Delivery is coming fast for me, hopefully early next week, and I have a few questions I am hoping to get answers to. -On my Tesla Dashboard, what status comes after, "The Tesla Factory is building your Model S?" -At what point can I use the smartphone app? Can I watch my car travel across the country on the delivery truck? -Any reason to pay Tesla early? My dashboard page just brought up my total and methods for paying, but I still don't have a locked in delivery date. Thanks a lot for any insights.
You'll see a status of "Your car is being prepared for delivery or shipping", and if you follow the pattern I did that'll be the last status you'll see until delivery. On delivery day you'll see an "Accept Delivery" button and at the end of your overview they'll ask you to push that and formally take ownership of your car. Most people have to wait overnight after delivery to be able to start using it, but mine responded the first time I tried, about 1 to 2 hours after delivery. From what I've heard they do not allow app access until you've accepted delivery. In certain states you HAVE to pay before delivery will be done, but in most cases you can potentially wait until delivery day to give them your down-payment and/or check from whomever you're financing with. In my case I sent them my down-payment directly from my checking account once I knew my car was on its way, and financed through Tesla so no further steps needed on that front. Because I was only given two hours lead time that I could pick it up, rather than signing all the final forms electronically I had to do that once at the delivery center. Normally they prefer to arrange it so your delivery consists of showing up, getting your overview, accepting delivery, and driving off into the sunset.
What do you mean by that? Tesla is giving me the chance to pay for a car that is not built. Seems early to me.
My Delivery Manager told me explicitly that they needed the down payment at least 2 days prior to delivery.
Thanks for all the useful info karmamule. I switched to the delivery/pickup phase today! C'mon Tesla, get that thing shipped, throw it in the hyperloop.
I picked up today. Like Karmamule, I had the being prepared for pick-up or delivery status right up until I took delivery today. I had to sign a whole new set of paperwork and cut a final check at pickup because I was doing a trade-in and the DS had to confirm that the initial offer was still acceptable after inspection of my old car. This went off without a hitch, but it still generated new paperwork.
Tesla takes trade-ins? Of any car? Do you know if they said that your car would be turned over to Shift Cars to sell?
I don't know if it's any car, but I had a 7 year old, Lexus GS 450h with 176,000+ miles, and they had no problem getting their private auction group to take it. So I can't imagine they are turning to many folks away. Tesla also ran my car by Autonation. I also took it to Carmax. In the end, the undisclosed group that Tesla is working with made the highest offer, so I took it. My DS never mentioned Shift Cars.
I looked at a Roadster last month that was being sold by Shift and was told by them that it came from Tesla as a trade in.
I got the impression that Tesla was offering the trade-in to some consortium where bids are made on your car and Tesla passes through the highest offer to you. I guess Shift is in the mix.