Need help dealing with Tesla

[Carbonfiber]

I am not sure if this is standard, but before signing up for solar panels, I’ve read about the lack of sense of urgency with Tesla Energy and I was okay with it at first. I think it REALLY became a problem to me when I paid off the system after passing final inspection earlier this month. Long story short, I signed up for solar panels beginning September 2020 and was promised 9-12 week timeline. Ran in to many delays, because Tesla just didn’t stay on top of things. Also like others have mentioned, it’s impossible to get a hold of the project advisor. Haven’t even spoke to the guy. Tried calling and emailing. NOTHING.

I should have gotten PTO by now, my utility company SCE has a quick turn around time for PTO (24-48 hours), but guess what? Tesla forgot to get a signature on one of the inspection reports so SCE denied the application for PTO. I got so fed up, I actually went to the city to get the proper signatures and documentation myself! I’ve emailed the proper documentation to Tesla and each I made attempts to reach out to me project advisor, he doesn’t pick up (of course), I press 0 to get to a live person. I explain my situation and get the same answer “we will forward this to your project advisor and utility coordinator.” It’s been a month at this standstill. Is this normal or am I just being impatient?

 

[jjrandorin]

I could make a joke that is fairly common in the model 3 forums and say its "within spec" as an attempt to make a joke, but unfortunately, project advisors that are not very responsive IS "with spec".

There isnt anyone to escalate to, at least that we are aware of, unfortunately. You say you "should have gotten PTO by now" but you didnt say when the city inspection was passed (which is when the PTO clock actually starts ticking, not before that).


It sounds like you have been waiting a couple of weeks

after passing final inspection earlier this month

So, all the other time doesnt really count... well it counts for YOU, but it doesnt count as far as "waiting for PTO". You have really been waiting a couple weeks or so. For reference, I added powerwalls to existing solar on Jan 6th 2020, and the city inspection was passed on Jan 9th.... and I didnt receive PTO authorization from SCE till march 19th or something.

So, you have been waiting a couple weeks (officially, I am not "poo pooing" all the time before, but it doesnt count as far as how long you have been waiting for PTO). I would not be surprised to see it take another 3-4 weeks, and that would be about 6 weeks turn around, which would be normal.

 

[Wannaretire]

I asked about escalation and compensation. I believe I was told, if there is more than 6 months after you signed contract and install date or pto date? than they will offer $ comp. I was well within that so I didn't delve further. Good luck to anyone whose project is approaching or exceeding 6 months! Ask for $$$

 

[Carbonfiber]

I could make a joke that is fairly common in the model 3 forums and say its "within spec" as an attempt to make a joke, but unfortunately, project advisors that are not very responsive IS "with spec".

There isnt anyone to escalate to, at least that we are aware of, unfortunately. You say you "should have gotten PTO by now" but you didnt say when the city inspection was passed (which is when the PTO clock actually starts ticking, not before that).


It sounds like you have been waiting a couple of weeks


So, all the other time doesnt really count... well it counts for YOU, but it doesnt count as far as "waiting for PTO". You have really been waiting a couple weeks or so. For reference, I added powerwalls to existing solar on Jan 6th 2020, and the city inspection was passed on Jan 9th.... and I didnt receive PTO authorization from SCE till march 19th or something.

So, you have been waiting a couple weeks (officially, I am not "poo pooing" all the time before, but it doesnt count as far as how long you have been waiting for PTO). I would not be surprised to see it take another 3-4 weeks, and that would be about 6 weeks turn around, which would be normal.

I really should have gotten PTO by now. I passed final inspection first week of February and Tesla submitted application for PTO second week of February. SCE has turnaround time of 24-48 hours for PTO. If Tesla had those proper signatures, I would be up and running.

