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Bad delivery experience

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DAMN.

I ordered my MYLR in late October, and my pickup appointment was yesterday. I was a little disappointed I couldn't get a 4680-based Texas model -- I delayed my order by 8 months to give Texas time to start up -- but I was pumped. I was going to drive it straight to the detailer, get it wrapped with PPF, then load it up for a cross-country maiden voyage to visit family.

Yesterday morning I got a call from a delightful lady at the local Tesla shop. "Um, I have NO idea how this got so far without anybody noticing it, but ..." The car had rock damage from transit. At least 12-15 or so dings and chips in the paint, more little "dents" that didn't actually chip the paint, and a quarter-size crack/chip/star in the windshield. (Why don't these idiots COVER expensive cars in transit!?)

That was a gut punch. I was going to drop $6k on PPF to prevent EXACTLY that kind of damage, and they damaged it before I even got the car!

Don't worry, they said. We've got a paint guy who comes in to do touch-ups. You'll never know it was dinged. I've had paint repair work on my Saab, and it was absolutely invisible. You couldn't see or feel it, even the clearcoat was perfect. That's what I expected here. Reality: today he did the touch-up, and it looks like he took a tube of touch-up paint and dabbed paint on the dings. There are bumps that you can see literally from 10' away. The PPF guy isn't willing to guarantee the film will adhere properly -- probably mostly because he can't see it without investing an hour or two of his time to drive there, but still.

I also noticed the hatchback glass didn't align properly with the roof glass. The hatch glass is "humped" in the middle. (My brother said I should name the car Quasimodo, the Hatchback of Notre Dame...) On the sides it roughly aligns with the roof glass, but the middle is about 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the roof glass. It sticks above the roofline and would probably scoop some air. I don't know how much that would affect wind noise or aerodynamics, but ...

Tesla shop said "That's normal, we're not fixing it." BS, it is NOT normal. I looked at a dozen other MY's on the lot, and mine was the ONLY one with a hump like that.

Yesterday I'd asked the nice lady what kind of compensation Tesla offers for delivering damaged goods. I said if somebody crunched the fender before delivery, you could fix the damage, but you couldn't sell it as an undamaged new car. Same concept here, even if it isn't major body damage. She said "I already submitted it to my management. You absolutely deserve a discount, especially considering we have to replace the windshield." Today, "It's taking them a couple days to process it. I'm sure they'll offer you some credit." Not a discount, not a rebate, and she didn't sound optimistic about the credit. Hell for all I know they'll say "Here's a Starbucks coupon, kid, now go 'way." But not until after I've taken possession.

I finally decided it was going to bother the crap out of me, and I couldn't accept it. Maybe I'm being excessively picky, but I told them to take the car back and get me an undamaged one. The other lady at the dealership got a bit huffy and said I was "allowed" to refuse one VIN, but I had to accept the next car or else. No recognition that I was refusing the first because of damage.

Supposedly I will be near the head of the list, but they really have no idea how long it will take to get another car. Maybe long enough that the replacement will come from Austin. :)

Was I unreasonable, or would you have responded the same way?



Here's a view of the "hunchback," looking from the rear. Notice the normal-spacing gaps on both sides, but you can't see the gap in the center. The hump is about 1/2" higher there and blocks the view of the gap. No other Y on the lot had this mismatch.

View attachment 810002

If you want an idea of how many chips there were, here are some photos that the Tesla rep marked up. Each purple mark is at least one chip. There are more, including a number of "paint dents" that didn't actually remove any paint.

1653749362611-png.809788


Terrible shot of the big windshield chip, and (I think) a couple more small chips:

1653749505577-png.809789
You've been more reasonable that I would have been. A touch up or two for scratches is not a problem. But that amount of work is not reasonable. Why accept a new car with lots of body work done on it. RE: can't refuse delivery of the next car - I would call that a BS statement which wouldn't hold up in court.
 
DAMN.

I ordered my MYLR in late October, and my pickup appointment was yesterday. I was a little disappointed I couldn't get a 4680-based Texas model -- I delayed my order by 8 months to give Texas time to start up -- but I was pumped. I was going to drive it straight to the detailer, get it wrapped with PPF, then load it up for a cross-country maiden voyage to visit family.

Yesterday morning I got a call from a delightful lady at the local Tesla shop. "Um, I have NO idea how this got so far without anybody noticing it, but ..." The car had rock damage from transit. At least 12-15 or so dings and chips in the paint, more little "dents" that didn't actually chip the paint, and a quarter-size crack/chip/star in the windshield. (Why don't these idiots COVER expensive cars in transit!?)

That was a gut punch. I was going to drop $6k on PPF to prevent EXACTLY that kind of damage, and they damaged it before I even got the car!

Don't worry, they said. We've got a paint guy who comes in to do touch-ups. You'll never know it was dinged. I've had paint repair work on my Saab, and it was absolutely invisible. You couldn't see or feel it, even the clearcoat was perfect. That's what I expected here. Reality: today he did the touch-up, and it looks like he took a tube of touch-up paint and dabbed paint on the dings. There are bumps that you can see literally from 10' away. The PPF guy isn't willing to guarantee the film will adhere properly -- probably mostly because he can't see it without investing an hour or two of his time to drive there, but still.

