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My Maine home delivery experience

17K views 33 replies 20 participants last post by  SR22pilot 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello!
I want to share how my delivery went in Maine. I will try to keep the post short and I'll have pictures at the end!
First, a few words about my experience working with the ISA. It was pretty bad. My Nevada based ISA was hard to reach and short in emails all the time, to the point where they went MIA before delivery was scheduled. I wish there was a way to send this feedback to Tesla.
After I impatiently waited for a word on delivery for two weeks, I took the matter into my own hands and (as suggested on a reddit thread) I called my delivery/service center. Tesla doesn't have one in the state of Maine, so the closest is in Massachusetts.
The person in MA was extremely helpful and nice: they had the car, it was just awaiting green light from the ISA. In their absence, the MA center said they will arrange home delivery for me!
The delivery was a bit awkward and unlike anything others have experienced at a Tesla center. I live on a very busy two way street and my driveway is narrow, so the delivery truck had to stop half a block away from my house, in the middle of the street.
There was only one person - the driver of the truck - and it was a 3rd party contractor. The driver took the car out of the truck, drove it 30 feet in a nearby random parking lot and asked me to check the car.
The car was extremely dirty. And I don't just mean dust. It looked like it went through some rough rains and dirt. I mentioned this to the driver and he just said "yeah, I loaded it in the truck a few days ago and it was pouring rain". Quickly examining the exterior, as much as I could considering its lack of cleanliness, I found two small penny size dings on the back bumper. The driver took notice of them in the delivery app and wrote them down.
Unfortunately this was how far he was allowed/willing to say. He told me that he is only delivering the car, he doesn't know anything about it besides driving in and out of his truck, and that he can't answer any questions about the car.
After I signed the delivery papers (nothing stood out as problems at a quick inspection) he left and I had to drive the car home. Good thing I already had my registration ready!
Some random findings and things I want to point out...
  • Battery level was about 60% charged
  • I have the default phone charging cables (one for Apple, one for Android). We're only iPhone users here, sadly. Also I had to figure out how to connect the cable by myself (it wasn't hard, there are instructions in the bag, just annoying)
  • The car is still not linked to my Tesla account. I called support and they said it can take up to 72 hours.
  • The delivery checklist from this forum was amazing. Thanks again for putting it up here!
It was a good thing that I've read the manual a few times prior to this delivery. And that I've spent hours reading on forums. Not receiving any formal Model 3 "101" from Tesla, it would have sucked to have everything figured out on the spot.

And now, the fun part...Everything that others have said is true: car drives nice, acceleration is amazing, the technology inside it is cutting edge, and all this wait has been worth it!
I uploaded some pictures and a short video here if you want to see how the delivery and first trip went!
https://honey-bunny.box.com/v/topsy
Happy to answer any questions!

(edit: added another random finding)
 
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#2 ·
Hello!
I want to share how my delivery went in Maine. I will try to keep the post short and I'll have pictures at the end!
First, a few words about my experience working with the ISA. It was pretty bad. My Nevada based ISA was hard to reach and short in emails all the time, to the point where they went MIA before delivery was scheduled. I wish there was a way to send this feedback to Tesla.
After I impatiently waited for a word on delivery for two weeks, I took the matter into my own hands and (as suggested on a reddit thread) I called my delivery/service center. Tesla doesn't have one in the state of Maine, so the closest is in Massachusetts.
The person in MA was extremely helpful and nice: they had the car, it was just awaiting green light from the ISA. In their absence, the MA center said they will arrange home delivery for me!
The delivery was a bit awkward and unlike anything others have experienced at a Tesla center. I live on a very busy two way street and my driveway is narrow, so the delivery truck had to stop half a block away from my house, in the middle of the street.
There was only one person - the driver of the truck - and it was a 3rd party contractor. The driver took the car out of the truck, drove it 30 feet in a nearby random parking lot and asked me to check the car.
The car was extremely dirty. And I don't just mean dust. It looked like it went through some rough rains and dirt. I mentioned this to the driver and he just said "yeah, I loaded it in the truck a few days ago and it was pouring rain". Quickly examining the exterior, as much as I could considering its lack of cleanliness, I found two small penny size dings on the back bumper. The driver took notice of them in the delivery app and wrote them down.
Unfortunately this was how far he was allowed/willing to say. He told me that he is only delivering the car, he doesn't know anything about it besides driving in and out of his truck, and that he can't answer any questions about the car.
After I signed the delivery papers (nothing stood out as problems at a quick inspection) he left and I had to drive the car home. Good thing I already had my registration ready!
Some random findings and things I want to point out...
  • Battery level was about 60% charged
  • I have the default phone charging cables (one for Apple, one for Android). We're only iPhone users here, sadly. Also I had to figure out how to connect the cable by myself (it wasn't hard, there are instructions in the bag, just annoying)
  • The delivery checklist from this forum was amazing. Thanks again for putting it up here!
It was a good thing that I've read the manual a few times prior to this delivery. And that I've spent hours reading on forums. Not receiving any formal Model 3 "101" from Tesla, it would have sucked to have everything figured out on the spot.

