Unacceptable Powerwall fiasco

[Yanquetino]

I have about lost my patience, and NEVER would have thought this of Tesla.

I ordered 2 Powerwalls 3 years and 3 months ago. After many inquiries and exchanges, Tesla finally got around to training and certifying an installer in my area earlier this year. I've submitted all documents and photos requested on my order page, the installer has inspected my setup, and gave me an estimate, requesting an 80% deposit to order the hardware from Tesla.

I paid that deposit over a month ago, and the installer submitted the order. Now the Tesla Energy regional manager tells me that they wouldn't be able to ship that hardware until February at the earliest. This is ridiculous! Literally YEARS of waiting, thousands of dollars paid, yet I still have to wait many months more? Unacceptable! WTF?

 

[AEdennis]

I have about lost my patience, and NEVER would have thought this of Tesla.

I ordered 2 Powerwalls 3 years and 3 months ago. After many inquiries and exchanges, Tesla finally got around to training and certifying an installer in my area earlier this year. I've submitted all documents and photos requested on my order page, the installer has inspected my setup, and gave me an estimate, requesting an 80% deposit to order the hardware from Tesla.

I paid that deposit over a month ago, and the installer submitted the order. Now the Tesla Energy regional manager tells me that they wouldn't be able to ship that hardware until February at the earliest. This is ridiculous! Literally YEARS of waiting, thousands of dollars paid, yet I still have to wait many months more? Unacceptable! WTF?

Sorry Mark... They obviously are not looking at a queue of the people with paid deposit.

 

[mnsweeps]

I think Tesla is prioritizing Powerwalls for folks who ordered with solar panels through Tesla.

 

[cridinger82]

they are... the 3rd party installers sound like they are getting screwed.. i can understand to an extent... if Tesla is limited on power walls, then i would prioritize them for tesla themselves and then the bigger margin installs which include solar... My solar and powerwall install is scheduled for next week. In fact Tesla called and offered to change my white one for non signed founder editions they had just laying around. Unfortunately red isn't really a color scheme i'm to fond of and stuck with the white..

 

[jjrandorin]

I have about lost my patience, and NEVER would have thought this of Tesla.

I ordered 2 Powerwalls 3 years and 3 months ago. After many inquiries and exchanges, Tesla finally got around to training and certifying an installer in my area earlier this year. I've submitted all documents and photos requested on my order page, the installer has inspected my setup, and gave me an estimate, requesting an 80% deposit to order the hardware from Tesla.

I paid that deposit over a month ago, and the installer submitted the order. Now the Tesla Energy regional manager tells me that they wouldn't be able to ship that hardware until February at the earliest. This is ridiculous! Literally YEARS of waiting, thousands of dollars paid, yet I still have to wait many months more? Unacceptable! WTF?

I totally get the frustration, I really do, so what I am about to say may sound like I am making light of your situation, and I am not....

With that being said...

From Teslas point of view, your installers order was made a month ago. None of the other time, etc means anything at all from their point of view. If someone placed an order for a model 3, 3 years ago, in a country that did not sell them until 1 month ago, from the customers point of view "I have been waiting 3 years", but from the companies point of view " your order became active a month ago".

Tesla also has zero control over your (third party, certified) installers requirement of 80% down to order the items. That is between you and that installer. You are likely one of the very few people in that area for that installer requesting powerwalls (so low volume). It all (unfortunately) makes sense as to what the delay would be (recently certified installer, likely small volume, likely installer doesnt have connections to escalate, likely installer has no desire to escalate since they required you to give them 80% of the money up front).

As someone said in another thread, these are construction projects, its not like buying a car. As much as I wanted the product, I would not have given someone 80% up front. I might have gone as high as 50%, but the amount you paid up front is part of what is likely causing you some heartache.

Like i said, i understand saying the above looks like I am making light of your frustrations, and I am not. i just understand the other side of this, which is, in a TL ; DR form, "the order from the installer was placed a month ago, so thats when the clock starts ticking".

I would say, look on the bright side, there is the possibility that there are new energy products announced on battery day. I dont think there will be much for model 3 (maybe a heat pump, stuff like that) but I feel there may be some announcements for energy products as well as model S / X.

Maybe the wait, although painful, means you end up with the next generation of product.

Hang in there, sorry for your frustration.

