Tesla is either extremely incompetent, or extremely dishonest, or both.

[DontDoIt]

You guys might know me from my previous thread ==> Bad, confusing, misleading delivery experience. Do NOT buy a used P90DL from Tesla.

Basically, I got a P90DL from them, the car was far inferior to advertised, I was lied to regarding my ability to return the car prior to buying it, bla bla... a billion things. In the end, Tesla NA Remarketing in their divine grace let me return their car. I dropped the car off about 10 days ago and of course I've heard nothing from them regarding my refund since, other than it might take 60 days. Take your time guys, I know my $63k is far more important to you than it is to me!

This is all in the other thread. I wanted to create another one because I haven't learned my lesson about Tesla, and foolishly attempted to purchase another one, and witnessed the extent of the disarray that this organization must be in.

• I put down a $2,500 deposit for an inventory vehicle. It goes through, I get the 'welcome to Tesla, thanks for your order' email.
• 2 days later, I get an unrelated call from a Tesla salesperson I had been working with, because they found a car they think I might like
• When I tell him I already put down a deposit for a car, he says "weird, I didn't get that"
• He looks into my order and tells me the order I put in yesterday was canceled the moment I put it in. I can't buy this car.
• (While we're on the phone, I get an email from Tesla enthusiastically titled "Next steps on your Model S Delivery!")
• I ask him to cancel the order then and get me a refund on my deposit.
• I was lucky that I received this random call! Otherwise I had no indication my order was canceled.
• Later that day I check to see the status of the deposit (I know it can take a few days for CC refunds to process). The refund isn't there, but miraculously, there is a second $2,500 charge.
• I tell this to the salesperson and he says he has no idea.
• This morning I look in my account - the refund isn't there, the second $2,500 charge is still there, and now there is a third $2,500 charge. For a total of $7,500. On a car that I won't get!

I am just really running out of words describing how incompetent Tesla has been to me. They're now holding onto the $63,000 I paid for a car that I returned to them, still haven't refunded me for the deposit I put down for an order that they canceled without telling me, and charged me an additional $5,000 for reasons completely unknown. It's like a giant black hole that sucks my money in, because I am very dumb.

 

[dhrivnak]

I can’t imagine how frustrating this is. Fortunately I have had excellent service from Tesla so this is not the norm.

 

[BPeter]

It's incompetence, there's no reason for them to be screwing around with that amount of cash, it's inconsequential to a business their size.

 

[cucubits]

Yeah, pure incompetence and total lack of proper communication between their own branches.

 

[ewoodrick]

Yes, it must be Tesla incompetence, this has happened thousands of times.

Wait? No it hasn't? I wonder what makes your situation different than all the others?

 

[AMPd]

I can’t imagine how frustrating this is. Fortunately I have had excellent service from Tesla so this is not the norm.

Bad service from tesla unfortunately is the norm.

 

[Zishan]

• He looks into my order and tells me the order I put in yesterday was canceled the moment I put it in. I can't buy this car.
• This morning I look in my account - the refund isn't there, the second $2,500 charge is still there, and now there is a third $2,500 charge. For a total of $7,500. On a car that I won't get!

Why was the order cancelled?

 

[dhrivnak]

Bad service from tesla unfortunately is the norm.

I would not say that. In NE Tennessee most owners are very happy with the service. So our “norm” is quite good.

 

[TampaRich]

Bad service from tesla unfortunately is the norm.

What do you base this on?

 

[demundus]

What do you base this on?

Personally, I base it on my 5 years of ownership and countless issues and interfacing with very apathetic Tesla rep(s). I have little to no faith in their ability to fix my car on time, or correctly. I took matters into my own hands years ago. YMMV, but im sure you'll find many other long term owners with the same shade of "jade" as me.

 

[JamesBrown]

I would just report them as unauthorized charges.

 

[Darren Donovan]

You guys might know me from my previous thread ==> Bad, confusing, misleading delivery experience. Do NOT buy a used P90DL from Tesla.

Basically, I got a P90DL from them, the car was far inferior to advertised, I was lied to regarding my ability to return the car prior to buying it, bla bla... a billion things. In the end, Tesla NA Remarketing in their divine grace let me return their car. I dropped the car off about 10 days ago and of course I've heard nothing from them regarding my refund since, other than it might take 60 days. Take your time guys, I know my $63k is far more important to you than it is to me!

This is all in the other thread. I wanted to create another one because I haven't learned my lesson about Tesla, and foolishly attempted to purchase another one, and witnessed the extent of the disarray that this organization must be in.

