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I've loved Tesla for 7 years. But after years of abuse, I'm out

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Another Pity Party.

I felt a similar way when I was a Viper Owner in the 90's. It was the Chrysler Halo Car and we got lots of perks. For those of us who raced, we got lots of things fixed under warranty that should have been charged. We got to go to parties with Chrysler Corporation executives. Met Bob Luz (Elon Musk of the day). Racing events and social events were heavily subsidized by Chrysler Marketing.
We got free Jackets, free decals, meals paid for, World Class entertainment at events like Jay Leno or The Beach Boys.

We felt like chosen children. Lots of attention and perks. Just driving a Viper would get you into most all the Chrysler Sponsored events like San Diego Vintage auto racing. We had special free paddock parking at Pebble Beach. Sipped on Champagne and dipped our chilled shrimps in fancy sauce.

Then money got tight and eventually the company was sold to FIAT for pennies on the dollar. All the perks went away and we got charged for every thing, included burnt clutches, overheated differentials. Even Michelin stopped giving successful club drivers free tires.

Many in the clubs posted scathing missives like yours. We had gotten an entitlement attitude, and thought we were something special. That all ended when the bean counters got wise to us :(

Now it is happening to us at Tesla. In the beginning service centers were mostly empty. Technicians were often hanging around in the Customer Service lounges. They were more than happy to chat up up and let us know the inner working of the cars they worked on. Rental Tesla were most always available. We delighted in getting the latest high performance versions while our base models were in for a tire rotation. They contacted me to let me know my X was eligible for a free "uncorking" which chopped over a second off my 0-60 times.
Once again I felt entitled,...but slowly I have realized that this is just a normal cycle when going from customer centric startup to bean counter driven mega industry.
Somebody finally got through to Elon that his generosity was getting in the way of profitability, and that the stockholders were not going to put up with it much longer. Efficiency rules in modern day corporations and giving everything away does not fly with sophisticated investors.

Hope the next car company you deal with comes up to your standards and expectations.

Maybe we both just got spoiled..
 
On another note, this latest Virus is making auto companies realize they do not really need their very expensive independent dealerships anymore. By taking sales ordering on line they can earn an extra 15% profit for themselves. I expect to see more pressure to become more efficient their themselves. Tesla might be showing them the way.
 
On another note, this latest Virus is making auto companies realize they do not really need their very expensive independent dealerships anymore. By taking sales ordering on line they can earn an extra 15% profit for themselves. I expect to see more pressure to become more efficient their themselves. Tesla might be showing them the way.
With ICE vehicles the parts and service part of the dealership are profit centers and sometimes they make very little selling the cars so the back end is very important. You could buy on line but they need the ability to service the vehicle.
 
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I'm starting to suspect that Tesla will pay a high price for its approach of using existing customers as its primary marketing tool and if Tesla doesn't find a way of fixing the rot quickly, every evangelist could soon become an aggressive detractor. It's almost becoming evident that Tesla just used the loyalty referrals to buy the right to use owner reputations to sell cars as an expedient mechanism to get rapid growth, only to dump them when no longer needed. In my opinion, its owners are actually part of Tesla, and Tesla has forgotten that! It is self harming by turning its back on its (not very distant) roots.

It's so sad and frustrating to see things going this way. I think there are still pockets of excellence at some service centers, but there really is no feeling of corporate loyalty, trust or respect towards previous owners.

For new owners, probably won't matter. I don't feel much corporate love from Renault as a Renault owner! I doubt many Mercedes or BMW owners feel much corporate love, but at least some dealerships understand the need to stroke clients' egos and nurture relationships.

Communication and maintaining relationships are critical things and in Tesla's current phase it seems to have lost sight of this.
For every one of you that gets pissed off, there are 10 people like me who are over the moon and thrilled to be using autopilot and really do not care if "Elon Musk lied to you" or whatever. If someone offered me $200,000 for my ordinary model 3 with the stipulation that I never drive a Tesla again, I would not be able to take it because I am addicted to autopilot and love almost everything about the car. My experience with the service center is that I have never been there, but once a really cool guy came to my house and gave me a bunch of keys for free.
 
Model 3 owner, my first Tesla.

I've had to make about 4 service appointments with Tesla, they have always come out to repair the vehicle for me. Sometimes it's taken more than 2 months for the appointment. Since I heard of the slowness of their repair service, it was expected for me, and as long as my issues are eventually resolved, I've been a happy camper.
 
Another Pity Party.
I
...Many in the clubs posted scathing missives like yours. We had gotten an entitlement attitude, and thought we were something special. That all ended when the bean counters got wise to us :(
Maybe we both just got spoiled..

