ipse dixit

There are two downsides to the Tesla direct-to-consumer model.

1. After sales service. Ever try to get a warranty repair on a Tesla? Worse than the DMV.
2. Dealers and OEM warranty repairs. A dealer will often fight for the consumer to get a repair covered under warranty, because they get paid from the manufacturer. If it's a close call, the dealer will go to bat for you. You think a manufacture-operated service dept will do that?

itrocks4u

Is this true? I've heard only good things about Tesla warranty repairs.

adrianp89

Have you owned a Tesla? Software warranty issues are pushed to your car while you sleep. Bigger warranty issues they come to your house, take your car, and leave you a rental. What is not to love about that?

elvar

I have owned a Tesla for 4 years now and I've never had an issue. Coincidentally my warranty expired today and I just had it serviced yesterday to repair a number of minor things. Very smooth process and they didn't hassle me about anything.

malba2366

Whether you get a discount or pay over MSRP there are costs involved with the dealership system and the consumer pays the cost. The cost to
Tesla for selling cars is much lower than the legacy automakers, and the auto industry is very competitive, so if all automakers were direct sales like Tesla eventually prices for customers across the industry would drop.

Yes there are one off examples where someone gets a great deal at the end of the month when the dealer needs to make bonus quotas, but overall customers would be better off with a direct sales model.

Mike9865

He is beyond wrong. My wife's daily is a Model S Plaid. We have had to warranty an issue with the rear seat latch on two occasions. They repaired/tightened it the first time, upon the second visit they just replaced the entire back seat. Best warranty service I've experienced. And making appointments is done through the app and takes minutes. No calling to schedule and waiting weeks go get the car looked at. I am in the Houston area for context. Perhaps the experience varies elsewhere.

Brad Stinson

I personally love the Tesla model. Put down a deposit, wait in line, get your car. If there is demand, you wait, but the process is (mostly) transparent and equitable. I’d love to have a 992 or a GT4, but honestly the process of knowing I’ll be pushed around by a dealer with ADMs, not having bought previous cars from them so I’m not worthy to grace their sales floor, worrying about giving my spot to someone else who pays more ADM, etc. etc. just really turns me off. I’m actually more likely to buy a used car just to avoid that stuff.

And if you think the dealer is really going to bat for you over warranty claims, you probably also believe the sales guy when they “have to go talk to the manager.” I’ve had nothing but excellent warranty service/work from Tesla. Give me the chance to argue a warranty issue myself rather than making me depend on some dealership dude that doesn’t care about my situation because I didn’t buy my car there.

goin2drt

No its not true. He probably has never owned one. The direct model of buying and now owning a Tesla is decades ahead of its time. Service is amazing from the start of the process doing it on the app to actually getting something fixed, all 1000 times better than a traditional auto manufacturer. Way too much money out there in dealerships for large traditional ones to change but when one starts to convert, so will the rest.

aggie57

I’ve recently bought cars from Porsche, Mercedes, and Polestar (who run a model similar to the Tesla one as far as sales are concerned). To me each model has it’s merits, with the Polestar there was no ADM or even a suggestion of it even when their orders were months backed up. With the Porsche we got a discount, negotiated pre-covid but honored mid-2020 by which times the factory had been closed and order books were backing up. Being able to work with the dealer then was a real help, and they’re one of the SoCal shops that is constantly maligned here.

Seems to me it comes down to expectations on both sides, a willingness to work with people, and how well each model is implemented and managed. We can complain all we like about how a person reacted to a specific event, did or did not do something how we particularly wanted it done, but 9 times out of 10 if you step back and look at what’s making them do that it’s not hard to find a way to get the outcome we want.

Manoverpdk

I believe most would be willing to pay a bit more (MSRP) if assured that the buying process was equitable. That would alleviate the stress of “am I getting screwed by the dealer”. The Tesla model assures that all are being treated fairly on any given day.
By the way the Tesla model is the Best Buy, Macy’s, Nieman’s, Cosco’s, Apple’s, Delta, AA, Home Depot’s, doctor’s offices….Basically every business, aside from traditional car dealerships. There is transparency in pricing everywhere besides car dealerships. This is why most people find the car buying experience worst and the most stressful than any other.

dixonk

Experiences more pleasant than buying a car from a dealership:

Getting punched in the face
Having a root canal
Hitting your toe on the edge of furniture
Losing a fingernail

NastyHabits

Do a google search on Customer warranty service satisfaction. Tesla, and direct to consumer model sucks in regard to service after the sale.

Shambler

Stepping on Lego while barefoot

minn19

This isn’t a great analogy as a most of these businesses are actually the dealer model and not direct to the consumer either. I and many others I’m sure have negotiated lower prices at some of these places you mention. Do they have ADM, no, but there markup is any times what a cars is usually.

JRoach

Is the traditional model (US) obsolete and dying?

Curious what people would like to see: leave it as is, agency, direct or co-op?