Tesla registered the car to someone else

[ShadowSix]

Just doing a sanity check really, and trying to get my head around what I've just been told. Any advice welcome.

Had a phone call from Tesla customer service to explain that the new M3P I collected on the 21st of this month was registered to a different customer. Tesla made a request to the DVLA to essentially withdraw that registration and correct the mistake, which the DLVA have refused to do.

What happens now is that ownership will default to Tesla in the first instance, and I will become the second owner. Of my brand new car. Which I've been driving around uninsured (presumably, as I don't own it) for the last two days.

I've so far been offered little more than a letter of explanation should I come to sell the car.

What do you make of that?

 

[OddJob83]

I think some there either Tesla or DVLA is being lazy its not hard for them to make the change. I would kick up a stink with them and see if you can get it either sorted or they will compensate you as when time comes to selling it, it would have 2 previous keepers.

 

[Durzel]

Probably not uninsured. You don't have to own a car to insure it, otherwise everyone leasing would be up s**t creek.

I know you can change name and address with DVLA at the same time, without adding an additional owner. From an initial glance it looks more like it applies to people (logically women) getting married.

I wouldn't really be happy with that state of affairs to be honest. How unhappy I would be would depend on how long I realistically thought I would keep the car for. If you ended up keeping it for a few years then the extra owner would be of no real consequence. If you had that letter then you could always explain to someone interested in buying it.

 

[ShadowSix]

Probably not uninsured. You don't have to own a car to insure it, otherwise everyone leasing would be up s**t creek.

I know you can change name and address with DVLA at the same time, without adding an additional owner. From an initial glance it looks more like it applies to people (logically women) getting married.

I wouldn't really be happy with that state of affairs to be honest. How unhappy I would be would depend on how long I realistically thought I would keep the car for. If you ended up keeping it for a few years then the extra owner would be of no real consequence. If you had that letter then you could always explain to someone interested in buying it.

You certainly don't have to own a car to insure it, but you do have to tell the insurance company one way or the other. I obviously arranged to be insured on a vehicle that I stated I own. As a result, my insurance policy hasn't matched the actual circumstances.

I think I'm just trying to decide how serious this all is before I measure my response.

 

[Alistairuk]

Tesla will not show as an "owner" of the vehicle, it sounds as if they've registered it to another customer by accident, noticed the mistake and now the DVLA won't allow them to cancel it, therefore in correcting to you they will make you the second registered keeper of the vehicle - on your online account under glovebox can you see the proof of registration and who they have registered it too?

You're presumably still within the period to return the vehicle - I would be considering this if it's a major issue for you (whether it will affect resale in a number of years etc. is down to you to decide) and return the vehicle to them demanding they find you another car since it was there mistake.

 

[Durzel]

You certainly don't have to own a car to insure it, but you do have to tell the insurance company one way or the other. I obviously arranged to be insured on a vehicle that I stated I own. As a result, my insurance policy hasn't matched the actual circumstances.

I think I'm just trying to decide how serious this all is before I measure my response.

Fair enough.

I wouldn't be happy about it personally. if DVLA won't help then you'll be the second keeper, as said above.

I'm struggling to understand how it came to be that you had someone elses details as the RK on your car! I wonder if someone else out there is in the same boat and has your details on theirs?

 

[Tesl@_MCS]

You are still within your 7/14 days to return the car......I would ask Tesla to return it so you can get another one in the correct name.
If it really isn't possible to change the name without adding owners, then I'm sure that will be the kick up the backside Tesla need to sort it out.

Otherwise, have a look on inventory and see if there is the same spec car as yours and reserve it, then hand the other one back in under the returns policy.

 

[ShadowSix]

Tesla will not show as an "owner" of the vehicle, it sounds as if they've registered it to another customer by accident, noticed the mistake and now the DVLA won't allow them to cancel it, therefore in correcting to you they will make you the second registered keeper of the vehicle - on your online account under glovebox can you see the proof of registration and who they have registered it too?

You're presumably still within the period to return the vehicle - I would be considering this if it's a major issue for you (whether it will affect resale in a number of years etc. is down to you to decide) and return the vehicle to them demanding they find you another car since it was there mistake.

