Where's my car, what kinda jive is this?

[steinbej]

Hi folks,

Any feedback and understanding would be helpful. The very first week the Model Y was announced, I placed my reservation and plunked down my deposit. I expected 18+ month wait, but lo and behold, announcement that Y's were rolling out the door came in late March, hooray. In May I got the text offering me delivery or delay. Given Covid-19, my line of work, and my part of the country, I chose delay. In August I was texted again and offered delivery or delay. I chose delivery and specified September. Clicked all the online boxes and radio buttons for my order, and waited. Figured I'd get a car by late September because of the end-of-quarter push. But silence from Tesla.

On October 1st, I called the delivery center where I'd get my car and asked what was up. They were puzzled and suggested that somehow my order was overlooked. Said they'd get right on it. More silence. So I called up same delivery center (Mt. Kisco, NY) today and asked what was up. Got a very strange "explanation" which doesn't really hold water if you ask me. I was told, "well, Tesla just makes cars. You're in a queue for a car like the one you ordered. And if they don't make the kind of car you asked for, then you just keep waiting." I asked, "huh? Why did I bother telling them exactly what Model Y I wanted [basic white, basic everything, except $1,000 tow hitch] if it wasn't to place an order and tell Tesla to make exactly one version of Model Y for me? Isn't that what placing an order is, a signal telling the factory what to make?" "No," he replied, "they just make stuff and you have to wait for them to make your kind of car."

What kind of jive is this? What's really going on? Should I ask for a manager or is Tesla inscrutable and I just have to hope they bestow a car upon me one day?

Thanks,
-- Josh

 

[glide]

Hi folks,

Any feedback and understanding would be helpful. The very first week the Model Y was announced, I placed my reservation and plunked down my deposit. I expected 18+ month wait, but lo and behold, announcement that Y's were rolling out the door came in late March, hooray. In May I got the text offering me delivery or delay. Given Covid-19, my line of work, and my part of the country, I chose delay. In August I was texted again and offered delivery or delay. I chose delivery and specified September. Clicked all the online boxes and radio buttons for my order, and waited. Figured I'd get a car by late September because of the end-of-quarter push. But silence from Tesla.

On October 1st, I called the delivery center where I'd get my car and asked what was up. They were puzzled and suggested that somehow my order was overlooked. Said they'd get right on it. More silence. So I called up same delivery center (Mt. Kisco, NY) today and asked what was up. Got a very strange "explanation" which doesn't really hold water if you ask me. I was told, "well, Tesla just makes cars. You're in a queue for a car like the one you ordered. And if they don't make the kind of car you asked for, then you just keep waiting." I asked, "huh? Why did I bother telling them exactly what Model Y I wanted [basic white, basic everything, except $1,000 tow hitch] if it wasn't to place an order and tell Tesla to make exactly one version of Model Y for me? Isn't that what placing an order is, a signal telling the factory what to make?" "No," he replied, "they just make stuff and you have to wait for them to make your kind of car."

What kind of jive is this? What's really going on? Should I ask for a manager or is Tesla inscrutable and I just have to hope they bestow a car upon me one day?

Thanks,
-- Josh

Ask for a manager. Let us know how it goes.

 

[TRBo]

Call and verify there isn't a hold still on your account.

Could you please confirm what Model Y trim you ordered? (Assuming "basic" = Long Range). Just wanted to confirm it wasn't a stealth performance.

 

[Hoowzer]

Did you fill in all your information on your tesla account?

Are you financing? Did you provide all the necessary information to Tesla?

Do you have a SA? If so, make sure you hound him/her until you get a VIN match

 

[PagodaY]

steinbej,

Boy does that sound familiar. Plain Vanilla LR AWD, White w/black int. FSD. Ordered in Nov. 2019, so I pass the torch to you for longest wait.

Mt. Kisco delivery.

Got offer of delivery in Mar, delayed for the same reasons as you, asked for mid Sept delivery.

Absolutely no more communication from them. Had a problem with the order, they had me down as paying cash, it was a loan. Tried to contact Mt. Kisco 3 weeks before mid Sept (my requested delivery date) to get this taken care of ahead of time. Phone calls, emails, even "chat" was no help. Got nothing from them. Eventually I noticed a MVPA on my account in mid Sept. Still no response to my messages. But I had a VIN to give to my insurance people to prep the insurance cards. Uploaded them to the order page. Next week a delivery date appeared. Still no response to my communication attempts.

Got a call the Sat. before the Sunday delivery. SA was helpful, was able to resolve the payment issue quickly, all was set - I thought.

Got a call on Sun, hours before the delivery. There's a problem with the insurance. gotta get it fixed in order to receive the car. On a Sunday, when they had the info a week!?#&%$

Went anyway on Sunday to inspect the car. It was a madhouse (Sept 27, EOQ). As we sat there waiting for the car to be brought around (we showed up at our appointment time) we heard customer after customer coming in, complaining about the same lack of communication, and the same Tesla apologies repeated almost verbatim. Always pointing the EOQ rush as the cause of all the problems. While I expect they were heartfelt apologies, it certainly pointed to significant mismanagement somewhere up the chain.

