I hope my experience is abnormal

[LakeSurfer]

Greets, and I don't like my first non lurker post to be a bitch thread, but wow Tesla has a long way to go if my situation is normal delivery process.

Quick recap.. ordered early May..was told late may..(this what I was committed by dealer, I know now that was never gonna happen). Was told to secure my vehicle I needed to use the express delivery option (had to do with EOQ bullshit) since then even though I have paid for the car in full, I can't get anyone to tell me when and where the car will show up. Dealership blames HQ. I call the 800 delivery number ( I have tried enough times to know this line is not staffed and is a call back line) and left messages..no return calls. Nada.

If I could cancel the order at this point without a hassle I would in a heartbeat.

In order a new boat every 2 years in same 130k price range. I can talk to a human and get a straight answer.


Any ideas?? Is this normal?? Wait for a guy to just show up with a flatbed and no heads up? That's what dealer said would prob happen. That's so silly to me. I travel for work..I'm not accepting a car with out inspecting the hell out of it

 

[bonnie]

Sending you a private message.

 

[fren]

first post ...?
first there is no dealer for tesla
2nd u pay the car when u get it, when delevery guy calls u( 1 week before getting it )
3/ it can take up to 3 or 4 month to get it if not in usa

 

[OBX John]

Delivery is not their strong point.

The service generally makes up for it though.

 

[kev1n]

Delivery is not their strong point.

The service generally makes up for it though.

service makes up for it.. haha good one..

 

[OBX John]

service makes up for it.. haha good one..

 

[OBX John]

I'm sorry your experience hasn't been as good as mine; I love the folks at Raleigh NC.

More broadly I've heard more good service stories then bad ones but more bad delivery stories than good ones.

 

[verygreen]

Greets, and I don't like my first non lurker post to be a bitch thread, but wow Tesla has a long way to go if my situation is normal delivery process.

m... Knoxville? Taking delivery from Nashville store? They are pretty bad.
Lower your expectations as much as you could and then some and hope your car does not need any service whatsoever.
And yes, sorry they talked you into paying sight-unseen. At least when you take delivery in person - you can walk away when it's bad.
You might want to ask them how to get your money back (on the regular support line), that might catch somebody's attention.

 

[jbm2002]

I traded my 2014 Model S at the Nashville store this week for a 2017 Model X from the inventory fleet; the X is coming from Tampa via the express delivery option "hopefully by the middle of July" but nobody could give me a more specific window. I had to close the deal before EOQ, so they took possession of my Model S yesterday; however, they were kind enough to provide me with a rental, AND the relocation fee for the inventory vehicle (advertised as $2000) was waived. So, even though it's frustrating that nobody can tell me when I'm getting my car, I feel like they've done everything possible to mitigate the inconvenience.

Also, I can't tell you how far the delivery process in Nashville has come since late 2014. When I got the S in 2014, I purchased it from the Cincinnati store because Nashville, while they had a showroom, was not yet authorized to sell. At that time, there was no local infrastructure for handling tax on the vehicle, registration, or any of those painful details. My delivery specialist was in FLORIDA -- and walked me through how to transfer the temporary California plates to Tennessee plates, how to handle the sales tax on the vehicle, etc

So, while the delivery process might still be a little rough around the edges, and arguably should be better for the amount of money you're paying, I would urge you to stick with Tesla. It's an amazing product. It's continually improving. I will never drive an ICE vehicle again. YOU WILL LOVE IT.

J

 

[LakeSurfer]

Well I apologize for using the word "dealer" just a habit I guess.

Still waiting on a delivery date..I think it's silly no one can tell me anything other than the car is being detailed in Cali and should be on a truck headed east next week.

 

[jbm2002]

Well I apologize for using the word "dealer" just a habit I guess.

Still waiting on a delivery date..I think it's silly no one can tell me anything other than the car is being detailed in Cali and should be on a truck headed east next week.

Just found out that I'm sometime at the end of this week

Can't wait!

 

[LakeSurfer]

Happy for you!!

I'm still in no mans land. I'm actually embarrassed for the folks in Nashville that I will not longer text or email them. I get more info here that the DS or the sales guy (whatever they are called).

