Is Tesla playing a shell game with delivery?

[artsci]

A number of buyers have posted about cars being switched on them if delivery was delayed. It just happened to me.

I’m traveling to Europe for 10 days tomorrrow, 9/26. I let my delivery adviser know that from the time I first communicated with him, about 3 weeks ago. Delivery has been postponed twice and now can’t occur before I leave.

Now Tesla is telling me that since delivery cannot occur before the 26th (totally their fault), they’ll deliver my car to another buyer and assign me a new car for delivery when I return on 10/8. So I see the whole delivery nightmare occurring again. Rinse and Repeat.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

They're just trying to get inventory delivered as fast as possible.
It doesn't matter why you can't pick it up or have it delivered, if you can't pick it up, they'll sell it and assign you a new VIN.
It's not a shell game in the normal sense.

You should be OK next time, since it'll be early in the quarter. Well, as long as there isn't damage that makes you reject it.

 

[iaflyer]

I would say it's a sort of shell game - Tesla wants to maximize deliveries before the end of September. Even it means taking away promises deliveries on the east side of the country, so they can deliver to the west side of the country.

That's how it looks, as there are many reports of people who have 1 or 2 deliveries east of say, Kansas City, that have had them postponed. Yet, in California, Tesla has said, "Come on down to the Dealership lot and pick out a car! All types, all colors, It's a Sign and Drive event!"

Elon says they don't have dealerships so they take care of the customer. Doesn't seem like it these last few weeks. I think it's kinda crappy of them, but I don't run the company.

 

[drj3]

I think this really has to do with Tesla being very tight on storage space. Most of the service centers have small lots compared to conventional dealers because the model was always to try to build cars to order. With the volume of deliveries Tesla has now, if they held specific cars for everyone who needs to delay a delivery the lots would quickly overflow with cars waiting for those who have to delay delivery. Tesla should have switched long ago to assigning VIN's as close to delivery as possible to avoid the perception that "You took away my car!" Instead the conversation would be "Sorry you can't make that delivery appointment. When would you like to reschedule?" Any shuffling of vehicles would occur behind the scenes and everyone would be much happier.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[iaflyer]

I think this really has to do with Tesla being very tight on storage space. Most of the service centers have small lots compared to conventional dealers because the model was always to try to build cars to order. With the volume of deliveries Tesla has now, if they held specific cars for everyone who needs to delay a delivery the lots would quickly overflow with cars waiting for those who have to delay delivery. Tesla should have switched long ago to assigning VIN's as close to delivery as possible to avoid the perception that "You took away my car!" Instead the conversation would be "Sorry you can't make that delivery appointment. When would you like to reschedule?" Any shuffling of vehicles would occur behind the scenes and everyone would be much happier.

I can see the issue if someone needs to delay it a week or more, but many of the cancellations of deliveries are people who were NOT delaying - some where on their way to the Delivery! Others were called the night before and told their car wasn't there - too bad, because they had taken the day off work, made arrangements for selling their car, etc.

It's just a poor way to run a company - and it's not like they didn't know how many cars they were going to produce. And as they ramp up production, I can't see it getting better.

 

[ewoodrick]

With demand for deliveries so high, if you delay 2 weeks, then you get put back into the queue. That allows for someone else with the same design to pick up that car and it get delivered without delay.
I'm not sure if any of the delivery centers have enough space to store that cars that they are getting, let alone the car of someone who can't pick it up for a few weeks.

What's the big deal a difference in VIN 803 and VIN 924 when they are both the exact same model with the same options? It was the luck of the draw that you got 803, and the luck of a second draw that you got 924. And the luck of someone else who will be getting the email saying that their car is here a little earlier than originally expected.

 

[dave999z]

The big deal is that the process is a sh!t show, and if you miss a delivery opportunity (because Tesla is wholly unaccommodating of any blackout dates on the customer's end, while Tesla reschedules left and right without even bothering to notify sometimes) and get put back in the queue, then you are back in the sh!t show, worrying whether you'll get a car by December 31st. Even if you're not in that position because you already have your car or your calendar has absolutely every week clear, hopefully you could still sympathize with those who are. The process is unbelievably stressful and frustrating. If a $3,750 tax rebate doesn't mean a lot to you, great. But it does to a lot of people and tipped the decision to buy for a lot of people.

 

[SSonnentag]

The service centers, where most deliveries take place, have no space to store cars if the buyer can't come get the car right away. They are a total zoo.

 

[Troy916]

Back in July 2018 my ISA said they could only hold the car for 1 week. I would not be surprised if that time frame is now shorter.

 

[artsci]

I understand the problem of storage space and the other things pointed out in this thread. But my fear is that I get back from overseas on 10/8 and the whole delivery problem starts over again, with additional delays for the replacement car/VIN. I also don't know what my bank will do with the VIN change. I'll be sitting on its payment check for another 2-3 weeks but they may want to start the whole process all over again.

I travel frequently for business and often my schedule changes from day to day. So I think Tesla should be more accommodating to buyers in this kind of situation. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[ebmcs03]

That’s how normal dealerships do it too. If you can’t take delivery then they will sell that car in that showroom to the next person that steps into the door.

