[!= Ludicrous Mode, MVPA generated] - Should I walk away?

[Fragger]

Several of us answered your first questions of what to look for. We told you look for a private sale. You will increase your chances of guaranteeing FUSC and Free connectivity. And you will know its history. Are you using the advice you sought? That advice was knowledge from experience. I guess it was not useful.

I predict that if that car has Ludicrous you are lucky. If it does not Tesla is not going to spend a minute of time to bring it to the same status that they might have done 5 years ago.

Have you sit in that car? Because you can see it in the settings if Ludicrous is enabled or Insane enabled. If you want to check it out and not depend on any history or badging or what someone is saying, maybe you should go sit in it and check the settings.

Hello again, thank you for responding. For everyone of the private seller advice, I got the one that says, go with Tesla. So I'm listening to advice, but as you know there are trade offs. People have also given the reality advice of cost of FUSC etc...

But all of these are workarounds. We all love these cars, but don't we all wish the company was doing better than some of the things it does? I guess you can make the argument of, you get what you pay for... But I really wished Tesla didn't just rip off features that came with the car (not talking Ludicrous mode !).

Yes, you're right, as soon as I see the menus, I'll know, but I fully expect not to see it.

Looking forward to getting into the car bud... The sales rep and the delivery folks are ludicrously () unresponsive and move at snails pace ...

I'm expecting perhaps next weekend for the delivery... I have to go 3 hours out to get it...

Thank you again, I'll keep you and others posted !

 

[Ostrichsak]

If you think that Tesla removing the Ludicrous option from that car before selling it is the worst thing that can happen buying a used car from Tesla then you clearly haven't bought a used car from Tesla within the last couple of years. The question mark around FUSC & premium data surrounding a used car bought from Tesla is but the tip of the iceberg.

People advising that you buy used from a third party aren't doing so just because of the question mark around the ludicrous option in this instance. Do some searching on this forum and Google in general and you will find hundreds if not thousands of nightmare stories of people buying used from Tesla.

Personally, I bought three Model s's from them and I will never buy a used car from Tesla again. I don't care how good of a deal is it's just not worth it.

 

[Fragger]

If you think that Tesla removing the Ludicrous option from that car before selling it is the worst thing that can happen buying a used car from Tesla then you clearly haven't bought a used car from Tesla within the last couple of years. The question mark around FUSC & premium data surrounding a used car bought from Tesla is but the tip of the iceberg.

People advising that you buy used from a third party aren't doing so just because of the question mark around the ludicrous option in this instance. Do some searching on this forum and Google in general and you will find hundreds if not thousands of nightmare stories of people buying used from Tesla.

Personally, I bought three Model s's from them and I will never buy a used car from Tesla again. I don't care how good of a deal is it's just not worth it.

Hi Ostrich,

Why was your experience so poor with them? What did they do to you?

 

[dannycamps]

If you think that Tesla removing the Ludicrous option from that car before selling it is the worst thing that can happen buying a used car from Tesla then you clearly haven't bought a used car from Tesla within the last couple of years. The question mark around FUSC & premium data surrounding a used car bought from Tesla is but the tip of the iceberg.

People advising that you buy used from a third party aren't doing so just because of the question mark around the ludicrous option in this instance. Do some searching on this forum and Google in general and you will find hundreds if not thousands of nightmare stories of people buying used from Tesla.

Personally, I bought three Model s's from them and I will never buy a used car from Tesla again. I don't care how good of a deal is it's just not worth it.

This is a straight-up YMMV thing depending on location/service center. I purchased two Teslas last year. One used (local service center), one new/inventory (delivered to different local service center). Both times the experience was just fine and I went from clicking the order button to delivery in about 10 days for each of them (although most people say it takes longer).

 

[Ostrichsak]

Hi Ostrich,

Why was your experience so poor with them? What did they do to you?

