Venting because of the lies... oh the lies

[bcsteeve]

Hi all. I fully expect to get flamed for this, because... well... that's what happens. But I've got to vent. I'm pissed off.

First, a bit of background: I had a Tesla Model S P85D that got lost to a fire last July. I've been dealing with all that crap for the last months, and there's a LOT to deal with... so quite possibly I'm just emotionally charged from the stress. Nevertheless, I'm not happy with Tesla.

It took awhile to get an insurance payout, and I didn't get enough for a new S. Plus with the financial uncertainty with rebuilding my house (yep, that's right - it took out my whole house too. Until you go through it, you can't imagine how not simple it is!) I didn't feel comfortable going back to a $100+k car. So I turned my sights to the Model 3.

I picked one up a couple of weeks ago, just before the most recent price increase. I guess that's important.

When I actually placed my order online, there were a few things to note:

Lie #1 (sort of) - My car would be ready in 2 weeks.
Lie #2 - The $6600 (Canadian) I was paying for Full Self Driving would allow me to summon my car from anywhere in a parking lot. "No, really", it says. And it says that under "now", not "coming soon", etc.
Lie #3 - If referred by an owner, I'd get 1500km of free Supercharging
Lie #4 - If I wasn't happy, I could return it in 7 days/1500km.

I learned about Lie #1 pretty quick when the delivery guy said I'd have to wait until May. When asked about the 2 weeks, his response was "yeah I wish they didn't write that". But they do. Now, to his credit he was - in the end - able to get me the car in less than 2 weeks, but I had to give up on white seats. So I'm not too mad about this, really. And really, I never was. It was just annoying being told one thing and learning of another.

I learned about Lie #2 only after getting the car. When the website said, "no really" I didn't think there was any need to see if the assertion was actually true! So yes, I fully expected my car to come find me. WTF did I spend $6600 on, exactly? Auto park that is horrible (was with my S too)? Summon that is completely useless because it is literally easier and faster to just get in and do it myself? (in canada, anyway, it is only done by phone and you have to nearly be touching the car and pray to the wifi/cell gods to connect and it will move a few inches at best maybe 5/10 times). I feel like I completely wasted that $6600. I wanted to return it just for that, and re-buy it without the FSD nonsense. But... I tell myself... maybe someday I'll be impressed, so whatever.

Today I learn about Lie #3. See... I've been getting charged for my supercharging. But why? I was told I'd have 3000km - 1500 for being the referrer and 1500 for being the referred. OK, that guy mis-spoke and the 1500 for being the referrer actually went to my burned up S (and even if it wasn't, I couldn't benefit because that car had unlimited). But what about the other 1500? Nope... I'm told... because technically I placed my order before that program went into effect. WTF?!? Then how did I use the code? I was looking at it and reading it and made my purchase decision partially because of it. "Oh, but it didn't actually come into effect until the next day". Huh?!?! And I've gone back and forth with this person and another at Vancouver Tesla and I'm told simply, "nothing we can do".

And that leads me to Lie #4. I'm outside of my 7 days, but I mention that I would have returned it if this came up sooner... and the guy has the balls to tell me I couldn't have anyway. "had you read the fine print, you'd see that the $5000 BC CEV rebate you got takes away your ability to return the vehicle". OMG. Take note: If you are in BC you can't return the car unless you forgo the $5,000 rebate. Of course I'm not saying you should be able to return it AND keep the rebate... that would be silly. But defer the rebate or reverse it or something. OR AT LEAST BE OPEN ABOUT IT ON THE WEBSITE. Don't just lie about it and then tell people after the fact!


Now the kicker. "Eddie" over at the Vancouver delivery center on Pender St... I couldn't believe this *sugar*... he straight up said to my face that people who buy black Teslas are "just cheap" (same thing about the 18" wheels). I don't care if this was a Hyundai, you don't tell your customers that they are "cheap" for buying your product. But a Tesla?!!? Is there ANYONE that would accuse a Tesla owner of being "cheap"?


