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Tesla Needs to Learn How to Deliver Teslas to Maine (and NH and VT!)

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Last Tuesday (6/23/20) I took delivery of my Model Y when it was delivered to my house in Yarmouth, ME on a car carrier truck. It would be great if I could drive it!! I was given the impression it would be delivered with temporary plates so I could drive it while waiting the ridiculous 7-10 business days for the registration paperwork to arrive so I can register it myself in Maine. However, it did not arrive with any temporary plates (apparently because it was delivered from MA rather than NJ). I was told this is how it's done in ME, NH and VT. So, it is currently parked in my garage and I will not be able to drive it for quite some time, which as you can imagine is quite frustrating. Tesla has yet to explain to me why the necessary paperwork for me to register the car couldn’t be delivered with the car. Is it something to do with the 7-day return policy if I don't like the car? How can I tell if I don't like the car if I can't drive it during this 7-day period? Are they familiar with Catch-22? The delivery process for such a high tech car is very low tech and leaves much to be desired. I've asked if they can deliver to me the necessary registration paperwork more quickly, with no response. In fact, during the whole delivery process, the response has been terrible to questions I have asked. Tesla needs to improve its delivery process to northern New England. Hopefully the car itself will be better than this process. During the time it has been parked I've noted three relatively minor fit issues and the Homelink that I thought came with the car is not installed.
 
Last Tuesday (6/23/20) I took delivery of my Model Y when it was delivered to my house in Yarmouth, ME on a car carrier truck. It would be great if I could drive it!! I was given the impression it would be delivered with temporary plates so I could drive it while waiting the ridiculous 7-10 business days for the registration paperwork to arrive so I can register it myself in Maine. However, it did not arrive with any temporary plates (apparently because it was delivered from MA rather than NJ). I was told this is how it's done in ME, NH and VT. So, it is currently parked in my garage and I will not be able to drive it for quite some time, which as you can imagine is quite frustrating. Tesla has yet to explain to me why the necessary paperwork for me to register the car couldn’t be delivered with the car. Is it something to do with the 7-day return policy if I don't like the car? How can I tell if I don't like the car if I can't drive it during this 7-day period? Are they familiar with Catch-22? The delivery process for such a high tech car is very low tech and leaves much to be desired. I've asked if they can deliver to me the necessary registration paperwork more quickly, with no response. In fact, during the whole delivery process, the response has been terrible to questions I have asked. Tesla needs to improve its delivery process to northern New England. Hopefully the car itself will be better than this process. During the time it has been parked I've noted three relatively minor fit issues and the Homelink that I thought came with the car is not installed.
I live in NH and the root of the issue is they delivered it from MA where temporary plates are not available.

My current MY delivery is going to be coming from NJ to specifically avoid this issue. Not sure why your delivery specialist missed this.

Edit: home link is no longer standard. It’s an add-on you cannot to have installed at the service center.
 
Welcome. Hope you get to drive soon. I have had two cars delivered in Maine with the paperwork inside so not sure why they would delay yours.
Document issues in the app so as a service request they cannot say they were notified too late.
 
I just ordered and talked with a Sales Advisor and in the same boat in NH but it is setup to deliver from NJ.

What paperwork do you need in ME that they couldn’t get you? In NH registering is fairly easy with a purchase agreement and the vin info. It’s done in the town hall in NH not the DMV.
 
Welcome. Hope you get to drive soon. I have had two cars delivered in Maine with the paperwork inside so not sure why they would delay yours.
Document issues in the app so as a service request they cannot say they were notified too late.
I searched the car and there was no paperwork, and the delivery advisor is the one who told me they don't send out the paperwork for 7-10 business days AFTER delivery.
 
I don't understand this. For a time the Littleton SC was not putting temporary plates on NM deliveries unless they were picked up in person. A number of people complained and now they include temporary Colorado tags again. I would demand they email you a temporary plate.

Not sure why they don't just put the certificate of origin in the car when it is delivered. That would make the issue of temporary plates mostly moot. It took 3 weeks for Tesla to get me the COO for my Model 3.
 
I searched the car and there was no paperwork, and the delivery advisor is the one who told me they don't send out the paperwork for 7-10 business days AFTER delivery.

I understand your frustration. Mine was delivered in October 2018 without paperwork as well. I spent two weeks driving my car up and down the driveway, playing with the display and cleaning the car. (Inside and outside were so filthy that I almost rejected it, but it cleaned up nicely).

The day the car arrived, I visited my town office and the DMV in an attempt to get a temp plate and was told that in Maine, only a dealer can issue a temp plate, and since Tesla has no dealer in Maine (or anywhere else for that matter), I would have to wait until the paperwork arrived. It was a very frustrating two weeks.

To be honest, the negative delivery experience has been the only serious issue I've had with owning a Tesla while living in Maine. The other typical new car issues and ongoing minor maintenance have been taken care of without much inconvenience. Don't hesitate to use Tesla's mobile service. They are in Northern New England around every two weeks and the two visits (annual brake service and charge plug pin replacement) we have had were excellent. I have never been to a service center.

Enjoy your new car.
 
