MR model 3 ordered Still Waiting!

[3Sweet]

Hello Tesla Friends,

I am hoping someone can shed some light or help me out. I finally put in an order for a Tesla, after years and some months deciding this. I ordered a Blue Mid Range on 3/16. Later finding out these stopped offering the MD, as we all know. It is now 4/8 after taking many trips and spending hours in the Tesla stores and hours calling corporate, all I was offered was they would honor Pre-March 31 pricing. Now, I am in a position having ordered a car in the color I want already and already stretching the budget at $44,500 price tag, I have to pay an additional $3,000 and if I still want blue another $1,500. Bringing my new price up to $47,500. Which is a very large price increase after waiting weeks and spending so much time, I have been given nothing but, the feeling of complete disrespect by Tesla.

Now my options are pay $46k and get a black on black car that I am going to hate due to the very hot temperatures in Florida.
Not get the color I fell in love with and ordered, or go bankrupt trying to pay thousands more for a car I actually want.
I have read many people being offered to comp the paint or rims, I have not been offered anything but, to match the pricing old. Can someone please pass on the contact information if you were helped? Please Please Please.
I am now looking into the legality of the contract I signed for the car, weird situation having a car manufacturer discontinue a car that has been ordered.
Anyone else still have an unfilled Mid Range order?

Thank you all

 

[srs5694]

I also ordered a mid-range vehicle, in my case on March 14. The exact configuration was white paint, white interior, standard 18-inch wheels, AP, and FSD, for a total quoted price of $51K + delivery + taxes + etc. Then, of course, the MR configuration disappeared from Tesla's site. A couple of days later, I got a call from Emily Levenberg, who I think was at Tesla corporate HQ, who offered me an upgrade to LR for the same price as my MR order. Her justification was confusing -- she comped me $1500 of the $2000 for the white paint upgrade and $1500 for wheels -- but I'd ordered no wheel upgrade. This makes me think that she didn't know what she was doing. Still, the total was $3000 off the LR price, or the same price as my MR, so I took the offer, and it went through just fine. The official paperwork does not mention the justification for the $3000 discount; it just shows a $3000 discount. Most people who ordered MR models in this time period were offered discounts of $1500 or $2000 off the LR pricing, so they paid 1/3 to 1/2 the difference. I seem to be the lucky outlier in this lottery. So, some suggestions:

• You could see if you could get ahold of Emily Levenberg, but I make absolutely no promise that you'll be able to extract the same deal that I got.
• You could try random people at your local Tesla store and/or at Tesla corporate. It sounds like you've already tried this.
• You could ask about pricing on an inventory car that's not in your preferred color, but not the black you want to avoid. You may be able to get the paint job for free.
• You could look into getting a showroom or test-drive car. These are frequently available with heftier discounts. (I was offered a silver AWD model for $1400 over the MR price, for instance. That worked out to about a $6000 discount, IIRC.) The drawback is that these cars are likely to have miles on them (1,000 in the case of the car I was offered), and they're likely to have 2018 VINs at this point.
• You could downgrade to an SR+. That's only a 20-mile drop in range compared to the MR, and you still get most of the premium interior features. If they're honoring the prices from a month ago, then you'll save a little money, too.
• You could go elsewhere entirely. I won't make specific suggestions, since I don't know why you wanted a Tesla Model 3, but there are other cars on the market.
  
• You could sic your lawyers on Tesla. I'd hold this option as a last resort, though. I have no idea of how strong your case might be, and lawyer fees are likely to eat up any savings you'd get, even if you were to win.

Best of luck with whatever you do!

 

[MXWing]

You could go elsewhere entirely. I won't make specific suggestions, since I don't know why you wanted a Tesla Model 3, but there are other cars on the market.

A non Tesla BEV with an extensive supercharging network already on the road cannot be had for any amount of money.

If your standards are just “it’s a car” yes there are other cars on the market.

 

[3Sweet]

I also ordered a mid-range vehicle, in my case on March 14. The exact configuration was white paint, white interior, standard 18-inch wheels, AP, and FSD, for a total quoted price of $51K + delivery + taxes + etc. Then, of course, the MR configuration disappeared from Tesla's site. A couple of days later, I got a call from Emily Levenberg, who I think was at Tesla corporate HQ, who offered me an upgrade to LR for the same price as my MR order. Her justification was confusing -- she comped me $1500 of the $2000 for the white paint upgrade and $1500 for wheels -- but I'd ordered no wheel upgrade. This makes me think that she didn't know what she was doing. Still, the total was $3000 off the LR price, or the same price as my MR, so I took the offer, and it went through just fine. The official paperwork does not mention the justification for the $3000 discount; it just shows a $3000 discount. Most people who ordered MR models in this time period were offered discounts of $1500 or $2000 off the LR pricing, so they paid 1/3 to 1/2 the difference. I seem to be the lucky outlier in this lottery. So, some suggestions:

