Service center not covering the loaner car rental... any idea/suggestion?

[Nomad_in_US]

Hi all,

I was involved in a small (perhaps not so small) accident with the car on a curb and it is now required to be sent to a third party body shop. When I visited the service center (which is 100 miles away from where I live) to drop of my car, the service center arranged a rental car from enterprise for me. However, now they are saying that since the car is no longer at their service center. I have to pay for the rental car for the remaining or I have to return it tomorrow from now... I wonder whether there is a way to convince them to cover the rental until I have my car back from the repair... Any suggestion?

Thank you all in advance!

 

[tstolze]

Why would you expect them to cover it?
It's on you or your insurance to take care of a rental due to an accident.

 

[Nickage87]

What did they tell you when they gave you the loaner car? Was it something like this car can be used while your car is being repaired? If so verbal agreement has a power of contract.

 

[Nomad_in_US]

Why would you expect them to cover it?
It's on you or your insurance to take care of a rental due to an accident.

I wasn't, but they told me they would provide one free of charge to me while my car is being repaired. That's sort of the only reason I took the rental car.

What did they tell you when they gave you the loaner car? Was it something like this car can be used while your car is being repaired? If so verbal agreement has a power of contract.

They said it only verbally. I wasn't vigilant enough to make a recording or have them write it down on a paper, so I don't know what's the best course of action is right now.

 

[Nickage87]

I wasn't, but they told me they would provide one free of charge to me while my car is being repaired. That's sort of the only reason I took the rental car.
You don't need recording or anything. If they said so tell them what they said originally.


They said it only verbally. I wasn't vigilant enough to make a recording or have them write it down on a paper, so I don't know what's the best course of action is right now.

 

[danarcha]

Typically dealerships (yeah, I know Tesla doesn't have dealerships but I don't know what else to call them) only provide a rental car or loaner car when they are performing warrenty repairs. I've never heard of the dealership providing you with transportation due to you being in an accident. Typically your insurance would provide that if your coverage includes it.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Typically dealerships (yeah, I know Tesla doesn't have dealerships but I don't know what else to call them) only provide a rental car or loaner car when they are performing warrenty repairs. I've never heard of the dealership providing you with transportation due to you being in an accident. Typically your insurance would provide that if your coverage includes it.

Same impression I had. Rental cars are typically covered by insurance in accidents. Loaners by the dealer is only provided as a convenience for work done by the dealer (although to be fair, not necessarily just warranty work; maintenance or other paid fixes unrelated to accidents, also most dealers will provide a loaner if they have available).

 

[Nomad_in_US]

update 1: so I contacted Tesla and it seems that they are willing to have me return the rental at my village and then cover the cost of a different rental when the repair is done (so i can get to the Tesla service center to pick up).

Thanks to everyone bearing with my complaints XD (This has been quite stressful)

 

[JayNJ]

Hi all,

I was involved in a small (perhaps not so small) accident with the car on a curb and it is now required to be sent to a third party body shop. When I visited the service center (which is 100 miles away from where I live) to drop of my car, the service center arranged a rental car from enterprise for me. However, now they are saying that since the car is no longer at their service center. I have to pay for the rental car for the remaining or I have to return it tomorrow from now... I wonder whether there is a way to convince them to cover the rental until I have my car back from the repair... Any suggestion?

Thank you all in advance!

Really you shouldn't have gotten a loaner car at all. They should be only for warranty work and are a courtesy and not even guaranteed for that. Your insurance should cover a rental car up to the policy limit (usually a dollar amount per day and up to 30 days).

 

[Sam1]

your insurance company covers rental expenses if it was in an accident, and you have rental coverage. or, if it is someone else's fault, their insurance will cover it.

if Tesla gave you a rental or a loaner car, it was a good will gesture and nothing they were required to do.

 

[Huskyfan]

Typically dealerships (yeah, I know Tesla doesn't have dealerships but I don't know what else to call them) only provide a rental car or loaner car when they are performing warrenty repairs. I've never heard of the dealership providing you with transportation due to you being in an accident. Typically your insurance would provide that if your coverage includes it.