• I put down a $2,500 deposit for an inventory vehicle. It goes through, I get the 'welcome to Tesla, thanks for your order' email.
• 2 days later, I get an unrelated call from a Tesla salesperson I had been working with, because they found a car they think I might like
• When I tell him I already put down a deposit for a car, he says "weird, I didn't get that"
• He looks into my order and tells me the order I put in yesterday was canceled the moment I put it in. I can't buy this car.
• (While we're on the phone, I get an email from Tesla enthusiastically titled "Next steps on your Model S Delivery!")
• I ask him to cancel the order then and get me a refund on my deposit.
• I was lucky that I received this random call! Otherwise I had no indication my order was canceled.
• Later that day I check to see the status of the deposit (I know it can take a few days for CC refunds to process). The refund isn't there, but miraculously, there is a second $2,500 charge.
• I tell this to the salesperson and he says he has no idea.
• This morning I look in my account - the refund isn't there, the second $2,500 charge is still there, and now there is a third $2,500 charge. For a total of $7,500. On a car that I won't get!

I am just really running out of words describing how incompetent Tesla has been to me. They're now holding onto the $63,000 I paid for a car that I returned to them, still haven't refunded me for the deposit I put down for an order that they canceled without telling me, and charged me an additional $5,000 for reasons completely unknown. It's like a giant black hole that sucks my money in, because I am very dumb.

Damn, and people make fun of "legacy" car makers. I've never heard of anything this outrageous from other carmakers. Tesla, Lol.

 

[maximizese]

I feel for you. I'd be pretty mad to have my money tied up in a series of ridiculous errors on the part of a company trying to get my business. My explanation for all of this is that Tesla has never excelled in customer service and process; they have faked it for the better part of 10 years, but it's all oozing out now as they cost-cut and shrink their labor force.

It appears to me that they are cutting their customer service folk and replacing them with an automated process. Examples are the elimination of delivery/service positions, attempted downsizing of their studios, and scheduling a service appointment is done via app or direct message. The big problem is that their processes don't account for the breadth of issues a customer might have. It's like trying to square a circle and the customer is left frustrated trying to find a pathway towards a solution. We've all heard the phrase "garbage in, garbage out," and we're seeing that with Tesla customer service. The process is not good, how can we expect a good outcome?

As for a solution, I would escalate this up the chain of command. Clearly something went very wrong and each appendage of Tesla you've spoken with does not have credentials or authority to see the bigger picture. The instant your first car was not right (wasn't uncorked despite Tesla advertising and pricing it as if it were), they should have treated you with "concierge-like" service to make sure you didn't slip through the cracks. Things would have ended up so differently if they scoured their inventory for the car you wanted; perhaps they would have taken a $5K hit, but everyone would have come out much better.

 

[AMPd]

What do you base this on?

On my own experiences, and experiences of others that post here.
I’ve been following tesla since the Roadster was unveiled. and have been an owner since 2013
Back when tesla first started selling and delivering the model s, the service was amazing. But over the years as more cars were hitting the road their service has started going down hill
And now we’re at a point where Nigerian scammers have better customer service than tesla.

 

[Moon Buggy]

I think 90% of my posts on here consist of me banging on Tesla for service issues. Your post sounds very familiar to me.

I did finally get my refund check about 60 days after the car was returned. But there were many wasted hours trying to figure out what was going on. I finally found the right employee online, who was able to help me, but it was exceedingly frustrating up until that point. The refund department is fully dysfunctional. Rest assured, there is a tracking number for your check, but nobody thinks you should have it for some reason.

My girlfriend has had a nightmare of a time trying to get a car. She ordered and cancelled so many cars--almost entirely on the advice of her sales adviser--that Tesla took the extraordinary step of banning her. Without even talking to her first.

 

[Moon Buggy]

I feel for you. I'd be pretty mad to have my money tied up in a series of ridiculous errors on the part of a company trying to get my business. My explanation for all of this is that Tesla has never excelled in customer service and process; they have faked it for the better part of 10 years, but it's all oozing out now as they cost-cut and shrink their labor force.

It appears to me that they are cutting their customer service folk and replacing them with an automated process. Examples are the elimination of delivery/service positions, attempted downsizing of their studios, and scheduling a service appointment is done via app or direct message. The big problem is that their processes don't account for the breadth of issues a customer might have. It's like trying to square a circle and the customer is left frustrated trying to find a pathway towards a solution. We've all heard the phrase "garbage in, garbage out," and we're seeing that with Tesla customer service. The process is not good, how can we expect a good outcome?