So my experience has been crap. The car... is ok. I haven't been as thrilled as I was with my S, but it is OK and at least it hasn't caught on fire (yet lol). The acceleration is impressive (Ok, it isn't my P85D but it still puts you back in your seat). The handling is... mediocre. Ride comfort is good. Fit and finish is far superior to my S. The tech is cool, and the gags like the farting is pretty great. Autopilot is really good. FSD is ridiculously useless. But there are things I prefer about my wife's Chevy Bolt (regen is better; back up cam is better; Android Auto... exists) which kind of shouldn't be the case when you consider the price difference (I paid $32k for the Bolt after incentives and the 3 set me back $70,700 after incentive) there shouldn't be anything that's actually better in the Bolt.

I'm committed to electric for environmental reasons. And I'm committed to Tesla to some degree because I fully believe they're the reason EV are becoming mainstream and, at the moment, they have the only products that tick off all the boxes (though the 3 doesn't - ironically... what was I thinking? *sigh*) And I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend a Tesla to my friends and family... but it would come with a long list of "but there's this" points.

Do I regret the purchase? Yeah, kinda. Certainly the wasted $6600.





OK, I feel better now. Thanks.

 

[Tam]

...OK, I feel better now. Thanks.

I am glad you feel better now!

 

[bcsteeve]

I am glad you feel better now!

lol, thanks

 

[GolanB]

- There are jerks born every minute, I wouldn't invest myself any further in Eddie.

Think about the positives, its healthier:

- You've already survived the biggest challenge - getting through the fire! Some say this brings good luck!
- You're now the proud owner of one of the safest vehicles on the road. That's a priceless investment right there.
- FSD will arrive, and when it does, you'll feel better about spending the cash. It may even feel like you've got a brand new car.

I've been amazed at the handling of the Model 3; it certainly beats the pants off my previous cars, and the Model X which we owned.

 

[Runnergirl]

BREATHE... and name your new car "Phoenix."

 

[bcsteeve]

Well said GolanB, thank you. And especially thanks for reminding me about the safety. That was the main reason I was able to convince my wife to let me buy the S We have a young son, so that is a pretty invaluable investment.

And really... I guess I should give my head a shake. Talk about first world problems, right? Here I am bitchin and moaning because of some dumbass at the delivery center and a few minor (in the scheme of things) annoyances. 1500/3000km of supercharging isn't really worth that much. And that's offset by the fact that I am one of the rare individuals that actually got a legitimate discount off his new Tesla (I convinced them to knock of $980 and to put nearly $15k on my Visa = points). The FSD thing I feel stupid about, but other than being duped on the parking lot thing, I knew it was only partially developed. And, really... I do want to support this company and its efforts. I just wish it didn't try so hard to piss me off.

 

[bcsteeve]

BREATHE... and name your new car "Phoenix."

Oh crap! That's brilliant!

I called the first one Chappie*, so I had named this one Chappie Jr... but I'm stealing your idea, thanks!


* Why Chappie? Partially for the title character of the movie of the same name. But it was just a weird train of thought that made me laugh. I was trying to think of something clever that had to do with using no gas. So I was like, "No gas, no gas... gasless... hmm.... gasless... rhymes with assless... ASSLESS CHAPS... CHAPPIE!"

 

[OCR1]

OP,

Really sorry to hear about all you have went through. I’d have probably moved on from Tesla by now after all that. It’s unfortunate that Tesla has some really junior employees who have little customer service experience and say some really ridiculous things. I wish I could say that your experience is a rare exception, but it’s not. I’ve had many boneheaded conversations with Tesla employees as well. Just one example, I’m owed a set of wheels on a due bill. The employee I spoke to tells me I have to contact parts to order my wheels. I say fine, how do I do that? Oh, they don’t have a phone back there so you can’t call them.

I’m still waiting on those wheels.

