My first experience with a Tesla Model S. Not everything is always perfect!
How to destroy the ownership Tesla experience.
So I recently decided to take the plunge and buy a Model S Tesla. This would be the most expensive car I have ever purchased. So I started looking at preowned and when a lease takeover came available I did my math and thought this 2016 Model S (new body) was a great buy. I told the guy I would buy out the lease rather than take the lease over. Small issue, I am in Toronto and the lease holder is in Montreal. Not a huge problem and can be handled. I borrowed a dealer plate from a friend in the car business, flew to Montreal and would drive home in the new acquisition.
So the lease holder contacted Tesla Finance about me buying out the lease. They told him that only another car company can purchase the car if it was not him. So I had my friends company buy the car and I will give him a nominal fee for doing the transaction. We agreed and I had to do all the legwork, paperwork and the drive back from Montreal.
So now we wait for the paperwork from Tesla Finance. It arrives and the lease holder and the car company director have to sign the forms and send them back. All done within an hour. Then payment. Here is where I knew I was heading into a deep tunnel of trouble. So I asked if I could wire transfer the money for the transaction. This is the buyout value plus sales tax so a large sum of money. The rep from Tesla Finance said they don’t accept wire transfers… I asked if this was 2018 and I have never heard of a modern company not accepting bank wire transfers. I was told that Tesla Finance is a small company and they don’t do it. She requested a certified draft which was made and sent overnight that Tesla Finance had at their office according to the tracking at 9:54 am Friday the 1st of September local time. So why they don’t have a Finance office in Canada is my first question as licensing in every state along with every province in Canada is different but that is what Tesla has set up.
Here is where it becomes just deplorable…. So I called Tesla Finance to make sure the draft was fine and they have received it after I have seen online a signature of receipt. The response was it may be here but the mail room will deliver it when they do, we do have a large campus. So it was Labour day weekend in both countries approaching at the end of business that day so I wanted this to go smoothly. After sending a copy of the payment and the tracking info to the lease holder, I flew to Montreal on the Friday with the dealer plates and picked up the car to drive to Toronto… about a 6 and a half hour journey with the supercharging stops, just the drive.
The drive was fine and when I got home, the dealer plate had to be retuned to the car place so they could use it for their business. The car was sent with the plate to the dealer for certification ( a must for any car coming from another province to be licenced). He called me Tuesday and said the certifcation is complete and could we park the car in my garage until the ownership is granted by Tesla Finance, so it doesn't get accidentally hit on his car lot. Tuesday night the car was parked in my garage and I took him back to his place of business with his pate in my car being traded in. I emailed to my contact at Tesla Finance who claimed the draft still had not hit her desk. I asked her to track it down within their office and lets get this process going, Wednesday later in the day in Toronto, I received an email that the draft has been deposited and it should take between 48 and 72 hours for this to be posted to the lease account and then the lien can be removed to provide a clear title to the car. At that point they will contact Tesla Toronto for the ownership presentation, app installation and any questions to be answered.
So my first response to the email was why did it take 5 days for certified funds just to be deposited? This is a useless delay and my new acquisition is sitting in the garage and now with the timing provided, the ownership would not be until next week. She said we are a small company and rules and regulations provided have to followed. She will try and expedite the process. Friday afternoon I receive an email that the posting to the lease account has not been done as of yet as she will keep an eye out for it and then remove the lien and offer the ownership so I can have the car licenced. So during this time, the car is still being insured by the lease holder, it is being insured by me as its in my garage and I am paying for my old car which has not been turned in yet because I would have no car. So in my return email to her on Friday I suggested that a wire transfer would have had the cleared funds in the account on the previous Friday and her clearing of the lien could have been completed along with the delivery of the ownership. I asked to be kept informed as I would like to drive the car this weekend and send my old car back. Of course, no email with any update. So the cost of carrying the 2 cars rather than the one is about $500 for the week insuring both. Tesla finance just doesn’t care about the customer. To make matters worse, the car is sitting in my garage all cleaned and polished, certified and ready to be licenced but no ownership 8 days later and the weekend is here. No email updating me on the status of this transaction so I can only assume nothing has been done.
So I am wrong by thinking the whole joy of the new acquisition of the new most expensive car I have ever bought is totally out the door? This is so frustrating and seeing the car daily makes it so much worse just sitting there. My experience with Tesla Financing is nothing but disgraceful and everyone should know how they treat people. Thoughts of selling this car have crossed my mind so many times in the last couple of days from the frustration and the stupidity of Tesla Finance. I just hope customer service is better than this.
I have sent the story to Elon Musk via twitter and Facebook which sends a message through Google and have no response. This is just insane. I have never heard of a business that has a rather large sum of money in a certified draft sit around for 5 days without being deposited. The lack of attention and care to this file is just incomprehensible. It has been nothing but a nightmare and totally unacceptable.
I was wondering if I am alone in having issues with Tesla Finance or is this to be expected from what seems to be the most unorganized business trying to please high end customers….. so far the experience has been just horrific! And most important, no ownership for my paid for car 8 days later and no driving the car because it remains without a licence plate.
