Disappointed in Tesla

[srthomas21]

My Model S finished production last Monday. Tesla told me the fastest way to get it was to sign the lease papers last week (so they could count for Q1) then have them ship to my house directly. They told me they thought I would get it no later than today. Well, it's still sitting in Freemont and my DS has been unable to get an update from Freemont as to why. He's doing everything he can but in the meantime I'm now paying on my lease and have no idea when the car will actually be here. You would think they would make it a priority to get me my car especially when I agreed to help them by signing the lease without having the car. Kind of regretting that decision now.

Not sure what is so hard about putting it on a truck and shipping it to me in Utah. it shouldn't sit there for a week with no explanation. Frustrating!

 

[AB4EJ]

My DS in Marietta (GA) said company is trying to ship by rail as much as possible because vehicles get much less shipping damage that way... but it can mean 20 days to ship (to east coast) -and they are hostage to rail schedules - rail shipping usually gets congested when economy is perking along (as it is now) - so it could be logistics; on the other hand does "finished production" mean it is also done with all QC checks?

On a different note, I got a VIN assigned for new (MS) order over a week ago, and still no delivery date... is that normal?

 

[srthomas21]

My DS in Marietta (GA) said company is trying to ship by rail as much as possible because vehicles get much less shipping damage that way... but it can mean 20 days to ship (to east coast) -and they are hostage to rail schedules - rail shipping usually gets congested when economy is perking along (as it is now) - so it could be logistics; on the other hand does "finished production" mean it is also done with all QC checks?

On a different note, I got a VIN assigned for new (MS) order over a week ago, and still no delivery date... is that normal?

My car is going by truck. It's a short haul from California to Utah. It finished production last Monday and QC was done by the next day.

My delivery always said late March / early April even during production so I don't think it's unusual to not have a delivery date yet.

Funny thing is it now says delivered in my tesla and I've been getting survey emails asking how I'm enjoying the car and to rate the delivery experience. They should be better at this and keep their dealers informed so they can tell the customer what is going on.

I just hate paying for a car I don't have. Very frustrating.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

My car is going by truck. It's a short haul from California to Utah. It finished production last Monday and QC was done by the next day.

My delivery always said late March / early April even during production so I don't think it's unusual to not have a delivery date yet.

Funny thing is it now says delivered in my tesla and I've been getting survey emails asking how I'm enjoying the car and to rate the delivery experience. They should be better at this and keep their dealers informed so they can tell the customer what is going on.

I just hate paying for a car I don't have. Very frustrating.

I'd get someone on the phone. It's almost like it has fallen through the cracks and the system thinks that you have received it — since most people don't sign until the receive the car.

I think they need to prorate you a check. As you said, you are now responsible to insure and pay for it, but you don't have it.

I didn't start making payments until the day received the car.

I wonder how it worked for others who received truck delivery?

 

[srthomas21]

I'd get someone on the phone. It's almost like it has fallen through the cracks and the system thinks that you have received it — since most people don't sign until the receive the car.

I think they need to prorate you a check. As you said, you are now responsible to insure and pay for it, but you don't have it.

I didn't start making payments until the day received the car.

I wonder how it worked for others who received truck delivery?

I have talked to my DS everyday. He has no info on why it's sitting but assures me it has not slipped through the cracks. He just says there is a back log at the factory and only 3-4 people there that deal with it. However, I see posts on here about a 3 week turn around time from order to taking delivery so it really makes no sense. Some cars are moving just fine.

 

[BertL]

Very sorry to hear this. Not good.

It sounds like you have a relationship with your DS of some sort. If I were you, I'd let your DS know you are not happy having done Tesla a favor, now at your major expense, and you expect Tesla to make that right in addition to providing a quality vehicle as promised. I'd ask his/her help with who you should escalate to, then go that route. If you don't get a name or number from the DS, I'd start up the chain on my own. IMHO! It's better to get the plan sorted out now ,vs when your MS is sitting ready for delivery, you're wanting to take it home, and perhaps more willing to give leeway back to Tesla that you shouldn't really have to. Good luck!!!

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

I have talked to my DS everyday. He has no info on why it's sitting but assures me it has not slipped through the cracks. He just says there is a back log at the factory and only 3-4 people there that deal with it. However, I see posts on here about a 3 week turn around time from order to taking delivery so it really makes no sense. Some cars are moving just fine.

