On Saturday, 10 August 2019, we stood still in front of our new high-tech gadget with a sigh of relief. This came after much contemplation regarding my ability to afford the car, given the pittance in pay that early career academics like me are bestowed with. After working out the sums, my dear husband (DH) decided to shoulder the financial burden.
However, this has not been that simple for the Tesla systems - the car's VIN is registered in my name but the registered keeper is DH. And, I have not adopted his last name. So, getting on a phone to Tesla, assuming that you get through the line, is not at all easy. Lesson #1: Names matter!
We opted for the most basic aka least expensive option when we reserved the car on April 7, 2019. After a few weeks we got an email asking for another £2K deposit. Then, came multiple order acknowledgements and text messages saying our pricing has changed and so on. They indeed had changed the pricing and had charged us for the colour choice which was free at the time of ordering! Frantically we got on the phone, chat and email to get some answer. "Is it really how customers are treated when they are paying in excess of £40K?" DH and I went over this discussion endlessly as we never managed to get anyone from Tesla to help us. This continued for a week or so, when we managed to get someone from somewhere to answer the phone who then said, "I have raised a ticket." The following week, the order acknowledgment finally reflected the original pricing. Six years ago, Skoda folks in Oxford were brilliant when I bought my first car. Don't expect any of that at Tesla. Lesson #2: There is no such thing as customer service.
We then had to arrange finance. We looked at financing options and applied online for Blackhorse financing. It was straight forward. However, there was no confirmation email if it had been approved or not. Dreading another phone call again, we called Blackhorse directly after nearly 3 weeks. They confirmed the approval and Tesla was supposed to update our account. However, no response from Tesla at all. Lesson #3: Mortal souls who go through financing have to be patient!
Then came deluge of text messages and emails about the delivery schedule. One day it said Aug 15- Aug xx and then another day it said Aug xy - Sept xx... and so on. We were not even remotely excited. Lesson #4: Lesser the expectations you have, better that final experience will be.
The last bomb was dropped on August 6, 2019 - "Your delivery appointment is scheduled for 9 August 2019 at 10 AM.” The email said little about the payment and so on but asked us to update everything on the Tesla account. However, on the Tesla account, I could see only the appointment date and place and no other option and not even the final invoice. Phone again? Lesson #5: Reading similar rants on twitter and other forums may calm you down a bit.
DH couldn't contain his frustration though and went on the phone marathon. Somebody took mercy after a long wait, then changed the delivery date to the following day, sent an email with a final invoice and so on. We had to make additional payments and then we will be sent the registration number with which we were supposed to get our insurance. Lesson #6: Insurance is always complicated. Do your research ahead of time.
Payment was made. However, registration number was not sent even by mid-day Friday and without that there is no insurance. Lesson #7: You can always pick up your new Tesla without insurance, at your own risk you see.
Frustrated, I fired an email to the delivery team saying how can they expect us to pick up the next day without giving us the registration details for the insurance. An email then arrived, rather quickly, with the registration number. Bingo. Lesson #7: Park your politeness aside to get things done.
DH called our existing insurers - 1) You can only have NCD on two cars and 2) While we wait to sell our existing car, it may work out cheaper to take a month by month insurance for the car to be sold. Anyway, we sorted out an insurance and hoped they would email us the insurance document. As usual, that document never arrived in time for our pick up. Lesson #8: Get all these sorted ahead of time before you pick up the car.
With a super excited 9-year-old, who had watched all the videos on Tesla ahead of us, we picked up the car at West Drayton. Handover was a breeze. They were keen to get the car off their bucket and get the funds in instead. The battery indicated that it had ~137 miles worth of charge. We rolled into the Tesla car park and our little man showed us how to pull the charger plug out and charge the car. In about 20 minutes, the car was fully charged. With our little man by the side, it was a breeze to figure out the settings. Drove home with a mega sigh of relief. Lesson #8: There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Home charger is needed. We contacted EV Charging Solutions. They sent us a whole list of documentation, one of which needs Blackhorse approval as they have financed the vehicle (This is to claim OLEV subsidy). Bring on the phone again! This time Blackhorse said their T&C do not allow for any such approval for home charging solutions. Phone to Tesla again! Good lord! didn't have to wait for too long. "We will get back to you" - That has not happened. Cannot be bothered to chase them. Instead, rang 20 other providers and finally found Pod Point who have agreed to install next week. Lesson #9: There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, but, that tunnel is way too long!
Rubber mat! Search the forums. What is on the twitter? There is one on Amazon! Hurray. Email next day said, "Please cancel your order as we are still doing R&D on mats for right hand drive cars". Argos mat for £10 is not at all bad. Lesson #10: Sometimes, you just have to believe in ordinary things.
