Feb 25, 2015
Elctrek I was told that a local Tesla owner was told by Tesla that the Ranger Service we were promised when we bought our Tesla's for people outside the area was or has been discontinued... Is this really true? If so, I will definitely NEVER purchase or lease another vehicle from Tesla! I was specific about asking this question before purchasing. I hope what I heard was not true.�
Feb 25, 2015
Chris TX Did you try calling Tesla? Rumors become fact when you go right to the source.�
Feb 25, 2015
Majerus Why not call the service center and ask?�
Feb 25, 2015
Lloyd I just scheduled a ranger repair for March 8th 20 minutes ago.�
Feb 25, 2015
scottm With given reliability record, removing ranger service would be the beginning of the undoing of the company.
IMHO
And needless to say, I wouldn't be buying my second Tesla S after that.�
Feb 25, 2015
AmpedRealtor I was told that my brother's neighbor's aunt believes in unicorns.�
Feb 25, 2015
dhanson865 I was told by CGP Grey that I have cousins that are removed.
Your Family Tree Explained - YouTube�
Feb 25, 2015
breser They probably are meaning that you can't do the prepaid plans with prepaid ranger service anymore. The people that have those plans of course continue to get ranger service as part of that, but you can't buy them anymore. You can of course still get ranger service, you just have to pay the extra fee for it on a per use basis.�
Feb 25, 2015
mgboyes Ranger service has been cancelled in the UK. In fact I don't think it ever actually existed here. People who paid for it when they reserved their cars have had the cost refunded.�
Feb 25, 2015
NOLA_Mike We still get Ranger Service here in the New Orleans area since we have no Service Center (and there's no additional charge for the Ranger). Nearest Service Center to us is 365 miles away in Houston.�
Feb 25, 2015
AmpedRealtor Let's hope that Tesla isn't going into some kind of cost-cutting phase, because I don't think that would bode well for the future.�
Feb 25, 2015
aryx The ranger service was offered because tesla didn't have many service centers around during the roadster-days. They will certainly cut down this expensive service now when they have the service center infrastructure in place. You who decide not to buy a Tesla again because of this - it's your loss, tesla will survive without you.�
Feb 25, 2015
Doug_G You can't buy the Ranger-included service plans any more. You simply have to pay $100 every time you need a Ranger.
A friend of mine was rather surprised to discover this when he upgraded to a D.�
Feb 26, 2015
neroden Worth noting: Tesla *does not* have the service center infrastructure in place in the US. Still waiting for that; it'll be quite a few years.
It's unfortunate that Tesla is no longer selling unlimited Ranger service plans; it basically means there are large swaths of the country where one *should not buy a Tesla*. But I suppose in a few years they will build out the service center network, so people in those places should just wait.
(It does mean that rural Canadians and Alaskans shouldn't buy a Tesla period, though. They'll never expand service centers there.)
The unlimited ranger plan was a requirement for my purchase due to my location.�
Feb 26, 2015
David_Cary You know what - $100 is chump change. (Is that is really all it costs per use).
I have a service center 20-25 minutes away. That means if I need service, it is 1.5 hours of my time if I can't coordinate it with other trips. Not to mention a few minutes on drop off and pick up. I might hit some traffic so we can call it 2 hours for the sake of argument.
$100 is chump change. If you don't value your time at $50 an hour, maybe you shouldn't be buying a $100k car? But I realize that 2 hours is not torture or lost to oblivion and some people can't increase their "billable hours", but still.
The other issue is that an average number of service visits if you had to pay $100 for each one is probably on the order of 3 a year. So $300 a year means you shouldn't buy a Tesla? And of course, ranger visits have a luxury value so that $300 is getting you something pretty nice.
Now if ranger couldn't replace a DU and you had to pay X$ in addition, that might get annoying. I see the website says $100 min - well that might be an issue.
Looks like valet service is coming - for free. Now we are talking...
