Tesla online used car purchase MAJOR ISSUES

[Cyborg]

I recently found a 2017 model S online which checked all my boxes and immediately made the move to purchase online through the Tesla website. I’ve been waiting for the right one to pop up and was super excited to get into my first Tesla (huge Elon fan).

Unfortunately, my experience with buying a certified used Tesla online was not so good. After my car was shipped to my local delivery center in SoCal (from another California facility) I was alerted by my rep that my car was ready for pick up.

Upon viewing the car, I noticed numerous areas with dings/scratches over 1 inch in length- some of which had obviously penetrated the paint. The rear bumper also looked to have been in a collision with a very large scrape on the lower portion. The right rear quarter panel also had previous paint damage which was poorly fixed and not up to Tesla standards. Ironically, the other used cars being delivered were in great shape with minor/typical wear/tear.

The on-site rep acknowledged that my car was a bit more damaged than most and said someone would get back to me since I had decided to “reject” the car.

This is the response I got from my Tesla sales rep after sending them numerous pictures of the damage, which was obviously beyond the scope of normal “wear and tear” :

“Hi, sorry for the delay in my communication, I was waiting for more information from our leadership. I was referred to the tesla website which states: Due Today$1,000
$500 Transport Fee and $500 Order Deposit.
Non-refundable.
By placing this order, I agree to the Model S Order Agreement, Terms of Use, and Privacy Notice.I acknowledge wear and tear will be present on the car. If I cancel my order, any Order Deposit and Transportation Fee paid will not be refunded.”

I’m super surprised by this based on the above circumstances and would think they would either refund the $1000 or give me the option to use the credit towards a new car etc.

What do you guys think?

 

[ucmndd]

Sorry you’re going through this.

Someone will be here momentarily to tell you you didn’t buy a “certified used Tesla” but rather a “used car”. Not that it matters, nor will it will make you feel any better.

In your opinion is the damage above and beyond what they state as acceptable wear and tear? Is there language to that effect? If so you can probably push the case and fight for your money back or for them to fix the car at least up to their states used car standards, but it will take persistence on your part.

 

[Cyborg]

Sorry you’re going through this.

Someone will be here momentarily to tell you you didn’t buy a “certified used Tesla” but rather a “used car”. Not that it matters, nor will it will make you feel any better.

In your opinion is the damage above and beyond what they state as acceptable wear and tear? Is there language to that effect? If so you can probably push the case and fight for your money back or for them to fix the car at least up to their states used car standards, but it will take persistence on your part.

Thanks for the reply. The car was granted an extended warranty by Tesla which I figured is sort of like a “certified” car.

I’ll keep following up, but so far they won’t even call me back and the rep says nothing can be done. This sort of experience and then response really is a weak pint for the brand. I would stay very far away from a potential used car purchase from Tesla until they handle these situations better and more fairly.

 

[outdoors]

Thanks for the reply. The car was granted an extended warranty by Tesla which I figured is sort of like a “certified” car.

I’ll keep following up, but so far they won’t even call me back and the rep says nothing can be done. This sort of experience and then response really is a weak pint for the brand. I would stay very far away from a potential used car purchase from Tesla until they handle these situations better and more fairly.

Unfortunate in your situation. I wish Tesla would either get into the true CPO business or just don't bother selling existing Tesla trades and send them to auction. Many times the pics are better and information presented by a individual owner. As always do your due diligence.

 

[CactusJack]

That is terrible. I gave up looking at a used car from Tesla when they quit taking pictures because "our cars sell so quickly" (that's what they told me when I asked). It is disappointing they only care about new car sales.

Hopefully you are a thorn in their side enough to get them to make things right.

 

[ucmndd]

Thanks for the reply. The car was granted an extended warranty by Tesla which I figured is sort of like a “certified” car.

I’ll keep following up, but so far they won’t even call me back and the rep says nothing can be done. This sort of experience and then response really is a weak pint for the brand. I would stay very far away from a potential used car purchase from Tesla until they handle these situations better and more fairly.

Good luck. I’d focus all of your effort on demonstrating how THEY did not honor the terms of their own contract by delivering you a car with wear and tear in excess of what they describe as normal - scratches longer than an inch, etc. Then demand they either deliver a car that conforms to the contract or refund your money.

If that fails I’d take them to small claims court.

 

[Cyborg]

Sorry you’re going through this.

Someone will be here momentarily to tell you you didn’t buy a “certified used Tesla” but rather a “used car”. Not that it matters, nor will it will make you feel any better.

In your opinion is the damage above and beyond what they state as acceptable wear and tear? Is there language to that effect? If so you can probably push the case and fight for your money back or for them to fix the car at least up to their states used car standards, but it will take persistence on your part.

Yes the damage is definitely beyond what their language states as “wear and tear”

 

[Cyborg]

That is terrible. I gave up looking at a used car from Tesla when they quit taking pictures because "our cars sell so quickly" (that's what they told me when I asked). It is disappointing they only care about new car sales.

Agreed. This no photos system is really bad

Hopefully you are a thorn in their side enough to get them to make things right.

 

[Cyborg]

Good luck. I’d focus all of your effort on demonstrating how THEY did not honor the terms of their own contract by delivering you a car with wear and tear in excess of what they describe as normal - scratches longer than an inch, etc. Then demand they either deliver a car that conforms to the contract or refund your money.