• You could see if you could get ahold of Emily Levenberg, but I make absolutely no promise that you'll be able to extract the same deal that I got.
• You could try random people at your local Tesla store and/or at Tesla corporate. It sounds like you've already tried this.
• You could ask about pricing on an inventory car that's not in your preferred color, but not the black you want to avoid. You may be able to get the paint job for free.
• You could look into getting a showroom or test-drive car. These are frequently available with heftier discounts. (I was offered a silver AWD model for $1400 over the MR price, for instance. That worked out to about a $6000 discount, IIRC.) The drawback is that these cars are likely to have miles on them (1,000 in the case of the car I was offered), and they're likely to have 2018 VINs at this point.
• You could downgrade to an SR+. That's only a 20-mile drop in range compared to the MR, and you still get most of the premium interior features. If they're honoring the prices from a month ago, then you'll save a little money, too.
• You could go elsewhere entirely. I won't make specific suggestions, since I don't know why you wanted a Tesla Model 3, but there are other cars on the market.
  
• You could sic your lawyers on Tesla. I'd hold this option as a last resort, though. I have no idea of how strong your case might be, and lawyer fees are likely to eat up any savings you'd get, even if you were to win.

Best of luck with whatever you do!

Thank you so much for your reply. Wow that is very fortunate you were offered that. I will try thank you for the name.
The reason I want a model 3 is because I love Tesla, and its more affordable than an S. I've saved my whole life for something and it's the car I want.

 

[srs5694]

A non Tesla BEV with an extensive supercharging network already on the road cannot be had for any amount of money.

First, your comment is imposing assumptions on the discussion -- you're assuming that the Supercharger network is important to MIDRANGEORDER. It might be, or it might not be. I was laying out possible responses, which MIDRANGEORDER must evaluate him/herself. If the Supercharger network is important to MIDRANGEORDER, then fine; he/she can dismiss that option. To not mention it would have been remiss, though. People can become so hyper-focused on one option that they forget others exist.

Second, the CHAdeMO and CCS networks are improving rapidly. Granted, they aren't yet located as optimally as Tesla's Superchargers; they're less likely to be reliable (based on PlugShare ratings and comments); and they aren't as fast. Nonetheless, these networks do exist and are likely to be adequate for at least some users. Note also that waiting for these networks, and the cars that use them, to mature is a sub-option of my "go elsewhere entirely" buying suggestion. It's up to MIDRANGEORDER to evaluate the suitability of these networks for his/her needs, not me and not you.

If MIDRANGEORDER cares to elaborate on the importance of long-distance travel to him/her, then we can have a discussion about Supercharger vs. CCS vs. CHAdeMO, or point to existing threads on this topic. Likewise for any of a million other possible reasons for wanting a Model 3 but not another car. Absent that input, we can focus on any of those reasons and get quite side-tracked.

 

[OCR1]

OP,

The challenge to solving your problem is to find the right person at Tesla. Some people are more empowered than others to resolve issues like these. I spoke with two Tesla sales reps at the local store who were useless. Then I asked for the manager and he offered to comp me a wheel upgrade so I took the deal. Keep trying to reach out to higher level people at Tesla, either the local store general manager or someone at corporate who has the authority to solve your problem. They will eventually do something for you but it will take some effort on your part to get there.

The LR price pre March 31 was $43K. Add white paint and interior and it would be $46K. If they comp the paint that would bring it down to $44K. If you can get that deal it might be worth it to you. It never hurts to ask.

 

[MXWing]

First, your comment is imposing assumptions on the discussion -- you're assuming that the Supercharger network is important to MIDRANGEORDER. It might be, or it might not be. I was laying out possible responses, which MIDRANGEORDER must evaluate him/herself. If the Supercharger network is important to MIDRANGEORDER, then fine; he/she can dismiss that option. To not mention it would have been remiss, though. People can become so hyper-focused on one option that they forget others exist.

Second, the CHAdeMO and CCS networks are improving rapidly. Granted, they aren't yet located as optimally as Tesla's Superchargers; they're less likely to be reliable (based on PlugShare ratings and comments); and they aren't as fast. Nonetheless, these networks do exist and are likely to be adequate for at least some users. Note also that waiting for these networks, and the cars that use them, to mature is a sub-option of my "go elsewhere entirely" buying suggestion. It's up to MIDRANGEORDER to evaluate the suitability of these networks for his/her needs, not me and not you.

