For a Tech company Tesla sure is clueless: Rant

[Chopr147]

I am trying to buy out my lease which ended August 18th. I asked Tesla several times for a buy out statement via email and phone. I finally received one 2 week s later 8/23 with the caveat: good until Aug 24th. I was waiting on my bank loan and could not do it TOMORROW! I got the bank all settled and asked several times for another buy out statement and I would complete the transaction. The bank loan officer called himself and spoke with someone who stated "we will email it tomorrow. I forget the date but of course, that email never came. Since then I have emailed so many times I lost count. At this moment in time, right now, I am on hold for 32 minutes and counting. Just give me the damn buy out statement and be done with it! The bank officer said this is only the second Tesla loan he is doing but stated he was familiar with their terrible communication skills. I'm sure we have all heard the Tesla communication problems but man, I am so tired of them! If they didn't make such a great car I would quit the company.

 

[TLej]

I'm going to be facing something soon myself; isn't the buyout amount on the lease agreement? I've never leased before so I just emailed Tesla finance a bunch of questions this morning since their communication so far has been nil and my lease is done in December.

 

[BPeter]

Question, is your car's residual value worth paying? There have been massive price drops this year, the residual value on your car may be far higher than what it costs to buy a better used Model S. Maybe even a new SR Raven.

 

[Petrocelli]

This is not how a car company should behave. My Mercedes lease was ending this December. Last month I was contacted by Mercedes Finance concerning possibly buying out my lease, and setting up an inspection if I wanted to return it. A few weeks later, I was contacted by my salesman regarding leasing another car.

Now I realize that these calls were made for the benefit of Mercedes. But the fact remains that a well-run car business should make it as easy as possible for you to buy or lease another car.

Hopefully, Tesla will get its act together soon. For several years, it has been close to the only game in town for EVs. In 2-3 years, it will have a lot of competition from better run car companies. That could be problematic for Tesla.

 

[maximizese]

Sound about right for a tech company...and that's the problem. Their focus is on innovation and technology. Their weakness is understanding the consumer, financing, economics, sustainability, customer service, supply-chain, distribution, etc. At any rate, I do hope Tesla changes their ways and fixes their issues. Friends, family, and even strangers on the street as me about the Tesla and I give them my honest opinion.

That is, it's a great product when everything works but God help me when a problem occurs. You have pay attention to the internet forums to understand what's going on because Tesla does not communicate well and the car has sporadic updates. The local Service Center is about 30 days backlogged with appointments, takes 14 days to fix a rear window defroster, and has a line of drop-off vehicles going out the driveway blocking the street. It's not for everyone yet most well-run companies could fix these snags in a week.

 

[Petrocelli]

I am trying to buy out my lease which ended August 18th. I asked Tesla several times for a buy out statement via email and phone. I finally received one 2 week s later 8/23 with the caveat: good until Aug 24th. I was waiting on my bank loan and could not do it TOMORROW! I got the bank all settled and asked several times for another buy out statement and I would complete the transaction. The bank loan officer called himself and spoke with someone who stated "we will email it tomorrow. I forget the date but of course, that email never came. Since then I have emailed so many times I lost count. At this moment in time, right now, I am on hold for 32 minutes and counting. Just give me the damn buy out statement and be done with it! The bank officer said this is only the second Tesla loan he is doing but stated he was familiar with their terrible communication skills. I'm sure we have all heard the Tesla communication problems but man, I am so tired of them! If they didn't make such a great car I would quit the company.

Can you please tell me the purchase price of your car, and the residual? Thanks.

 

[gigawatt1010]

The buyout is indeed in the Lease Docs that you can view via your online profile. There's no negotiation room for that.

I am currently in that same boat with my 2016. Managed to get the buyout packet in time for my credit union to process the financing and send them the packet back. Waiting on them now to send me the title and necessary items to get this thing registered.

@BPeter - That is a great point and I tried doing the math on mine, but with almost double the allotted miles on my lease, it made sense to keep it. Plus, we just bought a new Model X so I still have access to the newer tech.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Tesla is led by an inept CEO with zero social skills who builds cars in tents and who wants to live on Mars. Your expectations may be too high.

 

[PhilDavid]

Tesla is led by an inept CEO with zero social skills who builds cars in tents and who wants to live on Mars. Your expectations may be too high.

Tesla builds the best cars you can buy -- made in a tent or not.