Discovered two minor problems, but were assured that when we came back on Tuesday to pick up the car they would be resolved.

Lo and behold, on Tuesday, neither of the issues were fixed. One was able to be fixed while we waited, the other they made a mobile service appt. for.

So.... you're not alone. It appears they treat many this way. I am not surprised that while the EOQ has passed, they are still treating customers like they are numbers and not persons, with lives to lead outside of the Tesla Delivery Hell.

I wish you the best of luck. The car is fantastic, but the next time I'm looking for a car, I will be seriously looking elsewhere. Maybe at that point there will be viable alternatives who understand the concept of having good "customer relations"

Don't know how far you are from Mt. Kisco, but once you get the car, I would suggest NEVER go to Mt. Kisco for service. Who knows what will happen. Go to the northern NJ service centers, they couldn't be as bad Mt. Kisco!

BTW, the mobile service appointment was wonderful. The experience with Mt. Kisco left such a bad taste in my mouth that I questioned if the service person was dispatched from there or somewhere else (he had NJ plates on his MS).

 

[mnsweeps]

Ask you delivery center to check if there is a 'DO NOT MATCH VIN' flag set on your order? If its set, you will never get matched with a car. Ask them to unflag/remove that.

 

[EVDRVN]

Tesla builds similar cars in batches not to order as they come in. If you have a common order type it is usually available quickly.

 

[steinbej]

Thank you all for the replies. Here are some details asked for.

Questions from TRBo...
Pretty standard order: Model Y, Long Range, All-Wheel Drive, Pearl White Paint, 5 seat, Black interior, 19" wheels, autopilot. Only thing unusual is the $1,000 Tesla-installed tow hitch.

Questions from Hoowzer...
No financing, paying cash. I think I have all the personal and account info entered in my Tesla account. How would I know if something is missing? And what is an SA?

Question for PagodaY...
Mount Kisco for me is 3 hours away, but it's in NY State. The Northern NJ delivery outlet is slightly closer, but they're in NJ. Does it matter for purchase whether I take delivery within or outside my own home state, for instance are there state sales tax or license issues?

Thanks!
--JS

 

[jmallit]

Question for PagodaY...
Mount Kisco for me is 3 hours away, but it's in NY State. The Northern NJ delivery outlet is slightly closer, but they're in NJ. Does it matter for purchase whether I take delivery within or outside my own home state, for instance are there state sales tax or license issues?

Thanks!
--JS

I live in Jersey and have bought a car in NY with no extra work needed on my end. They registered and did everything with NJ as needed. That said it was a “traditional” car buying experience. Also considering everything is done online and you are really just picking up the car and giving them a check it should calculate out the taxes based on registration location. There is currently no sales tax on EVs in NJ so that might be the only thing that would cause a bit of confusion.

 

[zecar]

I got a white Y LR with a tow hitch in three weeks after order this summer. Tesla gave me your car.

As end of quarter approaches Tesla matches cars to people who they think are likely to buy before the end of the quarter. I expect the human doing the final matching decided you were likely a lookie loo based on your previous delay.

 

[jpfive]

I got a white Y LR with a tow hitch in three weeks after order this summer. Tesla gave me your car.

As end of quarter approaches Tesla matches cars to people who they think are likely to buy before the end of the quarter. I expect the human doing the final matching decided you were likely a lookie loo based on your previous delay.

Oooh, be nice...

 

[steinbej]

A lookie? Ha. My previous delay is because, as a New York primary care and hospital physician, I really had no confidence that in a few months I'd have a paycheck or be alive. Thus delay til September.

Come to think of it, those apprehensions are returning...
-- JS

 

[zecar]

Oooh, be nice...

I'm not being mean. I'm pointing out a likely Tesla business practice.

In sales you focus on the customers most likely to buy. No company successful at sales focuses on the oldest prospect. The oldest prospect is the least likely to buy.

I'm sure one of Musk's great disappointment in life is his inability to make us pay for the car in advance. People are messy and that makes manufacturing and delivery messy.

 

[PagodaY]

All these suggestions are fine and dandy, but if you can't get a response from the delivery center, you're not going to make much progress in solving this.

Is Mt. Kisco actually communicating? My insurance agent got through to get a copy of my Bill of Sale (which I'm still waiting for), so maybe the phone lines are being answered these days.

jamillit - did you buy a Tesla in NY or a normal ICE car? As you know, there are EV incentives involved with buying a Tesla. NY offers 2K, I think NJ offers 5K (that might be old information) and I don't know the mechanics of transferring that incentive to an out-of-state purchaser. I would have loved to go to NJ and get the car, but I believe you need to register it there.

Be aware of the consequences of the 2K NY incentive. Tesla's return policy is impacted in NY if you accept the 2K. Something about not being able to return the car. It's in the fine print somewhere and was only brought to my attention during the conversation with the Tesla person at Mt. Kisco.

