Full Payment in Advance?

[Billee]

I have a Model 3 SR+ on order with a delivery window of 2 - 3 weeks from now. I will be paying cash and I got the following message on my account page:

Please pay off your remaining balance prior to delivery

Please submit a secure payment for your Tesla directly from your checking or savings account. We do not accept credit card payments.

Does Tesla really expect people to pay in full for a vehicle they haven't even seen yet? Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[UncertainTimes]

I paid when I picked up

 

[Uncle Paul]

Normal policy. Vehicles must be paid for in full prior to delivery. Often you will be allowed to simply bring a check to the delivery center, but this policy is fluid and you will need to make arrangements for full payment before showing up to delivery.

Most common is to wire your balance due from your account to Teslas.

They only accept credit cars for initial deposits. They are not willing to cover the fees credit car companies charge for major purchases. Many buyers want to use their credit cards to gain rebates, but Tesla does not want to pick up those costs.

Buyers are always nervous, especially if they spend some times on forums like these. They want their cars to be perfect, but often times issues are discovered on delivery day. Nobody wants that, but these are production vehicles and inherently imperfect.

For the vast majority of buyers the cars meet and exceed their expectations. They can even be life altering...in a good way. Issue is that those with issues tend to be very LOUD in their complaints and subject others to FIA (forum induced anxiety.

Enjoy your new Tesla.

 

[jjrandorin]

I have a Model 3 SR+ on order with a delivery window of 2 - 3 weeks from now. I will be paying cash and I got the following message on my account page:

Please pay off your remaining balance prior to delivery

Please submit a secure payment for your Tesla directly from your checking or savings account. We do not accept credit card payments.

Does Tesla really expect people to pay in full for a vehicle they haven't even seen yet? Has anyone else experienced this?

Welcome to TMC,

yes, actually everyone who has bought a tesla has experienced being asked to pay before pickup. In some states this is mandatory (as tesla is not allowed to sell in those states) and in most others, people can bring a check or transfer monies on pickup.

TL ; DR ... they are not singling you out for anything.

 

[AllanO]

Does Tesla really expect people to pay in full for a vehicle they haven't even seen yet? Has anyone else experienced this?

I don't know how it works on your side of the pond, but I did not pay in advance. I came to the delivery centre, inspected the car and transferred the money with my laptop. The Tesla guy took a photo of my laptop screen with his cellphone, put plates on the car, and then I could drive away.

(No, actually, I couldn't drive away. When the transaction was done, the Tesla guy went to lunch, I got into my new car, pushed the brake, pulled the gear lever down and .... nothing. So I had to rip someone out of their lunch so they could come and show me how to reboot the car.)

 

[BoddagettaRN]

That was a big culture shock to me. Every other time I've ever special-ordered a car (nearly all of my cars), it's been a chill process. Essentially, "Put down your deposit and just make sure you have the balance ready when you pick up the car." Cool. With Tesla, it was near-daily emails/texts to PLEASE PAY YOUR BALANCE DUE while I lined up selling the current car and waited for funds to transfer, etc. Comes across as desperate and gauche.

 

[Gbee]

I logged in and used the "PLAID" service last night and made the payment. Then I read this post hopefully I made the right choice. Im hoping everything just goes smooth very excited first Tesla and first electric vehicle.

 

[dmurphy]

I logged in and used the "PLAID" service last night and made the payment. Then I read this post hopefully I made the right choice. Im hoping everything just goes smooth very excited first Tesla and first electric vehicle.

You did. No fears and welcome aboard!

 

[zerb012345]

This is actually a good question. I don't find it too weird that they ask you to pay in advance just because of the whole online buying experience and how Tesla is trying to change the car buying game but it DOES worry me to show up and find the car full of defects. But as Uncle Paul said, that may just be forum induced anxiety. I'll probably pay ahead and hope they fix whatever I find (if anything)

 

[ehacke]

I mean, regardless of whether or not it's forum-induced anxiety, the reality is that you are commiting to buying a vehicle in full, sight unseen, and hoping that it works out ok.