Last Tuesday (6/23/20) I took delivery of my Model Y when it was delivered to my house in Yarmouth, ME on a car carrier truck. It would be great if I could drive it!! I was given the impression it would be delivered with temporary plates so I could drive it while waiting the ridiculous 7-10 business days for the registration paperwork to arrive so I can register it myself in Maine. However, it did not arrive with any temporary plates (apparently because it was delivered from MA rather than NJ). I was told this is how it's done in ME, NH and VT. So, it is currently parked in my garage and I will not be able to drive it for quite some time, which as you can imagine is quite frustrating. Tesla has yet to explain to me why the necessary paperwork for me to register the car couldn’t be delivered with the car. Is it something to do with the 7-day return policy if I don't like the car? How can I tell if I don't like the car if I can't drive it during this 7-day period? Are they familiar with Catch-22? The delivery process for such a high tech car is very low tech and leaves much to be desired. I've asked if they can deliver to me the necessary registration paperwork more quickly, with no response. In fact, during the whole delivery process, the response has been terrible to questions I have asked. Tesla needs to improve its delivery process to northern New England. Hopefully the car itself will be better than this process. During the time it has been parked I've noted three relatively minor fit issues and the Homelink that I thought came with the car is not installed.
true story - In Vt, when our Model 3 rolled down off the truck in 2018, we asked the delivery driver the same question. He said, "watch this" and he took the plate off our trade in, and slapped it on the new model 3. problem solved....
 
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Did the papers come? Hope you’ve been busy driving.
Unfortunately, no. Tesla communications are basically non-existent. I leave voice mails and send E-Mails with no response. Now that it is a holiday weekend, I assume it will be the middle of next week before I get the registration paperwork. Why they would deliver to you with paperwork and not to me is beyond my comprehension. So, they have my money and I have a useless hunk of metal sitting in my garage. I did take it for a 15 mile drive from my house without registration on a routing where I didn't have to go on any busy roads, and it seems to run fine.
 
Unfortunately, no. Tesla communications are basically non-existent. I leave voice mails and send E-Mails with no response. Now that it is a holiday weekend, I assume it will be the middle of next week before I get the registration paperwork. Why they would deliver to you with paperwork and not to me is beyond my comprehension. So, they have my money and I have a useless hunk of metal sitting in my garage. I did take it for a 15 mile drive from my house without registration on a routing where I didn't have to go on any busy roads, and it seems to run fine.

Keep on driving. You'll get the paperwork eventually. "Useless hunk of metal" is silly hyperbole, and makes you look less-than-smart.
 
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Keep on driving. You'll get the paperwork eventually. "Useless hunk of metal" is silly hyperbole, and makes you look less-than-smart.
I guess you are just more comfortable with Tesla's ridiculous and inconsistent delivery process. Some buyers apparently get the paperwork with their car (See Gwgan, who twice got the paperwork with his deliveries in Maine), and others don't. Some people in Maine get temporary plates (if delivered from NJ) and some don't (if delivered from MA). If they can build and license these high tech cars, they should be able to provide an efficient and consistent customer delivery service. Apparently you think that is too hard, which makes you look less than smart.
 
I believe that it has more to do with the particular regulations in your state, than Tesla doing something on purpose, to irritate their customers.
Texas customers have similar complaints, but most are due to restrictions their state has imposed by not authorizing factory direct sales of automobiles in their states.
 
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I believe that it has more to do with the particular regulations in your state, than Tesla doing something on purpose, to irritate their customers.
Texas customers have similar complaints, but most are due to restrictions their state has imposed by not authorizing factory direct sales of automobiles in their states.
The issue isn't Maine. The issue is that they are shipping from MA which doesn't have temp tags.
 
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If they could open a shop in NH it would be easier for all of us.
100% Agreed.

I used to have a Mini and had to go to Mini of Peabody if I needed anything done - they finally opened up a NH dealer about 3 months before I sold my mini. It was a hassle going to Peabody for anything warranty-related and on that vehicle there were a large number of issues.

Maybe someday Tesla will open one.
 
Last Tuesday (6/23/20) I took delivery of my Model Y when it was delivered to my house in Yarmouth, ME on a car carrier truck. It would be great if I could drive it!! I was given the impression it would be delivered with temporary plates so I could drive it while waiting the ridiculous 7-10 business days for the registration paperwork to arrive so I can register it myself in Maine. However, it did not arrive with any temporary plates (apparently because it was delivered from MA rather than NJ). I was told this is how it's done in ME, NH and VT. So, it is currently parked in my garage and I will not be able to drive it for quite some time, which as you can imagine is quite frustrating. Tesla has yet to explain to me why the necessary paperwork for me to register the car couldn’t be delivered with the car. Is it something to do with the 7-day return policy if I don't like the car? How can I tell if I don't like the car if I can't drive it during this 7-day period? Are they familiar with Catch-22? The delivery process for such a high tech car is very low tech and leaves much to be desired. I've asked if they can deliver to me the necessary registration paperwork more quickly, with no response. In fact, during the whole delivery process, the response has been terrible to questions I have asked. Tesla needs to improve its delivery process to northern New England. Hopefully the car itself will be better than this process. During the time it has been parked I've noted three relatively minor fit issues and the Homelink that I thought came with the car is not installed.
Currently awaiting my Model Y LR delivery in about a month, live in York County, closest place to pickup is in Newark, NJ. Fortunately, it's a cheap flight out of Portland and I can't say that I'm not looking forward to driving it back to Maine.