The EOQ rush is over, they've got 3 months to make their next goal. I would think the "lookie" issue would not be relevant at this point.

 

[spokey]

I live in Jersey and have bought a car in NY with no extra work needed on my end. They registered and did everything with NJ as needed. That said it was a “traditional” car buying experience. Also considering everything is done online and you are really just picking up the car and giving them a check it should calculate out the taxes based on registration location. There is currently no sales tax on EVs in NJ so that might be the only thing that would cause a bit of confusion.

You've taken delivery? As I understand it, you must take delivery from an NJ "dealer" to get the 5,000 rebate. I'm guessing the sales tax is OK but you might have to fill out an ST-4(?) if they come after for "use" tax on it.

@PagodaY
You have to buy in NJ, show NJ residence, and show NJ registration. Futhermore if they find out you high-tailed it out of state, they're saying they'll come after you Home | Charge Up New Jersey

 

[DelCid]

I know I’m not the first one to say this, but it is frustrating to see someone on the spreadsheet that ordered the same configuration as me in the same town as me one week after I did, have a VIN assignment already while I’m still waiting. I remember the account page said something about cars being delivered in the order the “steps” are completed, but that obviously isn’t the case.

 

[MYP2020]

All these suggestions are fine and dandy, but if you can't get a response from the delivery center, you're not going to make much progress in solving this.

Is Mt. Kisco actually communicating? My insurance agent got through to get a copy of my Bill of Sale (which I'm still waiting for), so maybe the phone lines are being answered these days.

jamillit - did you buy a Tesla in NY or a normal ICE car? As you know, there are EV incentives involved with buying a Tesla. NY offers 2K, I think NJ offers 5K (that might be old information) and I don't know the mechanics of transferring that incentive to an out-of-state purchaser. I would have loved to go to NJ and get the car, but I believe you need to register it there.

Be aware of the consequences of the 2K NY incentive. Tesla's return policy is impacted in NY if you accept the 2K. Something about not being able to return the car. It's in the fine print somewhere and was only brought to my attention during the conversation with the Tesla person at Mt. Kisco.

The EOQ rush is over, they've got 3 months to make their next goal. I would think the "lookie" issue would not be relevant at this point.

Hey all, run away from Tesla Mount Kisco if you can, this was my experience: Towed back to Tesla after driving only 32 miles...

Mount Kisco leadership refused to respond to my multiple requests to contact me. The store leader's name is Vaughn Mason ([email protected]), you can try reaching out to him, though a response is highly unlikely. The operations manager is Nicolas Cruz ([email protected]). He was not responsive either.

After I eventually returned my model Y performance at day 14, I aimed higher and sent a summary of my experience to the NYC market manager, regional manager, global service director, VP of North America Sales and several others. I got an immediate response and apology both over the phone and in email. Based on my experience, there are issues with Tesla leadership above the store leader level actually knowing the drama that we as customers are going through at the lower level. I chose to make them aware. I didn't ask for anything and I certainly was not mean, I just made them more informed.

Knowing the format of the Tesla email addresses (first initial of first name then full last name @tesla.com) it was pretty easy to figure out the email addresses of Tesla senior leaders and I got 5 of the 7 I tried correctly. A little internet searching, primarily on LinkedIn, played a key role figuring out the titles and names of the right folks. Another tip, within LinkedIn, when you identify one of the people you're looking for above the store leader, let's say a market manager or regional manager, look to the right under the column that says something like "People who looked at Xxxxx Xxxxxxx's profile also searched for..." There's a goldmine of other Tesla senior leaders. All that you need is the name and then there's a pretty good chance you'll guess the right email address based on the format above.

My one email worked out well. It was forwarded to others within the Tesla leadership ranks and that was mentioned during the phone call to me. I sent it at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night and the Tesla regional manager called me at 10:45 a.m. in the morning AFTER speaking to several Tesla Mount Kisco employees who previously would not return my calls. I'd like to think that it will enable change to occur at Tesla Mount Kisco. Probably not, but I'll try to be an optimist. In the meantime, my strong recommendation is to avoid Tesla Mount Kisco if you can.

Good luck.

 

[steinbej]

Called the Mount Kisco delivery center again. Asked whether there was a "do not match VIN" flag on my account. Person said there was not. He said everything about my account is in good standing and ready to be matched with a car. He was surprised (as is each person I speak to there) that I did not get a car in September when I said yes in August to September delivery. I asked if there was any info missing or if I had flagged myself as some sort of problem or special case. He reassured me that none of these were the case. Said they're getting a ton of cars in soon and will be matching a ton of people with orders and VIN's, said I should be one of them.

Not bad news, but not clearly good news.

Onward I wait...
--JS

 

[cabbqking]

I am in exact same situation....did you happen to order a blk exterior?

 

[steinbej]

White exterior, black interior. Only thing unusual was the $1,000 Tesla tow hitch. Otherwise a very standard order.