Tesla backed my inventory P85D into a pole 5 minutes before delivery.. :(

[MsElectric]

What I meant to say is they had offered you a $1,600 credit for getting another inventory car delivered to you at no cost so you'd be asking them to apply that credit towards the car you found in addition to the $2,500 already provided. I can see this whole episode is a dead horse to you so good luck with whatever you decide.

No, they did NOT offer me $5000 in incentives. They offered me $2500 and compensation for the original $1650 transport fee I paid. So all things considered, it's a $2500 credit, not $5000. Also, since they don't have any inventory cars in region that match what I'm looking for (because they are overpriced and higher mileage), this $2500 credit would be used to transport the vehicle in region. So essentially it's $0 CREDIT. The only way it is a $2500 credit is if I buy a new car and wait another month or buy an in region inventory car (which is not available to the specs of my original purchase).

My time, energy and all this hassle is not worth $2500.. Basically an extra month wait (so 2+ months total). I moved out to Colorado for 2 months to enjoy this car, which is no longer happening.

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To be fair, all 21 pages (now going on 22) cover the last 3 days.

Good point but rather than offer the OP with a deal that made no sense to him they likely might have salvaged this sale if they started with what the OP would have considered reasonable and tried to find some fair middle ground for both parties. In any case I think this is dead for good.

I am sure Tesla will sell the P85D to a buyer who will be excited to have this car. And I hope they give the person who backed that car into a pole a desk job It's tough to justify that much damage when the car has a rear camera and ultrasonic sensors.

 

[Kingside]

To be fair, all 21 pages (now going on 22) cover the last 3 days.

I agree - why do I have to waste the last 5 days haggling and arguing to get a semi-fair proposal from them when they could have initially offered me a more appropriate deal.

To finalize this post, here are my recommendations for Tesla since Elon values negative criticism:

1) Always inform customers when they are buying an inventory car that if they ship it out of region they will need to coordinate the shipping and pay for it. Do this BEFORE THE SALE CLOSES.

2) If an accident like this does occur, offer the customer a FAIR deal. Not a low ball BS $1200 credit for service plans when you just wrecked his dream car which then pisses him off.

3) Don't force your customer to have to negotiate with you for 5 days to get a SEMI-FAIR proposal. You're dealing with customers who value their time, and don't want to be in constant communication with Tesla to haggle over $2500.

4) If you just wrecked his car, offer to ship an out of area inventory car FREE to the customer, not making him pay this fee with his $2500 credit that you just offered him.

5) I was not able to make use of any type of rental car paid by Tesla, even though that was part of the deal until I agreed to the terms. It took me several days to reach a conclusion and find out all details, so for the past week I've been without a car or rental.. which again pissed me off.

6) If a customer purchases an inventory car and wants it shipped out of area, don't make HIM personally responsible for trying to coordinate the transportation from one region to another. This was a nightmare for me and should have been handled exclusively by Tesla and your transportation companies.

7) Your inventory pricing is a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE and VERY SHADY. Why are you using outdated price quotes and list inflated prices which you now offer for free or at a super reduced cost? The "discount" you are claiming is completely false and the customer in many cases is better off buying a completely NEW car. This is very misleading and borderline unethical.

8) WTF is up with your backup sensors that can't sense a POLE? As pointed out, there was another person in this thread which this happened to under Tesla's watch. Clearly, there is something wrong with the back up sensors if Tesla's own employees are not able to successfully use the sensors to avoid hitting a HUGE POLE.

 

[MsElectric]

I've been on your side a lot as I felt bad for what you've been through but I think it is unreasonable for you to call what Tesla is doing with pricing "shady." That suggests they are hiding something or distorting something. Tesla has never told anyone that they offer "greatly reduced" pricing with inventory cars. They do advertise a discount from the vehicle's current pricing and the price of the car is clearly advertised. Now the price might be higher than what you and I may think is fair but that is not shady and Tesla can price them at whatever figure they want.

I do agree with you that based on current pricing most inventory pricing for both 85Ds and P85Ds makes no sense. The good thing is pricing is not set by Tesla but the market. We passed every single inventory car that was offered to us because the pricing made no sense. Some had options like rear facing seats, executive seats, or 21" wheels that we saw no value in and others were priced no better than a new car. They now have dozens of P85D inventory vehicles that are badly priced and sooner or later they will have to price them at a cost that will be acceptable to the market.

I 100% AGREE. The way they price their inventory cars is VERY shady. They claim large discounts which are not in fact accurate because many of the features are now included or are greatly reduced pricing. I mentioned this on the phone yesterday when speaking with Tesla, but they kind of brushed me off.

It's very hard to compare features and pricing. Basically you need to go to Tesla's website and put in the exact specification of the inventory to see what the REAL discount is. Many times, it's not much at all.