I have zero desire to relive all of those nightmares again but I described them in great detail in 2019 across several threads if you want to use the search to find them. It ranged from not getting title work on one for 6 months, and nearly 3 for another. Being lied to about not only the condition but then lied to about the fact that it would be fixed at delivery. Cars taking months and being "accidentally" shipped all over the country multiple times with email notification on one of these at 10:00pm the night before our 5:00am flight. There are dozens more but most of those revolve around local service centers which are known to be horrendous in our region but it's region by region (even though many of the procedures they implement are set at the top of the company) so I won't bother even mentioning. Just know that those problems are ongoing and the ability to talk with a human being about them is basically non-existent.

This is a straight-up YMMV thing depending on location/service center. I purchased two Teslas last year. One used (local service center), one new/inventory (delivered to different local service center). Both times the experience was just fine and I went from clicking the order button to delivery in about 10 days for each of them (although most people say it takes longer).

I've seen positive experiences (although some would say that waiting 10 days to take delivery of a used car is absurd compared to what most are used to) but they are few and far between. I've seen countless experience stories that echo things I've stated that tell me it's a systemic problem and represents the majority. Sadly, I think your experience is the exception and not the rule.

I had hoped that they would get things straightened out once Elon admitted it was terrible but it's been over a year now since that public admission during the Q4 2018 earnings call over a year ago and nothing has improved. In fact, they've since removed ALL options for talking to a human (to include online chat as the most recent) which is a step in the wrong direction. In our region our # of representatives that Tesla employs hasn't gone up and sits roughly at less than half of what it was when he made that announcement and even then they were understaffed & overworked. Not sure how that's going to make anything better.

Listen, I want Tesla to succeed. I really, really do. I'm not going to sugar coat anything though and I want attention brought to their problems so they address them. Right now, too many people are willing to apply grease to the squeaky wheel in terms of making up excuses for Tesla which gives potential new customers a false idea of what ownership is like. This is going to be awful to Tesla long-term because they're building a negative reputation for customer service that will be nearly impossible to overcome at some point. Nobody knows when but with others coming to the table with EV that time is rapidly approaching. Once there's other options people will speak their mind with their buying power. I know I'm a one-time Tesla lover that is now firmly in that category as I'm sick of the drama. Owning a car shouldn't be so political.

 

[2101Guy]

quesiton: When Tesla removes Ludicrous from the cars, do they change the badging on the trunklid as well to reflect the new state of the car? Or are there thousands of used cars on the road now with incorrect badging? (and I assume this is why newer cars just have "dual motor" on the trunk..)

 

[Fragger]

This is a straight-up YMMV thing depending on location/service center. I purchased two Teslas last year. One used (local service center), one new/inventory (delivered to different local service center). Both times the experience was just fine and I went from clicking the order button to delivery in about 10 days for each of them (although most people say it takes longer).

YMMV is probably the closest thing to the truth Danny... But Tesla does need to straighten up with their strange, ever changing policies...

I have zero desire to relive all of those nightmares again but I described them in great detail in 2019 across several threads if you want to use the search to find them. It ranged from not getting title work on one for 6 months, and nearly 3 for another. Being lied to about not only the condition but then lied to about the fact that it would be fixed at delivery. Cars taking months and being "accidentally" shipped all over the country multiple times with email notification on one of these at 10:00pm the night before our 5:00am flight. There are dozens more but most of those revolve around local service centers which are known to be horrendous in our region but it's region by region (even though many of the procedures they implement are set at the top of the company) so I won't bother even mentioning. Just know that those problems are ongoing and the ability to talk with a human being about them is basically non-existent.



I've seen positive experiences (although some would say that waiting 10 days to take delivery of a used car is absurd compared to what most are used to) but they are few and far between. I've seen countless experience stories that echo things I've stated that tell me it's a systemic problem and represents the majority. Sadly, I think your experience is the exception and not the rule.

I had hoped that they would get things straightened out once Elon admitted it was terrible but it's been over a year now since that public admission during the Q4 2018 earnings call over a year ago and nothing has improved. In fact, they've since removed ALL options for talking to a human (to include online chat as the most recent) which is a step in the wrong direction. In our region our # of representatives that Tesla employs hasn't gone up and sits roughly at less than half of what it was when he made that announcement and even then they were understaffed & overworked. Not sure how that's going to make anything better.