How to destroy the ownership Tesla experience.
So I recently decided to take the plunge and buy a Model S Tesla. This would be the most expensive car I have ever purchased. So I started looking at preowned and when a lease takeover came available I did my math and thought this 2016 Model S (new body) was a great buy. I told the guy I would buy out the lease rather than take the lease over. Small issue, I am in Toronto and the lease holder is in Montreal. Not a huge problem and can be handled. I borrowed a dealer plate from a friend in the car business, flew to Montreal and would drive home in the new acquisition.
So the lease holder contacted Tesla Finance about me buying out the lease. They told him that only another car company can purchase the car if it was not him. So I had my friends company buy the car and I will give him a nominal fee for doing the transaction. We agreed and I had to do all the legwork, paperwork and the drive back from Montreal.
So now we wait for the paperwork from Tesla Finance. It arrives and the lease holder and the car company director have to sign the forms and send them back. All done within an hour. Then payment. Here is where I knew I was heading into a deep tunnel of trouble. So I asked if I could wire transfer the money for the transaction. This is the buyout value plus sales tax so a large sum of money. The rep from Tesla Finance said they don’t accept wire transfers… I asked if this was 2018 and I have never heard of a modern company not accepting bank wire transfers. I was told that Tesla Finance is a small company and they don’t do it. She requested a certified draft which was made and sent overnight that Tesla Finance had at their office according to the tracking at 9:54 am Friday the 1st of September local time. So why they don’t have a Finance office in Canada is my first question as licensing in every state along with every province in Canada is different but that is what Tesla has set up.
Here is where it becomes just deplorable…. So I called Tesla Finance to make sure the draft was fine and they have received it after I have seen online a signature of receipt. The response was it may be here but the mail room will deliver it when they do, we do have a large campus. So it was Labour day weekend in both countries approaching at the end of business that day so I wanted this to go smoothly. After sending a copy of the payment and the tracking info to the lease holder, I flew to Montreal on the Friday with the dealer plates and picked up the car to drive to Toronto… about a 6 and a half hour journey with the supercharging stops, just the drive.
The drive was fine and when I got home, the dealer plate had to be retuned to the car place so they could use it for their business. The car was sent with the plate to the dealer for certification ( a must for any car coming from another province to be licenced). He called me Tuesday and said the certifcation is complete and could we park the car in my garage until the ownership is granted by Tesla Finance, so it doesn't get accidentally hit on his car lot. Tuesday night the car was parked in my garage and I took him back to his place of business with his pate in my car being traded in. I emailed to my contact at Tesla Finance who claimed the draft still had not hit her desk. I asked her to track it down within their office and lets get this process going, Wednesday later in the day in Toronto, I received an email that the draft has been deposited and it should take between 48 and 72 hours for this to be posted to the lease account and then the lien can be removed to provide a clear title to the car. At that point they will contact Tesla Toronto for the ownership presentation, app installation and any questions to be answered.
So my first response to the email was why did it take 5 days for certified funds just to be deposited? This is a useless delay and my new acquisition is sitting in the garage and now with the timing provided, the ownership would not be until next week. She said we are a small company and rules and regulations provided have to followed. She will try and expedite the process. Friday afternoon I receive an email that the posting to the lease account has not been done as of yet as she will keep an eye out for it and then remove the lien and offer the ownership so I can have the car licenced. So during this time, the car is still being insured by the lease holder, it is being insured by me as its in my garage and I am paying for my old car which has not been turned in yet because I would have no car. So in my return email to her on Friday I suggested that a wire transfer would have had the cleared funds in the account on the previous Friday and her clearing of the lien could have been completed along with the delivery of the ownership. I asked to be kept informed as I would like to drive the car this weekend and send my old car back. Of course, no email with any update. So the cost of carrying the 2 cars rather than the one is about $500 for the week insuring both. Tesla finance just doesn’t care about the customer. To make matters worse, the car is sitting in my garage all cleaned and polished, certified and ready to be licenced but no ownership 8 days later and the weekend is here. No email updating me on the status of this transaction so I can only assume nothing has been done.
So I am wrong by thinking the whole joy of the new acquisition of the new most expensive car I have ever bought is totally out the door? This is so frustrating and seeing the car daily makes it so much worse just sitting there. My experience with Tesla Financing is nothing but disgraceful and everyone should know how they treat people. Thoughts of selling this car have crossed my mind so many times in the last couple of days from the frustration and the stupidity of Tesla Finance. I just hope customer service is better than this.
I have sent the story to Elon Musk via twitter and Facebook which sends a message through Google and have no response. This is just insane. I have never heard of a business that has a rather large sum of money in a certified draft sit around for 5 days without being deposited. The lack of attention and care to this file is just incomprehensible. It has been nothing but a nightmare and totally unacceptable.
I was wondering if I am alone in having issues with Tesla Finance or is this to be expected from what seems to be the most unorganized business trying to please high end customers….. so far the experience has been just horrific! And most important, no ownership for my paid for car 8 days later and no driving the car because it remains without a licence plate.
...enjoy the car and congrats !