Well, its great that they are communicating, but they owe you a car, and money. Here is from Tesla's contract:

On Page 1 of 6:
Delivery. We will notify you in advance of the date your Vehicle is expected to be ready for delivery at your local Tesla Service Center, or other location as we may otherwise agree to, and unless we are in breach of this Agreement, you hereby agree to schedule and take delivery of your Vehicle within one week of this date. If you are unable to take delivery within the specified period, please contact us to request additional time, which we may grant at our sole discretion. If you are unable to take delivery within the specified period, including any extension we may grant, you will be in breach of this Agreement, your deposit will not be refunded pursuant to the “Status of Your Deposit” paragraphs above, and the Vehicle will be made available for sale to other customers. If, on your behalf, we are coordinating the shipping of the Vehicle to you via a third party common carrier, you hereby agree and acknowledge that delivery of the Vehicle, including the transfer of title and risk of loss, will occur at the time your Vehicle is loaded onto the common carrier’s transport (i.e., FOB shipping point). The carrier will insure your Vehicle while in transit and you will be the beneficiary of any claims for damage to the vehicle or losses occurring while the vehicle is in the possession of a common carrier. To secure your final payment and performance under the terms of this Agreement, you give us a security interest in the Vehicle and all proceeds therefrom until your obligations herein have been fulfilled.

The bold is my emphasis. They are in breach of contract. They have acted as if they loaded it on a carrier to book the sale - thus you own it, and if anything happens to it, it's on you and your insurance until it gets on the truck.

It is scary reading this. It seems they intentionally broke the law to book the sale. In essence the order of events should be that the driver receives the car on your behalf (by signing for it) and loads the truck (Shipper is now insuring it for transport) while at the same time Tesla can legally book the sale and you are the legal owner. So if it falls of the truck, the shipper insurance pays you, not Tesla.

If you have a friendly lawyer, I'd ask for a favor about this.

 

[srthomas21]

Well, its great that they are communicating, but they owe you a car, and money. Here is from Tesla's contract:

On Page 1 of 6:
Delivery. We will notify you in advance of the date your Vehicle is expected to be ready for delivery at your local Tesla Service Center, or other location as we may otherwise agree to, and unless we are in breach of this Agreement, you hereby agree to schedule and take delivery of your Vehicle within one week of this date. If you are unable to take delivery within the specified period, please contact us to request additional time, which we may grant at our sole discretion. If you are unable to take delivery within the specified period, including any extension we may grant, you will be in breach of this Agreement, your deposit will not be refunded pursuant to the “Status of Your Deposit” paragraphs above, and the Vehicle will be made available for sale to other customers. If, on your behalf, we are coordinating the shipping of the Vehicle to you via a third party common carrier, you hereby agree and acknowledge that delivery of the Vehicle, including the transfer of title and risk of loss, will occur at the time your Vehicle is loaded onto the common carrier’s transport (i.e., FOB shipping point). The carrier will insure your Vehicle while in transit and you will be the beneficiary of any claims for damage to the vehicle or losses occurring while the vehicle is in the possession of a common carrier. To secure your final payment and performance under the terms of this Agreement, you give us a security interest in the Vehicle and all proceeds therefrom until your obligations herein have been fulfilled.

The bold is my emphasis. They are in breach of contract. They have acted as if they loaded it on a carrier to book the sale - thus you own it, and if anything happens to it, it's on you and your insurance until it gets on the truck.

It is scary reading this. It seems they intentionally broke the law to book the sale. In essence the order of events should be that the driver receives the car on your behalf (by signing for it) and loads the truck (Shipper is now insuring it for transport) while at the same time Tesla can legally book the sale and you are the legal owner. So if it falls of the truck, the shipper insurance pays you, not Tesla.

If you have a friendly lawyer, I'd ask for a favor about this.

Yes, I agree and thanks for the great info. Last week they claimed it was on a carrier but couldn't provide me with the details. They probably claimed it was on carrier for the exact reason you stated. If it really is on a carrier then they should easily be able to tell me what carrier it is on and when it's leaving. The fact that they can't makes me wonder if it's just sitting at the factory somewhere.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Yes, I agree and thanks for the great info. Last week they claimed it was on a carrier but couldn't provide me with the details. They probably claimed it was on carrier for the exact reason you stated. If it really is on a carrier then they should easily be able to tell me what carrier it is on and when it's leaving. The fact that they can't makes me wonder if it's just sitting at the factory somewhere.

If it is on a carrier, there has to be a signature and date, and carriers get paid to move the goods. Not for them to just sit there. Something is fishy. It's only a 1 day drive between Fremont and Utah, maybe two legal days for a trucker. So, where is the car?

The issue is that this affects the stock price. If they asked you to do this, did they ask 100s of others too? Then again, since you agreed, and are paying for it they can book the sale. So Tesla's books aren't cooked, but that is how it appears. Hopefully your DS was just trying to make his numbers look good, but if this was corporate driven. Bad. Very bad.

Again, think about it. Tesla via MyTesla, is acting like you have and are enjoying your car, and you haven't even seen it.

Sorry, this is such a bummer.