Listen, I want Tesla to succeed. I really, really do. I'm not going to sugar coat anything though and I want attention brought to their problems so they address them. Right now, too many people are willing to apply grease to the squeaky wheel in terms of making up excuses for Tesla which gives potential new customers a false idea of what ownership is like. This is going to be awful to Tesla long-term because they're building a negative reputation for customer service that will be nearly impossible to overcome at some point. Nobody knows when but with others coming to the table with EV that time is rapidly approaching. Once there's other options people will speak their mind with their buying power. I know I'm a one-time Tesla lover that is now firmly in that category as I'm sick of the drama. Owning a car shouldn't be so political.

Sorry you had to relive those memories, Ostrich, but I appreciate you sharing... Looks like you got the Murphy's Law experience with them. I think we all want Tesla to succeed and be better. Many seem to have taken the route you are, that is, walking away and looking elsewhere...

Perhaps I will too, this is only my first car with them.

I guess after you shared this, I'm still a little confused as to why you sounded like you were contrasting my issues with Tesla? I get it, if Ludicrous mode, in the grand scheme was an issue you didn't find to be that important, but not sure why we don't encourage some healthy criticism for them on this board either?

As always, thank you for all your contributions.

 

[Ostrichsak]

YMMV is probably the closest thing to the truth Danny... But Tesla does need to straighten up with their strange, ever changing policies...



Sorry you had to relive those memories, Ostrich, but I appreciate you sharing... Looks like you got the Murphy's Law experience with them. I think we all want Tesla to succeed and be better. Many seem to have taken the route you are, that is, walking away and looking elsewhere...

Perhaps I will too, this is only my first car with them.

I guess after you shared this, I'm still a little confused as to why you sounded like you were contrasting my issues with Tesla? I get it, if Ludicrous mode, in the grand scheme was an issue you didn't find to be that important, but not sure why we don't encourage some healthy criticism for them on this board either?

As always, thank you for all your contributions.

I don't think it's Murphy's Law if it occurs in repetition across three different purchases from three different groups of sales/service individuals in three different states. It just feels like "the way" rather than any sort of anomaly.

I never said I wasn't encouraging healthy criticism of Tesla so I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. In fact, felt like I was doing the same thing myself by adding additional data points that I experienced personally supporting that stance.

My point was meant to be that if you think what you experienced with the removal of Ludicrous being shady (rightly so, it is) then you are in for a treat because that's only the tip of the iceberg that Tesla has demonstrated it's capable of in terms of shady practices. That's not even small potatoes compared to the horror stories I've read about and personally experienced.

 

[sickfox]

Good thread. @Fragger, the forum helped me a lot. I also lurked around here for a good year before I pulled the trigger. I knew the existing problems and TMC has tons of helpful and very knowledgable folks that will provide solutions and share it with everyone. With that said, any problems with the car, any bad AND good experiences with the service, with the company will get amplified here. So sometimes, it's really hard to make a decision.

I think the deciding factor here are your must-haves and the nice-to-haves. Prioritize them.

Budget?
Battery size?
Luda?
Color?
Interior?
Supercharging?

I highligted budget first because that may help you with your decision making process. If Luda mode is your no.1 must-have, then your action is fight Tesla to the death until they give you what you should have in the first place OR find another car that has Luda Mode? How about unlimited supercharging? Do you mind paying charging fees? And so on blah blah blah....

Unfortunately, we need to accept the fact that Tesla will always produce a better car AND they may not cater to individual's needs and wants or whatever they think they are entitled to. BUT everyone here can tell that the car is a pure joy when driving. Launching the car on ramp (or wherever) will never get old. My wife hates it though. The P is plenty and sometimes scary fast enough already for me. I can't imagine driving a D with Luda.

Which ever route you take, you will enjoy driving your car. You will eventually get a speeding ticket. But it will all be worth it. Good luck sir and let us know what car you pick! Looking forward to welcoming you as a Tesla owner. You gotta post your car and with you in it. Show your "Tesla Grin" . You'll finally understand what everyone's talking about.

 

[byeLT4]

Just came across this thread and although it has pretty much all been said, as a hopefully soon-to-be buyer in Texas as well, I wish you the best of luck!!