Actually my BMW i3 was rear ended and ended up needing a new bumper and rear quarter panel. I did not have rental reimbursement on my insurance so BMW provided me with a loaner for the SIX weeks it took to repair. To add insult to injury, the dude had no insurance (but i did have uninsured motorist coverage). Glad my insurance covered it; 6500 bucks to repair.

It was at a body shop that the local BMW dealer recommended. Great work performed by the way. BMW service was always impressive, although often slow (this repair took special adhesive, only available from BMW Germany, to adhere the plastic body panels to the carbon fiber chassis members).

 

[CF2020]

Doesn't your insurance cover a loaner car?

 

[silvers]

I’m fed up with this since I paid for 8 years of maintenance. It is not acceptable to take Uber or somehow arrange my own transportation. This is not what I signed up for. I receive this message a day before my service appointmen.

Hello! Just a courtesy reminder, you have your appointment tomorrow. If more than 30 minutes late we will need to reschedule your appointment as we have appointments every 15 minutes. Please be aware our waiting area, restrooms and showroom floor is closed to the public. As we schedule our daily workload based on items within each appointment, we are unable to address any additional items outside of your currently scheduled visit. Per Tesla's policy on alternate transportation - we can provide UBER vouchers to and from the service center ($100 per day). Please make sure to download/update the UBER app. If you are not comfortable with using UBER, please plan and arrange transportation for yourself. Thank you for your time!

 

[YusufT]

Typically dealerships (yeah, I know Tesla doesn't have dealerships but I don't know what else to call them)

service centres or showrooms?

I’m fed up with this since I paid for 8 years of maintenance. It is not acceptable to take Uber or somehow arrange my own transportation. This is not what I signed up for. I receive this message a day before my service appointmen.

Yeah I get annoyed when my service centre tells me to take an uber. How hard is it not to sell a couple vehicles that are trade ins (used) to use as loaners. I told them I’m uncomfortable taking an uber with covid but they gave zero shits. I had a couple errands to run but refused to uber everywhere so I didn’t end up doing them.

 

[Candleflame]

Typically dealerships (yeah, I know Tesla doesn't have dealerships but I don't know what else to call them) only provide a rental car or loaner car when they are performing warrenty repairs. I've never heard of the dealership providing you with transportation due to you being in an accident. Typically your insurance would provide that if your coverage includes it.

tesla doesnt even provide rentals/loaners when doing warranty repairs. at least not in australia.

 

[smatthew]

I’m fed up with this since I paid for 8 years of maintenance. It is not acceptable to take Uber or somehow arrange my own transportation. This is not what I signed up for. I receive this message a day before my service appointmen.

You're in a model 3 forum. How did you pay for 8 years of maintenance?

 

[Knightshade]

service centres or showrooms?

Yeah I get annoyed when my service centre tells me to take an uber. How hard is it not to sell a couple vehicles that are trade ins (used) to use as loaners.

Given demand for the cars remains much higher than supply, and they'd need more than "a couple" for any but the most remote/unused service centers- pretty hard.

Legacy auto can do a loaner fleet because they usually have months of spare inventory sitting around not doing much (plus the dealers make much of their profit on service visits). That isn't the case with Tesla on either side of things.

 

[YusufT]

Given demand for the cars remains much higher than supply, and they'd need more than "a couple" for any but the most remote/unused service centers- pretty hard.

Legacy auto can do a loaner fleet because they usually have months of spare inventory sitting around not doing much (plus the dealers make much of their profit on service visits). That isn't the case with Tesla on either side of things.

As I mentioned it doesn’t have to be new, a used trade in would make more sense. Here in Canada they dismantled their used car system, they auction most of it off and barely get what they’re worth anyways. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have a loaner for every customer, but having SOMETHING is better than nothing. Perhaps you can book your appointments with a requirement of a loaner and if I have to wait longer then I will. Anyways, my two cents.

 

[dmurphy]

So … first and foremost, if it’s accident damage, that should be between you and the insurance company. That’s not really a Tesla thing.
Now that said … I really like the policy our service center uses.

Same day service = Uber credits. Overnight work = loaner.

I’ve actually turned down a loaner because I didn’t need it - as long as I can drop off the night before, I’m good - it’s not far so my wife can follow me. Loaners are a shared commodity - I’d rather save for people who need them.