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I agree - why do I have to waste the last 5 days haggling and arguing to get a semi-fair proposal from them when they could have initially offered me a more appropriate deal.

Maybe this is something they will learn from.

I think they should have talked with you to find out from you what you'd consider fair and either made an offer that is at least close to what you felt was fair or just say sorry, here's your money back. There is no point in offering something you'd balk at...

With that said I am signing out of this thread. Good luck to you!

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I've been on your side a lot as I felt bad for what you've been through but I think it is unreasonable for you to call what Tesla is doing with pricing "shady." That suggests they are hiding something or distorting something. Tesla has never told anyone that they offer "greatly reduced" pricing with inventory cars. They do advertise a discount from the vehicle's current pricing and the price of the car is clearly advertised. Now the price might be higher than what you and I may think is fair but that is not shady and Tesla can price them at whatever figure they want.

I do agree with you that based on current pricing most inventory pricing for both 85Ds and P85Ds makes no sense. The good thing is pricing is not set by Tesla but the market. We passed every single inventory car that was offered to us because the pricing made no sense. Some had options like rear facing seats, executive seats, or 21" wheels that we saw no value in and others were priced no better than a new car. They now have dozens of P85D inventory vehicles that are badly priced and sooner or later they will have to price them at a cost that will be acceptable to the market.

I'm not sure you got his point about "shady" right? I understood it to mean, he thinks it is shady when the manufacturer lists inventory car discounts based on the original buying price of that car, instead of the current price of the same new car. I can at least see why he would consider it shady. The ethics and practicalities of it all are a bit too complex for me to form a coherent opinion, but I don't think it is impossible to see it as hiding or distorting the actual discount when it is the manufacturer itself doing this - the same party that at the same time controls and advertises new car prices.

Tesla is of course free to set any prices they want, so I'm only commenting on how I understood the OP - if Tesla advertises an inventory car as discounted compared to original pricing, not compared to current new car pricing, that could mislead the customer. I have no idea what or how Tesla actually advertises U.S. car prices, so I am just writing how I understood the OP.

 

[brianman]

Inventory adds nothing. Its a new car. But I understand, you want to defend Tesla in all circumstances.

I think you're off base in your last sentence. "Inventory" definitely adds clarity. (A) "Inventory" means "sold as new (never titled), but with mileage". That's quite different from (B) "built to spec, no* mileage".

With (A) you get a discount for mileage and age. With (B) you do not. There are other differences, such as what options you can reasonably offered if your car experiences damage prior to delivery.

* For the moment, let's not get into the weeds about the first <100 miles used to validate vehicles before delivering to customers.

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So because its your opinion that an inventory car is not a new car, you dictate that belief to all who read this forum.

You're out of line here again. The term "inventory" is Tesla's not dsm's.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Inventory adds nothing. Its a new car. But I understand, you want to defend Tesla in all circumstances.

I think you're off base in your last sentence. "Inventory" definitely adds clarity. (A) "Inventory" means "sold as new (never titled), but with mileage". That's quite different from (B) "built to spec, no* mileage".

With (A) you get a discount for mileage and age. With (B) you do not. There are other differences, such as what options you can reasonably offered if your car experiences damage prior to delivery.

* For the moment, let's not get into the weeds about the first <100 miles used to validate vehicles before delivering to customers.

I agree inventory is a useful distinction and that it is different from some mandatory test/transfer miles on a factory-ordered car. I'm not sure this applies to compensation on damage prior to delivery, though, if we talk about damage between the time of initiating purchase and title transfer like was in this case. Of course with an inventory car one must understand things can have happened it prior to initiating the purchase, the options and to a disclosed extent the condition of the car are set in stone, but what happens after that I don't see much different to a factory order - unless by more limited "options" you merely refer to the fact that the pool of inventory cars is always more limited, with which I of course agree.

What this thread became about to others, Electricfan included, was should moderators edit and/or even editorialize thread titles on TMC. Some feel there is a tendency to defend Tesla that distorts OP messages when doing so, hence that sub-thread.

 

[brianman]

The thread title could be interpreted as being contradictory: "brand new inventory"? Inventory cars are not "brand new".

Correct.

Inventory cars ... They are CPO cars.

Incorrect.

What Tesla calls "inventory" cars are legally "new" car sales as they have not been previously titled.
What Tesla calls "CPO" cars are legally "used" car sales as they have been previously titled.
Both may have "significant" mileage on them. Some would say "brand new" implies the absence of significant mileage. If you want to define "significant" in the phrase "significant mileage" w/r/t Tesla vehicles, please start a separate thread.

 

[ecarfan]

Thanks, but someone else corrected me on that many pages ago and I acknowledged my error many pages ago.
I am glad this thread seems to be winding down...I hope.

