Just another example of the Tesla sterling service… 🙄

[ACarneiro]

According to Teslarati (and let’s face it, they’re hardly impartial hacks), some dude had his Model S destroyed at a Service Centre appointment.

You’d think they’d go out of their way to make it right, wouldn’t you?

Well, think again…

Tesla Model S Plaid totaled by Service Center employee, leaving owner without answers

What happens when a $155,000 Tesla Model S Plaid is totaled by a Service Center employee? One owner is finding out the hard way.

www.teslarati.com

This, along with multiple experiences posted in these forums, and even Norwegian Tesla owners feeling that they need to perform media stunts to be listened to suggest that Tesla’s arrogance may well be an even bigger problem than I suspected…

 

[GRiLLA]

Come on, it clearly will need to go through Tesla's insurance, which from the article is all that seems to be happening. The insurers will need to confirm it's a write off and that they will pay out to Tesla. Someone made a mistake, unfortunate but it happens. Its sadly the case that whenever your vehicle is in an accident it's a load of hassle for you, irrespective of fault.

The Norweigen owners complaints are very varied, some sounded like simple service issues (Trunk lid filled with water) and others are just random nutcase complaints (promised free charging throughout the car's lifetime, but the new charging stations do not fit the car).

I've used service several times for new car issues (it's currently in getting a new Super Manifold) and always had good service from the folks at West Drayton and Reading.

 

[ACarneiro]

Come on, it clearly will need to go through Tesla's insurance, which from the article is all that seems to be happening. The insurers will need to confirm it's a write off and that they will pay out to Tesla. Someone made a mistake, unfortunate but it happens. Its sadly the case that whenever your vehicle is in an accident it's a load of hassle for you, irrespective of fault.

The Norweigen owners complaints are very varied, some sounded like simple service issues (Trunk lid filled with water) and others are just random nutcase complaints (promised free charging throughout the car's lifetime, but the new charging stations do not fit the car).

I've used service several times for new car issues (it's currently in getting a new Super Manifold) and always had good service from the folks at West Drayton and Reading.

It's that "Oh, sorry we destroyed your 130k USD car, you'll have to wait for 3 weeks (so far!) and in the mean time sort yourself out" sort of attitude that I find unbearable.
Agreed, accidents happen and due process will take some time but the complete disregard for the customer is utterly unacceptable, IMHO. As an end consumer I don't understand how you can find this remotely acceptable.

EDIT: What in God's name is a "Super Manifold"? Is that the EV version of go faster stripes?

 

[muster39]

According to Teslarati (and let’s face it, they’re hardly impartial hacks), some dude had his Model S destroyed at a Service Centre appointment.

You’d think they’d go out of their way to make it right, wouldn’t you?

Well, think again…

Tesla Model S Plaid totaled by Service Center employee, leaving owner without answers

What happens when a $155,000 Tesla Model S Plaid is totaled by a Service Center employee? One owner is finding out the hard way.

www.teslarati.com

This, along with multiple experiences posted in these forums, and even Norwegian Tesla owners feeling that they need to perform media stunts to be listened to suggest that Tesla’s arrogance may well be an even bigger problem than I suspected…

To what extent did you read the full article the link to which you posted? Situations like this are rare, but however careful people are they can occur. I'm sure that Tesla and/or their insurers will put things right now that the liability has been officially established through the Police report.

 

[ACarneiro]

To what extent did you read the full article the link to which you posted? Situations like this are rare, but however careful people are they can occur. I'm sure that Tesla and/or their insurers will put things right now that the liability has been officially established through the Police report.

I read the bit where some poor guy had his car destroyed and was left with nothing for 3 weeks (so far) to fend for himself.
Did you?

 

[thewishy]

It's a $130k car. Accidents happen. Insurance takes time. But you do your best to go out of your way to find a decent loaner in the meantime! And ideally line up the next available car for the replacement, not back of queue!

 

[GRiLLA]

I read the bit where some poor guy had his car destroyed and was left with nothing for 3 weeks (so far) to fend for himself.
Did you?

The article says the accident happened on the 31st August, that's 7 days ago.

The 3 weeks is some estimate for how long the insurance process might take. When my wife's car was written off by another driver (T boned in a similar way) it took about 3 months for the final payment to be made.

Given the exaggeration made there, is it possible that he's also misleading on the 'being left to fend for himself' bit too, I wouldn't take it at face value without corroboration.

 

[ACarneiro]

The article says the accident happened on the 31st August, that's 7 days ago.

The 3 weeks is some estimate for how long the insurance process might take. When my wife's car was written off by another driver (T boned in a similar way) it took about 3 months for the final payment to be made.

Given the exaggeration made there, is it possible that he's also misleading on the 'being left to fend for himself' bit too, I wouldn't take it at face value without corroboration.

Well, he very clearly states he was not offered a loaner or even Uber vouchers. This seems fairly factual and would be easy to disprove were it false. I find it more likely than not that it's true (but yes, anyone COULD be lying about ANYthing)....

 

[Cardo]

I have no issues with it taking time to sort out the full liabilities before a new car is provided, however seeing as the customer is now going to be left for an extended period of time without a vehicle due to an incident that occurred whilst the car was in the care of the Tesla SC, they should at least provide a courtesy car.