Anyways, the car is great. The company, not so much. Some get through the delivery experience OK. Others are put through hell before they get their vehicle. It’s sad because I think Tesla would sell a lot more cars if they didn’t keep tripping all over themselves trying to execute on their business plan.

In any case, hope your home situation is coming together OK and this is the last you have to deal with those Tesla reps for a while.

 

[bcsteeve]

Thanks OCR1.

It isn't like I didn't know better. Thinking back to my very first experience with Tesla customer service: I took a 2013 S on an extended 24 hour test drive (which was awesome) and at around midnight I stop at a Supercharger with barely any charge left. I couldn't get it to charge. I tried 4 or 5 different stalls and it just wouldn't engage. I called the 24 hour help line and had to leave a message.

*To this day I have never received a call back*

lol. I ended up sleeping in the car. Eventually they determined there was a small rock in the charge port preventing the connector from going in all the way.

The crew at the store was great, and that actually did solidify my desire for a Tesla... but I knew from that non-call back that I was getting into something a little less than perfect.



Hey, thanks everyone! I was expecting to get chewed out for daring to speak ill of Tesla! Instead, you've all been super supportive. I realy do feel better and I'm glad I posted


Yes, dealing with the house is supershitty... but many people have it much much worse than we do. Nobody got hurt. I've got my lovely wife, my wonderful kid... and brand new appliances soon enough (man I hated that dishwasher). So all-in-all... it'll be OK.

Thanks again.

 

[Donz_S]

He said Black is cheap??? OMG, I LOVE black. The fact that I didn't have to pay extra for it is icing on the cake. They could charge extra for "every" color option and I would have STILL selected black. Okay, I did get the 19" sport wheels.... but cheap?? Ugh Like Runnergirl said (I'm RunnerGuy on another site btw), "Breathe..."

 

[notrhj]

If they would just provide Customer Service instead of Servicing their Customers

 

[bcsteeve]

Interesting. I was admonished for "unnecessary blatant cursing" and told I was going to be banned because of this post. Then I got notified that this thread was deleted for egregious violation of the rules. Now it is back? I hope I don't get re-banned for my previous comments! lol

Dear admin: I'm sorry for my potty mouth. I have vowed to do better and keep it family friendly.

 

[Electroman]

Your first post above makes it seem as if your Model S was the cause of the fire and burned your house to the ground..

 

[TT97]

He said Black is cheap??? OMG, I LOVE black. The fact that I didn't have to pay extra for it is icing on the cake. They could charge extra for "every" color option and I would have STILL selected black. Okay, I did get the 19" sport wheels.... but cheap?? Ugh Like Runnergirl said (I'm RunnerGuy on another site btw), "Breathe..."

I bought black because I'm cheap! Well, I wanted green but since they don't sell green, I didn't want to spend money on a color I didn't "love." Eventually, I'll just wrap it green (that is, once I'm no longer cheap).

I also went with the 18" wheels but would have paid extra to get those over the 19" (if hypothetically, those were the standard wheels.)

 

[bcsteeve]

Your first post above makes it seem as if your Model S was the cause of the fire and burned your house to the ground..

not sure how you're reading that, but no... there was no indication that the Tesla was the cause of the fire. If course, it is possible. We don't know for sure and never will.

I bought black because I'm cheap! Well, I wanted green but since they don't sell green, I didn't want to spend money on a color I didn't "love." Eventually, I'll just wrap it green (that is, once I'm no longer cheap).

I also went with the 18" wheels but would have paid extra to get those over the 19" (if hypothetically, those were the standard wheels.)

lol, yeah who am i kidding? I am cheap. But he shouldn't have said it.

 

[Legen---dary]

Hi all. I fully expect to get flamed for this, because... well... that's what happens. But I've got to vent. I'm pissed off.

First, a bit of background: I had a Tesla Model S P85D that got lost to a fire last July. I've been dealing with all that crap for the last months, and there's a LOT to deal with... so quite possibly I'm just emotionally charged from the stress. Nevertheless, I'm not happy with Tesla.