I guess this is another way of looking at it but not one with which I agree. I don't think I feel overly "entitled' in expecting a company to answer the phone... or to not charge me $200 to fix a covered repair... or to respond to an email... or to provide a loaner when a $100K+ car is being worked on... or to be able to take an un-drivable car in for repair in fewer than 10 days... or to deliver a feature they pre-sell for thousand of dollars in under two years... I could go on and on.

It's not as if my complaints are about the lack of swag and free alcohol at release parties (although these are things I regularly received in the early years). ALL of my complaints are about things that I believe I have every right to expect when paying over $100K for a car. I don't think that's at all unreasonable or spoiled.
 
Another Pity Party.

I felt a similar way when I was a Viper Owner in the 90's. It was the Chrysler Halo Car and we got lots of perks. For those of us who raced, we got lots of things fixed under warranty that should have been charged. We got to go to parties with Chrysler Corporation executives. Met Bob Luz (Elon Musk of the day). Racing events and social events were heavily subsidized by Chrysler Marketing.
We got free Jackets, free decals, meals paid for, World Class entertainment at events like Jay Leno or The Beach Boys.

We felt like chosen children. Lots of attention and perks. Just driving a Viper would get you into most all the Chrysler Sponsored events like San Diego Vintage auto racing. We had special free paddock parking at Pebble Beach. Sipped on Champagne and dipped our chilled shrimps in fancy sauce.

Then money got tight and eventually the company was sold to FIAT for pennies on the dollar. All the perks went away and we got charged for every thing, included burnt clutches, overheated differentials. Even Michelin stopped giving successful club drivers free tires.

Many in the clubs posted scathing missives like yours. We had gotten an entitlement attitude, and thought we were something special. That all ended when the bean counters got wise to us :(

Now it is happening to us at Tesla. In the beginning service centers were mostly empty. Technicians were often hanging around in the Customer Service lounges. They were more than happy to chat up up and let us know the inner working of the cars they worked on. Rental Tesla were most always available. We delighted in getting the latest high performance versions while our base models were in for a tire rotation. They contacted me to let me know my X was eligible for a free "uncorking" which chopped over a second off my 0-60 times.
Once again I felt entitled,...but slowly I have realized that this is just a normal cycle when going from customer centric startup to bean counter driven mega industry.
Somebody finally got through to Elon that his generosity was getting in the way of profitability, and that the stockholders were not going to put up with it much longer. Efficiency rules in modern day corporations and giving everything away does not fly with sophisticated investors.

Hope the next car company you deal with comes up to your standards and expectations.

Maybe we both just got spoiled..
If a company was sold to another company, no one will expect to have the same perks etc. Tesla is still same Tesla so this comparison does not make sense.
Free rental was one of the perks I would expect from a so called luxury priced vehicle. I do not expect a rental from a Toyota dealership when I take our Yaris for service (however they are very good with valet drop off/pick up).
 
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With ICE vehicles the parts and service part of the dealership are profit centers and sometimes they make very little selling the cars so the back end is very important. You could buy on line but they need the ability to service the vehicle.

Yes. This is an area where I feel we have yet to see even seeds of changes that have to come for Tesla.

It could be seen as very customer centered to supposedly run service not as a profit center. In practice, everything costs money and is a profit opportunity. Once you recognise that, then natural selection starts to work.

Making cars and putting them in the hands of new owners is only part of the picture.
 
I put a deposit on a Model S over a decade ago. I bought a Signature model (one of the first 1,000 MS made) and became an outspoken evangelist for the company.
On the one hand, I am thinking that this and $5 will get you a cup of coffee.

On the other hand, I am thinking that you are really smart and made a brilliant move over a decade ago, years before I had any clue whatsoever. I am hoping you bought some stock as well as your Model S. You deserve to benefit from your early recognition of the genius and exceptionalism of Tesla. I am sorry your feelings have taken a negative turn. I was just lucky to have a friend in an electric vehicle business who clued me in a while back and I feel extremely lucky to be driving a Tesla with EAP/FSD. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for people like you who had the vision and foresight to help the company that now makes my model 3.
 
For every one of you that gets pissed off, there are 10 people like me who are over the moon and thrilled to be using autopilot and really do not care if "Elon Musk lied to you" or whatever. If someone offered me $200,000 for my ordinary model 3 with the stipulation that I never drive a Tesla again, I would not be able to take it because I am addicted to autopilot and love almost everything about the car. My experience with the service center is that I have never been there, but once a really cool guy came to my house and gave me a bunch of keys for free.

