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Valet vs. rangers

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My 30-day countdown begins today for purchasing a service plan. I'm now confused. Why would anyone pre-pay for ranger service given the new valet service? In other words, if they'll come bring me a loaner for free and take my car to the service center, and then replace it when done, why would I need a ranger? Or does valet only apply to warranty repairs (and not annual service), or only in certain situations or something?
 
My 30-day countdown begins today for purchasing a service plan. I'm now confused. Why would anyone pre-pay for ranger service given the new valet service? In other words, if they'll come bring me a loaner for free and take my car to the service center, and then replace it when done, why would I need a ranger? Or does valet only apply to warranty repairs (and not annual service), or only in certain situations or something?

Ask Tesla. Personally I'm assuming the valet delivery of the loaner only applies if you're paying for ranger service, while the loaner applies to anyone getting service.
 
According to this: Tesla Service | Tesla Motors, no charge for valet service, but there is charge for ranger:

We designed Model S to be easy to own. Routine software updates handle most issues without interrupting your life, while annual inspections ensure your car’s long-term health. Model S is also smart: it periodically monitors itself and can alert Tesla, with your permission, to issues so that they can be resolved quickly and easily. Many issues can be resolved remotely, but if your Model S does require in-person attention, you can bring it to a Tesla Service Center, schedule a Tesla Ranger visit, or have your car picked up in exchange for a loaner at no charge with our valet service.

Tesla Valet Service
Tesla is putting in place a valet service, so that your car is seamlessly picked up and replaced with a loaner and then returned as soon as we are done. There is no additional charge for this.

Tesla Rangers Come to You
Tesla Rangers are service technicians who make house calls. For an additional fee, they can come to your home or office to perform most maintenance and warranty repairs.
 
According to this: Tesla Service | Tesla Motors, no charge for valet service, but there is charge for ranger:

We designed Model S to be easy to own. Routine software updates handle most issues without interrupting your life, while annual inspections ensure your car’s long-term health. Model S is also smart: it periodically monitors itself and can alert Tesla, with your permission, to issues so that they can be resolved quickly and easily. Many issues can be resolved remotely, but if your Model S does require in-person attention, you can bring it to a Tesla Service Center, schedule a Tesla Ranger visit, or have your car picked up in exchange for a loaner at no charge with our valet service.

Tesla Valet Service
Tesla is putting in place a valet service, so that your car is seamlessly picked up and replaced with a loaner and then returned as soon as we are done. There is no additional charge for this.

Tesla Rangers Come to You
Tesla Rangers are service technicians who make house calls. For an additional fee, they can come to your home or office to perform most maintenance and warranty repairs.

Thanks for that. So basically: Valet = we come pick up your car and give you a loaner. Ranger = we come and fix your car without moving it.
 
Thanks for that. So basically: Valet = we come pick up your car and give you a loaner. Ranger = we come and fix your car without moving it.

Seems like. So why would I pay $100 per incident (or $500 for unlimited incidents) to pick ranger instead of valet? (One even more confusing wrinkle - my understanding from some other posts around here is that in some circumstances the rangers WILL "move" your car - to take it elsewhere if needed and then return it, though in that case you wouldn't have a loaner in the mean time.)

I guess one difference is that valet/loaner only happens if the "repair" will take more than 3.5 hours, whereas you could conceivably have a ranger come out to spend 3 minutes on something?

Would be nice if Tesla would explain what the heck these plans really mean.
 
Seems like. So why would I pay $100 per incident (or $500 for unlimited incidents) to pick ranger instead of valet? (One even more confusing wrinkle - my understanding from some other posts around here is that in some circumstances the rangers WILL "move" your car - to take it elsewhere if needed and then return it, though in that case you wouldn't have a loaner in the mean time.)

I guess one difference is that valet/loaner only happens if the "repair" will take more than 3.5 hours, whereas you could conceivably have a ranger come out to spend 3 minutes on something?

Would be nice if Tesla would explain what the heck these plans really mean.

My understanding is that the key value of ranger service is if you live far away from a service center. (Or your time is too valuable to drive it to a service center.)
 
If you live in the same city as the service center, then the Valet service is probably the best way to go.

I live a couple of hours from the closest service center, so I signed up for the Ranger service.

Can you explain? Seems to me that in that case, if you used the valet, you would be without YOUR car for a longer period of time (travel time for the car to and from the service center) but you'd have an equivalent (or better) car that whole time. In fact, with the valet service you'd never be without a car, but with the ranger service you wouldn't have any car while the repair is going on.
 
I really doubt that Tesla will valet your car from a different city. There must be some kind of range limit involved.

As for Ranger service, lately I've been getting them to come to our office and work on it there. Very convenient!
 