And now, the fun part...Everything that others have said is true: car drives nice, acceleration is amazing, the technology inside it is cutting edge, and all this wait has been worth it!
I uploaded some pictures and a short video here if you want to see how the delivery and first trip went!
https://honey-bunny.box.com/v/topsy
Happy to answer any questions!
Congrats on your new Model 3!! Sorry to hear that the delivery experience was not a great one. Glad you saw the dings on the bumper. You should be getting an e-mail with link to survey about your experience and it will be good to share your thoughts with Tesla. If you didn't read up on the car prior to delivery, I would imagine you would be even more frustrated with the process. Good to see that at least the weather was nice for an outdoor delivery. Enjoy your new car!
 
#4 ·
@reallove CONGRATS! It's great to hear about your new Tesla. Welcome to the family.

So glad to hear that the checklist helped you. If you have suggestions on improving the list, feel free to let me know.

Sorry, this is the kind of info that ICE dealers love to hear! Elon is too busy, probably, to read this forum. However, QC should be made of this kind of problem (s).

I wish you the best of luck with your car from now on.
I think the home delivery option is a double edged sword. You don't need to drive long distances to pick it up but at the same time, you lose the benefit of a trained DS that can customize things like the charging cable and the basic walk-thru and UI training.

I don't think ICE dealers would be happy about these stories (as suboptimal as it was) because most ICE dealers don't do home deliveries no matter how far away you live!
 
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#7 ·
Yea, living in Maine, is sometimes like living "at the end of the line!" That said, Boston in only a couple of hours away. I guess we cannot pick up in Boston, because we'd be liable for Massachusetts sales tax where we take ownership. Since Tesla is not a "car dealer" they don't have the advantage of selling in one state and allowing the owner to register in another state as is often the case with ICEmobiles in these parts.

Regardless, your report, while interesting, is sort of disappointing. I guess Tesla figures that the new owner will be so excited and wetting himself over finally getting the new car, that they won't mind the lack of delivery support. (I don't suppose they don't do this same form of delivery with Model X and S customers?)
 
#8 ·
I agree it's not a good experience but what is Tesla supposed to do in this case other than a more responsive ISA? Send a team with the car to make sure it's a good experience? It was just being delivered by a third party. It could have easily left Tesla damage free.

Maybe they could deliver it to a detailer or something but I guess that if you want the full treatment, then you have to go to them.
 
