[Resolved]Tesla won't let me keep charger, claiming restricted

[ucmndd]

Uh... no. I know we're arguing definitions but a charger, to me, is the device that's doing the rectification & voltage conversions if required. An isolation contactor is not a charger. Nor is a pilot signal generator.

If it’s all in a metal box that Tesla calls a “charger”, which they replace as an entire assembly, does it matter?

You’re right, arguing semantics is silly - I’m just trying to explain why your initial post was met with disagree ratings.

 

[sandpiper]

If it’s all in a metal box that Tesla calls a “charger”, which they replace as an entire assembly, does it matter?

You’re right, arguing semantics is silly - I’m just trying to explain why your initial post was met with disagree ratings.

Okay... fair enough.

 

[ucmndd]

Back on topic, for others that may be facing similar situations:

In California, shops are only required to give your original parts back if you ask for them at the time of service write up. Don’t forget!

A Consumer's Guide to Automotive Repair in California

 

[MP3Mike]

Maybe they call it a charger because it's easier to rationalize charging $2600 for it, than if they just told you that the high voltage fuse blew.

Our maybe they call it the charger because when the car is hooked to AC it is the charger that does the rectification.

 

[buzescu]

I guarantee u there is a fuse. That's why there are 2 of them. If the DC is going directly to the battery then there is nothing to break, nothing to replace. Even if another component is broken it is under 50 bucks. There is a lot of labor to get there, I get it and that they should charge for however per hour they charge. But to ask 2500 for a bad component this cheap is sad. Also they repair them guaranteed. This is from now on like repairing a TV in the old times. It is all electric or electronics. Back to the Future . You will be taking your car to the TV repair shops from now on, I will not be surprised.

 

[Max*]

I see the car is inside the building, they told me they'd call me to give me an exact price before starting work (not that it really changes anything)...

Texted Tesla, no response.
Called Tesla, they said they don't know the status of the car, but they'll leave a message for my service adviser to reach out to me.
Asked when the manager will call me, they said they'll leave him a note/message.

I'll update the thread once I hear anything back, probably tomorrow as they close soon.

 

[PhilDavid]

Believe you are right, but that Tesla is doing a good thing by trying to keep these items out of the hands of DIY hacks that may do damage experimenting with them for various purposes.

Maybe there is some technology inside that they wish to not get into the hands of competitors etc.

They may also want that part back to examine it and determine what made it fail. Would give them additional information to build better parts in the future.

What are you planning to do with that used part that makes you hesitant to return it to Tesla?

Is there really *anything* that Tesla does that you disagree with?

 

[sandpiper]

Our maybe they call it the charger because when the car is hooked to AC it is the charger that does the rectification.

There is an actual charger in the car of course. But it’s only used when charging on AC. The supercharger puts out DC. The rectifier is in the SC.

 

[whitex]

You may wish to read the statement below again:

59.1-207.4. Offer to return replaced parts required; customer's right to inspect parts.

An automobile repair facility shall offer at the time the repair work is authorized to return to the customer any parts which are removed from the motor vehicle and replaced during the process of repair; provided that any part which is required to be returned to a manufacturer or distributor under a warranty agreement, trade-in agreement or core charge agreement for a reconditioned part need not be returned to the customer. If the customer wishes the return of replaced parts subject to core charge or other trade-in agreements, customer agrees to pay the facility the additional core charge or other trade-in fee. The customer retains the right to inspect requested returned parts even if custody is refused.​

A manufacturer or distributor of automotive parts can require the repair facility to return the original failed part to them as part of a warranty agreement, trade-in agreement or core charge agreement. This is a deal between the part maker or distributor and the repair facility independent of any agreement between car maker and the customer. As long as the part newly installed in the car can be considered a "reconditioned part" then the return is not required.

In this case, Tesla as the distributor of the repair parts can require the service center (also owned by Tesla) to return the parts to Tesla.

In which case the service center needs to negotiate with the customer who paid and owns the part. Out of warranty repairs are not part of any warranty agreements, and there is no trade-in or core charge agreement between Tesla and the owner, so it would be stupid to make service centers responsible for stealing the parts from the owners to return them to Tesla (which is what happens if the owner pays for a new part and replacement, requests the old part back but service center sends it to Tesla instead).

 

[whitex]

The "warranty" in question is not the one Tesla offered to you, but rather the internal "warranty" that the part manufacturer offered to Tesla as the OEM. If Tesla so chooses, they can use this language to try and deny you the return of the part.