As for a solution, I would escalate this up the chain of command. Clearly something went very wrong and each appendage of Tesla you've spoken with does not have credentials or authority to see the bigger picture. The instant your first car was not right (wasn't uncorked despite Tesla advertising and pricing it as if it were), they should have treated you with "concierge-like" service to make sure you didn't slip through the cracks. Things would have ended up so differently if they scoured their inventory for the car you wanted; perhaps they would have taken a $5K hit, but everyone would have come out much better.

Agree with everything here, except to point out that escalating up the chain of command will come to seem near impossible if you ever try to do so. The first line service employees are effectively a wall between you and the people who have actual authority.

 

[DontDoIt]

I would just report them as unauthorized charges.

I've already done this, and found 'reporting' a $40bn carmaker's small transactions with an individual very hilarious...

As for a solution, I would escalate this up the chain of command. Clearly something went very wrong and each appendage of Tesla you've spoken with does not have credentials or authority to see the bigger picture.

You know, when I was trying to get my car returned I was trying to hard to get this escalated or talk to someone higher up. I was never able to do that. Now I am exhausted. Just, really, totally exhausted. I've been trying to deal with their incompetence (and at points, sleaziness) for more than a month now.

I've been a Tesla owner for 2 and a half years and was only trying to get a better car...

I think 90% of my posts on here consist of me banging on Tesla for service issues. Your post sounds very familiar to me.

I did finally get my refund check about 60 days after the car was returned. But there were many wasted hours trying to figure out what was going on. I finally found the right employee online, who was able to help me, but it was exceedingly frustrating up until that point. The refund department is fully dysfunctional. Rest assured, there is a tracking number for your check, but nobody thinks you should have it for some reason.

My girlfriend has had a nightmare of a time trying to get a car. She ordered and cancelled so many cars--almost entirely on the advice of her sales adviser--that Tesla took the extraordinary step of banning her. Without even talking to her first.

That is terrible. They quoted me 60 days too - so it will actually take 60 days? And it's not even as easy as just writing me a big check (as I gather from your message that was the case for you). They'll refund my CC for the initial deposit (completely different from the THREE deposits that they need to refund me for the new car), repay my loan with the bank, and then finally cut me a check for the rest. Based on everything else... this is just going to take forever, isn't it.

 

[Moon Buggy]

That is terrible. They quoted me 60 days too - so it will actually take 60 days? And it's not even as easy as just writing me a big check (as I gather from your message that was the case for you). They'll refund my CC for the initial deposit (completely different from the THREE deposits that they need to refund me for the new car), repay my loan with the bank, and then finally cut me a check for the rest. Based on everything else... this is just going to take forever, isn't it.

Well, OK, small mitigating factor in Tesla's favor...the check actually arrived about 30 days after the return, but not to the address we expected. It was left at the door and--best guess--my girlfriend's grandmother--who is no longer operating at 100% capacity--threw the FedEx envelope into a box with some other mail and stuffed it all into a small cubby hole. Once someone FINALLY got us the tracking number, we were able to put this all together, but it took a month of constant emails, online chats, and attempted phone calls, to get this single piece of information. If not for that, it may have sat in that box for all time.

So, no...you do stand a reasonable chance of only waiting 30 days or so for the refund check. But you will get no warning that it was sent, and no tracking number, and after some time, you may start to wonder if the check was left at YOUR door, and could someone else have taken it, and so on and so forth.

In the end, it should all work out, but it will most likely eat up more of your time and patience before it does.

 

[roblab]

Bad service from tesla unfortunately is the norm.

No, it isn't. People that have bad experiences tend to advertise far and above what people who have good experiences do. By far, most people have a good experience and enjoy driving a superior vehicle. As to bad "service", Teslas do not require service, no oil changes, no filters, no nothin' but a charge, overnight in your own garage. And you can go eight times farther on the dollar with electricity than you can with gas.

 

[DontDoIt]

As to bad "service", Teslas do not require service, no oil changes, no filters, no nothin' but a charge, overnight in your own garage.

"Service" means more than oil and filter changes, what he/she is talking about is the level of service to your customers, as a company. "Customer service", in fact.

It's true that the majority of Tesla owners probably have had good customer service from Tesla, but 'majority' isn't good enough. If you saw an eBay seller with 80% positive 20% negative ratings you would probably think they are a bad seller.

And you can go eight times farther on the dollar with electricity than you can with gas.

Unless you use pay per supercharging, in which case it's more expensive than a gas car.