#9 ·
Hello!
I want to share how my delivery went in Maine. I will try to keep the post short and I'll have pictures at the end!
First, a few words about my experience working with the ISA. It was pretty bad. My Nevada based ISA was hard to reach and short in emails all the time, to the point where they went MIA before delivery was scheduled. I wish there was a way to send this feedback to Tesla.
After I impatiently waited for a word on delivery for two weeks, I took the matter into my own hands and (as suggested on a reddit thread) I called my delivery/service center. Tesla doesn't have one in the state of Maine, so the closest is in Massachusetts.
The person in MA was extremely helpful and nice: they had the car, it was just awaiting green light from the ISA. In their absence, the MA center said they will arrange home delivery for me!
The delivery was a bit awkward and unlike anything others have experienced at a Tesla center. I live on a very busy two way street and my driveway is narrow, so the delivery truck had to stop half a block away from my house, in the middle of the street.
There was only one person - the driver of the truck - and it was a 3rd party contractor. The driver took the car out of the truck, drove it 30 feet in a nearby random parking lot and asked me to check the car.
The car was extremely dirty. And I don't just mean dust. It looked like it went through some rough rains and dirt. I mentioned this to the driver and he just said "yeah, I loaded it in the truck a few days ago and it was pouring rain". Quickly examining the exterior, as much as I could considering its lack of cleanliness, I found two small penny size dings on the back bumper. The driver took notice of them in the delivery app and wrote them down.
Unfortunately this was how far he was allowed/willing to say. He told me that he is only delivering the car, he doesn't know anything about it besides driving in and out of his truck, and that he can't answer any questions about the car.
After I signed the delivery papers (nothing stood out as problems at a quick inspection) he left and I had to drive the car home. Good thing I already had my registration ready!
Some random findings and things I want to point out...
  • Battery level was about 60% charged
  • I have the default phone charging cables (one for Apple, one for Android). We're only iPhone users here, sadly. Also I had to figure out how to connect the cable by myself (it wasn't hard, there are instructions in the bag, just annoying)
  • The car is still not linked to my Tesla account. I called support and they said it can take up to 72 hours.
  • The delivery checklist from this forum was amazing. Thanks again for putting it up here!
It was a good thing that I've read the manual a few times prior to this delivery. And that I've spent hours reading on forums. Not receiving any formal Model 3 "101" from Tesla, it would have sucked to have everything figured out on the spot.

And now, the fun part...Everything that others have said is true: car drives nice, acceleration is amazing, the technology inside it is cutting edge, and all this wait has been worth it!
I uploaded some pictures and a short video here if you want to see how the delivery and first trip went!
https://honey-bunny.box.com/v/topsy
Happy to answer any questions!

(edit: added another random finding)
This makes me glad that we decided to drive the 190 miles to the nearest Distribution Center to pick up our M3 this coming Thursday. We plan to drive it in the city and on the freeway for a few hours to catch any major problems while we are still near the DC. I suspect that part of the problem is that the truck driver has no idea the amount of time we all have been waiting and the amount that we have spent on these cars. We are expecting a $50,000 joyful experience but from the driver's perspective he just delivering a car that may only be a $20,000 routine drop off. If he had a clue, he may have gone the extra mile and wiped the car down from the rain after he got it in the truck. But the freight company is not paying him to do that, so perhaps Tesla should look to see if they can find a better carrier.
 
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#10 ·
I would never have a transporter wipe down a wet car before delivery. He may as well use sandpaper.

The problem is that we are expecting the transporter to drive hundreds of miles, be at the same level of knowledge as a DS so they can do the orientation and also detail the car at the destination so that it's "showroom clean". In many states where Tesla is not allowed to sell directly to customers, having a company employee deliver the car to you may also be a violation depending on how their laws are interpreted.

I think this needs to be a choice by the buyer. A) convenience or B) showroom experience. Tesla is trying to do the best that they can with the restrictions of each state. Although Tesla has won legal battles in many states recently, the short sellers will be quick to point out all of Tesla's financial pressures. From Fremont expansion, Gigafactory1 expansion, supercharger network expansion, dramatic employee hires to facility Model 3 deliveries and service, solar tile production ramp, Semi and Model Y development, and international expansion....just to name a few.

A quick check on Wikipedia shows the current legal limitations to Tesla sales.
5 states with no allowed service centers or showrooms (MI, AL, NM, SC, LO)
7 more states that ban direct to consumer sales (TX, UT, CT, WV, WI, NE, OK)
8 more states that limit number of stores in the state (CO, NC, VA, NJ, MD, PA, NY, GA)
9 states that Tesla recently (within the past 3-4 years) won legal challenges that remove most sales restrictions.

Source:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_US_dealership_disputes

As Tesla wins more legal battles, it will take years to roll out more showrooms with everything entailed such as finding locations, getting permits to build the stores, and hiring people.