 

[ACarneiro]

It's a $130k car. Accidents happen. Insurance takes time. But you do your best to go out of your way to find a decent loaner in the meantime! And ideally line up the next available car for the replacement, not back of queue!

Maybe I didn't make my position clear enough.
Yes, accidents happen and due process takes time and that's all well and good. What I find unacceptable is the lack of any contrition on Tesla's part and the minimal attempt to minimise the inconvenience to their customer.
Judging from previous comments, it would appear that I am the outlier. Does everyone here really have such low expectations of customer service??

 

[GRiLLA]

EDIT: What in God's name is a "Super Manifold"? Is that the EV version of go faster stripes?

It's how the cooling/heating system in the car directs the flow to components that need it, e.g. Air Con, Battery, Computers. In my case some fault mean not enough coolant is reaching the AP computer and it shuts down as it gets too hot. The Super Manifold includes the Octovalve, pump, reservoir etc.

 

[thewishy]

Maybe I didn't make my position clear enough.
Yes, accidents happen and due process takes time and that's all well and good. What I find unacceptable is the lack of any contrition on Tesla's part and the minimal attempt to minimise the inconvenience to their customer.
Judging from previous comments, it would appear that I am the outlier. Does everyone here really have such low expectations of customer service??

I think we're all in agreement.

 

[GRiLLA]

Well, he very clearly states he was not offered a loaner or even Uber vouchers. This seems fairly factual and would be easy to disprove were it false. I find it more likely than not that it's true (but yes, anyone COULD be lying about ANYthing)....

In this circumstance, if you were Tesla and clearly at fault for this accident would you call out the customer for misleading on a point of loaner vehicles? Or would you just keep quiet and try to get the whole thing resolved as quickly as possible. In the article it specifically doesn't say "Tesla refused to provide a loaner", just that they hadn't "offered" one. Doesn't sound like they had a conversation on the matter at all.

 

[Cardo]

Maybe I didn't make my position clear enough.
Yes, accidents happen and due process takes time and that's all well and good. What I find unacceptable is the lack of any contrition on Tesla's part and the minimal attempt to minimise the inconvenience to their customer.
Judging from previous comments, it would appear that I am the outlier. Does everyone here really have such low expectations of customer service??

Not that I have much faith in BMW customer service (very hit and miss, in my experience, whilst very happy to claim the £££), a few years back when the gear selector thingy under the gear stick failed for a second time in my Mini, I drove the car to the local BMW dealer in second gear (only had second and reverse). There was a parts shortage (sound familiar?) as I gather there’d been ongoing issues with this part and BMW were looking for an alternative supplier. The car ended up sitting with the dealer for over a month. I was provided a courtesy car for the entire time. Bearing in mind the car was well out of warranty and the cost of the repair ended up being far less than what the car hire will have cost, I guess I can’t really complain about BMW service…

The loaner car will have been one of their fleet cars, so cost to them will have been negligible. Why can’t Tesla do this? The benefit in goodwill is enormous and makes up for a lot of failings.

 

[ACarneiro]

In this circumstance, if you were Tesla and clearly at fault for this accident would you call out the customer for misleading on a point of loaner vehicles? Or would you just keep quiet and try to get the whole thing resolved as quickly as possible. In the article it specifically doesn't say "Tesla refused to provide a loaner", just that they hadn't "offered" one. Doesn't sound like they had a conversation on the matter at all.

I would have just given the customer a loaner right there and then, quite frankly.
But then, I guess there's a reason I'm not the wealthiest man on the planet.

 

[thewishy]

The loaner car will have been one of their fleet cars, so cost to them will have been negligible. Why can’t Tesla do this? The benefit in goodwill is enormous and makes up for a lot of failings.

I'm going to guess that BMW have been able to built up their car fleet as a way to fill orders when manufacturing has exceeded demand. This hasn't happened with Tesla, so every loaner car is a car they can't sell.
That's my stab at the reasoning for it - we'd rather sell cars, and poor service isn't getting in the way of our sales. It'll bite them in the rear sooner or later..

 

[pgkevet]

It's not hard to imagine how this happens. No one at Tesla is allowed independent thought or responsibility. It only matters what their computer says. If there isn't a box to tick for 'loaner when we total a car' then they can't give it out.....
I'd imagine that the SC guys have as much trouble trying to speak to someone higher up as we do trying to speak directly to a SC.

 

[Zakalwe]

Click bait nonsense typical of the rubbish that Joey Klender writes on Teslarati. He really does write some absolute garbage to fill the column inches.

In reality, the owner will report it to his insurance. They may provide a replacement car for the owner (not all do when the car is written off) or alternatively the owner will get a hire car the cost of which will become part of the owners claim. That claim will be handled by his insurer and will be claimed against whoever Tesla is insured with. It really is no difference to any claim for damages.

 

[ACarneiro]

Why would the owner need to do ANYthing at all when Tesla destroyed the car whilst it was entrusted to them?
And regardless, why would Tesla not even have the graciousness of trying to minimise their pretty impressive cock-up?
Agreed on the quality of Teslarati reporting, mind you, but on this occasion I would hardly call it clickbait (unlike the article where they breathlessly shared that somewhere’s Police Department were charging a M3…. yay…)

 

[Zakalwe]

Unless insurance works very differently Stateside, then the owner doesn't really have to do anything other than informing his own insurance company and leaving it in their hands.