers license from this province.

Hope you guys get your cars soon!

 

[jjrandorin]

Tesla Will Soon Get to Sell Cars in Michigan—But There's a Catch

TL ; DR quote:
===========
The deal requires Michigan buyers to title their cars elsewhere, but they'll be able to purchase them without leaving the state, in a deal finalized in federal court this week.
==========

The fact that Tesla has to title the car out of the state isnt their fault, its Michigans (the state) fault. You mention you work for the government... tesla likely has to make 10000% sure they do everything 10000% correctly, especially since this seems like new law?

Frustrating I get it, but blame the state for coming up with assinine restrictions.

 

[OptimusSlime]

Tesla Will Soon Get to Sell Cars in Michigan—But There's a Catch

TL ; DR quote:
===========
The deal requires Michigan buyers to title their cars elsewhere, but they'll be able to purchase them without leaving the state, in a deal finalized in federal court this week.
==========

The fact that Tesla has to title the car out of the state isnt their fault, its Michigans (the state) fault. You mention you work for the government... tesla likely has to make 10000% sure they do everything 10000% correctly, especially since this seems like new law?

Frustrating I get it, but blame the state for coming up with assinine restrictions.

Michigan's fault. Yeah totally.

Titling the car in a different state does not mean they have to physically take my car to that state.

I blame my state for the situation but Tesla should have and could have handled this 10 million times better. Again, titling the car is administrative type crap. The car doesnt need to be transported at cost to Tesla to do so.

Title the thing in Ohio, then transfer it immediately to Michigan with my info and plate number you already have. Can be done by them in a few minutes and then boom, I have my car in my possession.

 

[OptimusSlime]

To clarify..

Yes I know Michigan caused this to start with. No argument from me on that point at all.

My issue is with Tesla's lack of communication and just plain wrong information.

 

[jjrandorin]

To clarify..

Yes I know Michigan caused this to start with. No argument from me on that point at all.

My issue is with Tesla's lack of communication and just plain wrong information.

that makes sense.. tesla is not the best at communication in the best of situations. If things dont fit into the cookie cutter mold, they dont do as well. I say that as someone who has a model 3, tesla solar, and tesla powerwalls, so I am certainly not anti tesla. I just realize that they dont do well with things that are not super cut and dried.

Hope they figure it out soon.

 

[1.21GW]

Michigan law restricting sales sucks

Tesla communication also sucks

This is the root of many problems

 

[acarney]

Can you register a car to another state that you don’t live in? If the car is being registered to you, who live in Michigan, and delivered in Michigan, it sounds like they would be directly in opposition of the court ruling.

What that sounds like to me is if someone is in a state OUTSIDE of Michigan, but the Michigan Tesla location is the closest one, they could sell them the car because that car will be registered outside of Michigan. I haven’t known of Tesla registering the vehicle first and THEN selling it and registering it again... at a minimum Tesla would take legal ownership of the vehicle (registered vehicle) I’m another state, wait for the state to process paperwork and then sell the car to you. I suspect there is some tax issues here or something legally dubious. Tesla would probably do better to set something up in Ohio and maintain these cars as fleet vehicles and just have them stationed in Michigan, then selling the car to you and you take ownership... you would legally be the second owner though and there may be issues with loans with some lenders...

I suggest you write a letter to your state saying how ridiculous they are for fighting Tesla so much and let them know you will vote every person out and encourage others to do the same...

 

[Bman893]

New user here... Could someone tell me if this is normal practice from Tesla. I ordered a model 3 standard range white on white May 31st . They called me June 4th to give me a delivery date of June 18th. But if you go online to Tesla's existing orders there is not one not two but three of that same exact build already available at the same time Tesla service station I'm picking up my car at why wouldn't they just transfer me to one of them cars instead of making me wait an extra few weeks anyone have any ideas LOL.

 

[mongo]

According to Tesla since I bought an inventory car in the state of Michigan, the car has to physically leave Michigan and go to Ohio before I can take "delivery" of it. BS.

The settlement that my great state came to with Tesla was for registering the car in another state and then transferring that registration to Michigan. The car doesn't have to physically leave the state only to hypothetically make a U turn at the border before I can have it.

If the car is being registered to you, who live in Michigan, and delivered in Michigan, it sounds like they would be directly in opposition of the court ruling.

Minor correction, the car does not get registered out of state, the title transfer happens out of state and the car is then re-titled and registered in Michigan.

I don't know of a requirement for the vehicle to be in Ohio (unless it is Ohio law for the car to be in state). If there were, why even have inventory in Michigan? (This is new inventory, correct?)

Relevant part of settlement:

No provision in M.C.L. § 445.1574(1) nor any other provision of Michigan law prohibits Tesla from delivering vehicles to Michigan residents in Michigan (whether directly, through a subsidiary, using an independent carrier, or otherwise), including assisting them with vehicle trade-ins, so long as legal title for any vehicles sold by Tesla transfers outside the state of Michigan, consistent with M.C.L. §§ 440.2106(1) and 440.2401

 

[jjrandorin]

New user here... Could someone tell me if this is normal practice from Tesla. I ordered a model 3 standard range white on white May 31st . They called me June 4th to give me a delivery date of June 18th. But if you go online to Tesla's existing orders there is not one not two but three of that same exact build already available at the same time Tesla service station I'm picking up my car at why wouldn't they just transfer me to one of them cars instead of making me wait an extra few weeks anyone have any ideas LOL.

Most of the time, those cars are not actually purchasable (the ones you see online with the exact same specs as yours), or, they are not actually in the location they say they are, yet.

You can ask your sales advisor about them, and maybe one of them is actually available, but to answer your question, yes its normal for them to give you that date.

 

[OptimusSlime]

That's where I have an apparent outlier type issue.

The car is there and I bought it.

Still no word from them today. Getting further ticked by the hour.

 

[OptimusSlime]

And yeah, it's new.