Nothing at all to do with registration under Glovebox on the account unfortunately. He stated explicitly that the DVLA would only now register the car to Tesla. I can't say I understand how or why, but he also stated that I would be the second owner. I need to get back onto them I think.

I have no idea what I'm supposed to tell my insurance company right now. At the moment there's an uninsured car on my driveway.

 

[Durzel]

You have the advantage that its the end of quarter push, so if you kick up a big stink about returning the car regardless then they would rather you have another one from inventory than have no sale at all, I'd have thought.

 

[ShadowSix]

You are still within your 7/14 days to return the car......I would ask Tesla to return it so you can get another one in the correct name.
If it really isn't possible to change the name without adding owners, then I'm sure that will be the kick up the backside Tesla need to sort it out.

Otherwise, have a look on inventory and see if there is the same spec car as yours and reserve it, then hand the other one back in under the returns policy.

I think if Tesla could have sorted it without causing themselves this kind of headache they would have done so already. The DVLA as far as they've told me are flatly refusing to make an ownership correction, instead insisting on a change.

 

[Durzel]

All things considered, if it were me - I would return the car. It's hard to quantify the damage from the additional keeper on the car, but it's not zero, which is pretty much what Tesla are offering you in terms of compensation.

 

[JupiterMan]

Currently on inventory, a "demonstration" car, where you would be the second owner, are discounted by Tesla by £1,030, and these have less than 50 miles on the clock!

So Tesla clearly see the "cost" of this to the owner, so £1,030 compensation would be my starting point (or slightly higher in view of fault/hassle!)

 

[Alistairuk]

I think if Tesla could have sorted it without causing themselves this kind of headache they would have done so already. The DVLA as far as they've told me are flatly refusing to make an ownership correction, instead insisting on a change.

I agree with you, if Tesla could have sorted it they would have - they'll only have actually told you of the issue if they had no other option and I can see the DVLA being a typical government organisation and refusing to budge...

I guess it depends on how you see it, if you're not bothered about being "second owner" and plan to keep the car long term then it may be less of an issue for you - I'm sure you could negotiate a discount off the cost for the "inconvenience" or at least free lifetime charging or something!

If it does bother you (and admittedly it probably would bother me), I'd be telling them you want to return the vehicle and demand they give you another car... if they won't give another vehicle - I'd just return it and order a new one.

Let Tesla deal with selling it as a "used" car to someone.

 

[init6]

If I was to buy a car and the owner gave me a letter 'from Tesla' saying he was really the original owner, I'd be pretty suspicious. IMHO their letter is worthless and will ring alarm bells from anyone who buys your car.
As suggested tell them to take the car back. End of quarters are always fraught times for Tesla targets.

 

[init6]

As an aside. This is Tesla's problem not yours. Even if DVLA are being unreasonable, it's still Tesla's problem.

 

[ShadowSix]

As an aside. This is Tesla's problem not yours. Even if DVLA are being unreasonable, it's still Tesla's problem.

I still seem to be the one with a headache though

 

[curmudgeon]

I think I'd return it too. Ask for another with you as first keeper.
It's Tesla's mistake.
Can you see another one, same spec in the inventory? If so then Tesla will have no excuse finding you an identical car this month. If not then maybe change spec to match inventory.

 

[Durzel]

At the end of the day assuming there is the same vehicle on inventory you could return the car, reserve the inventory car and potentially only be down £100 on the original car order fee, which I would hope Tesla would refund because of the hassle you've had to go through.

So - would you spend £100 to be the first RK on your car? I would, even if nothing else happened.

If you reserved a car on inventory you'd be guaranteed to get it before the end of the month, due to the push.

 

[UrbanSplash]

It’s like a second hand car from an admin perspective. Obviously from a practical sense it’s new. If the only remedy is that you’re the second owner, I would be be driving the car back, handing over the key cards, and asking them to provide a replacement vehicle.

Tesla being Tesla, it might not be a ‘mistake’ at all. It might of been registered to someone who pulled out or rejected the car. Tesla don’t operate in the ‘normal’ way other manufacturers do.

 

[Somex]

I still seem to be the one with a headache though

Them give the car(and the headache) back to Tesla