I suppose a rural Canadian shouldn't buy a BMW either? Certainly not an Aston Martin, Maserati etc. I'd probably buy a Toyota if I was a rural anything - and I mean truly rural. People who live in small areas buy rare cars all the time - they just drive a distance for service. I met someone the other day who had driven 140 miles to service their Smart car. I mean can you imagine dealing with that inconvenience for a Smart car? A Tesla maybe but a Smart car?�
Feb 26, 2015
Zythryn How much was it?
Perhaps Tesla simply decided the plan had reached the point where they simply didn't want to price gouge people?
The first year or so, there was a higher rate of issues, thus an unlimited plan made sense, both economically (for the customer) and for piece of mind.
Reliability has increased so the economic argument is now reversed, as has the psychological one. After all, with that package offered, I am sure more and more people are asking themselves "just how often are they expecting the car to need maintenance?".
While the service center infrastructure isn't everywhere yet, it is built out a lot more than it was two and a half years ago. The need for ranger service is dramatically reduced.
To me, the move makes sense, as long as ranger service is still available, which it sounds like it is.�
Feb 27, 2015
bigsmooth125 Tesla not wanting to price gouge? That's funny.�
Feb 27, 2015
hingisfan I'd rather have the loaner anyway and then Tesla usually gives a wash and quick detailing too. I was told I am more than 200km from a service centre so they will bring a loaner right to my door and take my car, then reverse for drop off.�
Feb 27, 2015
Elctrek Ok... this came from a friend here where I live and it was exactly what Tesla told him when he called to have the ranger service come to pick up his Tesla Model S for it's 1 year service! He was told to bring the car in and stay over night and pick up the car the following day. They told him the Ranger Service will not go further than 50 miles from the service center.
Not made up and not fiction. After he raised a stink with them they agreed to come this time but told him Tesla is looking at changing the Ranger policy... I asked here online to see if anyone else had the same thing come up... I didn't need any of your rude comments.
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This is exactly what I am talking about... My friend called to pay the $100 ranger fee and was told they will go no further than 50 miles from now on. We live 160 mi + and were told when we purchased the cars they had this service... This was the one concern I had before purchasing the car. That sold me and I made the purchase as did most of the Tesla owners in our city.�
Feb 27, 2015
AmpedRealtor Is it possible the service center was confused? The 50 mile limit is for concierge service, not ranger service.
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I just spotted this on Tesla's web site under the ordering options for service plans:
"Tesla Ranger service may be available in your area. Service begins at $100 per visit and increases based on your distance from the nearest Tesla service center."
So it isn't going away, but the price is going up!�
Feb 28, 2015
daniel-r-a Whenever I would have issues with my car (there were a lot of those), I would need to take my car (usually on a tow truck) from Williamsburg, Virginia to the closest Audi dealer, which is 1+ hour away in Richmond. Audi's Richmond dealer always attempted to always find issues, such as my age/purchase location/home dealership, when I would need a loaner. I was so fed up with my Audi experience that I promised myself to never even consider one again...
When I heard about Tesla's ranger service, I called a salesperson and was ecstatic to hear the details...no more hour long drives (or rides in tow trucks) for service and no more trouble with loaners. Nevertheless, it wasn't until after I bought the Model S that I found out my distance from the closest service center warrants a $100 ranger fee...although I wasn't happy about the fee, I understand it and realize it's the price one pays for convenience.
My issue with the ranger service and its fees, however, is when the ranger service is needed because of a Model S fault. About three months after delivery, my car was experiencing various faults (traction control issues, stability control issues, frunk wouldn't open, non-functioning passenger door) and I was told that because this would be considered an emergency service issue, they would pick my car up within a day or two...this was great, but when my car was ready to be returned, I was shocked to hear that I would be paying $100 for the pick up/return of my car for its issues. While I understand that it is not cheap to pick up/return my car 100+ miles from the service center, I think Tesla needs to fund the last $100 of the ranger fee when the car is being serviced for issues that restrict its drivability/usability.