 

[Yanquetino]

If someone placed an order for a model 3, 3 years ago, in a country that did not sell them until 1 month ago, from the customers point of view "I have been waiting 3 years", but from the companies point of view " your order became active a month ago".

I'm in the USA, a couple hundred miles from California. And sorry, I don't think there's any defensible excuse. If placing an order for a product doesn't get you in a queue of "first come, first serve," why even post a webpage for potential customers to place an order and take their DEPOSIT?

 

[Yanquetino]

I think Tesla is prioritizing Powerwalls for folks who ordered with solar panels through Tesla.

Which is unacceptable to me —and not the way I would run my business. It should be "first come, first serve," if at all possible. Tesla didn't even HAVE solar panels or tiles when I placed my order and gave them my deposit/

 

[jjrandorin]

I'm in the USA, a couple hundred miles from California. And sorry, I don't think there's any defensible excuse. If placing an order for a product doesn't get you in a queue of "first come, first serve," why even post a webpage for potential customers to place an order and take their DEPOSIT?

You also happen to be in an area that its obvious that tesla itself doesnt serve, and there was no installer able to even take your order until a month ago.

There are plenty of places in the US that still are not served by Tesla. There is a person in this section of the board that works for a solar company and has been trying to get tesla to let them become certified installers for something like 18 months with no solution yet. (@dhrivnak )

As I said, I realize you are frustrated, but the fact of the matter is, your order started 1 month ago when your now certified installer placed the order with tesla, from Tesla's point of view. I have no desire to make "excuses" for anything. I am just stating my opinion that, although YOU have been waiting that long, that time "doesnt count" from tesla's (or the installers) end.

Also, the "thousands of dollars paid" is not on Tesla either, thats between your installer and you.


... One more time... I am not making light of your situation. I understand why you are frustrated. I am not saying "you shouldnt be frustrated". I am just telling you that the time you waited so far doesnt count from their end, and the money you paid up front doesnt count from their end, for different reasons.

 

[Alonzo]

I wouldn't put 80% up front for anything. Period.

 

[Vines]

Which is unacceptable to me —and not the way I would run my business. It should be "first come, first serve," if at all possible. Tesla didn't even HAVE solar panels or tiles when I placed my order and gave them my deposit/

I get the frustration of the OP, as it has been a long time to wait for something you are excited about.

However here in California as an employee of a 3rd party installer, if I took your order last month, I would give you exactly the same time frame to install, early next year. This is a growth problem that there simply aren't enough batteries produced yet.

You say you "Ordered" them 3 years ago. Did you put down any money at that point? If so you could get that contracted price, if you were willing to wait until TE serves your area.

As far as putting 80% down what is that about? The Powerwalls usually aren't invoiced until delivered, unless the credit check showed you weren't good for terms. Why are you loaning your installer a bunch of money for several months? Our typical deposit is $1k with the majority due when we deliver the equipment and start the job. Even 50% seems excessive as a deposit.

 

[Yanquetino]

if Tesla is limited on power walls, then i would prioritize them for tesla themselves and then the bigger margin installs which include solar

And I would NOT. Such a business practice means they could keep adding more and more and MORE "bigger margin installs" for Powerpacks all over the world to make beaucoup bucks… and just keep postponing individual customers' piddling orders ad infinitum, no matter when they paid their deposit.

 

[Yanquetino]

You say you "Ordered" them 3 years ago. Did you put down any money at that point?

Yes. As required.

 

[Vines]

Yes. As required.

Got it, well if you don't want to wait for TE, you have limited options. Sounds like your installer knows that and is holding your feet over the barrel. Powerwalls are huge with all the fires around here and existing installers with existing contracts as well as TE are getting priority deliveries.

Sorry you are on the short end of the stick. There have been several Powerwall systems available on the classified forums, have you thought about that?

 

[Nosken]

The situation is very frustrating. My referral Founder's Edition Powerwall 2 is on it's way to my house. I have talked to a few installers, and they all mention that there are no Powerwalls available until into next year. The PG&E rolling Outages and the wind induced power shutoffs, have exhausted the supply.
I'm not sure I even need the Powerwall, since I already overproduce on my solar, even if I have to switch to EV2. I have a few of the installers offering to buy my Powerwall. I am up to $9,500 including Gateway. If anyone here wants to offer more, I would rather see it go to someone on this forum. It would require shipping or local Sacramento/Bay Area delivery/pick up, and there is a chance you could get the $1,000 credit Tesla will give after installation, by an authorized Tesla installer. I would verify prior to sale.

