How Does Tesla Operate?

[tongu05]

I am contemplating selling my present three year old MG ZS EV (privately - I do not need a trade in) and buying a new for 2024 Telsa Model 3. I want the extended range AWD model.

Can anyone explain to me how Tesla operates, as it does not appear to be like what we are accustomed to in the UK, from other car manufacturers?

Normally, the maufacturer of a new vehicle and the dealership where you view, test drive and ultimately buy it are two separate companies. This does not seem to be the case with Tesla. There appear to be locations all over the UK where Teslas can been seen and test drives offered but it seems that you are not able to communicate directly with them. There is only one landline telephone number for the whole of the UK - an 01628 number, which is the dialling code for Maidenhead but I have been unable to find a Tesla location (i.e. an address) in the Maidenhead area. Does Tesla itself run all these "phantom" dealerships directly from a secret headquarters somewhere in Berkshire?

On Wednesday (the 31st of January), I had a test drive booked at my local Tesla "dealership". This had been arranged by multiple text messages over the previous days. The text messages from Tesla always came from the same mobile phone number but there was never an employee's name on any of them. I had made it plain that, as I wanted to buy the extended range AWD model, that was the car that I wanted to test drive. The text messages from me show this clearly and the responses from Tesla assured me that a new for 2024, extended range AWD model would indeed be available for me to test drive on Wednesday the 31st.

When I arrived at the "dealership" the receptionist informed me that they did not have a new for 2024, extended range AWD model but that I could test drive a new for 2024, standard RWD model. I obviously declined this, as this is not a car that I am the slightest bit interested in. I was annoyed that I had travelled more than 40 miles (round trip) and the whole thing had been a waste of my time and money. Obviously I was not blaming the receptionist here but she could not take the matter further in any way. I asked to see someone, on the premises, senior to her, who dealt with test drives etc. but she could not produce anyone to speak to me. Neither could she tell me who had sent the text messages, or even if the same person had been responsible for all of the messages. She did however assure me that she would arrange for "someone" to contact me concerning the matter. However, no one has - so far.

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy, with no named local "salesman" involved.

 

[LoudMusic]

Tesla only does direct sales. Many governments require intermediate dealerships. Tesla has to work around that regulation by doing online sales.

Many people seem to claim shady dealings with Tesla. If that makes you nervous I think you should shop elsewhere.

Personally I've had no problems. My Tesla experience (in the Colonies) has been profoundly better than any of my dozen prior car experiences using third party dealerships.

 

[ATPMSD]

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy,

Yeah, pretty much.

If you are going to buy a Tesla you need to consider yourself as an “early adopter” rather than as a mainstream buyer. Tesla is a great car, but it is still maturing and things don’t always work as expected. Tesla exacerbates this by doing silly things. For example they stopped including Ultrasonics Sensors before Tesla vision could do the job. And Teslas still have issues with things like Phantom breaking and unexplained slowing when using TACC. Range estimates are also questionable. If you expect to buy a car with everything working as it should, think again, hence my early adopter comment. The good news is because the car is basically a computer on wheels, updates and enhancements are easy to deploy.

As to Tesla Service centers, many are not nearly as responsive or professional as a typical “mainstream” dealership. Further, if one is some distance away that could be an issue.

Now I know this sounds alarming, but this is meant to ensure you to do your homework. There is always a tradeoff when buying “leading edge tech”. I am on my second Tesla and love the car, but I consider myself to be an informed earlier adopter.

 

[MikeRTX]

The purchase process with Tesla is, shall we say, challenging. If you want a Tesla, prepare to be persistent, patient, and forgiving. You will exchange dozens and dozens of text and email messages, and dates and times and appointments and contacts in general will change.

I'm happy I stuck with it and got my Tesla, but looking back, it was a trial.

I don't mean to discourage you, just to prepare you.

As explained above, there are no Tesla "dealerships". They do all the transactional stuff online. The people at the showrooms can arrange test drives and let you sit in and evaluate the various models, but I've found them to be eager enough that they will attempt to get you to drive any of their limited stock of vehicles, regardless of your preference. Just know that and be insistent.

Yes, it's a different experience, but in the end it does finally work.

 

[RayK]

I would consider yourself somewhat in a better place when it comes to test drives. I bought my Model 3 LR RWD in June 2018. For the months beforehand, there were no test drives available from the "dealers". So I had to go to the rental market (turo.com) and arrange a three-day rental from someone lucky enough to have a car in January 2018 (I believe he was a Tesla employee). The only thing that a local sales office (20 miles away) could offer was a 10 minute sit inside the showroom car and being able to ask a couple of questions of the sales staff, after waiting in line for 35-40 minutes.

If you are insistent on driving a particular model, then I would see if there's somewhere nearby that will rent you a car for a couple of days. Driving the car for only an hour may not be enough to give you a complete picture on ownership (charging experiences, both home and public, performance of the vehicle, parking issues, etc.).

