Used Tesla in California

[tpedwards]

There seems to be a confluence of forces:
1. Change in HOV lane sticker policy (tainted Model S that no longer qualify)
2. Ending of $7,500 Federal credit
3. Tesla no longer ships used Teslas that they have for sale
4. California collects sales tax by any commercial seller of used vehicles
5. End of old CPO program (condition of used Teslas inconsistent and no mitigation at delivery)

What I see as a frustrated (potential) buyer is an increasing number of used Teslas in California. I am hoping Tesla reinstitutes shipping to other locations - perhaps increasing the deposit or spread inventory to other locations. Otherwise, the inventory of used Teslas traded in will continue to increase or Tesla may choose to liquidate removing the possibility of buying one with a Tesla-backed warranty. Tesla certainly has bigger fish to fry with the continued ramp of Model 3 deliveries.

Has anyone heard of any change coming to address? Disposing of trade-ins seems to have been handled as an afterthought since the CPO program ended. With the lack of in-house body shop, I doubt we will see a CPO program resume. But I hope that shipping used Model S's out of California will be considered on a more proactive basis. Spread the used Model S love to the rest of the country.

 

[kellymc]

I have been looking for the last three months for MS. I live in CA so I was looking out of state or for a CA car that didn't have the stickers. I can say that my experience with Tesla's "Used" cars was less than stellar. Many that I looked at had damage or the photos were so poor that you couldn't see the condition well enough.

I made it clear to my advisor that I was purchasing soon, they could have cared less.....

In the end I found a great deal through the classifieds here

I agree, Tesla needs to ship these out of state, maybe Nevada so that out of CA buyers don't have the CA tax hit

 

[shiftkenny]

I thought If you buy from another state you get double taxed?

 

[MC408]

There seems to be a confluence of forces:
1. Change in HOV lane sticker policy (tainted Model S that no longer qualify)
2. Ending of $7,500 Federal credit
3. Tesla no longer ships used Teslas that they have for sale
4. California collects sales tax by any commercial seller of used vehicles
5. End of old CPO program (condition of used Teslas inconsistent and no mitigation at delivery)

What I see as a frustrated (potential) buyer is an increasing number of used Teslas in California. I am hoping Tesla reinstitutes shipping to other locations - perhaps increasing the deposit or spread inventory to other locations. Otherwise, the inventory of used Teslas traded in will continue to increase or Tesla may choose to liquidate removing the possibility of buying one with a Tesla-backed warranty. Tesla certainly has bigger fish to fry with the continued ramp of Model 3 deliveries.

Has anyone heard of any change coming to address? Disposing of trade-ins seems to have been handled as an afterthought since the CPO program ended. With the lack of in-house body shop, I doubt we will see a CPO program resume. But I hope that shipping used Model S's out of California will be considered on a more proactive basis. Spread the used Model S love to the rest of the country.

I was in the market for a while a recently bought a used (not CPO) P85D through Tesla. Similar experience, saw lots of damaged vehicle pictures before finally finding one I was happy with.

I continue to follow to sites and see more and more inventory which should keep pushing down prices. I provably could have waited for a better deal but extremely happy with my purchase.

Agree, Tesla should move inventory or offer to ship to help out of staters avoid the tax issue.

 

[cadurney]

Purchased a CPO from CA. To avoid sales tax had it shipped via commercial carrier to Arkansas. Paid only AR tax.

 

[SBPNW]

Purchased a CPO from CA. To avoid sales tax had it shipped via commercial carrier to Arkansas. Paid only AR tax.

Can you share how you managed to do it. The email I received from Tesla CPO advisor says that I have to go to California to sign in person and take delivery. I thought the sales tax is triggered by the delivery location.


payment where the car is located

 

[MC408]

Purchased a CPO from CA. To avoid sales tax had it shipped via commercial carrier to Arkansas. Paid only AR tax.

You may also want to let him know how recent this was. If it was a while ago, the process may have changed at Tesla, like many other things.

Good luck and hope this works for folks looking!

 

[SilverSp33d3r]

I have been looking for the last three months for MS. I live in CA so I was looking out of state or for a CA car that didn't have the stickers. I can say that my experience with Tesla's "Used" cars was less than stellar. Many that I looked at had damage or the photos were so poor that you couldn't see the condition well enough.