 

[Yanquetino]

unless the credit check showed you weren't good for terms

Oh… that's nice.

Why are you loaning your installer a bunch of money for several months?

I wasn't. The job was to start in just a few weeks. Tesla is the one who is now postponing it several months. At this point, I'll likely demand a refund, as it seems unconscionable for Tesla to sit on all that money, plus my original deposit from over 3 years years ago… for several months more.

 

[jjrandorin]

Oh… that's nice.



I wasn't. The job was to start in just a few weeks. Tesla is the one who is now postponing it several months. At this point, I'll likely demand a refund, as it seems unconscionable for Tesla to sit on all that money, plus my original deposit from over 3 years years ago… for several months more.

My understanding from your post was you were using a certified, third party installer, so "tesla" isnt sitting on that money, your installer is. If you also have a deposit with tesla energy, it sounds like you should also get that back since they are not the ones installing your powerwalls... unless I am reading all this incorrectly.

 

[Yanquetino]

I'm not sure I even need the Powerwall, since I already overproduce on my solar

Me, too. I've wanted Powerwalls for blackouts, and simply to use as many of my solar kWh as I can, rather than trade them for my utility's dirty kWh at night. I'm now tempted to just cancel and get both deposits back. I've HAD it with the years of delays.

 

[Vines]

Oh… that's nice.

I wasn't. The job was to start in just a few weeks. Tesla is the one who is now postponing it several months. At this point, I'll likely demand a refund, as it seems unconscionable for Tesla to sit on all that money, plus my original deposit from over 3 years years ago… for several months more.

I meant as an installer than Tesla considered you a credit risk and wouldn't offer finance terms. That would be one reason why your installer asked for the 80%.

I guess I don't really understand how an existing order from 3 years ago converts into the order through your 3rd party installer. If your contract is through the 3rd party, then they misrepresented the time frame. Everyone who's paying any attention knows there is very limited supply for the last 2 months or so.

 

[cridinger82]

It seems your 3rd party installer assumed they would get more powerwalls. They assumed wrong and with everything going on in the country, the powerwalls are being diverted and low men on the totem pole aka small 3rd party installers have to wait. I would be passed at my 3rd party for not ordering a powerwall sooner.

P.s. I agree with vines about looking on the classified sections. People are selling them from time to time

 

[SMAlset]

Sorry but I am laughing at the apparent outrage. I'm thinking of all the disappointed people who preorder products only to have them be vaporware or come out much later than announced. I would assume any reputable third party installer would tell you up front that they aren't trained to install the PWs so it's not possible to provide them. So no way to order them. No idea how one can manage to put in an order, not a deposit, three plus years ago? So Tesla didn't have any certified installers and didn't service your area for several years. Can't fit a square peg in a round hole no matter how much you want to. If a deposit was put down through Tesla they would have refunded it under those circumstances especially if asked but it sounds like OP went through a third party instead so any order would have gone through that installer. You'd be their customer not Tesla's.

I'm confused about the 80% deposit to order the equipment. Tesla only requires payment one half at order install time (not order time) and the balance at time of inspection. No advance deposit before anyone comes out. The third party installer should have told OP that their inventory of PWs was 1) either low at time of order due to already committed units of their allotment or 2) was non-existant due to inventory constraints; and that a quick install wouldn't be happening on those PW units. We ordered from Tesla directly in January and back in February or March were told that we might have to have a split order of solar and PWs (the solar could be installed by end of March but the PWs not until the fall. Others were told this too). This constrained allotments info has been out there for several months from what I've seen on the forum. The last two years with increased demand for the product and Elon saying the production wasn't sufficient and needed ramping, anyone who ordered midway or later in the year stood a chance of not getting their PWs until the following year. When we had our PSPS here in the Bay area last year, our neighbor who had solar already ordered 2 PWs from Tesla directly and they simply weren't available to install until March so this was not unusual due to demand and production. The wildfires and reduction in federal tax credit and utility incentives have driven orders through the roof. Simple as that. As I see it the order didn't happen until a little over a month ago and there were way more orders to fill in front of OP by that time. The problem as I see it is with the installer not leveling with their customer and providing realistic timeframe rather than with Tesla who from what I understand was just a supplier like Generac would be that the installer was getting product through. If Generac ran out of units to installers it would be the same situation.