If MIDRANGEORDER cares to elaborate on the importance of long-distance travel to him/her, then we can have a discussion about Supercharger vs. CCS vs. CHAdeMO, or point to existing threads on this topic. Likewise for any of a million other possible reasons for wanting a Model 3 but not another car. Absent that input, we can focus on any of those reasons and get quite side-tracked.

If a supercharging network is not important to you, IT SHOULD BE. Proper enterprise resource planning dictates planning for potential use cases, and what is the opportunity cost to invest in that excess capacity. In the case of Tesla, it's a bundled feature regardless of the package selected.

When you have a Leaf, you have something else. That something is an ICE car.

That's a minimum of two cars.

When you have a Model 3, it can be your only car. That's the power of the supercharging network.

Even if a Leaf is good 90% of the time, 90% isn't good enough.

I can go on and on about other features exclusive to Tesla but the supercharger network supports the essential need for a car.

Getting from point A to B.

 

[ewoodrick]

A non Tesla BEV with an extensive supercharging network already on the road cannot be had for any amount of money.

If your standards are just “it’s a car” yes there are other cars on the market.

I think that I may disagree with this. The CHAdeMO and CCS have more locations than Tesla Superchargers, if I am not mistaken. They may not have as many actual chargers, but more locations. The Supercharger network may also be better positioned for Interstate travel, but not for city travel (outside of LA/SF)
For example, in the Atlanta area, we have 5 Supercharger locations and over 70 CHAdeMO and over 60 CCS locations.

And right now, you can get a standard range Leaf for under $22.500 after tax credit, the Leaf+ for $28.000 The top end, with ProPlus self driving is $35,000

There is a LOT of competition out there. And not every car has to be ready to take long trips. Most families have a commuter (or mid-life crisis car) for dad and a people hauler for mom. The people hauler is used for trips.

 

[srs5694]

I agree with ewoodrick on this. I just bought my Model 3 recently, and I was considering other EVs, so I've been researching DC fast charging networks for several months. In that time, I've seen new stations come online or be announced, plugging gaps in the CHAdeMO and CCS networks for important routes for me. (Also increasing capacity at Tesla Supercharger locations or adding new locations, but these haven't plugged any gaps in my personal travel routes.) To be sure, Tesla still has a significant edge for long-distance travel, but it's not the sort of Tesla-or-nothing edge that existed two years ago.

Also, not everybody goes on road trips; and many people are members of multi-car families. Thus, the ability to drive long distances may not be important to everybody. Saying that it should be is missing the important point that different people have different needs.

 

[Az_Rael]

When you have a Model 3, it can be your only car.

I would be very hesitant to recommend anyone have a single Tesla as their only vehicle, and that would be because of the reliability issues Tesla has, not because of the supercharger network. We have had to deal with towing in our S and having the extra (very reliable) ICE car saved the day. Our Teslas have been in the shop more than any other cars we have owned.

 

[ewoodrick]

I would be very hesitant to recommend anyone have a single Tesla as their only vehicle, and that would be because of the reliability issues Tesla has, not because of the supercharger network. We have had to deal with towing in our S and having the extra (very reliable) ICE car saved the day. Our Teslas have been in the shop more than any other cars we have owned.

Just about a year and no issues. By the way, there are things called rentals.

 

[OCR1]

I would be very hesitant to recommend anyone have a single Tesla as their only vehicle, and that would be because of the reliability issues Tesla has, not because of the supercharger network. We have had to deal with towing in our S and having the extra (very reliable) ICE car saved the day. Our Teslas have been in the shop more than any other cars we have owned.

That would essentially eliminate all single people from owning Teslas.

 

[Az_Rael]

Just about a year and no issues. By the way, there are things called rentals.

Yes, there are, but the extra vehicle still saved the day because my husband needed to catch a flight when his S broke down. Uber/taxi wasn’t an option to get him to the airport, so by the time he would have gotten to a rental company and picked up a car, the flight would have been missed. And it was a charter, so there was no just catching a later plane. My Tesla was also in the shop at the time, it was a really bad week.

I have owned 3 Teslas, we just seem to have bad luck with them. And now serivce is turning into crap to deal with by me, so we may reduce the household Tesla count to just one when it is time to trade the S in. (Our last service experience was so bad due to sheer incompetence that my husband almost sold the car right then). Keeping an eye on the Audi’s at this point as hubby really loved his old S4. Don’t supercharge much at all, so that isn’t a factor.

That would essentially eliminate all single people from owning Teslas.

Yes, and I still wouldn’t recommend a Tesla to a single car owner based on my experiences.