If there is something wrong, you will have no easy way to get out of it. You'll just have to hope Tesla's stellar customer service is able to fix the issue to your satisfaction. Especially for the next batch that doesn't have the 7 day return window.

These may be uncommon cases, but it's still a vulnerability you don't have with other car dealers.

Part of my tone above is due to the stressful nature of this delivery.

Add in that you can't provision insurance until a day or two before because the VIN isn't registered, the fact that VINs are occasionally moved around, and the stories of things going just a little bit off and people getting bumped to the end of the next quarter and having their car allocated to someone else.

Tesla is running the entire operation as close as possible to the edge, and it seems like occasionally people fall off.

 

[OCR1]

I've taken delivery of three Model 3's and I've used the same procedure each time. Someone from Tesla calls me and tells me I have to pay in full prior to delivery. I say sure, no problem. Then I completely disregard what they say and just show up to the delivery center. I inspect the car. Once everything checks out I use the Tesla website to authorize an ACH payment. Then I drive off with the car. Nobody has every questioned me.

 

[solar3]

Same here when I picked up in 2018. Do not pay in advance. Pay after you see the car in person on delivery day. Think it's stressful waiting for your VIN? Imagine how much more stressful when they already have your money.

I ordered in 6/2018. Received first VIN in late August, and right away they wanted me to pay and add insurance. I of course didn't pay but added insurance to be effective on the supposed delivery day. Two weeks after my supposed delivery date I had to call insurance to remove the VIN from my policy. It was 2 months later before I got another VIN and took delivery.

Do not pay in advance. You will never know if the above happens to you.

 

[Billee]

Same here when I picked up in 2018. Do not pay in advance. Pay after you see the car in person on delivery day. Think it's stressful waiting for your VIN? Imagine how much more stressful when they already have your money.

I ordered in 6/2018. Received first VIN in late August, and right away they wanted me to pay and add insurance. I of course didn't pay but added insurance to be effective on the supposed delivery day. Two weeks after my supposed delivery date I had to call insurance to remove the VIN from my policy. It was 2 months later before I got another VIN and took delivery.

Do not pay in advance. You will never know if the above happens to you.

 

[Billee]

Thanks for all the replies. They were very helpfull

 

[Hardensoul]

Same here when I picked up in 2018. Do not pay in advance. Pay after you see the car in person on delivery day. Think it's stressful waiting for your VIN? Imagine how much more stressful when they already have your money.

I ordered in 6/2018. Received first VIN in late August, and right away they wanted me to pay and add insurance. I of course didn't pay but added insurance to be effective on the supposed delivery day. Two weeks after my supposed delivery date I had to call insurance to remove the VIN from my policy. It was 2 months later before I got another VIN and took delivery.

Do not pay in advance. You will never know if the above happens to you.

This has been very helpful. I added bank info then saw that click here to pay! I was like holdup(I hit the x button to close), thought they just wanted to hold my bank information for delivery day process.

 

[JoshFalken]

I took a personal check to my SC in Charlotte on the day of delivery. Call in advance to make sure your SC accepts personal checks.

 

[Hardensoul]

I took a personal check to my SC in Charlotte on the day of delivery. Call in advance to make sure your SC accepts personal checks.

Good to know, I'll check on that. I live 5 mins from the Tesla Mathews

 

[TBrownTX]

Thanks for all the replies. They were very helpfull

Paid before delivery here, no issues and was a smooth transaction.

Don't forget to come back and share pictures once you pick it up!

Tim

 

[Hardensoul]

Seems if you use plaid they don’t charge until you sign and car is yours! I’m currently going through an issue where Tesla hasn’t verify? The wire transfer that my bank sent last August 25 and today is August 31.

 

[MG535]

Seems if you use plaid they don’t charge until you sign and car is yours! I’m currently going through an issue where Tesla hasn’t verify? The wire transfer that my bank sent last August 25 and today is August 31.

When did you pick up the car? Or you’re still waiting for the wire “to be verified” whatever that means?