Little man loves the gadgetry in the car, big man’s BMW loyalty and belief has faded, and the lady cannot stop gazing at the skylight. We wish the buying experience was as delightful as the car itself.
However, this has not been that simple for the Tesla systems - the car's VIN is registered in my name but the registered keeper is DH. And, I have not adopted his last name. So, getting on a phone to Tesla, assuming that you get through the line, is not at all easy. Lesson #1: Names matter!
We opted for the most basic aka least expensive option when we reserved the car on April 7, 2019. After a few weeks we got an email asking for another £2K deposit. Then, came multiple order acknowledgements and text messages saying our pricing has changed and so on. They indeed had changed the pricing and had charged us for the colour choice which was free at the time of ordering! Frantically we got on the phone, chat and email to get some answer. "Is it really how customers are treated when they are paying in excess of £40K?" DH and I went over this discussion endlessly as we never managed to get anyone from Tesla to help us. This continued for a week or so, when we managed to get someone from somewhere to answer the phone who then said, "I have raised a ticket." The following week, the order acknowledgment finally reflected the original pricing. Six years ago, Skoda folks in Oxford were brilliant when I bought my first car. Don't expect any of that at Tesla. Lesson #2: There is no such thing as customer service.
We then had to arrange finance. We looked at financing options and applied online for Blackhorse financing. It was straight forward. However, there was no confirmation email if it had been approved or not. Dreading another phone call again, we called Blackhorse directly after nearly 3 weeks. They confirmed the approval and Tesla was supposed to update our account. However, no response from Tesla at all. Lesson #3: Mortal souls who go through financing have to be patient!
Then came deluge of text messages and emails about the delivery schedule. One day it said Aug 15- Aug xx and then another day it said Aug xy - Sept xx... and so on. We were not even remotely excited. Lesson #4: Lesser the expectations you have, better that final experience will be.
The last bomb was dropped on August 6, 2019 - "Your delivery appointment is scheduled for 9 August 2019 at 10 AM.” The email said little about the payment and so on but asked us to update everything on the Tesla account. However, on the Tesla account, I could see only the appointment date and place and no other option and not even the final invoice. Phone again? Lesson #5: Reading similar rants on twitter and other forums may calm you down a bit.
DH couldn't contain his frustration though and went on the phone marathon. Somebody took mercy after a long wait, then changed the delivery date to the following day, sent an email with a final invoice and so on. We had to make additional payments and then we will be sent the registration number with which we were supposed to get our insurance. Lesson #6: Insurance is always complicated. Do your research ahead of time.
Payment was made. However, registration number was not sent even by mid-day Friday and without that there is no insurance. Lesson #7: You can always pick up your new Tesla without insurance, at your own risk you see.
Frustrated, I fired an email to the delivery team saying how can they expect us to pick up the next day without giving us the registration details for the insurance. An email then arrived, rather quickly, with the registration number. Bingo. Lesson #7: Park your politeness aside to get things done.
DH called our existing insurers - 1) You can only have NCD on two cars and 2) While we wait to sell our existing car, it may work out cheaper to take a month by month insurance for the car to be sold. Anyway, we sorted out an insurance and hoped they would email us the insurance document. As usual, that document never arrived in time for our pick up. Lesson #8: Get all these sorted ahead of time before you pick up the car.
With a super excited 9-year-old, who had watched all the videos on Tesla ahead of us, we picked up the car at West Drayton. Handover was a breeze. They were keen to get the car off their bucket and get the funds in instead. The battery indicated that it had ~137 miles worth of charge. We rolled into the Tesla car park and our little man showed us how to pull the charger plug out and charge the car. In about 20 minutes, the car was fully charged. With our little man by the side, it was a breeze to figure out the settings. Drove home with a mega sigh of relief. Lesson #8: There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Home charger is needed. We contacted EV Charging Solutions. They sent us a whole list of documentation, one of which needs Blackhorse approval as they have financed the vehicle (This is to claim OLEV subsidy). Bring on the phone again! This time Blackhorse said their T&C do not allow for any such approval for home charging solutions. Phone to Tesla again! Good lord! didn't have to wait for too long. "We will get back to you" - That has not happened. Cannot be bothered to chase them. Instead, rang 20 other providers and finally found Pod Point who have agreed to install next week. Lesson #9: There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, but, that tunnel is way too long!
Rubber mat! Search the forums. What is on the twitter? There is one on Amazon! Hurray. Email next day said, "Please cancel your order as we are still doing R&D on mats for right hand drive cars". Argos mat for £10 is not at all bad. Lesson #10: Sometimes, you just have to believe in ordinary things.
Little man loves the gadgetry in the car, big man’s BMW loyalty and belief has faded, and the lady cannot stop gazing at the skylight. We wish the buying experience was as delightful as the car itself.