I think Tesla is doing the best they can given the situation
 
#12 ·
Hello!
I want to share how my delivery went in Maine. I will try to keep the post short and I'll have pictures at the end!
First, a few words about my experience working with the ISA. It was pretty bad. My Nevada based ISA was hard to reach and short in emails all the time, to the point where they went MIA before delivery was scheduled. I wish there was a way to send this feedback to Tesla.
After I impatiently waited for a word on delivery for two weeks, I took the matter into my own hands and (as suggested on a reddit thread) I called my delivery/service center. Tesla doesn't have one in the state of Maine, so the closest is in Massachusetts.
The person in MA was extremely helpful and nice: they had the car, it was just awaiting green light from the ISA. In their absence, the MA center said they will arrange home delivery for me!
The delivery was a bit awkward and unlike anything others have experienced at a Tesla center. I live on a very busy two way street and my driveway is narrow, so the delivery truck had to stop half a block away from my house, in the middle of the street.
There was only one person - the driver of the truck - and it was a 3rd party contractor. The driver took the car out of the truck, drove it 30 feet in a nearby random parking lot and asked me to check the car.
The car was extremely dirty. And I don't just mean dust. It looked like it went through some rough rains and dirt. I mentioned this to the driver and he just said "yeah, I loaded it in the truck a few days ago and it was pouring rain". Quickly examining the exterior, as much as I could considering its lack of cleanliness, I found two small penny size dings on the back bumper. The driver took notice of them in the delivery app and wrote them down.
Unfortunately this was how far he was allowed/willing to say. He told me that he is only delivering the car, he doesn't know anything about it besides driving in and out of his truck, and that he can't answer any questions about the car.
After I signed the delivery papers (nothing stood out as problems at a quick inspection) he left and I had to drive the car home. Good thing I already had my registration ready!
Some random findings and things I want to point out...
  • Battery level was about 60% charged
  • I have the default phone charging cables (one for Apple, one for Android). We're only iPhone users here, sadly. Also I had to figure out how to connect the cable by myself (it wasn't hard, there are instructions in the bag, just annoying)
  • The car is still not linked to my Tesla account. I called support and they said it can take up to 72 hours.
  • The delivery checklist from this forum was amazing. Thanks again for putting it up here!
It was a good thing that I've read the manual a few times prior to this delivery. And that I've spent hours reading on forums. Not receiving any formal Model 3 "101" from Tesla, it would have sucked to have everything figured out on the spot.

And now, the fun part...Everything that others have said is true: car drives nice, acceleration is amazing, the technology inside it is cutting edge, and all this wait has been worth it!
I uploaded some pictures and a short video here if you want to see how the delivery and first trip went!
https://honey-bunny.box.com/v/topsy
Happy to answer any questions!

(edit: added another random finding)
Did you have to get a Maine transit plate or did the car come with temporary tags? Did you get all the necessary paperwork to register the car that day?

My Model 3 is supposed to arrive in a few weeks and my DS is new and not very helpful.
 
#13 ·
Since the car was home delivered, there was no need for transit plates nor temporary ones. I got my vanity plates at the BMV just before the delivery.
Tesla should send you in the mail all the paperwork you need to get Maine plates at delivery. If you don't get them a couple of days before your scheduled delivery (assuming you'll have yours also home delivered in Maine), give the Dedham service center a call!
And congrats - where do you live? :)
 
#14 ·
I'm in Maine as well and I'm on the fence about even ordering a M3 due to the lack of service and support in the area. The closest service center is over 2 hours away. Am I being overly concerned? I've read horror stories of people not being able to get parts for months and not being able to have body work completed by anyone local. I can't afford to be without a vehicle for an extended period. Does anyone have feedback regarding this aspect of ownership?

After reading your description of your delivery issues I think I would elect to drive to NY to pick mine up. You can't pick up in MA due to their taxation laws regarding out of state purchasers. It's a PITA, but I'd much rather be sure my car is in good shape at the service center then to leave it up a randomly selected delivery service.
 
#15 ·
The problem with parts is irrespective of having a service center close or not. It is a valid concern, but also something that will get better with time.
Regarding our proximity (or lack thereof) to a service center, I don't think that's quite as bad as it looks. I've experienced first hand the following:
* Car needed to be at the service center in Dedham to have the dings and scratches repaired: they sent someone with a loaner, took my car, and returned it to me at home when done.
* For small issues, Tesla has a mobile service unit that comes to your house and does small repairs. Very convenient!
For regular, small things like tire rotation, there is an awesome EV friendly service in Paris ME. The people there are amazing (the owner even has a model 3!) and I'll go there when I need the first rotation.
 