 

[srthomas21]

He said he usually has all the info at his fingertips but my car says its on a tesla trailer and no other info. Delivery guys in Freemont giving him vague answers to his emails. He's definitely trying to help but the mothership is not being helpful. I can almost guarantee you that this came from tesla and wasn't an isolated incident with my dealer.

 

[zambono]

My Model S finished production last Monday. Tesla told me the fastest way to get it was to sign the lease papers last week (so they could count for Q1) then have them ship to my house directly. They told me they thought I would get it no later than today. Well, it's still sitting in Freemont and my DS has been unable to get an update from Freemont as to why. He's doing everything he can but in the meantime I'm now paying on my lease and have no idea when the car will actually be here. You would think they would make it a priority to get me my car especially when I agreed to help them by signing the lease without having the car. Kind of regretting that decision now.

Not sure what is so hard about putting it on a truck and shipping it to me in Utah. it shouldn't sit there for a week with no explanation. Frustrating!

They tried very hard to increase those delivery numbers and they were still pretty short

 

[srthomas21]

They tried very hard to increase those delivery numbers and they were still pretty short

Yep they were. It actually pisses me off that they won't prioritize delivery of a car that has been paid for and give the dealer vague answers about when it will actually ship. It's even stranger that my tesla show it delivered. Dealer says it's because they consider it "financially" delivered and my tesla doesn't have a distinction between financially delivered and physically delivered.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

It's kind of funny. Amazon can tell you where a .59 cent Scotch tape refill is within seconds, but Tesla can't find a $100K car.

 

[neroden]

The car's definitely still in Fremont? Unacceptable.

You need to get an answer. There are three possibilities:
(1) The car was damaged before being loaded on the truck and they want to fix it before sending it to you. In this case, you should point out that they're in violation of the lease; get the lease revoked and your payments refunded; and start over with a new car. There's no reason to accept a damaged car.
(2) The trucker fell through and didn't show up when they were supposed to, and Tesla is trying to line up a different trucker. In this case, Tesla needs to compensate you for the payments you've made on a car while you don't have it.
(3) Tesla fell through and didn't actually deliver the car to the trucker when they said they would, despite there being nothing wrong with it. In this case, again, Tesla needs to compensate you for the payments you've made on a car which you don't have.

If the car was actually delivered to the truck then there's a whole list of other possibilities, but it sounds like you already know that didn't happen.

 

[dedicatedtek]

I don't know if this may be similar or not - I suspect some of the comments I read about pushing numbers into Q2, and logisitics with various transport methods....but here's my story:

March 18, I placed a deposit with an order on an inventory car located in PA (I'm in Texas).
March 19, I was put in contact with a DS, who said documents and delivery dates are pending.
March 21, DS said when final paperwork is done she will send it to me.
March 30, DS said "I will send papers the moment they are done".
March 30, (later in the day) I asked for ballpark estimate on delivery.
DS said "we quote 3 weeks from when you ordered so that is April 9" (it's an inventory car - no build time !?!)


I have tried to be patient, and not call everyday or email. And I know the company was busy with the whole Model 3 event, etc.

but damn.....

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Any updates from the OP?

 

[srthomas21]

Any updates from the OP?

Supposedly they are shooting for delivery Thursday or Friday. Still no details other than the DS said Freemont is finally working on getting it on a truck. I had a long conversation with him and he assured me there were no issues with the car and they are just backlogged getting cars out. My car is now marked as HOT and I'm hoping for a call to schedule delivery today.

If they don't solve their logistic problems soon how are they supposed to deliver 200,000 model 3 cars when they ramp up production. It really should be as simple as calling a carrier, schedule pick up and deliver which makes me think funny business is still going on.

 

[srthomas21]

I don't know if this may be similar or not - I suspect some of the comments I read about pushing numbers into Q2, and logisitics with various transport methods....but here's my story:

March 18, I placed a deposit with an order on an inventory car located in PA (I'm in Texas).
March 19, I was put in contact with a DS, who said documents and delivery dates are pending.
March 21, DS said when final paperwork is done she will send it to me.
March 30, DS said "I will send papers the moment they are done".
March 30, (later in the day) I asked for ballpark estimate on delivery.
DS said "we quote 3 weeks from when you ordered so that is April 9" (it's an inventory car - no build time !?!)


I have tried to be patient, and not call everyday or email. And I know the company was busy with the whole Model 3 event, etc.

but damn.....

Yeah, they will really need to step up their logistics. My guess is the store still needed it to do demos in until they get a CPO in. Just a guess...They fell way short of their Q1 deliveries so I know they were trying to book as many delivers as they could for Q1

 

[Blueeyedme]

They tried very hard to increase those delivery numbers and they were still pretty short

What was the Q1 total?

 

[srthomas21]

What was the Q1 total?

I think around 14,600 ish. The guidance was 16,000.