You probably should have gone through with the RWD test drive even though it's not exactly the same vehicle you are interested in. I don't think that there's much difference between the RWD versus the AWD, but I've never driven an AWD Model 3. Unless you were going to take the car to a track, you probably wouldn't know what you were driving.

 

[NeverGoingBack]

The purchase process with Tesla is, shall we say, challenging. If you want a Tesla, prepare to be persistent, patient, and forgiving. You will exchange dozens and dozens of text and email messages, and dates and times and appointments and contacts in general will change.

Sorry about your test drive experience. The AWD models aren’t available anywhere yet. They should have told you that,

But don’t let that, or the experience above scare you off. While it is true that some have this experience, most do not. For most it is an easy and seamless process.

I’ve bought two of them and both times (at two different locations), the experience was smooth, seamless, and delightful. In the second case, I did exchange a few texts with the delivery center because I was unable to pick the car up when scheduled due to travel. But after a couple exchanges where I explained my situation, the delivery was delayed. No problem. They even chased down and mailed me a valuable item I left in my trade-in several days later ….. all via a string of texts.

I have found dealing with Tesla’s sales and service model to be a refreshing change from old-school dealerships ….. and I’m sort of an old-school individual. Yes, they are still maturing but they are getting better all the time. I’m never going back. Ever.

So - if you are comfortable buying a car via an app and some texts, enjoy. It’s amazing. But if you would rather deal with a couple intermediaries, go with a different manufacturer.

 

[ATPMSD]

@tongu05

You are getting responses from U.S. owners, so you might want to also post here to get some local responses.

The UK and Ireland

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[PianoAl]

The purchase process with Tesla is, shall we say, challenging. If you want a Tesla, prepare to be persistent, patient, and forgiving. You will exchange dozens and dozens of text and email messages, and dates and times and appointments and contacts in general will change.

I guess I was lucky. For both our cars the process was smooth, except that in buying the first one, I missed an important text, so there was a delay of a week. Pretty much just selected the options, selected Buy, and waited.

 

[ewoodrick]

I am contemplating selling my present three year old MG ZS EV (privately - I do not need a trade in) and buying a new for 2024 Telsa Model 3. I want the extended range AWD model.

Can anyone explain to me how Tesla operates, as it does not appear to be like what we are accustomed to in the UK, from other car manufacturers?

Normally, the maufacturer of a new vehicle and the dealership where you view, test drive and ultimately buy it are two separate companies. This does not seem to be the case with Tesla. There appear to be locations all over the UK where Teslas can been seen and test drives offered but it seems that you are not able to communicate directly with them. There is only one landline telephone number for the whole of the UK - an 01628 number, which is the dialling code for Maidenhead but I have been unable to find a Tesla location (i.e. an address) in the Maidenhead area. Does Tesla itself run all these "phantom" dealerships directly from a secret headquarters somewhere in Berkshire?

On Wednesday (the 31st of January), I had a test drive booked at my local Tesla "dealership". This had been arranged by multiple text messages over the previous days. The text messages from Tesla always came from the same mobile phone number but there was never an employee's name on any of them. I had made it plain that, as I wanted to buy the extended range AWD model, that was the car that I wanted to test drive. The text messages from me show this clearly and the responses from Tesla assured me that a new for 2024, extended range AWD model would indeed be available for me to test drive on Wednesday the 31st.

When I arrived at the "dealership" the receptionist informed me that they did not have a new for 2024, extended range AWD model but that I could test drive a new for 2024, standard RWD model. I obviously declined this, as this is not a car that I am the slightest bit interested in. I was annoyed that I had travelled more than 40 miles (round trip) and the whole thing had been a waste of my time and money. Obviously I was not blaming the receptionist here but she could not take the matter further in any way. I asked to see someone, on the premises, senior to her, who dealt with test drives etc. but she could not produce anyone to speak to me. Neither could she tell me who had sent the text messages, or even if the same person had been responsible for all of the messages. She did however assure me that she would arrange for "someone" to contact me concerning the matter. However, no one has - so far.

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy, with no named local "salesman" involved.

Think of Tesla more like Amazon. It's a modern technology company without hinderances of the past.

Not sure why you turned down the drive of the RWD model. You do realize that these are basically the same vehicles don't you. It's not as if you will see the range difference in test drive.
The RWD may have a few less features in the interior, I think that this just changed, but those can be experienced in the showroom.

And you are correct, there is no salesman. That's one of the things that I think makes Tesla so much better than the legacy car makers. They have associates in the store, but they don't get any commission. They will help you order, but all they are doing is point you to the Tesla website.

Most everything that you do with Tesla will be through the app. And yes, there can be multiple people sending you messages and that's also great, that means that the don't get lost when someone goes on vacation.

 

[fholbert]

I don’t drink the Tesla punch, but I thought purchase process could not have been easier. If You have an old flip phone you might have a reason to complain.