#16 ·
Wow that's great service. I didn't realize that they would send someone all the way up here. I just looked up that EV service in Paris - looks great! I was wondering who I would go to for tire related issues, etc. I guess the parts problem is what it is. The perils of being an early adopter I suppose.
I'm running out of excuses for staying with my ICE car for another year.

Where are you located? I'm in Freeport.
 
#19 ·
I'm trying to make it til spring to order as I'd rather not take delivery of a brand new car in the salt and sand soaked roads that our winter brings. The problem is that I keep reading these boards and the peer pressure is unparalleled! :)

Are there any Tesla meet-ups of local owners?
 
#21 ·
I think that your car will be great in the snow with the proper tires. Here's a video of some guys in NH testing that setup:

I noticed that the EV shop in Paris carries Nokian tires. Those would be a perfect match for our winters.

Thanks for the info on the meetup. I'm going to try to attend!
 
#22 · (Edited)
Another Mainer here (though I'm up in Bangor). I don't have a Model 3 yet, but I'm hoping to get one next year when the standard battery pack comes out.

Thanks very much for posting your experience with delivery. It helps a ton to hear that there are other Tesla owners in Maine and it's following your stories to prep for what my own experience will be like. Please keep us updated with your progress!
 
#23 ·
My car got delivered last Thursday (9/6) so I figured it was time to update on how the home delivery went in Maine.

In mid-August when my "edit" link disappeared from my account I assumed I was getting closer, but never received an email or anything of the sort to indicate that I had a VIN, that I should start closing in on my loan, or when delivery would occur. About a week later, I got a phone call from my "Home Delivery Specialist". She was trying real hard to get me to drive to Mt. Kisco, NY and was saying how they do not recommend home delivery. I declined and said they could drop the car off at my house. Driving nine+ hours roundtrip did not excite me to pick up the car especially since I was not trading a car in and then would have to coordinate getting the other car home too. I have read in other forums that they will reimburse a flight or some other form of transportation, but this was never offered to me. I probably still would not have taken it. At this time they told me I would at best get the car the first week of September as it was on its way to Dedham, MA and then takes 7-10 days for inspection and whatnot and then another 7-10 days for home delivery. I asked for the final price and at first was told the price with the updated increased pricing (I put my order in before AWD and the delivery fee increased) and with Massachusetts taxes. She confirmed I had the lower pricing and fixed that and then still told me the final price with the Massachusetts taxes. Finally she took those out and marked my account for home delivery officially. Now with the final price in hand, I started applying for loans at various credit unions to hunt for the best rate to use as a rate beat for Lightstream so that I could do an unsecured loan and make things easier for Tesla (it's like paying with cash). The credit unions that are listed all over the forums have gotten smart and have stopped giving out the required information Lightstream needs for the rate beat so if you decide to go that route plan accordingly. I had my pre-approval offers (Lightstream will not accept anything that says pre-approval on it) and was getting them rejected left and right from Lightstream, but due to the Home Delivery Specialist pushing I had told them I was going to pay in cash and they switched it on my account (as I still felt I could convince Lightstream to approve my rate beat...they never did). This was my first mistake as it pushed their timeline way up and I started getting phone calls and emails about putting my payment in. Full payment is needed before they will load your car on the truck and schedule a home delivery.

I was defeated, but I needed to scramble as the Home Delivery Specialist was telling me my car had arrived in Dedham a few days earlier than expected, had passed its inspections, and I could get delivery that week (second to last week of August). This was two weeks early, I was out of town, and still had not signed any loan paperwork yet. So, I asked if I could switch back to financing as I found great rates and the Home Delivery Specialist said I could but it would further delay me 7-10 days. This worked for me as I was out of town anyway and really was not ready for delivery at my house until that first week of September. She changed my account back, I re-confirmed everything, accepted Allegacy (2.74% for 75 months) as my loan vendor, and passed that information along to Tesla. They completed a new Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement and I worked to complete all the loan stuff on the Allegacy side.