I also noticed the hatchback glass didn't align properly with the roof glass. The hatch glass is "humped" in the middle. (My brother said I should name the car Quasimodo, the Hatchback of Notre Dame...) On the sides it roughly aligns with the roof glass, but the middle is about 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the roof glass. It sticks above the roofline and would probably scoop some air. I don't know how much that would affect wind noise or aerodynamics, but ...

Tesla shop said "That's normal, we're not fixing it." BS, it is NOT normal. I looked at a dozen other MY's on the lot, and mine was the ONLY one with a hump like that.

Yesterday I'd asked the nice lady what kind of compensation Tesla offers for delivering damaged goods. I said if somebody crunched the fender before delivery, you could fix the damage, but you couldn't sell it as an undamaged new car. Same concept here, even if it isn't major body damage. She said "I already submitted it to my management. You absolutely deserve a discount, especially considering we have to replace the windshield." Today, "It's taking them a couple days to process it. I'm sure they'll offer you some credit." Not a discount, not a rebate, and she didn't sound optimistic about the credit. Hell for all I know they'll say "Here's a Starbucks coupon, kid, now go 'way." But not until after I've taken possession.

I finally decided it was going to bother the crap out of me, and I couldn't accept it. Maybe I'm being excessively picky, but I told them to take the car back and get me an undamaged one. The other lady at the dealership got a bit huffy and said I was "allowed" to refuse one VIN, but I had to accept the next car or else. No recognition that I was refusing the first because of damage.

Supposedly I will be near the head of the list, but they really have no idea how long it will take to get another car. Maybe long enough that the replacement will come from Austin. :)

Was I unreasonable, or would you have responded the same way?



Here's a view of the "hunchback," looking from the rear. Notice the normal-spacing gaps on both sides, but you can't see the gap in the center. The hump is about 1/2" higher there and blocks the view of the gap. No other Y on the lot had this mismatch.

View attachment 810002

If you want an idea of how many chips there were, here are some photos that the Tesla rep marked up. Each purple mark is at least one chip. There are more, including a number of "paint dents" that didn't actually remove any paint.

1653749362611-png.809788


Terrible shot of the big windshield chip, and (I think) a couple more small chips:

1653749505577-png.809789
It's not really a expensive car to cover up like a super car is a bit over the top better paint would be the solution
 
$6k for ppf? Do all Tesla owners have cash they literally don’t care about? I mean I do pretty well and have no lien on my cars. But I could not imagine spending several grand on ppf. Seems like a gigantic waste of money. I plan to order a diy ppf kit for like $600 and do it myself. Did it on my 3 and turned out great.

Sorry about you car bro. I would not accept that garbage. Tesla customer service typically sucks.
 
I've heard enough horror stories about the paint (peeling off during pressure-washing, etc) that I figure the PPF is pretty necessary. DIY PPF is probably smarter and def cheaper. But I wasn't confident I could do a decent job of it. Yeah I'm still choking at the price, but my brother (who fully PPF'd his M3 4 years ago, and I thought he was crazy) has been twisting my arm and making it sound reasonable. And the nice Tesla lady mentioned that nearly every MY she's checked out lately has gone straight to the detailer for PPF.
 
DAMN.

I ordered my MYLR in late October, and my pickup appointment was yesterday. I was a little disappointed I couldn't get a 4680-based Texas model -- I delayed my order by 8 months to give Texas time to start up -- but I was pumped. I was going to drive it straight to the detailer, get it wrapped with PPF, then load it up for a cross-country maiden voyage to visit family.

Yesterday morning I got a call from a delightful lady at the local Tesla shop. "Um, I have NO idea how this got so far without anybody noticing it, but ..." The car had rock damage from transit. At least 12-15 or so dings and chips in the paint, more little "dents" that didn't actually chip the paint, and a quarter-size crack/chip/star in the windshield. (Why don't these idiots COVER expensive cars in transit!?)

That was a gut punch. I was going to drop $6k on PPF to prevent EXACTLY that kind of damage, and they damaged it before I even got the car!

Don't worry, they said. We've got a paint guy who comes in to do touch-ups. You'll never know it was dinged. I've had paint repair work on my Saab, and it was absolutely invisible. You couldn't see or feel it, even the clearcoat was perfect. That's what I expected here. Reality: today he did the touch-up, and it looks like he took a tube of touch-up paint and dabbed paint on the dings. There are bumps that you can see literally from 10' away. The PPF guy isn't willing to guarantee the film will adhere properly -- probably mostly because he can't see it without investing an hour or two of his time to drive there, but still.

I also noticed the hatchback glass didn't align properly with the roof glass. The hatch glass is "humped" in the middle. (My brother said I should name the car Quasimodo, the Hatchback of Notre Dame...) On the sides it roughly aligns with the roof glass, but the middle is about 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the roof glass. It sticks above the roofline and would probably scoop some air. I don't know how much that would affect wind noise or aerodynamics, but ...

