problems in the European delivery hell

[nervus]

This.
I want my M3 today like everyone else, but that's just not how this works, and not only at Tesla.

I had to wait 5 months (!) for my Zoe. This wasn't a new car or anything, and it shipped from France and not the US. My initial wait time was said to be 4-6 weeks. Then it was 8 weeks and they said that the car would be produced soon. Then nothing for over a month. Then success, the car is being produced! Oh wait no, not yet. Or maybe yes? Conflicting information time and time again. Then I got told I'd be able to get the car in 2 weeks time. I called on the day before to check and lo and behold, no car. It turned out the car hadn't even been built yet. Then another month of wait time during which another delivery date came and went.

Finally after 5 months it arrived. "Here's your car, have a nice drive." No explanation, nothing.

This is Renault, an "established" car manufacturer. They didn't know where the car was, gave me multiple delivery dates which didn't happen.

We had the same experience with Renault in past years (and not only for the Zoe). Still I did not have to pay those cars in advance and without a definite delivery date. That was also not the case with our first car (Shiguli-Vaz aka Lada) in 1975, nor with the following Alfa Romeo's in all those years. There was a definite delivery date and you had to pay when collecting the car.
Now I had NO problem to put in my 1000 euro back in 2016, nor to pay 2000 euro back in december 2018. I understand a company like Tesla has to have some garantee that the customer is serious and will take the delivery, no problem there. But I am annoyed that I should hand-over a quite hefty sum without a definite delivery date and a week in advance or more.
More-over, trying to get some clarification is a fool's errand considering the information one can get from the delivery team. Yes, I have my VIN, but no I don't know what license-number will be attached to the car. This means I cannot arrange the obligatory insurances. There is a vivid discussion on insurance problems in the dutch part of this forum. The problems with the insurance companies are not Tesla's fault but the way delivery is "organised" at the moment IS.

 

[XxArkayxX]

The probem IS the delivery process itself. There's no problem paying the car up front unless if you believe Tesla will go bankrupt in the weeks following. You are protected by European law where you can return the car if you feel wronged in any way. They are then forced to refund the money. Nothing lost whatever happens.

The problem is the current delivery process in Europe. It is SO badly organised it isn't even funny. I ordered a 50€ USB stick for the dashcam feature. I instantly knew when it would be delivered. We wouldn't expect otherwise in the online economy. The fact a company which hopes to have full selfdriving cars in the foreseeable future doesn't know which 60K+ car is assigned to you and can't give you a trustworthy delivery date is abysmal. It's acceptable to have aproximative delivery dates in a complex logistic process (The boat could take a bit longer to reach Europe, the offboarding of cars could take longer then anticipated, the transport to the delivery center might get hiccups or the delays at the delivery center might extend) . It's simply not acceptable that Tesla itself doesn't know where your car is, period. That part of the process is just bonkers. This is 2019, not 1970. The problem lies in the VIN assignment and internal tracking process of their in transport cars.

 

[Thomas_K]

We had the same experience with Renault in past years (and not only for the Zoe). Still I did not have to pay those cars in advance and without a definite delivery date. That was also not the case with our first car (Shiguli-Vaz aka Lada) in 1975, nor with the following Alfa Romeo's in all those years. There was a definite delivery date and you had to pay when collecting the car.

Renault, Lada and Alfa Romeo.. Are you on some sort of automotive masochism tour?
And how did you end up on Model 3? Now I´m afraid I have missed something that is sooner or later going to cause me pain.

 

[nervus]

Renault, Lada and Alfa Romeo.. Are you on some sort of automotive masochism tour?
And how did you end up on Model 3? Now I´m afraid I have missed something that is sooner or later going to cause me pain.

Well, no. The first car was a Lada (it was the most affordable after finishing university in 1975 ), followed by a Alfa Romeo Giulia Super (a real nice "driver" car in 1979), later a Giullieta and Alfa 75. First Renault was an Espace type 2. Most of the later Renault were quite comfortable, the last being a Renault Megane CC. When I was still working I was very much interested in a Tesla S, but some drastic changes in my work circumstances made it a bad choice
Now I have 6 grandchildren and with regard of their future world my wife and I decided to stop using ICE's. (Flying of course is also a NONO ).

 

[transpondster]

Renault, Lada and Alfa Romeo.. Are you on some sort of automotive masochism tour?
And how did you end up on Model 3? Now I´m afraid I have missed something that is sooner or later going to cause me pain.

Lada was licensed version of Fiat 124, so maybe he was fan of Italian cars

 

[Thomas_K]

Now I have 6 grandchildren and with regard of their future world my wife and I decided to stop using ICE's. (Flying of course is also a NONO ).

So you finally came to your senses.