It went silent for the most part for rest of that week and I continued to complete the loan documents for Allegacy. For those that decide to go with them, they are a little slow to respond as most of their stuff is not automated and my loan officer took an extended weekend right when I needed to close. The following week, my Home Delivery Specialist contacted me and stated I really needed to get my financing in as they were backed up in Dedham due to Labor Day, down a delivery driver who recently quit, and were going to start filling trucks on a whomever pays first basis so I could end up further delayed if I did not get financing in soon. That day I paid my down payment, got on the phone with my loan officer, signed all the documents, and they overnighted a check via FedEx to Tesla in Las Vegas. Tesla received the check the next day and then told me it takes their financing team up to 48 hours to verify the funds and have the check clear. This was a bank check from a financial institution so I did not anticipate these delays. The holiday weekend came and went. I should I have heard of the Friday before (this was more than 48 hours) that the check cleared but I heard nothing.

On the Tuesday after Labor Day, I asked about the check clearing and was told it had cleared but my Home Delivery Specialist had not heard if it was accepted yet. On Wednesday (9/5) my Home Delivery Specialist called me and said they did not want get my hopes up but my car was scheduled to get loaded on a truck on Friday (9/7) and delivered that day. I got my insurance in order and started to plan for the Friday delivery. That evening I got a call from the delivery driver and said he wanted to deliver it the next day (Thursday). I said okay and called out of work for the next day. I had the 0730 to 1100 delivery appointment. I was the second car delivered that morning and the driver showed up at about 0930. He brought the car directly to my driveway. The truck was much smaller than I anticipated. It was about the size of a box truck, but just had canvas cage surrounding my. The first car was loaded on a trailer that the truck towed. The car was pretty clean and I saw no issues in my few minute inspection. The driver was friendly and helpful with what he knew about the car. He needed to get back to Dedham to load two more cars and then drive to the northern New Hampshire/Vermont border so he was in a bit of a hurry to get me to sign the delivery acceptance paperwork. I did and then I proceeded to play with it for a bit in my driveway before parking it in my garage and going to work for the afternoon.

That part of delivery went well, and the car arrived as we originally talked about in the first week of September. The bad is this...registration and license plates. My Home Delivery Specialist and their team lead have no idea how the State of Maine and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Maine handle vehicles. Consider this purchase a private-party sale. I contacted the Home Delivery Specialist the week before Labor Day stating I needed to have the registration paperwork as soon as possible so I could register the car and my new Tesla would not just act as a paperweight in my driveway. She spoke to her team lead and got back to me that I could take the Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement to the BMV and get temporary transit tags. I quickly called her back and explained to her that Maine does not do temporary plates and what she is describing, the "transit tag" is only good for one trip to get the car from point A (place of purchase) to point B (your home). This was not a drive around town temporary plate that you can get when you buy any normal car at a dealership. She seemed to understand and I told her I would contact the BMV the next day and relay what they told me. The BMV told me exactly what I told the Home Delivery Specialist and I relayed that information back to her. The Home Delivery Specialist responded by telling me that they were going to mail the final registration paperwork as soon as payment was complete. I contacted Dedham, too, and they just said it is mailed out around the same time as the car is delivered but had no real information yet as they needed to wait for payment acceptance. Payment still was not accepted on the Tuesday after Labor Day. When the Home Delivery Specialist called me on Wednesday to "schedule" delivery, I asked where my paperwork was and she stated she could not look that up and would not know until they notified her it was mailed out.

The car arrived Thursday with no registration paperwork and the driver said I might get it that day or the next but he really did not have any information. Within an hour of signing the delivery acceptance paperwork I got a notification on my FedEx app of a tracking number and it was from Dedham and scheduled for overnight delivery. So Friday at 1515 my registration paperwork showed up, which was too late to get anything done at that time. So my car sat looking nice in the garage all weekend. On Monday I finally got it registered, got the temporary inspection wavier from the police station so I could drive it without an inspection to an inspection station, and got it inspected. I brought it to a Nissan dealership since they make electric cars I figured they would treat it carefully. I gave them the lift directions from the manual, but they decided that since it only had 24 miles on it that it was good to go and besides gawking at it for a few minutes in their bay they just brought it back into the parking lot, slapped a sticker on it, and sent me on my way without even charging me the inspection fee.