I did miss negotiating with the sales staff for a better price, but most people hate that part.

 

[Wattsisname]

I am contemplating selling my present three year old MG ZS EV (privately - I do not need a trade in) and buying a new for 2024 Telsa Model 3. I want the extended range AWD model.

Can anyone explain to me how Tesla operates, as it does not appear to be like what we are accustomed to in the UK, from other car manufacturers?

Normally, the maufacturer of a new vehicle and the dealership where you view, test drive and ultimately buy it are two separate companies. This does not seem to be the case with Tesla. There appear to be locations all over the UK where Teslas can been seen and test drives offered but it seems that you are not able to communicate directly with them. There is only one landline telephone number for the whole of the UK - an 01628 number, which is the dialling code for Maidenhead but I have been unable to find a Tesla location (i.e. an address) in the Maidenhead area. Does Tesla itself run all these "phantom" dealerships directly from a secret headquarters somewhere in Berkshire?

On Wednesday (the 31st of January), I had a test drive booked at my local Tesla "dealership". This had been arranged by multiple text messages over the previous days. The text messages from Tesla always came from the same mobile phone number but there was never an employee's name on any of them. I had made it plain that, as I wanted to buy the extended range AWD model, that was the car that I wanted to test drive. The text messages from me show this clearly and the responses from Tesla assured me that a new for 2024, extended range AWD model would indeed be available for me to test drive on Wednesday the 31st.

When I arrived at the "dealership" the receptionist informed me that they did not have a new for 2024, extended range AWD model but that I could test drive a new for 2024, standard RWD model. I obviously declined this, as this is not a car that I am the slightest bit interested in. I was annoyed that I had travelled more than 40 miles (round trip) and the whole thing had been a waste of my time and money. Obviously I was not blaming the receptionist here but she could not take the matter further in any way. I asked to see someone, on the premises, senior to her, who dealt with test drives etc. but she could not produce anyone to speak to me. Neither could she tell me who had sent the text messages, or even if the same person had been responsible for all of the messages. She did however assure me that she would arrange for "someone" to contact me concerning the matter. However, no one has - so far.

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy, with no named local "salesman" involved.

I took delivery of my model Y LR at end of June 2022. Prior to the simple on line finance and purchasing process, I enjoyed 3 test drives, one for a full hour.

The Service Centre guys and girls were so pleasant to deal with; they had excellent product knowledge but were totally devoid of any "car dealer style".
Of course we were literally queuing up to buy a Tesla with a three month waiting list at that time. Thanks to this club, the waiting period was actually great fun with posts from others of the waiting room ( The Class of Q2) and helpful contributions from old hands - the true early adopters. Mr Miserable kept us informed of movements on the Shanghai route in his inimitable " calm down" style.

Since owning our lovely Lizzie, I have had one repair at home with a Ranger. Although of my own making, Tesla carried out the work at our home as a courtesy - free of charge.

I attended the Service Centre for a wheel rotation recently. The booking and service process was excellent. Probably the best value £50 ( incl. tax) I have ever spent with the motor trade.

Back in the day, post purchase pre delivery, I was always able to speak with someone on the phone at Tesla UK who would respond to any questions or concerns I had or arrange for a call back.

Nothing I have related here above in anyway invalidates your experience bases concerns. When dealing with any globalised corporation, particularly one that has "paradigm shifted" a major industry sector, their will be some poor customer experiences. I really hope that your experience is not a rule setting exception.
Hang in there

 

[rpiotro]

Tesla only does direct sales. Many governments require intermediate dealerships. Tesla has to work around that regulation by doing online sales.

Many people seem to claim shady dealings with Tesla. If that makes you nervous I think you should shop elsewhere.

Personally I've had no problems. My Tesla experience (in the Colonies) has been profoundly better than any of my dozen prior car experiences using third party dealerships.

This!
I was on the other side of that sales desk for three decades. Doing it online was refreshing. From start to finish including taking and uploading pictures of my trade, 35 minutes. The trade allowance was fair. No need to further negotiate.

I'm in Wisconsin that does not allow direct sales (yet), so I had to drive the 60 miles to Highland Park, IL to pick it up. An engaging and very helpful young lady took care of my paperwork. I had already paid for the car via direct transfer. I was on the road in less than 10 minutes. No sitting in the F&I office for an hour saying "no thanks" to all of the addons they push.

 

[dcfas]

Our experience was the tale of two experiences. Once we decided to purchase an available car, the trade in process and confirmation was a breeze, all texting.

But trying to get Tesla to deliver the necessary documentation to our bank and insurance in time was a nightmare. They literally changed the dollar amount they required for the sale while we were on our way there, which was a three hour drive away for us.

The communication was all through messaging; trying to get someone on the phone was an ordeal. I think I lost weight that week.

All that being said, once we got the vehicle we were very happy, and still are, despite numerous, minor, issues mostly due to AP.

Hang in there. It’s worth it in my opinion.