Ok, nuff off-topic. Let´s continue whining about our $50.000 cars beeing lost at sea.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Yes, I have my VIN, but no I don't know what license-number will be attached to the car. This means I cannot arrange the obligatory insurances. There is a vivid discussion on insurance problems in the dutch part of this forum. The problems with the insurance companies are not Tesla's fault but the way delivery is "organised" at the moment IS.

It's interesting that you need the license before you get insurance. Here, we can't get the car registered (or get license plates) until after we have insurance.

 

[Alfred]

The multitude of registration processes and customer needs across Europe could apparently not be handled efficiently by a "standard" website and required too often calls and verifications, some times overloading the call takers. The only real error I experienced in Switzerland was that the ordering website suddenly showed for some cars unexpected early pick-up dates that had to be cancelled by calls to buyers a couple of days later. What went on in the background I do not know.
Perhaps: "To err is human, for big mistakes you need a computer."

The orally confirmed start of deliveries is still the same as the one stated when we ordered (End February/March). I would have to know a lot more about the details of what was and is going on to form an opinion how this large ramp up of deliveries could be mastered more easily. I understand that Tesla has an interest in getting as many deliveries as possible into the first quarter and to keep working capital down. As a customer I would like to collect above all a faultless and carefully prepared car - even if a week (or so) later.

 

[EdisonDrvr]

Lots of cry babies. Chill. Everyone is excited as well they should be. Model 3 delivery is just BEGINNING in Europe. Cut Tesla some slack. Trust me...the car will be well worth the waiting and little frustration you may have. The car is extremely popular and when you take it home and it’s yours it will blow your mind. I have the P3D and my F80 BMW feels like an old piece of dinosaur garbage compared to the Tesla. I will never own ICE again. Put the big boy pants on and take a deep breathe....when you receive your cars all will be good. The car is incredible. Congrats to the new owners...

 

[AustinPowers]

I for one am getting more relaxed by the day actually, at least for the time being. Because none of the normal insurance companies that offer individual premiums here in Germany have the Model 3 even listed. Everywhere I asked I got the reply that they would receive the necessary data to calculate premiums for the Model 3 near the end of February. So no need to worry about anything before then.

The process to register a car in Germany works like this (for private customers at least, don't know whether it is different for businesses):

- first you get insurance for the car. This yields a document with a certain insurance ID for the specific vehicle.
- with this ID, plus the ownership document (which you typically get from the dealer on the day of delivery in exchange for payment), you go to the registering office and register the vehicle.
- if you already had a vanity plate reservation you might have already had the plates made online, if not there are typically places very near to the registering office where you can get plates made within minutes
- you return to the registering office with the plates (or just give the registering clerk the ones you brought along) and they affix the necessary stickers to them so that the car is officially registered.
- last step is going back to the dealer and giving them the registered plates. They put the plates on the car and you are good to go

This whole process usually happens during the delivery day.

Granted, you can have the more comfortable way of letting the dealer register the car in your name. You still need the insurance ID first though. Everything else is then taken care of by the dealer. More often than not this method is used by people who don't have an interest in a vanity plate number.

Incidentally I have an appointment to pick up my E-Golf at the factory tomorrow. I already have it insured and registered and simply hand over the registered plates to the service desk person at VW a moment before the actual delivery.

 

[Alfred]

In Switzerland the process is easy for the buyer. Vendor, insurance company and registration offices settle everything in the background for you. The simplest case is buying a car with new plates:

1) Buy insurance. The vendor might propose an insurance of his choice. If you already have or had a motor vehicle insurance, give them a call. Mostly that is already it. The vendor will ask you whom they have to call at your insurance. Also TESLA handled that in my case absolutely correctly - it is not the first car they sell in Switzerland.

2) The rest is done by the vendor. He advises the insurance company of the data they need. The required data and confirmations are sent to the local (cantonal) registration office who mail then license plates and registration paper to the vendor who affixes the plates.
3) Make sure you paid. Pick up your car.

If selling or scrapping a vehicle: Return license plates and registration form to the registration office. Inform them in a short note what you did and what you want to happen to your plates (deposit temporarily or destroy). Again everything else happens in the background. The registration office will advise the insurance company. Taxes and other eventual annual fees will be automatically suspended.

 

[TeeEmCee]

In Switzerland the process is easy for the buyer. Vendor, insurance company and registration offices settle everything in the background for you. The simplest case is buying a car with new plates:

1) Buy insurance. The vendor might propose an insurance of his choice. If you already have or had a motor vehicle insurance, give them a call. Mostly that is already it. The vendor will ask you whom they have to call at your insurance. Also TESLA handled that in my case absolutely correctly - it is not the first car they sell in Switzerland.

2) The rest is done by the vendor. He advises the insurance company of the data they need. The required data and confirmations are sent to the local (cantonal) registration office who mail then license plates and registration paper to the vendor who affixes the plates.
3) Make sure you paid. Pick up your car.