Sorry if this post rambled on a bit, but I just want to explain that the ranger service was a huge reason I bought this car, but its shortcomings have certainly upset me. I can (reluctantly) understand paying $100 to have the car picked up from here for scheduled maintenance, but no owner should ever have to pay for the ranger fee when the issue is an unscheduled fault of the technology.
Regardless, I must reiterate that my Model S has been a dream to own. Every person I have communicated with has been incredibly helpful, genuine, and enthusiastic. The car, too, has been incredible--every possible concern I once had has been resolved, and I look forward to continuing to drive the car and promote the practicality of an electric car every day!�
Feb 28, 2015
mknox Any word on how this would affect Tesla's Valet service? If you have to pay for a Ranger, it seems likely they would have to charge for the Valet Service as well.�
Mar 2, 2015
tezco Hmmm....on one hand you aren't paying a mechanic's wage scale to drive back and forth, but on the other, you are loaning out a car. Hopefully they will be lenient when the car is absolutely undriveable, but fixable on location (dead 12V etc), particularly while the proximity of service centers remains suboptimal. I've quit buying cars from companies who don't have a dealer within a 10 mile radius. I made an exception for Tesla expressly because they offered the unlimited ranger service when I bought my car.�
Mar 3, 2015
mknox I lucked out with a Service Center about 4 miles from my house. The reason I ask is that there has been some rumors of them closing that Center and re-locating to a location that would not be convenient to me. I always drop off / pick up but if they move, I would have to rely on the valet service.�
Mar 3, 2015
djp I'm arranging an annual service visit with my local service centre. The new policy is free valet service within a 16km radius of the service centre. Outside of this radius a $100 fee applies. Free loaners are still available if you pick up and drop off the car yourself.�
Mar 3, 2015
mknox Well, I hope they don't close or relocate the Toronto West SC then. To be fair, I asked and they told me no decisions have been made concerning it's future despite the rumors that are going around.�
Mar 3, 2015
AudubonB As appropriately noted by one of this thread's first responders and conveniently ignored by many subsequent ones, the best way to prevent rumors turning into believed misconceptions is to determine the answer first from Tesla, and then conveying that information to this forum.
As in: Tesla's Anchorage Service Center will be opening in about six weeks. It so shows directly on TM's website. Now, if by slim chance the note above meant rural Alaskans....well, we haven't any gas stations or Ford dealerships or service centers of any kind, so should that sentiment suggest we also shouldn't purchase any? vehicle?�
Mar 3, 2015
neroden Disgusting and stupid. Tesla just eliminated the entire Ithaca, NY market, among many others. I will now have to explicitly tell people not to buy Teslas.
I simply would not have purchased the car without unlimited free valet / ranger service. I am currently about 200 miles from the nearest service center, and even if they do build a closer one, it'll still be 60 miles.
When the car has defects under warranty, slamming an extra $100 charge onto every service is... unacceptable, really. People who live too far from the service centers simply shouldn't buy Teslas now.
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WAAAAAY too much. Basically, it's an unlimited financial exposure if you do end up with serious problems and have to have your car taken in repeatedly for warranty issues. It eliminates the value of the warranty.
Some of us are wealthy because we're smart about spending money. I understand that some of you are wealthy largely because you got lucky or are well-paid, and that you don't know how to manage money, but that's not the case for all of us.
And if I had a service center 20-25 minutes away, I wouldn't be complaining. But lots of us DO NOT. The nearest service center is 3 1/2 - 4 hours away.
This isn't super-rural, either. I'm not talking Nunavut here.
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I am glad that I prepaid for unlimited ranger service at any distance. Tesla will have to honor the contract they made with me.
However, this does mean I won't be buying another Tesla until they either (a) reinstate unlimited ranger service as an option, or (b) open a closer service center.
I was considering buying a second Tesla this year. Not happening now.
-----
Maybe Tesla decided that they just don't want to sell cars to people who are more than 50 miles from a service center. Just abandoning the rest of the market. This might make financial sense, but it would be contrary to the mission of trying to get electric cars in every driveway.
