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Tesla poor service --> any advice on recourse?

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Folks, first, thank you all for your help with previous my previous posts.

I'm starting this new, to try and get some visibility.

Long story short, I've got a few gripes with my Tesla project. Latest is that after weeks of pestering my Tesla rep for pge updates, I had to call pge directly for a pto update. Nice rep there informed me they had sent Tesla interconnection dept many weeks ago that paperwork needed go be resubmitted! I had to send an email to the rep to inform them the ball was in Teslas court, not pge. I'm tired of playing piggy in the middle. I will get this project completed, but I want to demand some compensation for a few mistakes that have led to lost savings on my part. ( including city inspection failing, needing rework efc).

Q: Anyone successfully got compensation from Tesla, and if so, any advice on how to go about this?

Thank you!
 
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While I sympathize with your situation (took me 4 months to get PTO after install was complete, and Tesla delays were clearly responsible for some of that) I think it is probably unrealistic to expect compensation from them unless you can demonstrate an actual cost (such as those who got a check because their install slipped from 2019 to 2020 and thus got a reduced ITC.) I realize lost solar production is costing you money (not to mention the inconvenience) but I do not see Tesla agreeing to that. It is unfortunate that they don't have some standards/service guarantees, as the issue can also arise if there are equipment issues down the road. Whether they can be held to some sort of reasonable/industry-standard timeline for various tasks is, I suppose, an open question, but I am not aware of anybody who has successfully pursued that.

That said, you can always ask. Also, if your contract is similar, I believe you have three official options:
  1. Arbitration (and an email address to start the process is in the contract)
  2. Small claims court
  3. If within 60 days, opt out, and sue in court
 
Hang-ups in inspection and connection service are pretty common. We have been in remodeling for 5 years and have gotten used to contractor availability and inspection delays due to paperwork messing up schedules. I pretty much expect it on any construction project, especially one where the utilities are involved.

FWIW, our solar roof and Powerwalls completed installation in April. We got PTO from PG&E in late Sept/October. Covid-19 shutdowns and paperwork changes accounted for most of the delay.

FWIW, you still should be able to claim the 26% tax credit since your system is complete. And if you wanted to be aggressive about it you could "test" the system.
 
I'm in the same situation, if you're getting Tesla you are the project manager. I've had my system turned on since install so PTO hasn't really affected me in any way beyond Tesla screwing it up like everything else they've done on my project. My utility company CC'd me saying the meter in the pictures Tesla attached were from a different brand. I opened up the PDF to see some pictures of my house and then pictures from a completely different house included. They somehow mixed pictures from two projects together. I didn't think much of it besides that it included a deadline for them to resubmit or they'd have to start the process over again. I didn't see anything new after 10 days so I emailed all and asked if they received what they needed... nope. Tesla did not respond with the correct pictures. My account advisor is MIA so I called the Utility and got permission from them to take the pictures myself and resubmit on behalf of Tesla. They just came today to swap my meter for a net one and will hopefully have official PTO any day now.

I've had to push and follow up on every step of this project, they should give a DIY discount. I will say the installers were great and everything looks great besides 2 out of the 3 powerwalls never working properly. (Coming out tomorrow to fix it but took a month from initial call in with the issue).

Tesla is the cheapest solar option out there right now, especially if you want powerwalls. Most people are happy with the end product, I think it's worth the hassle but definitely frustrating at times.
 
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For my 4KW no PW system, so far it was all good. Now I am stuck in interconnection process. They finished one form but I am running behind them for second one now, already delayed by couple of days. Without it PGE won't start reviewing the PTO request. Project advisor so hard to reach, and he replies that he doesn't have much visibility.. I feel they have multiple arms involved be it solar or EV and one arm doesnt know what other is doing :mad:
 
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What happened that this is so quickly resolved from Tuesday to today? Good news.

Interestingly, when I installed my solar in 2012 with the help of a local installer willing to help with my DIY project to do the permitting, they waited to do city inspection, then do the PG&E paperwork. A whole month was lost. Discovered afterwards that PG&E can do paperwork simultaneously before city inspection up to a point then resume. That would have save a lot of dead time for me. Oh well.
 
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Hallelujah! Had to call my rep, remind her I'd sent pge approval. She helped with activations & i finally see my app showing something for my 5.1KW system!
Screenshot attached
 

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What happened that this is so quickly resolved from Tuesday to today? Good news.

Interestingly, when I installed my solar in 2012 with the help of a local installer willing to help with my DIY project to do the permitting, they waited to do city inspection, then do the PG&E paperwork. A whole month was lost. Discovered afterwards that PG&E can do paperwork simultaneously before city inspection up to a point then resume. That would have save a lot of dead time for me. Oh well.
Needed a call from me to pge. Who then said the ball was in Teslas court. Then badgered Tesla by email. Glad I had time to follow up this week!
 
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I am in similar situation. After waiting 7 months for install of solar and powerwalls - the city inspection went relatively fast. Install complete 12/19 and city inspection 12/30. I had completed PGE paperwork prior to install. Tesla inspection rep said he would handle PTO. After waiting for 4 weeks I called for an update - said it takes a while. I pushed for an update from the actual Tesla person who works with PGE. Turns out Tesla was sitting on an updated form.

Got that submitted same day and received PTO three weeks later.

Turned system in worked great for 2 1/2 days then suddenly mid day in the third day the system shut down.

After four calls to Tesla I finally connected to my SolarEdge HD inverter through their app and navigated to the Error log. Sent that to SolarEdge support and they said it was likely the inverter failed and needs to be replaced.

The issue is Tesla is not even scheduled to come out to inspect the inverter for 3 more weeks. Apparently that is how backed up they are. At this point I paid for the system on 12/31 and it unlikely to work for another two months after receiving PTO. Is there recourse if Tesla system fails and they drag their feet in fixing?

If anyone has suggestions on how to project manage this situation please share thoughts. Thanks!!
 
Could you PM me with the name and number? I have been waiting for my PTO since late December on a Solar Roof.
Look for a name in the install paperwork - in my case the persons name was George (I live in San Jose, CA). I could not contact him directly but insisted that my no service Tesla project manager direct message George for an update. Good luck.
 
Look for a name in the install paperwork - in my case the persons name was George (I live in San Jose, CA). I could not contact him directly but insisted that my no service Tesla project manager direct message George for an update. Good luck.
I had a separate person from my PM deal with the PTO paperwork. We went back and forth a number of times but for the last month they have gone dark.

I guess I will call PG&E solar next week and find out what is happening from the "horses mouth" so to speak.
 
I had a separate person from my PM deal with the PTO paperwork. We went back and forth a number of times but for the last month they have gone dark.

I guess I will call PG&E solar next week and find out what is happening from the "horses mouth" so to speak.
I called PG&E and they were very forthcoming on my delay. Called my installation coordinator at Tesla and she contacted their PTO department. Next week we had PTO.