If selling or scrapping a vehicle: Return license plates and registration form to the registration office. Inform them in a short note what you did and what you want to happen to your plates (deposit temporarily or destroy). Again everything else happens in the background. The registration office will advise the insurance company. Taxes and other eventual annual fees will be automatically suspended.

One step better in the USA, at least in one respect: Whatever insurance you have, already covers your new vehicle for 30 days. You do have to pay retroactively when you add it to the policy, but it's covered the moment you drive away in your new car and you don't have to take care of it beforehand.

 

[nervus]

It's interesting that you need the license before you get insurance. Here, we can't get the car registered (or get license plates) until after we have insurance.

In the Netherlands insurance companies want to have the numbers on the license plates and VIN. Normally a speedy process, with Tesla a bit more difficult after multiple car thefts (model S and X) the past 2 years. They demand extra safety measures (above the Tesla ones).

 

[nervus]

Lots of cry babies. Chill. Everyone is excited as well they should be. Model 3 delivery is just BEGINNING in Europe. Cut Tesla some slack. Trust me...the car will be well worth the waiting and little frustration you may have. The car is extremely popular and when you take it home and it’s yours it will blow your mind. I have the P3D and my F80 BMW feels like an old piece of dinosaur garbage compared to the Tesla. I will never own ICE again. Put the big boy pants on and take a deep breathe....when you receive your cars all will be good. The car is incredible. Congrats to the new owners...

I can wait: no problem, doing so from april 2016. I just wanted to warn because of the totally different way things are done here in Europe. The people complaining now are almost all enthousiasts, "normal" customers will be less forgiving. Of course also messages were sent to Tesla.

 

[RubberToe]

Anyone surviving the European delivery hell definitely needs a nice road trip in their new Model 3 to unwind and relax. I recommend the following bar in Rothenburg ob den Tauber...

 

[Dana1]

The delivery of the M3 in Europe is currently somewhat chaotic. That is not a big problem, but a bit irritating.
The route to delivery is much more difficult: Tesla asks for the final payment to be made at the latest 7 days before delivery.
Of course I understand that it is easier and faster for the delivery process if the final sum is already credited. But the banking procedures (especially in the Netherlands, where I live) are fully automated and fast (fast as in: when I order to transfer 64,000 euros to the account of Tesla via the website of my bank, this amount is less than 15 minutes later in the bank account of Tesla).
Why do I have to hand over money so early, without the goods being transferred? Especially since I have now received a final bill with VIN but WITHOUT delivery date.
Because of the aforementioned chaos, telephone consultation with the delivery team is almost impossible (phone waiting times of more than 1 hour are not unusual at the moment).
Tesla has to do something about the following:

1. improved telephone accessibility
   
2. final account with VIN and fixed date for delivery
3. better take into account the peculiarities of the local payment methods

If they don't, it will bite them in the end

Texas has the same procedure. Here it’s because Tesla cannot technically sell in Texas. We pay beforehand so it’s “sold” in California and then shipped to Texas. Maybe it helps ensure folks show up for delivery?

 

[TeeEmCee]

Anyone surviving the European delivery hell definitely needs a nice road trip in their new Model 3 to unwind and relax. I recommend the following bar in Rothenburg ob den Tauber...

If the place is that good, it should be reserved for after the first service experience!

 

[nervus]

Texas has the same procedure. Here it’s because Tesla cannot technically sell in Texas. We pay beforehand so it’s “sold” in California and then shipped to Texas. Maybe it helps ensure folks show up for delivery?

If you signed a contract over here it is always binding: not showing up and not taking delivery without good legal reasons, would in the end mean a visit of the debt collector (which is a kind of civil servant) accompanied by the police. Before that it is always possible to seize bank deposits, salary etc. But this is all very off-topic

 

[Matias]

Is this a different paying process than with the S or X over in the EU?

When I bought my S in 2015 I was also asked to pay the car several days before I got I.

 

[SMAlset]

Saw this this morning and hopefully it will be good news for European car purchasers awaiting delivery:

Tesla ends contract to prepare Model 3 for delivery in Europe a week after first ship

I have to wonder how set up, trained and staffed is the Telsa staff over there to take on the delivery prep that was already planned to be done by others. Given the push right now for Tesla is getting these cars over there and into the hands of new owners (with de-emphasis here in the States), I can see why Elon was over there and unhappy. I would have thought however that the company contracted to do the prep from the docks was experienced and had worked for other companies doing this kind of work.

Having to prep/deliver ship loads of something like 3K cars all at once sounds way more hectic and complicated logistically to me than sending out trailers of maybe 8 cars from the factory to different delivery centers. I'd say patience is the going to be the word of the day.