 

[brianman]

If the car had been driven 8,000 miles as a loaner and demo car but never titled you'd still consider that new? Most people think new means it's been driven maybe 50 miles for testing but is otherwise straight from the factory floor.

That fits with my definition of new. Anything else is "used" whether it be a loaner or cpo car.

Ditto. I'd also add the word "bargain" as well. Let me know if you find a P85D like that for sale.

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So I spoke to the regional manager and they offered me 2 years of service (value of $1200) and a rental car for the 3+ weeks until it's repaired.. I'm not at all happy with this compensation, considering the resale value on a car that has been in accident is going to drop the value significantly more than $1200. For those people who say it may not be on Carfax and therefore I don't have to disclose it to the person I'd later sell it to, let me tell you that's very unethical. If you were the one I sold it to in a few years, you would want to know that the car had the entire rear fender and trunk replaced. They did offer to give me an Enterprise rental car in the meantime while the car is getting fixed (they said there are no available Tesla's they can let me use).

Overall I'm completely pissed. I've heard some people in this forum say if I got a t-shirt I should be happy, but obviously this situation did not happen to you.

PS. This car cost me over $130,000 for an 'inventory' car! (incl. taxes).

Opinion: Pass on this car. Wait for another inventory. Even if this vehicle spit out $1000 in cash once a month from the glove compartment, you're already soured on it -- that won't go away. Find another Tesla; you'll be happier.

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To clarify, I spoke to Tesla today and they indeed agreed that I'm able to not take delivery of the car and have the funds reimbursed. They are sticking to the $1200 credit for future yearly service (2 yrs) and a rental car and reimbursement of the $1650 transportation cost I paid as their compensation, which I declined.

I'm considering ordering a new one.

If you buy a different (cpo, inventory or "custom order") vehicle, are they still offering you the $1200 credit towards service? If so, that's a good silver lining to attach to the vehicle you buy instead.

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I believe the depreciation due to this accident was approx. $5,000 - $10,000 in lost resell value, based on the fact that I would have to disclose this information to a future buyer. IF they would have offered that compensation I most likely would have take delivery.

I know you're still probably upset/raw with Tesla but, if you believe in Tesla and their goals... please pass along this feedback to them. If your tone comes across as "honest feedback to Tesla on the customer/buyer experience" rather than "haggling for the vehicle you were considering" then Tesla hopefully will take that feedback to heart for future transactions with customers -- which is good for the company as well as future customers.

 

[AMPUP]

Sorry for the OP's troubles.

However, I think someone owes me $2500 for reading 20+ pages on this subject [emoji3]

 

[brianman]

3) I can order another inventory Tesla in or out of region. They will give me a rental car until I get it. They will also comp me $1650 which was my initial transport fee and give me $2500 credit towards accessories or shipping an out of area inventory car.

If you opted for #3, how much time did Tesla allow for you to find an inventory car that you found acceptable? This could be a very powerful option if the window is 2 months.

 

[dsm363]

No, they did NOT offer me $5000 in incentives. They offered me $2500 and compensation for the original $1650 transport fee I paid. So all things considered, it's a $2500 credit, not $5000. Also, since they don't have any inventory cars in region that match what I'm looking for (because they are overpriced and higher mileage), this $2500 credit would be used to transport the vehicle in region. So essentially it's $0 CREDIT. The only way it is a $2500 credit is if I buy a new car and wait another month or buy an in region inventory car (which is not available to the specs of my original purchase).

My time, energy and all this hassle is not worth $2500.. Basically an extra month wait (so 2+ months total). I moved out to Colorado for 2 months to enjoy this car, which is no longer happening.

If you ordered a new car are they going to charge you the same ~$950 destination fee they charge everyone else? If not, then that is almost $1,000 on top of the $2,500. I'd say getting $3,500 off of a brand new Model S is a pretty good deal consider they car they wrecked technically wasn't yours yet (you never accepted delivery although I know you wired the money). No one else is getting that kind of discount on a new car. Even $2,500 off of a new car isn't bad on top of the free rental for a month while they build it. I know you don't like the deal they've offered you but all in all it's not bad. Look at it this way. Almost no one else has received $2,500 off of a new car from Tesla. The early adopters waited over 3 years and got a hat, coffee mug and remote control car for the wait along with some other items like that.

I agree with sleeping on it before turning it down. A month from now you might wish to order and wouldn't have that discount.

 

[Jhall118]

Seriously, my previous inventory car had previous damage and repair. I got nothing for it! I get that waiting two weeks sucks, but all-in-all, I am not sure what the concern is about.

If you want pristine and new, then buy a new car! The fact that they are giving you a rental and a credit is insane in my opinion. It's not like Tesla can't just tell you to pound sand, and immediately sell that car to someone else who won't care. I'm really struggling to see the injustice here. There's no other car like it. I see a strange disconnect between "spending a month finding the best deal on a low mileage inventory car" and "It's not worth my time dealing with all this and waiting for a new car to be built while I drive a free rental". My brand new factory built P85D was 119k, and has everything I wanted.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Seriously, my previous inventory car had previous damage and repair. I got nothing for it! I get that waiting two weeks sucks, but all-in-all, I am not sure what the concern is about.