 

[Carbonfiber]

I asked about escalation and compensation. I believe I was told, if there is more than 6 months after you signed contract and install date or pto date? than they will offer $ comp. I was well within that so I didn't delve further. Good luck to anyone whose project is approaching or exceeding 6 months! Ask for $$$

Yeah I’ve tried asking for half my money back and I would pay the remaining once I get PTO. LOL

 

[jjrandorin]

I really should have gotten PTO by now. I passed final inspection first week of February and Tesla submitted application for PTO second week of February. SCE has turnaround time of 24-48 hours for PTO. If Tesla had those proper signatures, I would be up and running.

Shrug... when I got my PV in 2015, the turn around for PTO took about 7 weeks. I am not sure where you get 24-48 hours, unless you only count from when SCE starts reviewing it, but that turn around does not match anyone here who has reported it, during the entire time I have been on TMC.

In any case, "expect" it to take from whenever your inspection was in february, up to 4-6 weeks later, is "normal".

 

[Lloyd]

File a suit for failure to perform. Worked fir a friend! It got immediate attention.

 

[Carbonfiber]

Shrug... when I got my PV in 2015, the turn around for PTO took about 7 weeks. I am not sure where you get 24-48 hours, unless you only count from when SCE starts reviewing it, but that turn around does not match anyone here who has reported it, during the entire time I have been on TMC.

In any case, "expect" it to take from whenever your inspection was in february, up to 4-6 weeks later, is "normal".

SCE website says 2-3 business days from receiving application, as well as Tesla customer service agents? (the people who pick up when pressing 0), and I’ve read on here recently people have been getting PTO from SCE within a week.

 

[SilverSp33d3r]

SCE website says 2-3 business days from receiving application, as well as Tesla customer service agents? (the people who pick up when pressing 0), and I’ve read on here recently people have been getting PTO from SCE within a week.

My brother who got installed dec 30th received inspection from city Jan 21 and PTO from SCE on Jan 23. Almost exactly 48 hours.

 

[Carbonfiber]

I asked about escalation and compensation. I believe I was told, if there is more than 6 months after you signed contract and install date or pto date? than they will offer $ comp. I was well within that so I didn't delve further. Good luck to anyone whose project is approaching or exceeding 6 months! Ask for $$$

is this a standard policy? I remember when I was shopping around for solar panels and the other company said if the project goes beyond 6 months they will take care of my electricity bill until project is completed.

 

[jboy210]

I asked about escalation and compensation. I believe I was told, if there is more than 6 months after you signed contract and install date or pto date? than they will offer $ comp. I was well within that so I didn't delve further. Good luck to anyone whose project is approaching or exceeding 6 months! Ask for $$$

We signed a contract in October 2019 and did not get PTO until late August/early September 2020. Construction started March 2, 2020 and ended April 3, 2020. This is for a SolarRoof + PWs. We paid 50% of the money on the 3rd day of construction, and the remainder when we passed the final inspection in late August.

 

[Carbonfiber]

We signed a contract in October 2019 and did not get PTO until late August/early September 2020. Construction started March 2, 2020 and ended April 3, 2020. This is for a SolarRoof + PWs. We paid 50% of the money on the 3rd day of construction, and the remainder when we passed the final inspection in late August.

Tesla told me they couldn’t submit for pto until my system was paid...

 

[jjrandorin]

Tesla told me they couldn’t submit for pto until my system was paid...

But you likely paid the same time @jboy210 did though, which is "after final inspection"... or did you do something different? Thats when I paid as well.... "after final inspection", but before PTO because tesla would not submit for PTO until final payment was made.

A few people have been told something different, but most have had to pay tesla after the final inspection (but before tesla applies for PTO). Many third party installers take payment after PTO, however.

 

[Carbonfiber]

But you likely paid the same time @jboy210 did though, which is "after final inspection"... or did you do something different? Thats when I paid as well.... "after final inspection", but before PTO because tesla would not submit for PTO until final payment was made.

A few people have been told something different, but most have had to pay tesla after the final inspection (but before tesla applies for PTO). Many third party installers take payment after PTO, however.

Yeah you’re right. Please disregard that comment. It was paid the same time.

