The Beast of Burbage

[Gareth Davies]

So I took delivery of my Model 3 in September after a nail-biting wait and have been so pleased with it. However, before Christmas I started to get requests via email and text to "collect my blue Model 3 Long Range from Heathrow" (my black SR+ was from Stockport so it was weird even the beyond the fact that I had already taken delivery). I responded to every prompt telling them I already had my car but they kept coming so I e-mailed Stockport in the hope that they could sort it, even sending them a screenshot of the "imposter" that had appeared on my account, reservation number and all. My second delivery date (13th December) came and went and I thought nothing of it.

Then the other day I decided to order some accessories from Tesla (the phone cable) and when I logged into the website noticed that the blue long range was still there right next to my black Model 3, only this time instead of the RN number I had an actual VIN. I skipped across to the Tesla app and sure enough I can literally see another car in the as though I own it! I can see its location, set my phone up as a key, state of charge, access the media player volume etc... THE LOT. I have contacted Tesla again but it has been three days now and it is still there despite Stockport looking into it.

I love the car and the company (despite the awful awful wait for the car) but this is absolutely mental! The imposter car is now called The Beast of Burbage so I am hoping to contact the owner and let them know so that they too can contact their own delivery centre and make some noise about this. I would not be happy knowing that someone else could see - and potentially steal - my car.

So hopefully this finds the owner and it gets sorted soon but I am wondering whether anyone else has had a similar experience to this?! It's really got us worried that someone else could just as easily have access to our car.

 

[EVDRVN]

Honk the horn repeatedly that should work.

 

[Gareth Davies]

Honk the horn repeatedly that should work.

Considered this but decided to try this plus a post on the TOGUK Facebook group first to hopefully locate them. Concerns about freaking them out plus I don't know the circumstances of where it is parked. Someone on a night shift, sleeping baby etc. It feels a bit unnecessary bit if this doesn't work and Tesla don't sort it then I'll resort to that I think.

 

[nightowl]

LOL my first thought was also "honk the horn".

You could try scheduling a service appointment, choose the most relevant option you can and type a message in there maybe? They'd get an SMS and presumably they can check their Tesla app to see what service was scheduled. Could make it in the distant future so that it stays there for a while.

Or, use "Location" to find where the car is and - depending on distance and parking - pop over to whichever house it's parked outside!

 

[Gareth Davies]

You could try scheduling a service appointment, choose the most relevant option you can and type a message in there maybe? They'd get an SMS

Tried this and I got the SMS

use "Location" to find where the car is

Done this and going to send them a note in the post

 

[NorfolkMustard]

I’m very close to Burbage. DM me details and I’ll pop round. Could get you their phone number etc.

 

[Not Sure]

I can help once I get my teeth into it.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Is there more than one Burbage, though?

A friend lives in Burbage (Wiltshire) and I could call him and ask if he's seen one around, as it's only a fairly small place.

 

[Jason71]

Is there more than one Burbage, though?

A friend lives in Burbage (Wiltshire) and I could call him and ask if he's seen one around, as it's only a fairly small place.

The location from the app is not limited to the name you can see it on the map so I assume he has been able to get the location down to the part of the right street if the GPS signal is good.

 

[SirRob]

If only Summon wasn't horribly distance limited, eh?

 

[nightowl]

If only Summon wasn't horribly distance limited, eh?

/rubs hands together
"Free car! Come to papa!"

There's still a concerning level of control possible that could really cause problems for a driver. Opening the frunk/trunk for example (in the frunk's case, I'm hoping it can't be opened while on the move because imagine that popping open whilst on the motorway...)

 

[marvin28]

Can I put my car into your account too please? I want to buy the Acceleration Boost upgrade and do some supercharging. Thanks.

 

[Gareth Davies]

Thanks all for contributions and suggestions, a kind soul who lives in Burbage on the TOGUK Facebook group kindly went round to the owner's house and passed my number on. He is a very nice chap who is also called Gareth Davies. He noted on his delivery (23rd December) that his email address was wrong on the system (it turns out it was showing as my email address). They gave him an email address to email and sent him packing. Naturally, no one has responded to his emails and he hasn't had access to the app since taking ownership of the car! I have now removed his car from my account and hopefully he will now be able to add it to his account.

Pretty crazy that Tesla seem to use our name as an account identifier rather than something unique such as email address or phone number?! Just utterly bizarre. The email addresses aren't even that similar.

 

[Gareth Davies]

I’m very close to Burbage. DM me details and I’ll pop round. Could get you their phone number etc.

Thanks for the offer, I saw the other guy's offer first and he went round Saturday morning and spoke to the chap. Great community

 

[Rooster6655]

Thanks all for contributions and suggestions, a kind soul who lives in Burbage on the TOGUK Facebook group kindly went round to the owner's house and passed my number on. He is a very nice chap who is also called Gareth Davies. He noted on his delivery (23rd December) that his email address was wrong on the system (it turns out it was showing as my email address). They gave him an email address to email and sent him packing. Naturally, no one has responded to his emails and he hasn't had access to the app since taking ownership of the car! I have now removed his car from my account and hopefully he will now be able to add it to his account.

Pretty crazy that Tesla seem to use our name as an account identifier rather than something unique such as email address or phone number?! Just utterly bizarre. The email addresses aren't even that similar.

Wow Tesla’s incompetence never ceases to amaze!

 

[rotor2k]

Pretty crazy that Tesla seem to use our name as an account identifier rather than something unique such as email address or phone number?! Just utterly bizarre. The email addresses aren't even that similar.

I suspect it was as trivial as someone looking him up in a database and you were the first one to show up.

 

[Beady3647]

"Wow Tesla’s incompetence never ceases to amaze!"

Having said that, the owners group are absolutely the best IMHO and in it's own way "never ceases to amaze!"

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I suspect it was as trivial as someone looking him up in a database and you were the first one to show up.

Sounds spot on to me. When I 'phoned to check some details about collection, the chap only used my name to find the account, and wasn't interested in any other details, RN, address or whatever. That suggests that they just search by customer name only most of the time, which isn't very secure, IMHO.

Pretty much everyone that you do any financial transaction with on the 'phone usually uses some form of cross check to make sure that they are actually talking to the person they think they are. Might be just that Tesla staff are doing this to save time, given that they seem to have been a bit rushed in recent months.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Considered this but decided to try this plus a post on the TOGUK Facebook group first to hopefully locate them. Concerns about freaking them out plus I don't know the circumstances of where it is parked. Someone on a night shift, sleeping baby etc. It feels a bit unnecessary bit if this doesn't work and Tesla don't sort it then I'll resort to that I think.

It'd also be illegal, so there's that.

It's just easier to make errors with matching names. People could be working off a list, got the wrong line, and skipped you.

At least you two now know what's happening and can coordinate.
"hey gareth its gareth. lost my keycard. can u remote start it? tx"

 

[Jason71]

Sounds spot on to me. When I 'phoned to check some details about collection, the chap only used my name to find the account, and wasn't interested in any other details, RN, address or whatever. That suggests that they just search by customer name only most of the time, which isn't very secure, IMHO.

Pretty much everyone that you do any financial transaction with on the 'phone usually uses some form of cross check to make sure that they are actually talking to the person they think they are. Might be just that Tesla staff are doing this to save time, given that they seem to have been a bit rushed in recent months.

It's not ideal. Jeremy Harris from Wiltshire with a black M3 LR AWD reg number JH 5XXX. I mean that info is all fake right?..........