Hey everyone,
So, I totaled my Model 3. I'm super heartbroken because I've only had it for 6 months after waiting 3 years. I also just began to upgrade it (bought the Evannex frunk/trunk lifts, new tint, etc.) so that part sucks. My wife and I are having a child, so I'll be getting her a mom car (SUV) instead of another Tesla. I figure in a couple of years I can get back in the game.
Anyway, that's not the point of this post. Here's the scoop: I'm based in Orange County, CA and there was nowhere that could accept my car to do a teardown estimate. If you're not from OC, it's pretty common to own a Tesla out here, so a lot of places are booked because they take forever to send parts. Anyway, I found a place that would take it that wasn't 100 miles away. Remember the name of this shop: City Collision Center in Stanton, CA.
So the place is Tesla certified. Great, and they have room for me (you'll see why in a bit). Got my car there and they say it'll take 3 days to do an estimate. Not sure why, but I figure whatever. The fee is supposedly $2500 for the estimate, flat fee, I pay my $1,000 deductible and insurance covers the rest. Lo and behold, they charge a total of $3800, most of it in storage fees, in excess of $300 a day! Why? Because they consider ALL Teslas "exotic", and charge the same rate for Lambos, Maseratis, Porsche, etc. Am I insane for thinking this is outrageous? His explanation was that Teslas required special care to store, but I got there to get my belongings, and it was basically sitting on bricks outside collecting dust. So my insurance (Mercury) says that they are unable to accommodate the full costs, and did a breakdown of the other places in the area and determined they'd cover $65 a day based on the average going rate. This is all based on a new law from back in Sept. that limits what collision centers/body shops are allowed to charge for fees. That stuck me with about $1700 in fees that they're deducting from my settlement. Am I getting screwed by my insurance or the shop? I need to figure out whose head to tear off.
Moral of the story: don't crash your Tesla. If you do, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, take your car to City Collision Center in Stanton, CA. If I can save one person from the nightmare I just went through, it would make me happy.
So, I totaled my Model 3. I'm super heartbroken because I've only had it for 6 months after waiting 3 years. I also just began to upgrade it (bought the Evannex frunk/trunk lifts, new tint, etc.) so that part sucks. My wife and I are having a child, so I'll be getting her a mom car (SUV) instead of another Tesla. I figure in a couple of years I can get back in the game.
Anyway, that's not the point of this post. Here's the scoop: I'm based in Orange County, CA and there was nowhere that could accept my car to do a teardown estimate. If you're not from OC, it's pretty common to own a Tesla out here, so a lot of places are booked because they take forever to send parts. Anyway, I found a place that would take it that wasn't 100 miles away. Remember the name of this shop: City Collision Center in Stanton, CA.
So the place is Tesla certified. Great, and they have room for me (you'll see why in a bit). Got my car there and they say it'll take 3 days to do an estimate. Not sure why, but I figure whatever. The fee is supposedly $2500 for the estimate, flat fee, I pay my $1,000 deductible and insurance covers the rest. Lo and behold, they charge a total of $3800, most of it in storage fees, in excess of $300 a day! Why? Because they consider ALL Teslas "exotic", and charge the same rate for Lambos, Maseratis, Porsche, etc. Am I insane for thinking this is outrageous? His explanation was that Teslas required special care to store, but I got there to get my belongings, and it was basically sitting on bricks outside collecting dust. So my insurance (Mercury) says that they are unable to accommodate the full costs, and did a breakdown of the other places in the area and determined they'd cover $65 a day based on the average going rate. This is all based on a new law from back in Sept. that limits what collision centers/body shops are allowed to charge for fees. That stuck me with about $1700 in fees that they're deducting from my settlement. Am I getting screwed by my insurance or the shop? I need to figure out whose head to tear off.
Moral of the story: don't crash your Tesla. If you do, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, take your car to City Collision Center in Stanton, CA. If I can save one person from the nightmare I just went through, it would make me happy.