My only problem with this is that Tesla couldn’t apply for PTO and they have all my money. I even went to city to obtain the missing signatures and everything has been at a stand still. I’m sure this will eventually get resolved. Just getting frustrated and impatient.

 

[holeydonut]

Lol, Sunrun has had all my money since the 3rd week of October 2020. Of course still no PTO.

It can always get worse... a lot worse

 

[jjrandorin]

Yeah you’re right. Please disregard that comment. It was paid the same time.

My only problem with this is that Tesla couldn’t apply for PTO and they have all my money. I even went to city to obtain the missing signatures and everything has been at a stand still. I’m sure this will eventually get resolved. Just getting frustrated and impatient.

It definitely will get resolved eventually, but, unfortunately, I believe you are likely in for a wait about as long as I said originally, since that is much more common than what @SilverSp33d3r reported.

Hopefully, I am not right.

 

[jboy210]

Tesla told me they couldn’t submit for pto until my system was paid...

That is true. Right after we passed the final inspection we received an invoice from Tesla for the remaining amount. We paid this remaining amount online. A few minutes after we paid, we received a message from some PG&E system saying they received the PTO request from Tesla. It then took 2-3 weeks and some updates to the PTO application by Tesla to get PTO approval from PG&E.

 

[Carbonfiber]

It definitely will get resolved eventually, but, unfortunately, I believe you are likely in for a wait about as long as I said originally, since that is much more common than what @SilverSp33d3r reported.

Hopefully, I am not right.

I actually referred a friend back in November 2020, he’s also under SCE. He passed final inspection around the same time as me (early FEB) and already got PTO and he hasn’t made a payment on his system yet. I’ve been comparing my account with other SCE accounts and that’s why I was expecting a quicker time line. SCE PTO turnaround time is quick. I know other people have longer time lines, but I created this thread to see if there was anything else I can do besides calling in every other day. Lol looks like I just have wait patiently again.

 

[wjgjr]

Yeah you’re right. Please disregard that comment. It was paid the same time.

My only problem with this is that Tesla couldn’t apply for PTO and they have all my money. I even went to city to obtain the missing signatures and everything has been at a stand still. I’m sure this will eventually get resolved. Just getting frustrated and impatient.

It is a tough situation because I understand why Tesla does this, recognizing that once a customer gets PTO, there is more risk they will delay payment (or not pay at all.) And it becomes much more expensive at that point for Tesla to track you down. Though it would be interesting for the future if Tesla could include a contract provision allowing them to disable the inverter after some period of non-payment. (I don't know all the legal rules around that.)

But you are right that they now have less incentive to devote resources to speeding PTO. While I'm not saying Tesla is intentionally ignoring requests, it is very possible that more resources devoted to PTO would speed things along. (As an example, we ran into some issues with PTO where Tesla had to update documents, and maybe that would have been addressed sooner with more resources.) Hopefully the desire to have positive customer reviews helps, and there is presumably some corporate incentive to increase revenue (and I am assuming that from an accounting perspective they should need PTO to recognize the revenue.)

One solution would be placing the funds in escrow, but that would have its own costs involved.

 

[SMAlset]

Back when we signed our contract (Jan/Feb time frame last year) our contract required 1/2 down when they showed up at our house first day and the balance when we got PTO, not at time of inspection. I know at some later point people did not have to pay any upfront payment and Tesla would front the cost for all the work and equipment and require only a 1 time payment — but now after inspection when their workers were done after which they’d submit application for PTO to the utility.

Guess it would have been nice to sit on all our funds for months longer as the 1 time-payment people got to but It was what it was at the time we signed our contract. For the 1-time-after-inspection people, Tesla is laying out all their costs and labor upfront with no funds from you with the legal requirement you pay upon inspection. They did the work to get inspection passed and trust you to uphold your financial end and it’s not like they aren’t going to come thru with filing your PTO. PG&E took a few weeks but less than 30 days to review and grant us our PTO.