I called Tesla Customer Service on Thursday afternoon hoping to get the mobile app working and they said I had to wait at least 24 hours. I called back on Saturday, after 48+ hours and the app still not showing my car, and they said it could take a few days. I said my online account still states that I am awaiting delivery even though I am sitting in my car and he said that he would get in contact with my Home Delivery Specialist as that was probably the problem. On Sunday, I got an email from my Home Delivery Specialist saying her colleague had got in touch with her and that it can take a few days but she hoped to get it all fixed by the end of Monday. Half-way through Monday I still had not heard anything, the app was still not showing my car, and my online account said I was still awaiting delivery. I finally emailed her back saying my online account still says this and within minutes of her checking off that my car was delivered, the app went live and I could connect to the car.

So 96 hours delivery and who knows how long since I pre-ordered it just before the reveal online on 3/31/16 my Deep Blue Metallic AWD Model 3 was legal and ready for driving. I hope this story helps others who are planning on getting home delivery to know what to expect. The communication is not crystal clear and there is clear inefficiencies (like why did the delivery driver not bring my registration paperwork with him if it was going to ship from the same place as the car and why did my online account still show I had not received my car days later), but I am sure with more time this will get ironed out.

@reallove was really helpful during this process in answering all my questions. Thank you again!
 
#24 ·
@MattJ Welcome! Glad to see EV interest picking up in Maine! Now if we can just convince the dreaded CMP to give some incentives for EV charging...
@BobTheLoveGoat Welcome to the family! Btw, will you join us on Sunday at the South Portland event? https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=1211
And thanks for sharing your story too! Hopefully this helps future owners!
 
#25 ·
@reallove Thanks for the welcome! I was excited to see that there's an event this weekend. I'm going to be at the South Paris one tomorrow in the hopes of seeing some Model 3s. Do other owners typically let others test drive? I've been dying to do so, but the 8 round trip to Boston has prevented me thus far.
 
#26 ·
@reallove Thanks for the welcome! I was excited to see that there's an event this weekend. I'm going to be at the South Paris one tomorrow in the hopes of seeing some Model 3s. Do other owners typically let others test drive? I've been dying to do so, but the 8 round trip to Boston has prevented me thus far.
Sorry for the late response!
South Portland is today! Hope to see you around! I'm not sure if some owners let others test drive, but we'll gladly take you on a ride :)
 
#27 ·
I brought it to a Nissan dealership since they make electric cars I figured they would treat it carefully. I gave them the lift directions from the manual, but they decided that since it only had 24 miles on it that it was good to go and besides gawking at it for a few minutes in their bay they just brought it back into the parking lot, slapped a sticker on it, and sent me on my way without even charging me the inspection fee.
LOL! What kind of State requires a brand new car that meets all DOT standards to be inspected? That's just crazy! Also, here in Washington, most people I know will drive a car once or twice a few miles without worrying about whether it has valid tags or not. Very unlikely to be a problem on a new car. If you are pulled over, against all odds, while you're on your way to the DMV, the cop might let you go or simply give you a warning. Even if the cop writes a ticket, the court will generally waive penalties if you have valid tags by the time you go to court. But it's so unlikely to ever get to that point most people I know simply wouldn't worry about such a minor technicality of an infraction that was not intended to defraud or cheat. Yes, rules are meant to be followed, but only within reason.
 
#28 ·
LOL! What kind of State requires a brand new car that meets all DOT standards to be inspected?
It's probably not a bad idea to make sure that fuses or light bulbs haven't blown/broken during transport. Granted, the likelihood is small, but there is a bathtub curve of component reliability that either fail in infancy or late in life, so catching those infant mortality cases is not a bad idea.
 
#30 ·
My M3 AWD is scheduled for 9/26 in Dedham. After reading this forum and getting hints from others, I suspected I really wasn't going to be picking up the car in Dedham at all. So it seems that if you are a new reader here, and you're from Maine, just be sure that when you get the email or phone call from the "delivery SCHEDULING advisor" (hint, NOT your REAL delivery advisor) don't let him/her tell you about some appointment in Dedham. Instead, press them on the date when you're going to expect to see your VIN appear on your Tesla page, and when you can expect to talk with your REAL delivery advisor (these typically will happen within 48 hours of each other). Then, if he continues to push for a date in Dedham, have him go ask his manager about how Maine deliveries work...