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Under those circumstances, I would get a vehicle you can service yourself. Maybe a dogsled. :wink: You definitely can't service a Tesla yourself, because Tesla has refused to release enough specs.�
Mar 3, 2015
NigelM OK, deep breath everyone...now exhale slowly...feeling calm? Good, then I'll continue:
- There's a big difference between Ranger Service and Valet Service.
- For quite a long time Tesla has been moving to Valet service. To Tesla it makes a huge difference whether they have trained, experienced, Technicians on the road without parts or supplies, lacking full diagnostic equipment, and a limited ability to raise the car, OR a Valet who drops a loaner at your house/office and brings your car in to the Service Center.
- If a Ranger comes to work on your car you don't have use of it while they are working and you've got to provide him/her a place to work on it; not forgetting that if the Ranger doesn't have needed parts or supplies then you may have to do the whole thing again in a couple of days. If a Valet drops you a loaner, you can go from one car to the other just by signing the form and swapping keys.
- It's likely the vast majority of folks will agree that Valet Service is better for everyone than Ranger Service.
So:
- Tesla has always had a charge for Valet Service over 50 miles. I'm willing to admit I might be wrong with that statement but I've racked my brain and as far as I can recall it's always been like that.
- Tesla doesn't charge for warranty work and I believe they don't charge Valet cost for warranty work. Again, correct me if I'm wrong I can't recall an example of anyone being charged for Valet Service for warranty work.
- The Tesla website states (and always did) that
- Note the use of the word "bring" in that above sentence. For non-warranty work it's quite reasonable for Tesla to ask you to come in or to charge for a Valet Service.
- Don't want an annual service? That's OK as Tesla (still the only company that says this AFAIK) also states that
- BTW, Elon also stated in his blog post that
- I've never experienced another car company that provided brand new, top of the line cars as a loaner (if you got a loaner at all). True sometimes folks want to buy the loaners and a Service Center may run short now and then but in my experience they do everything to accommodate you in that case.
Have a nice day folks!
�
Mar 3, 2015
GreenT If memory serves, Neroden, when you first got your car, you complained bitterly?
So, aside from your member moniker here, Happy Model S owner (which you'll need to change) ... you've been unhappy from the beginning?
I have found service incredible. And worth every dime I've spent for it.
Just today, my car had an issue. Not saying what or where so the (illegitimate FUD) press do not pick up on it ... but nearest service center is 2 hours.
Tesla truck on its way, free of charge, with a loaner on it. And, no, I did not prepay for Ranger service. But is this valet or Ranger? I am thrilled.
I would be HAPPY to pay $100 for this!!! (Besides, it saves me the rental car expense.)
I have never, in my decades of owning a dozen brands, had service this good. Period.
Also realize it makes sense to send a loaner to save them time to re-deliver my car to me ... 5 hours porter time. Bad enough having to come pick it up�
Mar 3, 2015
breser Good post and I agree that when possible Valet Service is better. But...
I'm considered outside of the valet area and I'm less than 30 miles from the nearest service center and about 40 miles from the next further one. So I don't think 50 miles is the right break point. That said I don't mind dropping the car and swapping to a loaner.
Yup to this end I had a P85D that was nearly fully loaded yesterday.�
Mar 3, 2015
NigelM So Tesla will never sell cars in Ithaca and you definitely won't get a Service Center anywhere near you. Yup, that's make sense.�
Mar 4, 2015
ohmman I was told today by the San Rafael SC that the valet service limit has been reduced from 50 miles to 10 miles. I'm about 27 miles, so they are giving me one last "complimentary" valet service but in the future I'll have to pay. Bummer.�
Mar 4, 2015
AmpedRealtor Well there still aren't enough service centers to justify this policy change. Is this cost cutting or what?
