Beware of home delivery option!

[Malukalu]

Tool delivery of my MY on 12/24 ! So excited to receive it but did have a bad experience. Basically I opted for the home delivery option for which I got a 6 hour delivery window. Of course the car was delivered while I was out so when I came home it was on the driveway (they texted me in the morning to confirm the address and preferred delivery location of street or driveway).
The only way to get into the car was the go online into my tesla account and hit accept delivery...which is where I believe the problem is. Though everything looked great outside I had to accept delivery without seeing the interior ! Well after accepting and having the doors unlock I found that the passenger side seat was broken . Took me 4 days to get it resolved and that included 7 phone calls and lots of arguing. Basically they told me to book an service appointment .. which was only available 17 days out which meant I couldn't drive with anyone in my car for over two weeks as the seat was pitched all they way forward and stuck! Anyhow I finally talked to a someone at the service center and he said just bring the car in with no appointment. I did that and things worked out as they fixed it same day and I got it back.. but this whole accepting delivery without seeing the actual car is kind of BS in my opinion

 

[Hoowzer]

This would have been no different if you went to the delivery center. You can't actually open the doors until you've accepted delivery. Do I agree? No, but that is what Tesla does.

 

[Wrangler]

When I picked mine up at SC end of November the car was waiting. Rep took me outside and allowed me to fully inspect inside and out before going in to accept delivery and sign and finalize the purchase. This was in Chicago.

 

[Carlvs]

The same experience here. Picked up our model Y in Charlotte and the SA was very helpful we inspected the car inside and out before accepting delivery. The gaps etc were great along with paint finish and interior. The only issue that I could find was a rear seat back that would not fold down. Have a service appointment two weeks out.

 

[ReversePolarity]

They're probably purposely sending out "unfinished" vehicles to meet delivery targets and you're probably competing with other customers for appointment at the SC. I hope the Y I pickup in the next few hours will have a steering wheel since i need to "Accept" delivery before getting in lol.

 

[Clark_Kent]

This would have been no different if you went to the delivery center. You can't actually open the doors until you've accepted delivery. Do I agree? No, but that is what Tesla does.

That wasn't my experience. I inspected the car top to bottom, inside and out before I accepted delivery. The SA had no issue with it, he actually encouraged me to perform a thorough inspection. I'm glad I did because I found no less than 10 issues, some of which were corrected on the spot. I would never accept a vehicle, let alone a Tesla without a proper inspection.

 

[Hoowzer]

seems like the regional locations have better processes in place.

Picking up directly from Fremont is a total nightmare with the volume of folks when I was picking up.

 

[Webeevdrivers]

That wasn't my experience. I inspected the car top to bottom, inside and out before I accepted delivery. The SA had no issue with it, he actually encouraged me to perform a thorough inspection. I'm glad I did because I found no less than 10 issues, some of which were corrected on the spot. I would never accept a vehicle, let alone a Tesla without a proper inspection.

Yep. Same here. Total access to the car. Had lots of time to check it out. (It was perfect). Paperwork followed. Super smooth.

 

[Malukalu]

Good to hear there are better experiences. Seems like if you do home delivery though you wouldn't have a choice either way since the tesla peeps are gone already .

 

[designrs]

This would have been no different if you went to the delivery center. You can't actually open the doors until you've accepted delivery. Do I agree? No, but that is what Tesla does.

Jacksonville, FL: Ordered my car. Saw it on the service center lot days before before my delivery. (My finance company was having issues.) Service tech happened to come out and showed me the car.

Delivery day was during the Summer of COVID. I told them that I was familiar, so the delivery center was happy to just leave me and my girlfriend alone in the car for about an hour to play with everything and do inspections while the sales center ran back and forth organizing the paperwork.

 

[Pyguy]

This would have been no different if you went to the delivery center. You can't actually open the doors until you've accepted delivery. Do I agree? No, but that is what Tesla does.

At lease here in CA, I was able to inspect the inside before accepting delivery.

 

[stopcrazypp]

At lease here in CA, I was able to inspect the inside before accepting delivery.

I took delivery of a Model 3 at Colma, CA in the afternoon and I had to accept delivery before I had access to the interior (the app showed the car, but it asks to accept delivery to unlock it). I did go to delivery check-in to ask and they told me to do the same. All the documents and the key cards were already in the car, there was a FedEx envelope to FedEx the DMV documents to them. My car had a few minor scratches, which they told me to schedule a service appointment for in the app. However, I paid everything online and I guess I got set for a "contactless delivery" appointment.

It might be different for people with a check or maybe if you went before they had a chance to leave the documents and keycards in the car (so they would have to open the car for you anyways).

