Continued Delivery Issues

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

@Tom Macdonald - I think a visit to the Charlotte SC for a “chat” is appropriate at this point. My advise to you (which is free, so take it with a grain of salt) is to remain very calm and polite with whomever you speak. Given your situation, this will be quite difficult, but I am a big believe that you generally atttact more flies with honey than vinegar. As others have suggested, you want to accomplish three things with your visit.
1. Have Tesla refund all of your money except the $2500 deposit (assuming you still want the car)
2. Have Tesla give you a loaner or pay for your rental until your car actually arrives (since you sold your car anticipating a delivery date THEY scheduled, this is appropriate)
3. Have Tesla schedule a delivery date that they believe they can meet. Saying “sometime before year end” isn’t specific enough and since your situation is very different from most it would seem appropriate for them to go the extra mile in your case. Plus, scheduling a firm date puts a bit of pressure on them to meet it.

Good luck to you sir.

 

[Tom Macdonald]

@Tom Macdonald - I think a visit to the Charlotte SC for a “chat” is appropriate at this point. My advise to you (which is free, so take it with a grain of salt) is to remain very calm and polite with whomever you speak. Given your situation, this will be quite difficult, but I am a big believe that you generally atttact more flies with honey than vinegar. As others have suggested, you want to accomplish three things with your visit.
1. Have Tesla refund all of your money except the $2500 deposit (assuming you still want the car)
2. Have Tesla give you a loaner or pay for your rental until your car actually arrives (since you sold your car anticipating a delivery date THEY scheduled, this is appropriate)
3. Have Tesla schedule a delivery date that they believe they can meet. Saying “sometime before year end” isn’t specific enough and since your situation is very different from most it would seem appropriate for them to go the extra mile in your case. Plus, scheduling a firm date puts a bit of pressure on them to meet it.

Good luck to you sir.

Hey thanks for the admix. My intent is to do exactly that. I am a retired sales guy so I kinda know the drill around getting more flies with honey. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[neroden]

You probably know how to be calm and polite while still pointing out that you made decisions based on their promised delivery date, they fell through, and now *they* have to make it right. (Firmness.)

 

[romorris2342]

So I placed my reservation 4-20-16, To date, no vehicle only broken promises around delivery. Once canceling less than 10 hours before scheduled pick up. Paid the $56,000 9-15-18 because delivery was scheduled for that weekend. Of course it go t cancelled. Got a revised date of 9-30-18 only to have that date cancelled. I spoke to a delivery specialist today and was informed that it would be another 30 days at least as the vehicle has not been produced yet. I asked if there was a possibility the car would not even be delivered this year and the guy said he could not guarantee delivery would take place this year but it probably would. Meanwhile, I sold my car two months ago and the wife and i are getting by but it is challenging. This is very discouraging. Question, if they can't make delivery this year can I cancel and get all my money back? Part of my economic model was based on the tax credit.

Same thing here - took all my money, withdrew the car and gave me a promise for well into the future. They blew me off 3 times the weekend at the end of the quarter. I applied a little pressure (I think) and they coughed up a car matching my description in about 24 hours from that point. Ended up being they were only about 5 days late versus the 1st delivery appointment they missed.

 

[Tom Macdonald]

Same thing here - took all my money, withdrew the car and gave me a promise for well into the future. They blew me off 3 times the weekend at the end of the quarter. I applied a little pressure (I think) and they coughed up a car matching my description in about 24 hours from that point. Ended up being they were only about 5 days late versus the 1st delivery appointment they missed.

May I ask about the pressure you applied? Was it at the Charlotte location on on-line?

 

[romorris2342]

I'm in Los Angeles. I sent a short 3 paragraph message to the email problem resolution line. I mentioned the "on or about dd/mm/yyyy" and that they were paid in full on that basis as it was 2 days in the future ("delivery imminent") and they the "offered the car and scheduled delivery, took payment in full, withdrew the car and moved the delivery date way into the future". I mentioned the wording "on or about" in the contract (which takes precedence over anything earlier) and that they are about to be in breach of that contract. I gave them 48 hours to set it straight or I'll waive arbitration and begin appropriate actions.