I hate to use the term "bait and switch", but I was comfortable buying this car because the service center 50 miles away would pick up my Model S and drop off a loaner. Then they stopped having enough loaners. Now they won't even pick up my car. I don't like the direction this is taking. While not a huge part of my ownership experience, I feel like Tesla is slowly taking away those incentives that gave me the confidence to pull the trigger.. To what end?�
Mar 4, 2015
ohmman I don't tend to want to complain much, as my ownership and service experience to date have been great, but I have to say I agree. It sends a discomforting signal.�
Mar 4, 2015
NigelM Personally, I wouldn't worry at all if I had a Service Center 27miles away; to me that's local. But I'm sure lots of folks would be interested if that change is official company-wide policy. Did you check with Ownership by any chance?�
Mar 4, 2015
ohmman It's definitely of minimal impact for me. I didn't mean to imply that I was enormously put out by the change. If I were 45 miles away, I'd likely feel differently, but to me the change itself sends a negative message.
I didn't confirm with Ownership that this is Tesla-wide. It could be just a SR thing. Our area is inundated with MSs so it's possible without a backup SC they couldn't handle the overhead.�
Mar 4, 2015
djp The new 10 mile radius for free valet service seems to be a company-wide policy, with the same change reported in Miami, San Rafael and here in Toronto.
Personally I don't think it's a big deal to drop off the car and pick up a loaner. It's still much better service than I've ever seen from any other car company!�
Mar 4, 2015
NigelM Elon still thinks otherwise according to the TM website:
Note the final sentence there.�
Mar 4, 2015
JMG Confirmed for the Dallas SC too. I was told for a flat $100 I could still utilize the Ranger service (I'm 108 miles from the SC).�
Mar 5, 2015
mknox I'm inclined to agree, but then I'm a 5 minute drive from a Service Center. To be honest, I fully anticipated and expected this. I often wondered how the personalized, over-the-top service that Roadster and early Model S owners enjoyed when there were only small numbers on the road would scale out when sales picked up.�
Mar 5, 2015
markb1 I suggest someone (but not everyone) should email Jerome for clarification.�
Mar 5, 2015
AmpedRealtor I sent the following email to Jerome earlier today:
Hello Dr. Guillen,
I just learned in the forums that valet service is being limited to a 10 mile radius of the service center, and valet service outside of that circle will cost $100. I live 50 miles from Scottsdale service. The availability of valet service gave me the confidence to order my Model S in 2013.
I do understand that the fleet has grown tremendously since then, but I can't help but feel that certain service benefits are slowly being taken away. Those who are 50 miles away need valet service much more than those within 10 miles. Wouldn't it make more sense to retain free valet service to those who are 11-50 miles from the service center, who really need it, and charge $100 to those within 10 miles who can easily drive their car to service? Those closest to the service center need valet the least, so charging them will encourage them to bring their car to service.
As the fleet grows, obviously you need to make adjustments, but I would hope one of those adjustments is to add more service centers to help bridge the distance gap. Please try to keep us "early" owners in your thoughts when making policy changes. This kind of change does not feel good.
Thank you.�
Mar 5, 2015
mibaro2 Thanks AmpedRealtor. Nice letter. Be interested to see his response.�
Mar 5, 2015
stopcrazypp I'm getting confused. Isn't the Ranger service where the mechanic comes to your home/office and services the car right there? And that service was never free and was always $100 minimum (plus $1 per mile over 100 miles) as far back as the roadster days (although when Tesla introduced service plans there was a prepaid option that bundled it in, but was quickly removed):
http://my.teslamotors.com/de_DE/node/3899
http://my.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/ranger-service-plan-no-longer-available-purchase
Valet service is something different where they drive a loaner to your house and drive the car back to the service center. Valet was always free, but always had a 50 mile limit.�
Mar 5, 2015
AmpedRealtor And the 50 mile limit for valet service is being reduced to 10 miles. Not happy.�
Mar 5, 2015
ecarfan I recently had the 12V battery replaced in my S after 14 months of ownership. Although I am just 10 miles from my local service center a Tesla service guy came to my house and replaced the battery, no charge. I thought that was pretty nice.