I made it clear to my advisor that I was purchasing soon, they could have cared less.....

In the end I found a great deal through the classifieds here

I agree, Tesla needs to ship these out of state, maybe Nevada so that out of CA buyers don't have the CA tax hit

If you buy a car never registered in CA you can apply for the red sticker.

 

[tpedwards]

But I would venture that most Teslas in California have been registered. Those that have are worth less than those that have not. With the impending decline of the federal tax credit (incentive to trade in before the end of the year), there will be a short term glut of used Teslas (those that are worth less) in California this coming fall. Unfortunately, Tesla has halted shipping used Teslas out of state for sale in their network of showrooms. Although since I started this thread, I have heard of isolated cases of shipping from California. I have not heard of the terms or conditions of these one-off cases, however.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I agree, Tesla needs to ship these out of state, maybe Nevada so that out of CA buyers don't have the CA tax hit

That seems to make the most sense. Send them all to Nevada, or the Gigafactory even and have people come there to pick them up or arrange shipping.

 

[Eevee]

I would have loved it if they moved a bunch of MS to NV from CA. We are going to CA on Tuesday to overpay about $3-4k in taxes. I tried to arrange for delivery but they said absolutely not, my only option was to buy a car that's already in NV instead. The sales guy was very nice and took a look at the inventory to help find a comparable car but really we like the one we chose and so we're just going to stick with that one and pay way too much in taxes on it. Hopefully it will work out in the end when we deduct that sales tax from our federal income tax return?

It's a huge hassle though - we are going to fly out there in the morning to get the car. We BOTH have to go because we're married and both names are on the paperwork, which means our kid is spending a day with grandma since he's not interested in a road trip just to get a car. Thankfully for us, if all goes smoothly it's a one day thing. I keep reading sad stories about people who have to drive across multiple states to pick up their cars.

I think when they produce enough Tesla semi-trucks then they'll probably start delivery again.

 

[BPSoCal]

@OP - when you say “tainted” vehicles in CA I assume you mean those that had stickers before?

 

[thetonystern]

Hello All!

Newbie here looking to get into a used Model S. In California. Been watching comments about shipping restrictions and CA taxation. Any POV on how to get into a Tesla as quickly (and efficiently) as possible would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tpedwards]

@OP - when you say “tainted” vehicles in CA I assume you mean those that had stickers before?

Exactly. Been stickered and no longer eligible for HOV lanes in California. There may be a few Californians interested in these cars, but I have a hunch that the interest is much higher outside the state of California.

 

[BPSoCal]

Exactly. Been stickered and no longer eligible for HOV lanes in California. There may be a few Californians interested in these cars, but I have a hunch that the interest is much higher outside the state of California.

Couldn’t agree more. I specifically looked for a vehicle that hadn’t been stickered yet.

 

[MC408]

Hello All!

Newbie here looking to get into a used Model S. In California. Been watching comments about shipping restrictions and CA taxation. Any POV on how to get into a Tesla as quickly (and efficiently) as possible would be greatly appreciated.

Hi there, first off, welcome to the club and you will not regret this decision! I was in your same boat a few months ago and couldn’t be happier with my decision. Like most stories, there were some up and downs in my journey and process, but In the end, it all worked out and I got a vehicle I love.

Steps:

- research different trims, features, autopilot1 vs EAP, p model, D motor, ect.

- determine your budget and what features, options, etc are your highest priority and target a model.

- use ev-cpo.com to narrow your search of Tesla’s used inventory
EV-CPO.com - Tesla New, Used, and CPO Inventory Listings

- continue to read and research on TMC , lots of good info here

- target a few vehicles that meet your desires and start tracking where you will pull the trigger if price drops. (Be patient, they drop daily up to $1k)

Being in CA, you will have the most options and inventory, so again, just be patient and don’t get too attached to 1 vehicle, there are tons of good vehicles out there, but also some bad apples you’ll want to be selective so you don’t settle on something your not completely happy with.

