Strange New Inventory (model S) Experience

[davidmpatterson]

Hi all!

Finally have the $ to delve into the Tesla Model S experience. However, when searching for "the right one", (which I found to be on the other side of the country from me - I'm in California, "the right one" is on the east coast), I found that Tesla could not/would not ship it here (note that not only am I in California, but I live 15 miles from where that car was most likely built: Fremont), and they are actively pushing me toward other (non-free supercharging, and latest models of) cars that I'm looking for.

Is it not possible [anywhere?] to get cars from other localities? Am I constrained to only that which is available [very close] nearby?

Thanks for any/all info!

-= Dave =-

 

[neroden]

You can get cars from other localities but yo u probably have to drive it back.

Honestly your best bet for used Teslas is to buy private party -- Tesla is a pain in the butt to deal with.

Inventory is a crapshoot. If you want new, your best bet is a custom order.

 

[stitt1974]

I purchased an inventory car from out of state. My local sales rep provided a list of inventory cars with the options I wanted and I selected the one that I wanted. In my case the car was in St. Louis and I am in Ohio. I got it within a week.

 

[Simon21]

Send me a private message. I'll tell you how to get that car. They're lying. They tried that with me too

 

[BPeter]

They give you a very tough time shipping inventory cars near the end of the quarter as they want them sold before the end of the quarter and they can only be officially sold when you take delivery.

 

[ucmndd]

They give you a very tough time shipping inventory cars near the end of the quarter as they want them sold before the end of the quarter and they can only be officially sold when you take delivery.

This. If they can’t get the car here before July 1 and you won’t go pick it up yourself they will aggressively steer you to other cars. Even if it means lying.

That said, is the $2k they’re gonna charge you to ship it really worth not entertaining other cars or flying out to get it yourself?

 

[BPeter]

This. If they can’t get the car here before July 1 and you won’t go pick it up yourself they will aggressively steer you to other cars. Even if it means lying.

That said, is the $2k they’re gonna charge you to ship it really worth not entertaining other cars or flying out to get it yourself?

An option that I took is to convince them to allow a 3rd party shipper to pick it up on your behalf. They're a bit hesitant to do this since if anything happens during shipping it's not a good customer experience and also a warning about that is Tesla is off the hook once it gets picked up. Any damage will be between the buyer and the shipper where if Tesla ships it you can always refuse delivery if any damage during shipping.

I took the risk and thankfully had no issue with my shipper. It also cost me $1100 vs the $2000 Tesla was going to charge me.

But yeah they will most definitely lie about things trying to get you to take delivery of ANY car before the quarter ends.

 

[Grayhawk12]

A fellow Tesla owner shared a link (www.EV-CPO.COM) where you can view current inventory of new and used Tesla vehicles. I used this to identify specific cars with color/options/features/location/discount %/price I was interested in. From the EV-CPO site, you can click on a link that takes you to the car on Tesla's site (I chatted with sales online to confirm specific VINs were available & location). When I conducted a test drive at the local retailer, I gave the sales guy specific VINs to pull up. I was able to locate a Model S with an 18% discount in Los Angeles (vs same models with 0 - 10 % discount nearby states or across the country). I submitted my deposit on June 7th and took delivery on June 15th in Tempe AZ. Shipping was free and I included shipping cost as a parameter when I selected cars.

One bit of advice - I selected a vehicle with Enhanced Autopilot (EAP - $5k option) because the sales guy indicated an upgrade to Full Self-Driving(FSD) would be between $1k-$3K. During the purchase process, you manage the car transaction through Tesla account. Prior to delivery there is a reference to FSD about the features, but not the upgrade cost. At time of delivery I was asking the delivery manager on cost and he indicated they review on a car by car basis to determine the upgrade cost. After delivery (6/17), the FSD option is now available for full price of $6000. If I would have know the cost was $6k, I could of found a vehicle with FSD for $3k more on EV-CPO.COM.

 

[EV-CPO]

Nice deal and great car @Grayhawk12 !! Congrats!

 

[NickleNiceness]

Unless the car on the East Coast is such a unicorn or such a deal you will never see again, I'd wait. I'm on the east coast and paid the 2K to ship a west coast car, as I found the east coast cars where far higher priced as well as much more limited in selection. I'd worry about paying a third party for shipping, as you would need to commit to the car - buy it - to ship it. If it arrives and in terrible shape, it is yours. Where if you pick up at a service center, you can demand to look at before signing the paperwork and walk if it is not up to your expectations. Lately the inventory on ev-cpo shows tesla has tightened the faucet on used car sales, but stuff still come in and out of inventory all the time. With out knowing your budget or what you are looking for, it;s hard to be more specific. There is a price point where model 3 is a better deal than model s or x, but once again, depends on your price point and interests lay.

 

[BPeter]

Unless the car on the East Coast is such a unicorn or such a deal you will never see again, I'd wait. I'm on the east coast and paid the 2K to ship a west coast car, as I found the east coast cars where far higher priced as well as much more limited in selection. I'd worry about paying a third party for shipping, as you would need to commit to the car - buy it - to ship it. If it arrives and in terrible shape, it is yours. Where if you pick up at a service center, you can demand to look at before signing the paperwork and walk if it is not up to your expectations. Lately the inventory on ev-cpo shows tesla has tightened the faucet on used car sales, but stuff still come in and out of inventory all the time. With out knowing your budget or what you are looking for, it;s hard to be more specific. There is a price point where model 3 is a better deal than model s or x, but once again, depends on your price point and interests lay.

Don't forget there is a 7 day return policy so as long as the car is picked up and delivered within 7 days (I got mine in 5) you can still return it if it's not good. You can also fly out there and inspect the car before taking delivery and handing it off to a shipper.
But yeah, only do this if the car is a perfect match for what you want and it's a very insanely good deal.