And the service guy used to work for Mercedes but moved to TSLA because he is excited about EVs.�
Mar 6, 2015
mknox Curious to know how this affects customer in Manitoba or Saskatchewan who are hundreds if not thousands of miles to the nearest store or service center???�
Mar 6, 2015
solidjack Not Sure. I live 460 miles from the nearest service centre but haven't had a reason to send the car off or have a ranger out yet in the 7 months of ownership. I'll be setting up the annual service in few months but I know the Minneapolis service centre basically told me when I bought it that they would come out with a loaner/car trailer for the annual service since there is no way i could drive it to Minneapolis at this point (I do own a truck and a car trailer but that feels silly for me to have to trailer the Tesla down myself).
Guess I'll find out in a few months. Hope it hasn't change from what they told me. Was one of the primary reason I felt better buying a Tesla up here as opposed to other luxury brands with no dealership support.�
Mar 6, 2015
ohmman I'd be concerned, too. It might be worth calling the SC directly and confirming that your original understanding will remain intact. Thanks for the report.�
Mar 6, 2015
AmpedRealtor This was the first email to Jerome that has gone without reply. Apparently Tesla wishes to remain silent on this subject.�
Mar 7, 2015
neroden Good letter, AmpedRealtor. Hopefully Jerome will respond. On the other hand, when Tesla execs decide to engage in stupid, self-destructive policies, they also generally stop returning emails and phone calls, in my experience. :-(
Yes, it does make sense, and if you can't see why, try turning your brain on.
Yes, Tesla will stop selling cars in Ithaca (and Buffalo, and Rochester, and Syracuse, etc.) if this is seriously the new policy. Maybe they simply do not care; they're still production-constrained, it's a small market, etc. The question everyone asks when I show off my Tesla is "but where do you get it serviced", with the clear implication that they won't buy it if the service center is too far away. (Which it is, at 200 miles.)
I have been explaining that I paid a little extra so that Tesla picks the car up and brings it back; everyone's very impressed and open to buying the car. Now I will have to say "But Tesla doesn't offer that any more," and they will decide that it's unsafe to buy the car. (Tesla is still obliged to give me free ranger/valet service for the full 8 years, because I have a contract with them, but they aren't making it available to anyone else.)
The correct policy would be for Tesla to offer unlimited valet service (perhaps as an extra-charge option) to people who are farther than a certain distance (say > 60 miles) from the nearest service center. We're the ones who need it.
Oh, and I've been asking Tesla repeatedly when they'll get a service center in Ithaca, Binghamton, or Syracuse. The answer has always been "manana", or equivalent. I don't think it's happening any time soon. Even if I get lucky, there are vast swathes of the country where there will continue to be no Tesla service centers (but lots of car dealers and service centers for every other car) -- unless Tesla builds several hundred service centers very quickly, which they have not done and are not doing now.
The individual service people have all been very good. But that doesn't make the central office policies competent. Less cheerleading, please.�
Mar 7, 2015
jerry33 I tend to agree with Neroden. Ranger and Valet service are important. If they are cut off it gives the impression that Tesla is in dire straits financially. One of the reasons I purchased the car was the service experience of Roadster owners. Now I'm not far from a Service Centre, so this reduction of service doesn't really affect me, but if I lived a bit further (say in Fort Worth), it would definitely put a damper on purchasing.�
Mar 7, 2015
neroden I just have to add the note that in bad winter weather, 200 miles exceeds the range of the Model S. As a result, at this distance from the service center, the trip is *very long*. Ranger or Valet Service is basically mandatory for any service center trip in winter.
And of course Ranger or Valet service is mandatory if the car can't be driven. (I supposedly have towing insurance to the nearest authorized shop from my insurance company, but I suspect if I ever use it for a 200-mile tow, my insurance company will cancel the insurance.)
I propose that Tesla change their policy to the following:
(1) If your car is not driveable for any warrantied reason, we will provide free Ranger, Valet, or towing service (it is at Tesla's discretion whether to supply a Ranger or a Valet or tow truck). Period. Included with warranty.