Was told the delay was detailing the car and charging it.. I lol'd.

 

[JasJ]

If detailing and 'charging' takes more than a part of the day, they are fixing something. QC from the factory is not the best, so better they fix it before you see it. I saw my car(s) before the 'fixing' and it certainly leaves a different taste in your mouth. Good luck.

 

[verygreen]

If detailing and 'charging' takes more than a part of the day, they are fixing something. QC from the factory is not the best, so better they fix it before you see it. I saw my car(s) before the 'fixing' and it certainly leaves a different taste in your mouth. Good luck.

In Nashville service center every time they "fixed" something, things became worse so might as well see it in original condition.

 

[croman]

I read about these stories and I am so glad I live near Highland Park IL which has, by the sound of it, the best sales and service center in the nation. My DS, James, was as communicative as I needed (I wanted more but I only needed 3 emails over the 3 months from order to build to delivery).

They separately evaluated and fixed issues with the car before I took delivery and their service center is all you can ask for in terms of responsiveness and professionalism. They even do a good job with the wash after service.

OP -- I think Tesla's business operations are borderline illegal. It is wrong for them to ask you to pay up front and expect delivery at an unknown time. Tesla has so many issues with delivery quality that its very important to ascertain whether you need to walk away, especially with a service center that is unable to quickly address issues. I do believe Tesla intends to make things right but some locations aren't up to snuff.

 

[LakeSurfer]

Well, the saga continues, but I must give credit where it's due.

I spoke to the Nashville GM today. She was a total pro. She let me vent, offered to ship me a fleet car.

My car was held in California for some potential issues. The communication to Nashville was poor and that caused them to not know what to tell me.

They agreed that this was totally abnormal, and she bent over backwards to make it as right as she could given the situation.

My faith has been restored for now, and it's great to talk to someone who understood and legitimized my issues.

I look forward to being a happy customer one day soon.

 

[jcee]

I am currently going through the exact same thing. I also was asked to take the direct ship option so that they could count the delivery in Q2. The approval on my 1.49% finance rate also said it was only good on delivery prior to 7/1. And because I was also trading in my old vehicle, they offered me a Tesla loaner until my car arrived. So I took it.

It just took me 3 emails over 3 days (the last of which was not so nice) to get an update on what's going on with my car. It has been in transit for almost 2 weeks and I still have no idea when it's going to arrive. My DS finally called me today and told me my car is currently sitting in Chicago being "prepped". And apparently they won't tell HIM when it's going to be done. Everyone at my store & SC has been great so I knew they were on top of it, but it seems like he just didn't respond because he doesn't actually know himself! He sounded frustrated by the whole thing too.

I've followed Tesla for a very long time so I'm confident that it will all work out fine. They always stand by their customers. And I feel better now that I at least found out it's getting closer and will be here soon.

But...they really need to fix their customer communication. And not just in the transportation logistics. The entire order & delivery process should provide much more detailed information on the My Tesla page. If it's "scheduled for production", give a date estimate instead of making us refresh the page every hour for weeks at a time. And when it's in-transit, tell us where it is! My DS was able to tell me when my car was scheduled for production and when it was in-transit, he sent me a screenshot of a map that showed exactly where it was - so they obviously know all of this!

I sincerely hope they make improvements to this process before the Model 3 starts shipping in volume or they won't be able to staff enough DS's to answer all of the "where is my car" queries.

 

[zjfk2]

I love my Tesla, but it was one of the worst car purchasing experiences I have had. Complete lack of communication after I put the deposit down. Phone calls weren't returned and emails left unanswered. Nobody would send me the final paperwork until just a few days before the supposed delivery day. I never set foot in a store for this purchase though. I don't know if having contact with actual people face to face would have made a difference. I bought one of the ap1 closeout cars online when Tesla was offering discounts. I would rather have dealt with a traditional car dealership . A dealership would have kept communication lines open better as they realize the sale isn't done until the paperwork is all signed and the car as left their lot. Express delivery sounds sketchy to me. I have had too many car purchases go sideways at the last minute.