There are a ton of horror stories you’ll read about the new Tesla CPO process and they are likely true, but you are still going to find the best deal through Tesla and not private party (at this point). Just temper expectations and expect it to be an emotional process.

IMO - and I believe a lot of others on this site believe, P85D with less than 50k miles and 4 year warranty ;and p+ suspension is going to be your best bang for the buck! Here’s a good thread to follow for some good deals.
Tesla P85D CPO for $51K


Feel free to pm me with any specific questions as I just went thru it all.

Good luck!

 

[thetonystern]

Most appreciative MC408. I have no doubt I'll enjoy my decision and purchase.

Another question while I have an ear to hear it-- I'm hearing a lot about the stickers going obsolete. Please forgive my newness, what's going on with that and what is the rule around transfer of vehicle/HOV sticker?

Hi there, first off, welcome to the club and you will not regret this decision! I was in your same boat a few months ago and couldn’t be happier with my decision. Like most stories, there were some up and downs in my journey and process, but In the end, it all worked out and I got a vehicle I love.

Steps:

- research different trims, features, autopilot1 vs EAP, p model, D motor, ect.

- determine your budget and what features, options, etc are your highest priority and target a model.

- use ev-cpo.com to narrow your search of Tesla’s used inventory
EV-CPO.com - Tesla New, Used, and CPO Inventory Listings

- continue to read and research on TMC , lots of good info here

- target a few vehicles that meet your desires and start tracking where you will pull the trigger if price drops. (Be patient, they drop daily up to $1k)

Being in CA, you will have the most options and inventory, so again, just be patient and don’t get too attached to 1 vehicle, there are tons of good vehicles out there, but also some bad apples you’ll want to be selective so you don’t settle on something your not completely happy with.

There are a ton of horror stories you’ll read about the new Tesla CPO process and they are likely true, but you are still going to find the best deal through Tesla and not private party (at this point). Just temper expectations and expect it to be an emotional process.

IMO - and I believe a lot of others on this site believe, P85D with less than 50k miles and 4 year warranty ;and p+ suspension is going to be your best bang for the buck! Here’s a good thread to follow for some good deals.
Tesla P85D CPO for $51K


Feel free to pm me with any specific questions as I just went thru it all.

Good luck!

Being in CA, you will have the most options and inventory, so again, just be patient and don’t get too attached to 1 vehicle, there are tons of good vehicles out there, but also some bad apples you’ll want to be selective so you don’t settle on something your not completely happy with.

There are a ton of horror stories you’ll read about the new Tesla CPO process and they are likely true, but you are still going to find the best deal through Tesla and not private party (at this point). Just temper expectations and expect it to be an emotional process.

IMO - and I believe a lot of others on this site believe, P85D with less than 50k miles and 4 year warranty ;and p+ suspension is going to be your best bang for the buck! Here’s a good thread to follow for some good deals.
Tesla P85D CPO for $51K


Feel free to pm me with any specific questions as I just went thru it all.

Good luck![/QUOTE

 

[MC408]

Most appreciative MC408. I have no doubt I'll enjoy my decision and purchase.

Another question while I have an ear to hear it-- I'm hearing a lot about the stickers going obsolete. Please forgive my newness, what's going on with that and what is the rule around transfer of vehicle/HOV sticker?
![/QUOTE

The quick summary. If a tesla previously had a white sticker (which expires at year end) it is not eligible for a new sticker. So lots suspect those are less desirable and will sit or drop in price.

So the discussion above is mostly non-CA buyers who would normally jump on these cars are prohibited because CA charges sales tax even to out of state buyers.


Lots of HOV stickers info here.

California

 

[Lifeinabox]

Tesla is aware or at least my SA knows the sticker thing is a concern. He sent me a lengthy canned email that included not only information on obsolete stickers but suggested neighboring state zip codes to search for “virgin” cars.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Tesla offers transportation again after the Q4 Model 3 delivery push. $2000 a pop is a good way to recoup some of the trucking company acquisition costs.

 

[Zorg]

My understanding is that there is no sales tax on private party sales in CA to out of staters. The DMV exempts you from sales tax so long as you drive the car out of CA. Or folks can meet over the border (Reno, NV is 4 hours from the SF bay area.