(2) For a one-time fixed cost, you may purchase unlimited Ranger/Valet service (it is at Tesla's discretion whether to supply a Ranger or a Valet) to cover your car when it is out of reasonable range of a Service Center. If you buy this, future Ranger/Valet service will be free for all warranty issues and for any annual service appointments, but you can only use it if your car is garaged more than 100 miles from the nearest service center.
This would deal with the main problems which come from lack of unlimited Ranger service. It would eliminate the high usage of Ranger service by people who really could just drive to the Service Center, while maintaining peace of mind for the cases where Ranger service is the only thing providing peace of mind.�
Mar 7, 2015
RDoc This is an interesting topic I think when contemplating a road trip in a Tesla.
A quick look at the the service center map:
http://www.teslamotors.com/findus#/bounds/49.38,-66.94,25.82,-124.38999999999999,d?search=service,
might give some pause to anyone considering visiting Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, The Grand Tetons, etc. A problem anywhere in the upper Midwest could be pretty serious.�
Mar 7, 2015
donv No one has said ranger service is going away-- just that you have to pay $100 for it. If your Chevy breaks down in a remote area, you'll pay at least that and probably more.
�
Mar 7, 2015
NigelM Resorting to insults doesn't make your argument look smarter.�
Mar 7, 2015
JRP3 In fact isn't Tesla still offering the service, if you pay for it on a per use basis? Unless I'm not understanding it correctly your objection would only be that you can't prepay for the service, and it might end up costing more if you need it frequently.�
Mar 7, 2015
markb1 Not exactly. They might charge you more, now. From Support | Tesla Motors:
�
Mar 7, 2015
RDoc Well, even with my East Coast bias, I don't think that say Billings, Mt is all that remote and it's over 500mi from the nearest service center. I'm pretty sure there's a Chevy dealer quite a bit closer.
There's also no guarantee that Ranger service is even available there or what it might cost if it were. The minimum charge is $100, not the maximum and according to the Tesla support site, not all areas are covered.�
Mar 8, 2015
AmpedRealtor Still no response from Jerome...
It's clear that Tesla has made its decision and has no intention of discussing it with me, anyway. I convinced two people to buy a Model S who lived quite a distance from the service center, and valet service played a role in making that decision. So disappointing that Tesla has chosen to make this policy change. I suspect George B knew what was coming when he chose to retire.�
Jun 17, 2015
dogphlap It does seem curious that while Tesla is battling the dealers on the one hand on they other they hand them such an own goal.�
Jun 17, 2015
zer0cool The fact is ranger service probably cost so much money... I mean you wouldn't expect it from any other car company/dealership. Tesla probably offered it when its volume was low and it was trying to establish itself. However as its production number approaches 100k, and it becomes more mainstream, there's no way it can continue to provide this utterly money losing service.
Basically this just means that you shouldn't own a Tesla if you are 50+ miles from a service center...�
Jun 17, 2015
stevezzzz I purchased Ranger/Valet service for my Sig S, and the extended warranty. Anybody know for certain what happens to those if I sell the vehicle to a third party? I'm pretty sure the extended warranty is transferrable, but what about Ranger/Valet? And what if I were to sell it to someone in a state, like Washington, where you still can't buy the extended warranty?�
Jun 17, 2015
AmpedRealtor So I guess Tesla's "world class" service was just to get publicity, and now that they are selling enough cars, it's okay to have average service like the other guys?�
Jun 17, 2015
markb1 I think that ranger service was to alleviate concerns about not living near a service center. But now that they have a lot more service centers, Tesla has decided that cheap ranger service in no longer necessary to sell cars.�
Jun 17, 2015
zer0cool Ya basically... at the end it's a car company and will need to operate like one to make money. Operating both the manufacturing and sales simply is a way to increase margins rather than to better serve customers (to say that is basically corporate PR).�
Jun 17, 2015
markb1 How is it a change in their service quality? It's just a change in the price of said service.�
Jun 17, 2015
AmpedRealtor Tesla goes from world class to average. Nice.
