Back in May and June there were several postings about challenging experience of taking delivery in Vancouver. My experience of getting winter wheels through Tesla was similar.
The online ordering was as easy as the online ordering of a Tesla. The “preordering” was pretty good. I was concerned about the delivery lag time. The email information was that it might take several weeks. The reality was closer more like two weeks.
I had heard good things about Tesla’s Ranger service for those who live a distance from a Service Centre. I expected that I would experience that as I live on Vancouver Island. The nearest Tesla service is in Vancouver. From my home to Tesla in Vancouver is an hour drive, then a wait for a 90+ minute ferry trip with a 75.00 fare each way followed by a 23 kilometre drive. And back.
It turns out that Tesla does not bring wheels to the Island. I would have to go to Vancouver.
Then it turned out that Tesla doesn’t put on wheels at the Service Centre. They contract that out to a company called Hermont Mobile... in Port Coquitlam... a distance of 50 kilometres drive from the ferry terminal. (Although it is Hermont “Mobile” I would have to bring the car to them.)
I made the appointment to have the wheels put on. They said they were very busy and my only choices on Saturday October 12 were at 8:00 a.m. or at 5:00 p.m. (Remember my travel considerations above.)
I made the appointment for 5:00 p.m.
Sometime later I got a text message that said, “Your booking of Oct 12, 05:00PM is confirmed. Our tech will ARRIVE between 2 hours of given timeframe.”
This was unclear. Was it two hours on either side of 5:00 p.m. or a two-hour window with 5:00 p.m. in the middle? I returned the text message asking, “So does this mean I have to be at your location in Port Coquitlam by 3:00 p.m. and the installer might not arrive until 7:00 p.m.?”
I never received a reply. A week later I sent another text message and an email seeking more information and didn’t receive a response to either.
I went to the address, a business park, on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend at 4:00 p.m. The place was pretty much deserted. I had been given the unit number as #103. The directory showed a cosmetic company at that unit. Most units had the business name prominently on the widows and doors. #103 showed nothing. I drove to the business parks on either side, thinking I had noted the address incorrectly. Nothing.
I went back and checked the door. It was locked. I spotted another door, tried it, and the door opened. There were two guys inside, apparently enjoying something on a computer screen. I introduced myself. One said, “Oh, you’re here for a tire pick up.” I said “No, I’m here to have winter wheels installed.”
They directed me to the back of the unit. The installation was quick. Maybe 20 minutes. Then they went to load the dirty wheels into the car. They got two into the trunk before I stopped them and asked for a box cutter so that I could dig some cardboard out of the garbage bin of a neighbouring business to protect my car.
THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE BAGS TO COVER DIRTY WHEELS BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO A CAR!
Even Canadian Tire, Midas, and Costco covered my old wheels before they put them into a car.
One of the guys got some tire-sized, cardboard rings from their shop that provides some protection for the back of the folded back seat, but still the dirty tires were rubbing against the white interior of my TM3.
When I told them about replying to their text message and never getting a response they said, “Oh, we use the computer to send text messages, but we can’t receive text messages.”
When I said they had not responded to my email they said they would have to go check their email.
They torqued the lug-nuts. Unlike every other place where I have had wheels put on, they did not tell me to bring the car back for re-torquing after 50 km or so.
I didn’t bother.
On the other hand, both the wheels and tires appear to be circular.
Pretty poor service for a $2,700 (plus taxes) purchase.
The online ordering was as easy as the online ordering of a Tesla. The “preordering” was pretty good. I was concerned about the delivery lag time. The email information was that it might take several weeks. The reality was closer more like two weeks.
I had heard good things about Tesla’s Ranger service for those who live a distance from a Service Centre. I expected that I would experience that as I live on Vancouver Island. The nearest Tesla service is in Vancouver. From my home to Tesla in Vancouver is an hour drive, then a wait for a 90+ minute ferry trip with a 75.00 fare each way followed by a 23 kilometre drive. And back.
It turns out that Tesla does not bring wheels to the Island. I would have to go to Vancouver.
Then it turned out that Tesla doesn’t put on wheels at the Service Centre. They contract that out to a company called Hermont Mobile... in Port Coquitlam... a distance of 50 kilometres drive from the ferry terminal. (Although it is Hermont “Mobile” I would have to bring the car to them.)
I made the appointment to have the wheels put on. They said they were very busy and my only choices on Saturday October 12 were at 8:00 a.m. or at 5:00 p.m. (Remember my travel considerations above.)
I made the appointment for 5:00 p.m.
Sometime later I got a text message that said, “Your booking of Oct 12, 05:00PM is confirmed. Our tech will ARRIVE between 2 hours of given timeframe.”
This was unclear. Was it two hours on either side of 5:00 p.m. or a two-hour window with 5:00 p.m. in the middle? I returned the text message asking, “So does this mean I have to be at your location in Port Coquitlam by 3:00 p.m. and the installer might not arrive until 7:00 p.m.?”
I never received a reply. A week later I sent another text message and an email seeking more information and didn’t receive a response to either.
I went to the address, a business park, on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend at 4:00 p.m. The place was pretty much deserted. I had been given the unit number as #103. The directory showed a cosmetic company at that unit. Most units had the business name prominently on the widows and doors. #103 showed nothing. I drove to the business parks on either side, thinking I had noted the address incorrectly. Nothing.
I went back and checked the door. It was locked. I spotted another door, tried it, and the door opened. There were two guys inside, apparently enjoying something on a computer screen. I introduced myself. One said, “Oh, you’re here for a tire pick up.” I said “No, I’m here to have winter wheels installed.”
They directed me to the back of the unit. The installation was quick. Maybe 20 minutes. Then they went to load the dirty wheels into the car. They got two into the trunk before I stopped them and asked for a box cutter so that I could dig some cardboard out of the garbage bin of a neighbouring business to protect my car.
THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE BAGS TO COVER DIRTY WHEELS BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO A CAR!
Even Canadian Tire, Midas, and Costco covered my old wheels before they put them into a car.
One of the guys got some tire-sized, cardboard rings from their shop that provides some protection for the back of the folded back seat, but still the dirty tires were rubbing against the white interior of my TM3.
When I told them about replying to their text message and never getting a response they said, “Oh, we use the computer to send text messages, but we can’t receive text messages.”
When I said they had not responded to my email they said they would have to go check their email.
They torqued the lug-nuts. Unlike every other place where I have had wheels put on, they did not tell me to bring the car back for re-torquing after 50 km or so.
I didn’t bother.
On the other hand, both the wheels and tires appear to be circular.
Pretty poor service for a $2,700 (plus taxes) purchase.