The sentence previously highlighted can be parsed multiple ways, but the plain language of the legal requirement does not specify that the

• warranty agreement
• trade in agreement, or the
• core charge agreement for a reconditioned part

must be between the OEM and the customer. So Tesla can certainly argue that, and the customer can sue if they disagree.

No agreement with customer and customer couldn't careless what agreements Tesla made with whom. It's like refusing to pay Tesla for the car because you say you have an agreement with the bank to pay for your mortgage instead (since you don't have money to pay for both) - Tesla would not be obligated to honor that and let you keep the car. Or better yet, can I go to Tesla and say I have an agreement with my wife to swap her Model S to a new one every month for free, and because Tesla sold me her car, they now have to honor the agreement I made with my wife?

Agreements which you are not a part of (i.e. did not enter the agreement) do not obligate you, how is this a difficult concept to understand?

 

[MP3Mike]

There is an actual charger in the car of course. But it’s only used when charging on AC. The supercharger puts out DC. The rectifier is in the SC.

No it is actively in use during Supercharging, but it isn't doing the rectifying. And it is exposed to the HV on both it's input and output.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Is there really *anything* that Tesla does that you disagree with?

Phil. Sometimes I feel that way. With so much negativity and combative posting, most of the times I tend to try to balance it out with something positive. I am greatly outnumbered

 

[Russell]

If someone repaired the charger and installed it in a non Tesla EV, would they get Supercharger access???

 

[Max*]

Gotta love Tesla service. Uber credits expire today, my car will only be ready on Monday morning according to the app (cool new feature).

Asked for the manager to call me 3 times so far
Texted them 3 times
Called them about a half dozen times this morning

No one picks up, no one responds, no one calls back, and mail box is full and not accepting new voicemails.

 

[ACA Man]

Gotta love Tesla service. Uber credits expire today, my car will only be ready on Monday morning according to the app (cool new feature).

Asked for the manager to call me 3 times so far
Texted them 3 times
Called them about a half dozen times this morning

No one picks up, no one responds, no one calls back, and mail box is full and not accepting new voicemails.

And yet, there’s still people defending Tesla.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Gotta love Tesla service. Uber credits expire today, my car will only be ready on Monday morning according to the app (cool new feature).

Asked for the manager to call me 3 times so far
Texted them 3 times
Called them about a half dozen times this morning

No one picks up, no one responds, no one calls back, and mail box is full and not accepting new voicemails.

For some, it appears Tesla service has gone from being super personal and concerned about the experience to complete crap.

 

[tinm]

You're correct this is illegal. If they aren't buying the old hardware back from you, they have to give it back when you ask. It's yours, you already own it. You'll get back a working car and a broken charger probably just wrapped in a bag lying in the trunk.

Well, I once had a supercharging problem. Took it to a service center (San Diego), and they did all sorts of diagnostics and were stumped. So they replaced every single component, from the chargeport, to the charger, to the high voltage DC boxes, all kinds of boxes, everything in the chain all the way to the battery -- including the high voltage cables. One by one they replaced these components, reinstalled firmware, rebooted, took like an hour for each task, and several days to do the whole job, until they discovered the flaw. Which was in one component. They let me keep all of the other new components. I basically got an entirely new charging system, including new chargeport.

But they didn't give me any parts. I suspect they'd have been worth a lot of money. Hmm.

 

[TonyT]

Real time response to SC is gone.. The automated chatbot will get examined... I left my garage remote in loaner, and had to talk to chat bot.. They did find and hold my remote for me, and I was able to get it back once I arrived at center. Service level is still ok, communicating is a huge challenge.

 

[Max*]

I'll give credit where it's due. I reached out to a Sr. Service Advisor in CA whose email I had (he reached out to me a year ago about my review of their communications issues).

He responded right away (on a Saturday morning at 9AM PST). I assume thanks to him (I don't really believe in coincidences) I now have an Uber voucher.

Still waiting for the manager to call, but hey, something is better than nothing!

 

[Max*]

Well, I once had a supercharging problem. Took it to a service center (San Diego), and they did all sorts of diagnostics and were stumped. So they replaced every single component, from the chargeport, to the charger, to the high voltage DC boxes, all kinds of boxes, everything in the chain all the way to the battery -- including the high voltage cables. One by one they replaced these components, reinstalled firmware, rebooted, took like an hour for each task, and several days to do the whole job, until they discovered the flaw. Which was in one component. They let me keep all of the other new components. I basically got an entirely new charging system, including new chargeport.

But they didn't give me any parts. I suspect they'd have been worth a lot of money. Hmm.

What did you pay for though? Anything?

If you paid for every component they tried to replace, then hell yeah, you should have kept the parts. If they goodwilled everything, then that's a different story.