Model 3 Being Delivered with 16 Paint Defects – Horrible Delivery

Remember the days of watching Youtube videos where a happy buyer arrives at the Tesla factory to be greeted like a guest?  A giddy customer that can’t wait to just drive off the Tesla to tell their friends and family, but the employee took their time to explain everything in and out of the car?  Well those days are over

This Tesla Model 3 was delivered with the $2000 paint option in November 2018!

Advice to anyone who hasn’t taken delivery of a Model 3

1) Don’t sell your other car if you are planning to- before you get delivery and then also wait!! I had a delayed, canceled and then VIN vanished first Non-delivery. Two hard hits to my credit – second without my approval and basically due to their inability to deliver and a delay of over 30 days- new loan finance was higher and I had to kick up a fuss to have the previous one honored. Hard hit still stays on my credit! Almost project managed my second delivery to the T- guiding the remote delivery sales person who you can only email and text many times, many days and then get one negative response. I called the Reisterstown folks multiple times as well to ensure they didn’t give my car to someone else second time round. No one ever told me how my first VIN vanished 2 days before delivery- either the car was damaged or they gave it to someone else. I already got insurance so had to cancel it.

2) Unless you know cars inside out and can check every flaw- the delivery is far from perfect. Basically they just hand you the key card and walk off. I took my delivery in the dark and rain. Not sure how I was supposed to check anything. They tell you that you have 3 days to bring back for any flaw. They mean it! If you go later than that- the Service Manager will transfer you to Delivery Manager and vice versa multiple times – both discrediting the other and stating that the other doesn’t know what they are saying or doing- Go figure!

Tesla Model 3 Panel Gap
Gap

3) Take your car to a pain protection place immediately! Mine found 16 pain imperfections and a chip which I would not have found myself…and after multiple ping pong at the Reisterstown Owings Mills delivery center(possibly the worst) the paint protection guys told me they have done many Tesla’s and seen the same back and forth and that Tesla never honors any request post delivery. Finally they fixed the issues at their end by ordering the paint themselves. I weighed the options of waiting for HOURS in an empty delivery center and a very BUSY Delivery Manager sauntering in after 2 hours of waiting…or just taking a deep breath- meditate…and let Tint World sort the issues..Tint World won..

Model 3 Paint Defect
Paint Defect

4) They will give you ABSOLUTELY NO info on State Excise Credit -you’re on your own and documentation and handling can and will bring your price above your State requirement which I learned the hard way-$60,500- just $500 over the $60,000 limit for the $3000 MD State credit which I’ve now missed.

Model 3 Paint Chips
Model 3 Paint Chips

5) If you have a major issue- you have better chance tweeting Elon and getting his attention on Twitter 
than the delivery /service folks.

Model 3 Paint Bubbles
Model 3 Paint Bubbles

6) Most employees at Tesla get amazing discounts and get first dibs at their cars. Possibly thats why the Reisterstown Delivery Manager took an hour and a half in an empty showroom at 6PM on a cold rainy day to show up to even talk to me- and then went on to tell me about his 3 Teslas- his own, wife and son. Maybe he was playing with that Tesla app in his office for 1.5 hours- so busy!? Hmm….

Model 3 Paint Chip
Model 3 Paint Chip?

I absolutely love the car-frustrating buying experience…Tesla needs process improvements all around..Elon are you listening?? ..
just sayin’…delivery and service are broken…I understand this is a different marketing model..and demand is more than supply without any marketing- but hey- treat paying customers like crap- not even Tesla can or should do that. Paying 60K plus for a car and then getting one with flaws they won’t even fix..how is that even acceptable?

Model 3 Paint Gash
Model 3 Paint Gash

Having even bought Tesla shares- I worry when the rotten customer experience will take over all this Glam Tesla ownership demand. Would I buy another Tesla- only if Elon and gang get their act together.

Model 3 Paint Imperfection
Model 3 Paint Imperfection

Let’s keep in mind this is the $2000 paint option.
$2000 was paid over the Black Paint to get this done.

Model 3 Paint Scratch
Model 3 Paint Scratch

Comments