In my case, I FINALLY was able to speak with a human in Dedham (don't even bother calling them before 5:45pm, as they won't answer, and all of their voicemail boxes are full and won't accept new messages) and he confirmed that Maine gets deliveries. Period. And the date I have for when I'm supposed to "pick up my car in Dedham" is probably a date by when I will receive my VIN.

I also had another question I had been asking, as I wanted to get a set of the wheel locks installed since the bolts are SO cranked on, I was fearing I didn't have the tools to spin off a nut and install the locking one, and his reply was that not all delivery/service stations will have that part in stock (he was in sales, not service/parts) so he couldn't answer that, but said don't worry. I can just schedule that install with the "Maine Rangers" and when they are in the area, they can stop by and install them.

So, bottom line is if you live in Maine, what you want to find out is when you will get your VIN, as you'll still have some days after that to complete the paperwork, financing, etc. before your new vehicle gets delivered.
 
#32 ·
Thanks to everyone who posted to this thread earlier; the info was very helpful. Wanted to chime in with my Maine Delivery Experience…

At the end of October I was assigned a VIN and put in touch with a normal delivery specialist. Quickly determined that she was not familiar with home delivery to Maine, and she transferred me to a New England Home Delivery Specialist. The new specialist was very good.

I submitted payment so the car could be scheduled for delivery, then I hit the first bump. As has been reported elsewhere, the Dedham location had to shuffle their parking lots and move inventory to Rhode Island. This caused some delays, but by the end of November, all was set for me to be scheduled on a truck. I knew that I would not be able to take delivery at the house, because we are on a private road with no room to turn around a semi. So the first advice I would give to other Mainers is to prepare if you have to arrange a meeting space to meet up. The two things I needed 1) new insurance card — I had a temporary one emailed to me and 2) a Transit Tag. I went to the nearest DMV and they were able to get me one fairly quickly. I took my MVPA and Insurance. The tag allows for a one time drive from point A to B.

The delivery went off without a hitch. The driver was fantastic (mine was the 6th Tesla he had delivered on that run). The truck was an enclosed semi (my gadget mind loved watching the internal controls to unload). He needed to take off a trade in first before he could pull mine off the truck. The Tesla was in very good condition. No scratches, dents etc and the paint looked good. A bit dirty, but inside was pristine. Checked all of the doors and trunks and that the key cards and accessories were in the right place. The only complaint was that it was delivered with just 20 miles available charge. Thankfully, I had arranged to pick up in Topsham about 9 miles from my house. Although I enjoyed my brief drive, there was a hint of range anxiety for my first trip.

Unfortunately, by the time I got home it was late Friday. I confirmed pickup to Tesla (and within an hour my phone app was activated), but my paperwork would not go out until the following Monday. Spent the weekend configuring settings to my liking, cleaning the exterior, adding a screen protector, installing floor mats and attaching the front license holder. Paperwork was FedEx'ed on Monday and received on Tuesday. So yesterday I registered the car at our town office. Took a while to convince the clerk that the MSRP was the same as the purchase price (she could not wrap her head around the idea that the price is the price and no negotiating needed). She also was not used to figuring out sales tax, and had never entered an Electric Vehicle which needed a different code. So took a little longer than usual to register, but shortly I had new tags to put on my Tesla.

Lastly, thanks to the recommendations above, I took the car to the Paris Autobarn to get an inspection sticker. Tony was fantastic and took me in on short notice. Very knowledgeable of EVs and we has a great conversation about our Teslas. Even took him out on a spin since this was the first AWD Model 3 he had seen.

Overall, I’ve had a grin from ear to ear driving over the past 24 hours, and loving my new “Tessie”.

Thanks again for the anecdotes and advice posted here and looking forward to seeing more Teslas on the road in Maine.
 
#33 ·
My delivery in Michigan went very well, no damage in transit and everything was as it should be. I did notice once my car was under some direct lighting that there were scratches all over the car that are only noticeable under direct lights. SC has scheduled me to go into an authorized Tesla body shop for a paint correction that happens to be a Ferrari Dealer...lol Its about 45 minutes away so they are working on certification for another shop closer to me but I just may go to the Ferrari dealer anyways. I'd imagine they know how to take care of red paint better than anyone...lol
 
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