 

[romorris2342]

I guess that's not the "more flies with honey approach". I don't really know that it worked. All I really know is that a car suddenly appeared way way way before their seriously reschedule promise. Could have been a coincidence. One weird thing is - this car is configured for enhanced auto pilot. I didn't order that. No indication its a free trial in the software. It's rather nifty in LA traffic for sure.

 

[SMAlset]

I guess that's not the "more flies with honey approach". I don't really know that it worked. All I really know is that a car suddenly appeared way way way before their seriously reschedule promise. Could have been a coincidence. One weird thing is - this car is configured for enhanced auto pilot. I didn't order that. No indication its a free trial in the software. It's rather nifty in LA traffic for sure.

What did your Monroney sticker indicate with respect to EAP? I know Tesla was turning it on for people as a matter of course who didn't order it as a trial enticement.


@Tom Macdonald , as far as the guy who told you "maybe not even this year" that sounds like blatant bull crap to me. Given your situation of having paid in full and sold your car based on several delivery appointments, I can't imagine why anyone would say that to a customer panicking him instead of trying to reach out through channels to resolve the issue. I get that you are in the southeast but cars are being delivered that way.

I don't think it would hurt to have a local store look into it for you. They will be the one that you go to for service so you want to have a good relationship with them and I'm sure they will want to help you out best they can in getting this resolved. I think I would go directly to the store manager. From what I read today online, Tesla earlier this month registered 4,609 VINs, 118 VINs (wonder if these were for a discontinued color?), and just registered another batch of 6,711 Model 3 VINs. 11,438 VINs just this month.

Tesla Registers 6,711 New Model 3 VINs

 

[TeeEmCee]

I'm currently in the same screw job. I've paid and now they won't even talk to me. I mean WTF is this nonsense.

What this is is pretty clear indication that letting someone else do the selling and servicing and focusing on manufacturing may not be that bad an idea.

While I don't support the idea of letting governments dictate how Tesla sells cars, I bet that an independent dealer would easily outperform Tesla in service quality if offered decent terms, similar to what other manufacturers have to offer.

 

[1.21GW]

I thought my story was bad. Although we are in the same situation, it’s terrible that you ordered that long ago and still have nothing.

What I don’t like is Tesla’s games they play with VIN numbers. Had I known VINs are more like musical chairs, I would not have submitted my ACH payment.

I had a delivery date, VIN, and submitted everything correctly. Car was not there on delivery day and instead of rescheduling, they sold it to someone else that was easier to get it to. In the grand scheme it’s fine, but then return the money I paid for that specific VIN. You can’t have it both ways Tesla!

Only thing I get from Tesla now is “we will forward this message to the right person and get back to you”. Still ZERO returned phone calls

 

[romorris2342]

What did your Monroney sticker indicate with respect to EAP? I know Tesla was turning it on for people as a matter of course who didn't order it as a trial enticement.

There was no window sticker of any kind. Should I infer anything from that ?

 

[beachbum77]

There was no window sticker of any kind. Should I infer anything from that ?

Check your trunk, frunk, center console, and glovebox. Otherwise, it is a violation of federal law not to have received it with the car. You can always ask Tesla to reprint it for you.

 

[romorris2342]

I checked everywhere - all those locations. I received nothing like that. Only paperwork I saw on delivery day was DMV related and I got to keep nothing except the temporary registration (and the owners manual in the glove box). Car was reporting 98 miles on it electronically after I drove about 30 miles home. This is strange. I'll ask them to reprint it.

 

[MXWing]

My buddy made the local newspaper after not getting his Model 3 one month after his check was deposited.

The Model 3 he got wasn’t even what was originally ordered.

I encouraged he go to the DC, and I went as well so we could grab someone and drag them to the woodshed.

The DC rep we ran into was super nice and found a demo car onsite.

Worked out better than we imagined. Maybe this can work out for you @Tom Macdonald ?

