Tesla Service Question: Loaners, Rentals, and free gasoline

[tinm]

Didn't Elon at one point announce, maybe in 2013 or 2014, that if you are not given a Tesla loaner when you have to take your car to a service center, that Tesla will pay for the gasoline?

I could've sworn this was true. My car's been at a service center for a week, and they're saying they never heard of such a policy, and that I pay for the gas for my Enterprise rental-ICE.

Can anyone point to a thread or YouTube video or news article or Tesla site message about the gas thing?

 

[Max*]

I had a rental, Tesla paid for gas. This was about 6 months ago.
Is this policy still active? I dunno.

They have/had a deal with enterprise directly. You just bring the car back with as much gas as is in the tank, and tesla pays enterprise directly.
What happens if you need to refill on your own? I dunno.

 

[tinm]

Well, thing is, Enterprise gave me a gas-guzzling Dodge SUV, with a *full* tank. And Tesla's had my car for a week now (they just called and the hope is someone at Tesla will volunteer to flat-bed my car 8hrs down from Denver tomorrow), and I've managed to use up 90% of the gas. So I'm gonna have to return it filled. I just remember in the good ol' days (pre D, pre AP... the "classic" era of early adopters) Tesla took care of the rental's gas too. I guess those days are over.

 

[trils0n]

Whenever I've had a gas rental, it has come with a full tank, and Tesla said don't bother filling it up, they will take care of the gas when it is returned. Never had a gas loaner for a week though.

 

[BertL]

My last Enterprise loaner (a BMW!) in December had gas paid-for by Tesla. I suspect you've found another example where these policies are not written down for consumers and are being inconsistently deployed across SCs.

 

[jeffro01]

I was offered a loaner when I had my S in for a few things awhile back and it was clear to me that Tesla would pay for the gas.

IMHO, they should. If you're going to tell people, as Elon has numerous times, that you'd get a Tesla loaner when your car is in service only to find there out (or they sold them all as was my case) only to be handed the keys to an ICE, Tesla paying for gas should be automatic. I know I'd be quite upset if I was handed the keys to the very thing I intentionally got rid of only to be told, "oh yeah, you're also paying for gas"...

While an extension to this thread, Tesla has got to stop selling their loaners to make sales goals. The practice is ridiculous. I get selling loaners after they've hit a certain mileage or feature roadblock, but to be selling them to make sales goals is so completely short sighted that it's potentially damaging to the brand in the long term.

I'd complain to Tesla corporate on this one until they paid for the gas... It's absurd that you even have to push this, it should be a no brainer. Hey Tesla, don't want to pay for gas? Then STOP SELLING YOUR LOANERS!!!

Okay... I'm done...

Jeff

 

[AMPd]

I had an ICE loaner and they told me not to worry about filling up the tank upon returning it, however I assumed if I was running low on fuel and still needed to drive it, I fill it up on my dime.

 

[Zaphod]

While an extension to this thread, Tesla has got to stop selling their loaners to make sales goals. The practice is ridiculous. I get selling loaners after they've hit a certain mileage or feature roadblock, but to be selling them to make sales goals is so completely short sighted that it's potentially damaging to the brand in the long term.

I'd complain to Tesla corporate on this one until they paid for the gas... It's absurd that you even have to push this, it should be a no brainer. Hey Tesla, don't want to pay for gas? Then STOP SELLING YOUR LOANERS!!!

Okay... I'm done...

Jeff

This may be the case now as of a few weeks ago, the majority of CPO inventory were pulled and theorized to be used in the loaner fleet. Now the CPO site amounts to mostly inventory cars, with few actual pre-owned cars available. Of the 342 cars currently listed, only 54 are actual CPO. A few weeks ago, it was probably reversed with a few inventory and mostly CPOs. Various theories of what actually went on, but "official" word from services centers and people in the know state they replenished the loaner fleet.

 

[tinm]

I just called the 877 number for Tesla. None of the menu options were a good match so I pressed 0. That got me the front desk at Tesla HQ. Obviously not an ideal connection; they connected me to tech support. Tech support could not answer the question (???) and connected me to Tesla Service Center at Fremont.

Fremont guy said sure, we always pay for gas for rental cars. Told him the situation and he's like, yes, save your receipts, make copies, and Tesla always cuts checks and sends a refund to customer. I said, well, Denver says I pay for gas, and this guy said, no, must be someone new, etc.

Once again, a communications failure. (Sheesh, Tesla, I mean...)

Anyways, I'm gonna have to buy gas before I get my S back (it's been a week and counting), but I'll save receipts.

I wish the Tesla website just simply said, "we pay for gas if we don't have a Tesla loaner for you." One sentence. Easy.

 

[Lyon]

I had a loaner Subaru on the 22nd of Feb and they said not to worry about gas. Tesla's deal with Enterprise includes paying for gas.

Sounds like you got the new guy at the SC who hasn't gotten the memo yet. Glad things have worked out for you.

 

[davidc18]

Had an enterprise loaner and Tesla took care of the gas.

 

[benfrank3]

I never returned an Enterprise loaner full. I wouldn't bother asking for gas reimbursement if I needed to buy fuel. You guys are over the top. Tesla service is the best in the industry and you're worried about a tank of gas?

 

[Max*]

Who says you need to get a full tank of gas?