 

[Fragger]

I don't think it's Murphy's Law if it occurs in repetition across three different purchases from three different groups of sales/service individuals in three different states. It just feels like "the way" rather than any sort of anomaly.

I never said I wasn't encouraging healthy criticism of Tesla so I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. In fact, felt like I was doing the same thing myself by adding additional data points that I experienced personally supporting that stance.

My point was meant to be that if you think what you experienced with the removal of Ludicrous being shady (rightly so, it is) then you are in for a treat because that's only the tip of the iceberg that Tesla has demonstrated it's capable of in terms of shady practices. That's not even small potatoes compared to the horror stories I've read about and personally experienced.

Ostrich, thanks for posting again. I think we're on the same page now... Here's to hoping I have a good/decent Tesla buying and ownership experience ...

Good thread. @Fragger, the forum helped me a lot. I also lurked around here for a good year before I pulled the trigger. I knew the existing problems and TMC has tons of helpful and very knowledgable folks that will provide solutions and share it with everyone. With that said, any problems with the car, any bad AND good experiences with the service, with the company will get amplified here. So sometimes, it's really hard to make a decision.

I think the deciding factor here are your must-haves and the nice-to-haves. Prioritize them.

Budget?
Battery size?
Luda?
Color?
Interior?
Supercharging?

I highligted budget first because that may help you with your decision making process. If Luda mode is your no.1 must-have, then your action is fight Tesla to the death until they give you what you should have in the first place OR find another car that has Luda Mode? How about unlimited supercharging? Do you mind paying charging fees? And so on blah blah blah....

Unfortunately, we need to accept the fact that Tesla will always produce a better car AND they may not cater to individual's needs and wants or whatever they think they are entitled to. BUT everyone here can tell that the car is a pure joy when driving. Launching the car on ramp (or wherever) will never get old. My wife hates it though. The P is plenty and sometimes scary fast enough already for me. I can't imagine driving a D with Luda.

Which ever route you take, you will enjoy driving your car. You will eventually get a speeding ticket. But it will all be worth it. Good luck sir and let us know what car you pick! Looking forward to welcoming you as a Tesla owner. You gotta post your car and with you in it. Show your "Tesla Grin" . You'll finally understand what everyone's talking about.

Hi sickfox, what a great post by yourself, as well, good Sir!

My must-haves have evolved constantly to be honest with you. What changed them? The falling pricing on the Tesla site, these unique times and reading from these forums. Typical 1st world problem, if you ask me... As I found what I wanted... I wanted more
. In reality, you're talking to a dude who's never owned a Tesla. Drove a 85, Model 3, and an X 75 all scattered times...

My priorities started from a humble budget of ~35K or less... I know the reactions... But I quickly decided that at the minimum, if I cannot cure my Tesla fever... I need to get stuff that I would only find in a Tesla. So:

Performance AWD became essential. AP1 became essential. Super bonus was my favorite color Red, and the rest was bonus. All this for as low on the 40s I could get it...

Now that I have secured this car. I cannot get over the:

Price to power/value of a P90D
21 inch wheels - I know the range and tires thing
Red color
Panoramic roof or glass sunroof
Tesla warranty
Really low miles for the year, price, trim

Ludicrous mode is the point of envy. Especially for the hike in price! The more I read from folks who have it, always make it sound it's worth every penny... But for a dude who's never even ridden in a P, I cannot imagine a P90D won't suffice. At least for a year or so, until I may just turn around and sell it.

So I'm just fighting all of these thoughts. Couple it with Tesla's snail paced processing and communication... I read and write here as much as possible.

Thank you for posting your thread, I really appreciate it and your welcome!

Just came across this thread and although it has pretty much all been said, as a hopefully soon-to-be buyer in Texas as well, I wish you the best of luck!!

Hi friend! Thank for you this post. Hopefully we cross paths in real life soon too... What did you end up buying?

 

[byeLT4]

Hi friend! Thank for you this post. Hopefully we cross paths in real life soon too... What did you end up buying?

Nothing yet! I am ready but trying to be patient and wait for the right deal. Would love to pick up a used Ludi S in MSM but still considering a new P3D as well. I do wish it was easier to buy in Texas......