It took awhile to get an insurance payout, and I didn't get enough for a new S. Plus with the financial uncertainty with rebuilding my house (yep, that's right - it took out my whole house too. Until you go through it, you can't imagine how not simple it is!) I didn't feel comfortable going back to a $100+k car. So I turned my sights to the Model 3.

I picked one up a couple of weeks ago, just before the most recent price increase. I guess that's important.

When I actually placed my order online, there were a few things to note:

Lie #1 (sort of) - My car would be ready in 2 weeks.
Lie #2 - The $6600 (Canadian) I was paying for Full Self Driving would allow me to summon my car from anywhere in a parking lot. "No, really", it says. And it says that under "now", not "coming soon", etc.
Lie #3 - If referred by an owner, I'd get 1500km of free Supercharging
Lie #4 - If I wasn't happy, I could return it in 7 days/1500km.

I learned about Lie #1 pretty quick when the delivery guy said I'd have to wait until May. When asked about the 2 weeks, his response was "yeah I wish they didn't write that". But they do. Now, to his credit he was - in the end - able to get me the car in less than 2 weeks, but I had to give up on white seats. So I'm not too mad about this, really. And really, I never was. It was just annoying being told one thing and learning of another.

I learned about Lie #2 only after getting the car. When the website said, "no really" I didn't think there was any need to see if the assertion was actually true! So yes, I fully expected my car to come find me. WTF did I spend $6600 on, exactly? Auto park that is horrible (was with my S too)? Summon that is completely useless because it is literally easier and faster to just get in and do it myself? (in canada, anyway, it is only done by phone and you have to nearly be touching the car and pray to the wifi/cell gods to connect and it will move a few inches at best maybe 5/10 times). I feel like I completely wasted that $6600. I wanted to return it just for that, and re-buy it without the FSD nonsense. But... I tell myself... maybe someday I'll be impressed, so whatever.

Today I learn about Lie #3. See... I've been getting charged for my supercharging. But why? I was told I'd have 3000km - 1500 for being the referrer and 1500 for being the referred. OK, that guy mis-spoke and the 1500 for being the referrer actually went to my burned up S (and even if it wasn't, I couldn't benefit because that car had unlimited). But what about the other 1500? Nope... I'm told... because technically I placed my order before that program went into effect. WTF?!? Then how did I use the code? I was looking at it and reading it and made my purchase decision partially because of it. "Oh, but it didn't actually come into effect until the next day". Huh?!?! And I've gone back and forth with this person and another at Vancouver Tesla and I'm told simply, "nothing we can do".

And that leads me to Lie #4. I'm outside of my 7 days, but I mention that I would have returned it if this came up sooner... and the guy has the balls to tell me I couldn't have anyway. "had you read the fine print, you'd see that the $5000 BC CEV rebate you got takes away your ability to return the vehicle". OMG. Take note: If you are in BC you can't return the car unless you forgo the $5,000 rebate. Of course I'm not saying you should be able to return it AND keep the rebate... that would be silly. But defer the rebate or reverse it or something. OR AT LEAST BE OPEN ABOUT IT ON THE WEBSITE. Don't just lie about it and then tell people after the fact!


Now the kicker. "Eddie" over at the Vancouver delivery center on Pender St... I couldn't believe this *sugar*... he straight up said to my face that people who buy black Teslas are "just cheap" (same thing about the 18" wheels). I don't care if this was a Hyundai, you don't tell your customers that they are "cheap" for buying your product. But a Tesla?!!? Is there ANYONE that would accuse a Tesla owner of being "cheap"?