 

[WADan]

That wasn't my experience. I inspected the car top to bottom, inside and out before I accepted delivery. The SA had no issue with it, he actually encouraged me to perform a thorough inspection. I'm glad I did because I found no less than 10 issues, some of which were corrected on the spot. I would never accept a vehicle, let alone a Tesla without a proper inspection.

Same here. I chose to receive delivery at SC for that reason. No way I would accept delivery without inspection!

 

[mm94027]

I took delivery of a Model 3 at Colma, CA in the afternoon and I had to accept delivery before I had access to the interior (the app showed the car, but it asks to accept delivery to unlock it). I did go to delivery check-in to ask and they told me to do the same. All the documents and the key cards were already in the car, there was a FedEx envelope to FedEx the DMV documents to them. My car had a few minor scratches, which they told me to schedule a service appointment for in the app. However, I paid everything online and I guess I got set for a "contactless delivery" appointment.

It might be different for people with a check or maybe if you went before they had a chance to leave the documents and keycards in the car (so they would have to open the car for you anyways).

I picked up my Y at Colma as well (Dec 19). I told them I wanted to inspect it before accepting and would not pay until I had a chance to examine the car. The guys there said no problem except I could NOT drive it. So I spent 30 minutes going over my checklist. Afterwards, I went in and processed the ACH transfer on my phone. They handed me the keys and I was gone. Doesn't seem to be any consistency to the process.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I picked up my Y at Colma as well (Dec 19). I told them I wanted to inspect it before accepting and would not pay until I had a chance to examine the car. The guys there said no problem except I could NOT drive it. So I spent 30 minutes going over my checklist. Afterwards, I went in and processed the ACH transfer on my phone. They handed me the keys and I was gone. Doesn't seem to be any consistency to the process.

As I mentioned, the difference might be you didn't pay yet. You could have just walked off and be out $100 and nothing else. In my case, I paid already (and ACH already done, with money transferred out my account, given actually the car I picked up was a second matched VIN, my first VIN had damage and my original appointment was cancelled).

Maybe if I insisted for them to unlock the car to inspect they might have allowed it though, but personally I'm more concerned about exterior panels which are harder to replace/color match, than the interior parts which can be swapped without it being noticeable. Also I did pick up on 12/31 so that might play a role too. I did notice there were other cars where a rep actually appeared to walk through the car with the people, so I can't say my experience represented the same for everyone even that day at Colma.

Did they have all the documents and the key cards in the car already? How did they unlock the car?

Note, if you used Plaid to do the ACH like I did, I suggest to change your banking password after your delivery is all handled. Plaid collects your bank login and password directly (it's not an API or OAuth), so they have full access to all your online banking.

 

[Titanias Y]

I ordered my Y May 2019. Covid interference etc, I began getting text notices it was ready in September 2020. They didn't seem quite right ("pick up your car in Serramonte" - ?) so I'd respond, and get no answer. Called Tesla dealer in Corte Madera, where I live and had test driven. "Yeah, we're not the delivery guys. We have no idea what you should do". Cancelled an afternoon clinic to try to go this unknown address in Serramonte. No answers to text, so I gave up and went home. At 8:30 pm as I commented to my wife, "they could've at least called"... phone rings and young man says, "We will delliver your car to your driveway at 9:30 pm!" confirmed address (hidden in woods) and sure enough, my car roared up. The enthusiastic delivery showman taught me a few things, like how to start the car with the key card, Soon his buddy roared up in another Tesla, and that was that.. Luckily all was GREAT, as I was terrified driving this massive computer to work the next morning. Three months in, I'm happier then I've been since learning about ice cream.

 

[Pianewman]

YIKES! Two Teslas that "...roared up..."????

Are you sure they weren't farts?

 

[mcorf]

When I picked mine up at SC end of November the car was waiting. Rep took me outside and allowed me to fully inspect inside and out before going in to accept delivery and sign and finalize the purchase. This was in Chicago.

Same in Pittsburgh the end of November.

 

[InternetDude]

Why do people keep buying Teslas? This is so typical. If you want good customer service and build quality, you have to look elsewhere. Otherwise it's "within spec" or "book an appt in the app". I encourage you to make a YouTube video about it though, that seems to get peoples attention.

 

[mm94027]

...........

Did they have all the documents and the key cards in the car already? How did they unlock the car?

Note, if you used Plaid to do the ACH like I did, I suggest to change your banking password after your delivery is all handled. Plaid collects your bank login and password directly (it's not an API or OAuth), so they have full access to all your online banking.

There wasn't anything in the car. I walked up and talked to the guy sitting at the table. I did not find him particularly motivated. When he saw that I had a checklist he stated that they normally don't allow this type of inspection. I did not take the bait. I told him I would not finalize the payment until I had fully inspected the car. So he walked out with me to the car and used a key card to unlock the vehicle and then went back to his table.

Yeah, that PLAID thing bothers me too. I changed the password when I got home. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope people reading this thread will do the same.