If that fails I’d take them to small claims court.

Thanks for the advice...I’m going to do just that. The part that sucks is that I love Tesla overall...I own the stock and would have been a happy with credit for another car

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Thanks for the advice...I’m going to do just that. The part that sucks is that I love Tesla overall...I own the stock and would have been a happy with credit for another car

Concur with your assessment; suggest you post any photographs here, and in all communications with Tesla.

You appear to be 100% reasonable with your request and that your expectations were reasonable. Requesting the funds be credited towards another purchase, new or used, is an excellent solution.

Please keep us posted on how it's resolved.

Elon: the Used Tesla purchase experience is an absolute disaster. Please, please, fix it as it's embarrassing to the brand, and all of us that are TSLA shareholders as well.

Thank you.

 

[Cyborg]

Concur with your assessment; suggest you post any photographs here, and in all communications with Tesla.

You appear to be 100% reasonable with your request and that your expectations were reasonable. Requesting the funds be credited towards another purchase, new or used, is an excellent solution.

Please keep us posted on how it's resolved.

Elon: the Used Tesla purchase experience is an absolute disaster. Please, please, fix it as it's embarrassing to the brand, and all of us that are TSLA shareholders as well.

Thank you.

Appreciate your insight and I totally concur. Here’s a few pics. The rear bumper was very bad in real life...the side panel repair also bad

 

[ucmndd]

Thanks for the advice...I’m going to do just that. The part that sucks is that I love Tesla overall...I own the stock and would have been a happy with credit for another car

You may need to give them the opportunity to make it right with the car you ordered and fix it to at least their used car spec.

 

[Cyborg]

You may need to give them the opportunity to make it right with the car you ordered and fix it to at least their used car spec.

Not sure I’d accept that car after seeing/feeling how the rear quarter panel was repaired. Plus the rear bumper and front fender will need to be repainted as well. I would be happy with a credit for a new one...we will see how their management responds (if they respond)

 

[vinny84]

Good luck. I’d focus all of your effort on demonstrating how THEY did not honor the terms of their own contract by delivering you a car with wear and tear in excess of what they describe as normal - scratches longer than an inch, etc. Then demand they either deliver a car that conforms to the contract or refund your money.

If that fails I’d take them to small claims court.

I second this.

Sorry you are going thru this non sense. I hope it gets resolved soon in your favor.

 

[Zorg]

This awful customer service is going to be a real issue in the long run. I love Tesla but this is really short sighted.

 

[jeremymc7]

Tesla has not had a CPO program for some time. All the used cars are used. They don’t refurbish them to like near new standards, like a CPO program would. Used cars from Tesla often come dirty, scratched, dented, etc. There can be few poor or near no photos in advance. It can sometimes take forever to get the car.

Tesla don’t like to deal with anything besides new cars.

None of this is new or unexpected.

 

[Zorg]

Tesla has not had a CPO program for some time. All the used cars are used. They don’t refurbish them to like near new standards, like a CPO program would. Used cars from Tesla often come dirty, scratched, dented, etc. There can be few poor or near no photos in advance. It can sometimes take forever to get the car.

Tesla don’t like to deal with anything besides new cars.

None of this is new or unexpected.

True, but how is it going to play out? We got our first Tesla as a CPO model S back when they still had a CPO program. I was blown away by the customer service. Got me hooked. Crappy used cars are. Ot going to make long term Tesla customers

 

[jeremymc7]

Tesla try’s fo get people to by new. Used is just something they have to deal with to get a new sale from someone else. The used car problem is hurting them, as is the current customer service. Or so you would think but they still sell new cars left and right, often with two month delays. I don’t think they really care if some people get burned. It doesn’t seem to be effecting their sales.

I know how they are and I knew it going in. I’ve been around Tesla for a long time. Geez I’ve bought two in the last 12 months alone. And that’s know what I know and feeling like I feel. The car is just too fun and enjoyable so I accept the rest.

 

[David_Cary]

So OP, are you still an Elon fan?
The used car purchase process is a disaster and that has been known for some time. I would argue that you should have done more research. This story has been played out before.
On the issue of more research, do you know what MCU this car has? Has the recall been done?
How happy are you going to be getting repairs from Tesla? Getting them to honor the warranty? "Oh that is a normal sound" or "we just need to reset it"
And how are you going to feel about the communication on issues like this? What do you mean there is no way to talk to a person?
People should only buy a Tesla with eyes wide open. (And yours aren't since you put a non refundable deposit down on a car you hadn't seen.)

 

[beatle]

Tesla could solve this by simply taking some more pictures of the cars. Not sure why that's so hard. I can see them not investing resources into refurbishment, but had they disclosed the condition via pictures, they (and potential buyers) could avoid this nonsense.

If you're planning to seek legal recourse, I'd take a screenshot of the "Mechanical and Cosmetic Standards" for posterity's sake as Tesla is known to change these at any time. People have had the same issue with warranty terms, supercharging, and premium connectivity. Also document all of the features the car is listed with at the time of sale as Tesla has also removed those after the sale in certain cases (Ludicrous, supercharging, FSD).