If you want pristine and new, then buy a new car! The fact that they are giving you a rental and a credit is insane in my opinion. It's not like Tesla can't just tell you to pound sand, and immediately sell that car to someone else who won't care. I'm really struggling to see the injustice here. There's no other car like it. I see a strange disconnect between "spending a month finding the best deal on a low mileage inventory car" and "It's not worth my time dealing with all this and waiting for a new car to be built while I drive a free rental". My brand new factory built P85D was 119k, and has everything I wanted.

Arguably prior damage and repair on an inventory car is different, though, from damage caused to an inventory car between the sale commitment and the delivery - latter was the case here. Compensation for the difference between what was agreed to (product and timing wise) seems quite reasonable. Tesla couldn't deliver the car in the condition it was agreed to be bought in, at the agreed time, so compensation was negotiated. In the end, Tesla's compensation offer IMO was fair of course - as was OPs choice to decline. I hope both parties find each other in a future and I'm fairly certain they will. Too bad this time they couldn't get it together fast and good enough for both.

 

[stevej119]

I agree - why do I have to waste the last 5 days haggling and arguing to get a semi-fair proposal from them when they could have initially offered me a more appropriate deal.

To finalize this post, here are my recommendations for Tesla since Elon values negative criticism:


8) WTF is up with your backup parking sensors that can't sense a POLE? As pointed out, there was another person in this thread which this happened to under Tesla's watch. Clearly, there is something wrong with the back up sensors if Tesla's own employees are not able to successfully use the sensors to avoid hitting a HUGE POLE.

Without reading through all 24 pages, I believe I'm the other person you're referring to. I think there's a reason they call them "parking sensors" and not "backup sensors." As I mentioned in my post, I believe the function of these sensors is to let you know how close you are to the car you already know is there. When you're backing out of a diagonal or perpendicular parking space you're doing it at a much greater speed than you're traveling while moving between cars in a parallel parking maneuver. At anything other than "parallel parking" speeds, I can easily see how you would not have time to hit the brake pedal before impact after hearing the chime alert.

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7) Your inventory pricing is a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE and VERY SHADY. Why are you using outdated price quotes and list inflated prices which you now offer for free or at a super reduced cost? The "discount" you are claiming is completely false and the customer in many cases is better off buying a completely NEW car. This is very misleading and borderline unethical.

This cuts both ways. I've received quotes on inventory 85D's where the price was based on a $4000.00 upgrade for Dual Motors after the price had already been raised to $5000.00. Agreed, Tesla should base the pricing on current pricing which would net them MORE dollars in some cases and LESS in others. I don't believe, though, that there's anything shady about it.

 

[dean1013]

Bummer! I was rear-ended by someone texting and driving 4 days after I picked up my 70D. 4 DAYS... then 10 days in the repair shop. This was after waiting 2 weeks for my car because my original 70D was "scrapped" after they finished production. Sucks but I feel your pain.

 

[laorient]

Bummer! I was rear-ended by someone texting and driving 4 days after I picked up my 70D. 4 DAYS... then 10 days in the repair shop. This was after waiting 2 weeks for my car because my original 70D was "scrapped" after they finished production. Sucks but I feel your pain.

That's pretty unlucky for you. Hope you will cruise smoothly with your 70D in the years to come.

 

[lagann]

Even if Tesla replace the panels, getting the paint to exactly match could be an issue as the new panels will of necessity likely be painted at a different time and from different paint stock. A discount in the order of a demonstrator (so you can still claim the tax incentives) would seem appropriate, or just wait for a new car.

Uhhh, are you sure? I had my entire hood repainted and it matches absolutely perfectly. No one would ever be able to tell.

 

[perkiset]

^^ +1. The paint will be perfect. This is not Earl Sheib we're talking about here ... it's a car fresh off the line.

I actually can't believe this thread is still active. Unless Tesla comes up with a ridiculously generous amount in compensation (which is not fair given the damage) the OP will not be happy. Refuse it and move on. The "sp tired of negotiating with telsa" post simply points out that they're not going to be able to make you happy. I understand. But move on.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Uhhh, are you sure? I had my entire hood repainted and it matches absolutely perfectly. No one would ever be able to tell.

People's ability tell apart re-painted portions of a car varies hugely. Some people are unbelievably good at it, while average folks like myself would never see the difference in a professional paint result. It may have something to do with different kinds of eyes.

I have had cars with damage fixed, very happy never could tell it apart and then have some guy ask, what happened here later down the road. It is amazing, really, how good some are at it.