So my experience has been crap. The car... is ok. I haven't been as thrilled as I was with my S, but it is OK and at least it hasn't caught on fire (yet lol). The acceleration is impressive (Ok, it isn't my P85D but it still puts you back in your seat). The handling is... mediocre. Ride comfort is good. Fit and finish is far superior to my S. The tech is cool, and the gags like the farting is pretty great. Autopilot is really good. FSD is ridiculously useless. But there are things I prefer about my wife's Chevy Bolt (regen is better; back up cam is better; Android Auto... exists) which kind of shouldn't be the case when you consider the price difference (I paid $32k for the Bolt after incentives and the 3 set me back $70,700 after incentive) there shouldn't be anything that's actually better in the Bolt.

I'm committed to electric for environmental reasons. And I'm committed to Tesla to some degree because I fully believe they're the reason EV are becoming mainstream and, at the moment, they have the only products that tick off all the boxes (though the 3 doesn't - ironically... what was I thinking? *sigh*) And I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend a Tesla to my friends and family... but it would come with a long list of "but there's this" points.

Do I regret the purchase? Yeah, kinda. Certainly the wasted $6600.





OK, I feel better now. Thanks.

Hang on.. now I feel better. I've been on a rage in another thread about the Tesla lies. Dealt with Eddie and co., but actually the delivery guys were not too bad (showroom was slightly harder to get answers from). I did show up when told, only to be booted out and asked to return another day. The car was never cleaned, nor inspected. I was doing my best to help with Q1 -- the naive fool I am -- so felt like part of the team. If only I could go back in time a few weeks things would be so different.

Hell since then. Calls/emails rarely, if ever, returned, and a sugarton of misinformation.

Lies upon lies upon lies. Still no supercharger credits for myself or the guy who's code I used, but to their credit, they did start charging me for supercharging me; no delay there.

Anyway man, I'm glad you and your family are ok. Maybe I'll see you in Kelowna this summer! (Just look for a 'cheap' black SR/SR+ highly modded by removing hubcaps).

Tesla will eventually get their sugar together, at which time I'll be springing for a Model PY -- either that or the Rivian brick-on-wheels, which is really growing on me.

 

[BrunoB]

Quick question, do you think that all FSD is not worth it, because basic AP does not give you navigate on AP or line change on AP. Basic AP is TACC with autosteer that's it. So the FSD gives you the navigate on AP and line change on AP. Do you say you would forgo those features ?

 

[bcsteeve]

Quick question, do you think that all FSD is not worth it, because basic AP does not give you navigate on AP or line change on AP. Basic AP is TACC with autosteer that's it. So the FSD gives you the navigate on AP and line change on AP. Do you say you would forgo those features ?

100% absolutely. No question. Those features, along with the parking, are nothing. If it weren't for the hope of something more, I wouldn't have felt good paying $500 for what FSD is now. The "navigate on autopilot" is only available on one routefor me, which I rarely drive. And it is one very long highway with no stops, no interchanges, and no turns... so what can FSD do there that AP can't? A: it takes the very last exit for me before telling me to take over. Yay! And how "auto" are the lane changes when I have to confirm each one? Granted, that's been changed and I will get to try that out for the first time tomorrow, so we will see.

I'm sure (sort of) that one day it will be able to at least fart on park, which will make it worthwhile

 

[bcsteeve]

Just look for a 'cheap' black SR/SR+ highly modded by removing hubcaps

We cheap SOBs have to stick together.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[BrunoB]

100% absolutely. No question. Those features, along with the parking, are nothing. If it weren't for the hope of something more, I wouldn't have felt good paying $500 for what FSD is now. The "navigate on autopilot" is only available on one routefor me, which I rarely drive. And it is one very long highway with no stops, no interchanges, and no turns... so what can FSD do there that AP can't? A: it takes the very last exit for me before telling me to take over. Yay! And how "auto" are the lane changes when I have to confirm each one? Granted, that's been changed and I will get to try that out for the first time tomorrow, so we will see.

I'm sure (sort of) that one day it will be able to at least fart on park, which will make it worthwhile

Thanks for this appreciation, I'm on the fence of ordering FSD, it's great to have the appreciation from a fellow canuck.