I called about this on Friday specifically because I have about a week left before my window expires. Here's what I got:

Valet is offered at no cost. Ranger is $100 per incident unless you buy the pre-paid package.

Where they are different is this:
Ranger is someone coming to fix something on your car wherever you need them (like home or office). Valet is just bringing you a car for a loaner and taking your car back to the service center for any service that will take 4 hours or longer to fix. If it's something that takes less than that, then valet is not offered. You would need to take it to a service center if you don't do the ranger service.

So, let's assume there's a problem that can be fixed either at your home or in a service center, but will take more than 4 hours (scheduled time it takes for that type of repair). Valet option will bring you a loaner car, drive your car back to the SC, and then bring it back when it's done. Ranger service will bring a tech out to you to fix it. I didnt' think to ask whether it could still include a loaner, so that would be good to know.

If it's an issue that takes less than 4 hours to fix, then valet is not an option. Ranger service would send someone out to fix it. Without it, then you'd have to take it into a service center and wait for it to be fixed.

And a caveat on all valet. It's as available. If there isn't a car available, then you may have to go the Enterprise route. If you have any other questions, Call ownership. It's what I did on Friday afternoon and got to talk to someone who answered my questions immediately.
 
I live 4 hours from a service center and bought the 4 anywhere plan before valet was announced. I plan to keep it:

1. I live far away and do think Tesla will have a range limit on the valet loaner.
2. If my car needs the 12v replaced (short repair less than 3.5 h) I would have to pay $100 for the ranger or tow it 4 hours away.
3. I will have my annual service done at home even if not required by warranty. The car is great but I have about 14 minimal warranty issues already that need service. It is likely that future annual visits will have warranty service repairs in addition to maintainence.
4. I have another car I can drive so time isn't lost with the 3.5 h rule and I can have the most convenient option to save time.
 
For me the big question is do I think I will need more than 5 ranger visits over 4 years. Otherwise, I'd just pay as I go. There will be a service center in Scottsdale "coming soon". So, while I imagine there will be more than 5 service events over that time (being a new car/new tech and all), not sure how many I'd want ranger vs. just bringing it in myself vs. using the valet service if it qualifies.

As Im probably going to put on 12500-14000 miles on the car annually, I'm inclined to order the Anywhere 4 plan.
 
The big advantages with the Ranger service are that your car stays on location so that it's usable as soon as the work is complete and you can hopefully develop a relationship with the person who performs the work. The valet service is less convenient because you might get stuck with an Enterprise car. Also it's the same black-box service that you get from Toyota where you never get to speak to the actual person performing the work.
 
I didnt' think to ask whether it [Ed.: Ranger service] could still include a loaner, so that would be good to know.

I did ask that question of my SC manager: Ranger service means no loaner. Also: if your car has to be put on a flatbed and taken to the SC, there's no valet service. Which makes sense: someone would have to come get the guy who delivered the loaner, or you'd have to drive him in the loaner back to the SC. I don't think we should expect Tesla to tie up two employees and two cars for loaner deliveries.
 
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I did ask that question of my SC manager: Ranger service means no loaner. Also: if your car has to be put on a flatbed and taken to the SC, there's no valet service. Which makes sense: someone would have to come get the guy who delivered the loaner, or you'd have to drive him in the loaner back to the SC. I don't think we should expect Tesla to tie up two employees and two cars for loaner deliveries.

I have an issue with that last part. It may be the case, but to me its not right. Having your car dead to the point of needing it flat bedded is arguably the worst possible scenario / feeling an owner can encounter. So not providing the ultimate in service in such a scenario seems terribly wrong.
 
I did ask that question of my SC manager: Ranger service means no loaner. Also: if your car has to be put on a flatbed and taken to the SC, there's no valet service. Which makes sense: someone would have to come get the guy who delivered the loaner, or you'd have to drive him in the loaner back to the SC. I don't think we should expect Tesla to tie up two employees and two cars for loaner deliveries.

I'm not sure this does make sense. Enterprise delivers cars to you, so if they're using enterprise to provide the loaner it shouldn't be a problem. Alternatively they could arrange for a loaner to be on the flatbed that comes to you, and swap cars when the flatbed arrives (assuming it's a tesla employee driving the flatbed, which seems to be your premise).
 
What jomo and ohmslaw said. If your car *has* to be hauled away on a flatbed, this is the worst situation for the customer, and Tesla really ought to be providing a loaner in *that* situation.

And it's actually really straightfoward to provide a loaner in that situation: Tesla has to send an empty flatbed up to get your car, so that empty flatbed can carry the loaner up to you. When Tesla returns your car, Tesla has an empty flatbed to drive back, and that flatbed can carry the loaner back.