Tesla shop said "That's normal, we're not fixing it." BS, it is NOT normal. I looked at a dozen other MY's on the lot, and mine was the ONLY one with a hump like that.

Yesterday I'd asked the nice lady what kind of compensation Tesla offers for delivering damaged goods. I said if somebody crunched the fender before delivery, you could fix the damage, but you couldn't sell it as an undamaged new car. Same concept here, even if it isn't major body damage. She said "I already submitted it to my management. You absolutely deserve a discount, especially considering we have to replace the windshield." Today, "It's taking them a couple days to process it. I'm sure they'll offer you some credit." Not a discount, not a rebate, and she didn't sound optimistic about the credit. Hell for all I know they'll say "Here's a Starbucks coupon, kid, now go 'way." But not until after I've taken possession.

I finally decided it was going to bother the crap out of me, and I couldn't accept it. Maybe I'm being excessively picky, but I told them to take the car back and get me an undamaged one. The other lady at the dealership got a bit huffy and said I was "allowed" to refuse one VIN, but I had to accept the next car or else. No recognition that I was refusing the first because of damage.

Supposedly I will be near the head of the list, but they really have no idea how long it will take to get another car. Maybe long enough that the replacement will come from Austin. :)

Was I unreasonable, or would you have responded the same way?



Here's a view of the "hunchback," looking from the rear. Notice the normal-spacing gaps on both sides, but you can't see the gap in the center. The hump is about 1/2" higher there and blocks the view of the gap. No other Y on the lot had this mismatch.

View attachment 810002

If you want an idea of how many chips there were, here are some photos that the Tesla rep marked up. Each purple mark is at least one chip. There are more, including a number of "paint dents" that didn't actually remove any paint.

1653749362611-png.809788


Terrible shot of the big windshield chip, and (I think) a couple more small chips:

1653749505577-png.809789
I also ordered a MY last November and just received delivery of a Fremont vehicle. I was hoping for an Austin but the issue is Austin is producing 4680s for standard range and Fremont long ranges.
 
I've heard enough horror stories about the paint (peeling off during pressure-washing, etc) that I figure the PPF is pretty necessary. DIY PPF is probably smarter and def cheaper. But I wasn't confident I could do a decent job of it. Yeah I'm still choking at the price, but my brother (who fully PPF'd his M3 4 years ago, and I thought he was crazy) has been twisting my arm and making it sound reasonable. And the nice Tesla lady mentioned that nearly every MY she's checked out lately has gone straight to the detailer for PPF.


Really not that hard. Takes time and patience and some cheap tools. Good sprayer for slip solution, rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, squeegee, hypodermic needle to remove stubborn bubbles.

$6k for ppf is insane and a waste of money. It does not make your car more valuable. Rocks chips are common on cars and no dealer is paying you more for it without them. Why do your whole car? Front end is what’s takes the damage. $6k is a complete front end respray, new hood, fenders, bumper, and probably paint on other parts too.
 
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Really not that hard. Takes time and patience and some cheap tools. Good sprayer for slip solution, rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, squeegee, hypodermic needle to remove stubborn bubbles.

$6k for ppf is insane and a waste of money. It does not make your car more valuable. Rocks chips are common on cars and no dealer is paying you more for it without them. Why do your whole car? Front end is what’s takes the damage. $6k is a complete front end respray, new hood, fenders, bumper, and probably paint on other parts too.
Really? Wow I would disagree about the degree of difficulty. I'd say it is very difficult. I've done two vehicles and am getting better but there is good reason pro's charge what they do.
 
Really? Wow I would disagree about the degree of difficulty. I'd say it is very difficult. I've done two vehicles and am getting better but there is good reason pro's charge what they do.
Guess everyone is different. I did this in my garage with my daughter on a Saturday and it really wasn’t that tough or complicated. Not for everyone but Certainly not a 6K kind of problem.
 
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FYI - I had same glass hump on Freemont MYP, and SC replaced rear glass a few weeks ago.
Well that's interesting. The local SC refused to fix it on "my" car. I almost might have accepted the car if they had agreed to fix that. Almost.

The saga isn't done yet. I just found an email in my spamtrap: "your order is set to cancel soon, if it's still on hold by June 12 we will assume you no longer wish to purchase a vehicle, we will cancel your order and your deposit will be forfeit, etc."

Apparently the mothership never got the message that "this car was refused due to damage, send another one." Which probably means they haven't even started looking for a replacement. :mad:
 
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$6k for ppf? Do all Tesla owners have cash they literally don’t care about? I mean I do pretty well and have no lien on my cars. But I could not imagine spending several grand on ppf. Seems like a gigantic waste of money. I plan to order a diy ppf kit for like $600 and do it myself. Did it on my 3 and turned out great.

Sorry about you car bro. I would not accept that garbage. Tesla customer service typically sucks.
I just drive it it's not worth any more when I trade it in. I had ppf on the last car and it was still blue book on the trade so honestly I don't really care. Dive it have fun the next guy can reshoot the bumper.
 
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