 

[beachbum77]

My buddy made the local newspaper after not getting his Model 3 one month after his check was deposited.

The Model 3 he got wasn’t even what was originally ordered.

I encouraged he go to the DC, and I went as well so we could grab someone and drag them to the woodshed.

The DC rep we ran into was super nice and found a demo car onsite.

Worked out better than we imagined. Maybe this can work out for you @Tom Macdonald ?

I agree! Start out polite but if no impact it never hurts to get serious and threaten to go to the state authorities. Delivering a car already paid for by one client to yet another is actually a fraudulent transaction. Bringing the local press into the issue as listed above never hurts either. Most TV stations have a consumer "watchdog" now. Surprising how fast they will find you a car when a TV crew shows up at their door.

 

[tomas]

What this is is pretty clear indication that letting someone else do the selling and servicing and focusing on manufacturing may not be that bad an idea.

While I don't support the idea of letting governments dictate how Tesla sells cars, I bet that an independent dealer would easily outperform Tesla in service quality if offered decent terms, similar to what other manufacturers have to offer.

No car company operating in US does this volume of make to order delivery via a dealer network. They all sell through inventory and a “swap” system among dealers. Changing network would only make car more expensive, and would not fix problem. Tesla needs to (and will) fix. Doesn’t reduce pain of current customers. I think LR cars just got totally deprioritized in September in order to maximize margin so the quarter could be profitable. Should loosen up in oct I hope.

 

[beachbum77]

No US company does this volume of make to order delivery via a dealer network. They all sell through inventory and a “swap” system among dealers. Changing network would only make car more expensive, and would not fix problem. Tesla needs to (and will) fix. Doesn’t reduce pain of current customers. I think LR cars just got totally deprioritized in September in order to maximize margin so the quarter could be profitable. Should loosen up in oct I hope.

Tesla is not "make to order". They are batch building M3 cars based on rough assumptions and then the Logistics team sets out to match cars to buyer's orders. Tesla has already talked about this before. They admit they overestimated the demand for RWD once AWD opened up. That is why RWD units are ready for immediate delivery in many areas.

LR cars are all they are building. I think you mean RWD vs AWD.

 

[cwerdna]

I feel terrible for the OP and those for who don't live in/near the SF Bay Area. The 3 delivery experience seems all over the map.

I'm in the Bay Area. FWIW, in early Sept 2018, a co-worker placed his order on on a Tuesday (I'm 90% sure he had no $1K deposit in earlier). To his surprise, he got a call the next day (Wednesday) saying he could pick up as early as Sunday! He already had an out of town trip planned so that wasn't going to work. He returned from his trip and picked up his car the next Wednesday, likely from Fremont. He was just RWD.

Another guy at my work had an order in (configured and all) for a P3D AWD for awhile (months, IIRC) and wasn't seeing movement. Out of the blue, on a Friday at 6 pm, he got an invite for Tesla Model 3 Event: Hundreds Of Cars Delivered, More Stock Inbound. He showed up there on Saturday morning and left w/a P3D matching what he wanted. However, it had all sorts of exterior assembly defects (mainly alignment probs and some weirdness with the rear glass). He showed up w/low expectations and didn't expect to leave w/a car.

 

[cwerdna]

LR cars are all they are building. I think you mean RWD vs AWD.

Yep. One still cannot order an SR Model 3.

 

[tomas]

Tesla is not "make to order". They are batch building M3 cars based on rough assumptions and then the Logistics team sets out to match cars to buyer's orders. Tesla has already talked about this before. They admit they overestimated the demand for RWD once AWD opened up. That is why RWD units are ready for immediate delivery in many areas.

LR cars are all they are building. I think you mean RWD vs AWD.

I used the term make to order vs writing a paragraph to describe exactly how they make/deliver to order. Your paragraph is fine. Point is, all other US cars at this volume are from inventory, which is very different. By LR, I mean not AWD and not P. Many on this forum use that term.

I think, given difference in margin, they tried to deliver Ps first in Sept which may have affected LR customers.