 

[SMAlset]

I know from reading your prior posts that what with traveling out of country and Tesla's transporation issues, you have had a hard time scheduling delivery of your car. I'm sure you just want to get it and be done worrying about when you can. From what I saw of the 2 delivery center parking lots at the Fremont location, they do not have room to store a car for weeks. Based on comments from other locations around the country, this is an issue for them too. Not sure how busy your Maryand location is but suspect that's the reason. Tesla really doesn't have "parking lots" for excess inventory like most car dealerships do. Heck the Service Centers don't want to keep cars there long either with the amount of traffic they are getting. I think we all know they are going through a rough time logisitically on these deliveries.

Technically the car isn't ours until we sign the paperwork for it and they accept payment so whatever VIN they reassign shouldn't matter until they are ready to delivery and you are ready to pick it up.

 

[LM-5]

I’ve been patiently waiting for my delivery to come around (June config, radio silence since) and will also be traveling soon. I’m sure they’ll be very eager to deliver to me as soon as I’m on the plane.

 

[MikeATL]

If you’ve spent any time walking around the delivery locations, you’d understand they have cars stacked on top of each other. It makes no sense to hold a specific VIN for someone who’s gone one or two weeks (and miss the opportunity to move up another delivery) when identically configured new cars are arriving every week. Add to this people who might be over their head on the cost of this car and having trouble getting their financing worked out. Cars on the lot should be matched to the next person ready and able to take delivery. If there wasn’t a requirement to get the Lender a VIN in advance, Tesla should not even give this info until just before you arrive to pick up the car. If it was any other product, I don’t think we’d even be having this discussion.

For those who are still a few weeks out from delivery, good advice is to hold the money until the last possible minute. If paying cash, do your ACH the day of delivery. If Financing, try to get the check just a few days before to avoid paying interest if your delivery has to be rescheduled. I was able to get the final MVPA two days before delivery and get my cashiers check one day before, though I was working with a local credit union and I realize other banks might not be nearly that flexible.

 

[DarrenHD]

A number of buyers have posted about cars being switched on them if delivery was delayed. It just happened to me.

I’m traveling to Europe for 10 days tomorrrow, 9/26. I let my delivery adviser know that from the time I first communicated with him, about 3 weeks ago. Delivery has been postponed twice and now can’t occur before I leave.

Now Tesla is telling me that since delivery cannot occur before the 26th (totally their fault), they’ll deliver my car to another buyer and assign me a new car for delivery when I return on 10/8. So I see the whole delivery nightmare occurring again. Rinse and Repeat.

If it's any consolation, Nissan dealers were doing the same thing with the 2018 Leaf. In Ontario, Canada, before the EV rebate was cancelled, dealers were doing all kinds of shady things to move the Leafs before the September 10th deadline. If they suddenly got a canceled order, and if you happened to walk into the dealership off the street at that time, you would get the car on the spot. Nevermind to the dealer there are dozens of people who ordered from that dealership and were waiting months for it. Lots of VIN changing happening too and fake orders placed by dealers all across Ontario (a huge province with over a dozen Nissan dealerships)....so...it's not only Tesla. At the end of the day they just want to sell cars to boost the bottom line and the first people who hand over the money get them

 

[Goatdan]

For your worry about getting placed in the back of the queue, I don't think you need to worry. It seems that configuration date matters at least somewhat, and should even more in the next couple weeks as they sort everything out, which would put you at the top of the list.

For those worried about the system not ever getting better, I believe that in a month it'll be cleared up. It seems that what happened is Tesla ended up stockpiling too many 3s as they figured out how to ship them and basically said screw it, let's email everyone a date and then just figure out how to get the cars there.

While that seems to have worked for a number of people, it resulted in a whole bunch being delayed when there weren't enough shipping companies to spool up quickly.

When the end of quarter push is over, they can take a breath and fix it all. Hell, the fact they haven't sent mass emails scheduling early October shows me that is already their plan.

At least, I hope so.

 

[drj3]

Poor communication is one of the biggest parts of the whole delivery mess right now. When artsci or anyone else needed to defer the first available delivery date, they should let you pick one a few weeks out, then make sure they get the right car to the right place by then. Tesla needs to make sure the new locations they open have a bit more space with the way production and deliveries are ramping up.

 

[artsci]

I’ve contacted every delivery staff I can about a delivery on October 8 or 9. I’ve also made my circumstances about travel very clear. Those October dates will be after the end of quarter rush. Given the several delays and the fact that they’ve delivered my original car to someone else, one would think and hope that they’ll honor that request. It’s only a two day window, as I travel again on October 10, this time to LA. Maybe I can pick one up there and drive it home to Maryland

 

[TankoftheNorth]

I can see the issue if someone needs to delay it a week or more, but many of the cancellations of deliveries are people who were NOT delaying - some where on their way to the Delivery! Others were called the night before and told their car wasn't there - too bad, because they had taken the day off work, made arrangements for selling their car, etc.

It's just a poor way to run a company - and it's not like they didn't know how many cars they were going to produce. And as they ramp up production, I can't see it getting better.

I've had my delivery cancelled twice. The first time I got a call the day before (less than 24 hour notice) and was told they had to reschedule and my car was stuck in CA. My wife and I had already taken the following day off and had a buyer for our existing car. We went into work the next day which wasn't a big deal, but we had to postpone our car sale which is a bigger mess.