I'm probably not the most appropriate person to direct that comment at. Like many, I love my car despite it's shortcomings. I first drove the Roadster when it was released, and now own and drive a Model S Raven. My Model S purchase was 'saved' by three Tesla employees after Tesla as a company completely failed to extend basic competence, minimum levels of communication and any commercial common sense. As our cars 'mature' we will all need Tesla to be trustworthy and honest with regards to our warranties and cars delivering what was paid for.
 
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I guess this is another way of looking at it but not one with which I agree. I don't think I feel overly "entitled' in expecting a company to answer the phone... or to not charge me $200 to fix a covered repair... or to respond to an email... or to provide a loaner when a $100K+ car is being worked on... or to be able to take an un-drivable car in for repair in fewer than 10 days... or to deliver a feature they pre-sell for thousand of dollars in under two years... I could go on and on.

It's not as if my complaints are about the lack of swag and free alcohol at release parties (although these are things I regularly received in the early years). ALL of my complaints are about things that I believe I have every right to expect when paying over $100K for a car. I don't think that's at all unreasonable or spoiled.
So I will ask this again: do you have a car under warranty that they refuse to fix and are you using the app for communication?
 
I have tremendous respect and appreciation for people like you who had the vision and foresight to help the company that now makes my model 3.
Well thanks. And while it would be nice if Tesla showed that same kind of appreciation, all I'm really asking is that they provide some very basic customer service like answering their phones.
 
Well thanks. And while it would be nice if Tesla showed that same kind of appreciation, all I'm really asking is that they provide some very basic customer service like answering their phones.

Not sure it would make sense or even work everywhere, but in UK Tesla have been changing the way call handling works so that you do at least get to talk to a member of Tesla staff at a service center even if your local center doesn't pick up. That made a difference for me at least with the basic issue of never being able to get through to anyone.

Also, once I had experienced a few successful 'text' exchanges with a specific named service person, and had a named technician introduced to me who would be dealing with my car it made things feel better.
 
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So I will ask this again: do you have a car under warranty that they refuse to fix and are you using the app for communication?
Well yes. I would say that not being reachable is one way of refusing service. Another would be telling you you can't bring the car in for 10 days. Another is charging you $200 for a repair under warranty. The app works except when it doesn't and when it doesn't, the owner is SOL. App is great for cookie cutter issues but that's not every issue. What if, for example, you have a problem with being charged $200 for a covered repair? Who would you speak with about that? Well nobody because that's what is available. And refusal of service is far from the only form of rotten customer service.
 
Not sure it would make sense or even work everywhere, but in UK Tesla have been changing the way call handling works so that you do at least get to talk to a member of Tesla staff at a service center even if your local center doesn't pick up. That made a difference for me at least with the basic issue of never being able to get through to anyone.
Brilliant! So apparently having a person available to speak with is not beyond the scope of what's possible! That would be an incredible first step towards crawling back to the very basics of customer service.
 
Brilliant! So apparently having a person available to speak with is not beyond the scope of what's possible! That would be an incredible first step towards crawling back to the very basics of customer service.

A while back I started looking at the new Roadster but could not bring myself to put down founders cash without at least having some dialogue with a person, and help getting my head around some (mainly commercial) concerns. The process was so difficult and hostile that I shelved that idea, and decided to aim at a lower model as a tester so that I could interact as a current owner rather than prospective one.

A real low point was standing at my (first) collection appointment next to the nicely prepp'd car I was supposed to be collecting for two hours, only to get a text message saying they could not invoice the car for maybe another month. A month later, I was no nearer getting an invoice. This is not, imo, the service of a 'leading light' business!

[edit: I should add that thanks to three particular regular employees stepping up and being normal and decent to deal with... and evidently showing a little concern for my experience, I hung in there and ended up with a very nice car. It shouldn't have to be such a knife-edge process though.]

More recently - with phone calls being routed after a short while to an available service center staff member maybe at the opposite end of the country if not answered promptly, and courteous message taking / passing between locations, at least it feels like you are not completely isolated.
 
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I am sorry to hear about the OP's experience. I completely agree that Tesla can and should do more to shore up their service departments.

However, like jelloslug I believe it has an awful lot to do with your local service center - they seem to be extremely independent from the mothership. I have had six Teslas over 11 years and the service itself, whether in the shop or from a ranger, has always been absolutely fantastic. Switching from loaners to rideshare was a bit of a bummer, but not huge. It does sometimes take multiple attempts to get communication restarted after they drop it, and that is definitely annoying. But from what I've experienced in my area, I still wouldn't want to go back to a different manufacturer.