The problem really is not with the cars or the technology but with the lack of humans who care to face customers and help customers.If not for Elon, none of us would be here. He's perhaps the most brilliant person to ever oversee a car company but the company desperately needs to focus on customer care and humans available to assist customers.

The biggest reason I look forward to competing EVs is that hopefully it will cause Tesla to pay more attention to service and customer care.

 

[Chopr147]

I'm going to be facing something soon myself; isn't the buyout amount on the lease agreement? I've never leased before so I just emailed Tesla finance a bunch of questions this morning since their communication so far has been nil and my lease is done in December.

I do have a buyout amount of $49,900 but Tesla must give a total amount with taxes etc.... A residual + tax exact amount and it changes each day since I am past my lease end date

 

[Chopr147]

Question, is your car's residual value worth paying? There have been massive price drops this year, the residual value on your car may be far higher than what it costs to buy a better used Model S. Maybe even a new SR Raven.

Worth it? Strictly in dollars and cents? Probably not. But, I took very good care of this car for 3 years and would pay another $1100 or so for over-mileage charge. And I do not want to spend another 35-40K for a new one. Actually I may end up buying the Model Y in a couple years

 

[Chopr147]

This is not how a car company should behave. My Mercedes lease was ending this December. Last month I was contacted by Mercedes Finance concerning possibly buying out my lease,

My wife leases a new Lexus every 3 years. I'm not going to say it's easy because I have to haggle every 3 years. Pisses me off because we have leased 4 Lexus'. That's 12 years and they still try to nickle and dime me. Car companies suck!

 

[Chopr147]

Sound about right for a tech company...and that's the problem.

I have said numerous times Tesla just can't figure out the human relations part of it. And, they keep proving me right

Waiting on them now to send me the title and necessary items to get this thing registered.

Good luck with that

 

[Chopr147]

Lease extension - customer buyout Amount

$77,700.00 Gross Cap Cost
-$14,409.11 Principal Portion of Payment Made
-$14,051.26 Cap Cost Reduction
$49,239.63 Adjusted Lease Balance
$0.00 Realized Value
$49,239.63 Lease extension - customer buyout Amount
$4,312.33 8.625% Sales Tax
$0.00 PPT
$1,167.50 Other Fees: invoices for 8/18 and 9/18
$100.70 Tax on lease pmts
$0.00 Disposition Fee
$0.00 Tax on Disposition Fee
$54,820.15 Lease extension - customer buyout Amount Due

Good thru: 10/17/2019

2016 refresh S with just shy of 50k miles.

 

[rpo]

I have no paperwork for my lease at all. When I go into my Tesla account and choose the vehicle with the lease, there is no info. I remember there being documents available for download at some point in the past, but mine is now blank. I've never once received anything in the mail regarding my car either. It's almost like Tesla doesn't know the lease or car exists.

 

[vickh]

I have no paperwork for my lease at all. When I go into my Tesla account and choose the vehicle with the lease, there is no info. I remember there being documents available for download at some point in the past, but mine is now blank. I've never once received anything in the mail regarding my car either. It's almost like Tesla doesn't know the lease or car exists.

"free" Model S when lease ends?

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I am trying to buy out my lease which ended August 18th. I asked Tesla several times for a buy out statement via email and phone. I finally received one 2 week s later 8/23 with the caveat: good until Aug 24th. I was waiting on my bank loan and could not do it TOMORROW! I got the bank all settled and asked several times for another buy out statement and I would complete the transaction. The bank loan officer called himself and spoke with someone who stated "we will email it tomorrow. I forget the date but of course, that email never came. Since then I have emailed so many times I lost count. At this moment in time, right now, I am on hold for 32 minutes and counting. Just give me the damn buy out statement and be done with it! The bank officer said this is only the second Tesla loan he is doing but stated he was familiar with their terrible communication skills. I'm sure we have all heard the Tesla communication problems but man, I am so tired of them! If they didn't make such a great car I would quit the company.

In my house we call that getting Verizoned.

 

[rpo]

"free" Model S when lease ends?

Hahaha. I actually emailed the teslareturns email address an hour ago, and they already responded and confirmed my drop off, so apparently not. Plus the buyout on my car was ~$75k which ain't happening!

 

[vickh]

In my house we call that getting Verizoned.

it's funny I have VZW and Tesla too, I must be a glutton for punishment by CS, but great products

 

[tranzndance]

Your title made it seemed like you expected cluefulness from a tech company. That was a mistake.