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I would think charging for what was previously included lowers the bar for "world class", does it not?�
Jul 19, 2015
ROCDOC I, too, was just informed that valet/ranger service will be at $3 per mile from the service center. Not complimentary anymore. Since I live over 300 miles from the nearest SC, so that would be $900 per tip (they didn't say if the $3 was for round trip or not, so could be $1800) to get the car to the SC. Now, I understand that it is costly to Tesla to employ folks to drive long distances to pick up and deliver cars, but when I bought my car last year, this service was what allowed me to pull the trigger and buy the car. The SC people told me that they thought a SC was being built in Buffalo, NY, an hour away, but as far as I know, nothing is planned for Buffalo.
The only reasonable approach is to grandfather the owners like myself who live at a considerable distance from a SC and who purchased prior to the new policy to have a dramatically reduced fee for ranger/valet - I'd be OK with the flat fee of $100. But, $900? or possibly $1800 for a round trip?
I wouldn't have bought the car under those circumstances.
Come on, Tesla. Cut us a break and we will continue to promote your product.�
Jul 19, 2015
mibaro2 Yes, Tesla should grandfather in this change. It is not fair to people like yourself that bought it based on the premise of free ranger service.�
Jul 25, 2015
neroden Tesla has a minimal, useless number of service centers.
I'm putting Tesla on notice here.
Tesla, you MUST offer free (meaning, prepaid unlimited) Ranger/Valet service to people in the US and Canada living more than 2 hours away from the nearest service center.
If you don't, you are going to get the mother of all bad publicity.
I will be at the National Drive Electric Week events in September at Binghamton and Syracuse NY... and if this continues I'll have to be telling people NOT to buy the Model S because they can't get it serviced at a reasonable cost.
If anyone at Tesla is reading this, this needs to be escalated to Elon Musk. All the word-of-mouth good publicity is about to reverse if you don't get your act together. And you have a very short window to fix this mess.
- - - Updated - - -
Not average. Substandard.
For most cars, you can get them serviced anywhere: there are dealerships all over the place, but even if there aren't, you can go to an independent shop, and there are *always* independent shops.
Tesla has made this impossible. This means that Tesla *needs* to provide a viable alternative service model. At the moment, with a ludicrously small number of service centers and no affordable ranger service for new buyers, Tesla is making it totally impractical to buy a Tesla for new buyers who live outside a short list of major metro areas.
I'm going to be meeting up with some other Tesla owners in Ithaca. One of them was planning to buy a Model X. I'll have to tell her not to becuase the service costs will be astronomical.
Big success for NADA if Tesla doesn't reverse this immediately.�
Jul 25, 2015
ohmman I suggest a more direct approach than posting to the enthusiast forum. Have you contacted them? If you truly want some kind of action, going direct is the best advice I can provide.�
Jul 25, 2015
neroden Tesla is a black hole which doesn't respond to phone calls; I have prior experience of this.
Also, what department am I trying to reach? This is above the pay grade of anyone I can call or email immediately. Plus which, *Tesla knows all this stuff, I told them three months ago*. In fact, they were emailed about this by multiple people.
I suppose I could tweet Elon, but I'm not on Twitter.
Anyone who actually knows someone in Tesla upper management should call them.
Otherwise, I'll just have to respond the way someone who *isn't being listened to* responds.
----
That said, I just contacted the Board of Directors via their webpage. I expect them to drop this in the circular file, but we can hope.�
Aug 26, 2015
bmanke Today I too learned about the change in the Ranger Service plan. We purchased our Tesla in April of 2015 and we live in Chesapeake, VA. Despite living in a large metropolitan area our nearest service center is Raleigh, NC over 200 miles away. Before purchasing the car I looked into service knowing very well it was likely the car may have a few issues along the way. I too was informed about the $100 Ranger service which I felt was a fair trade off for not having a service center here. Now, a mere 4 months later we are having our first issue where our phones are notifying us of a charging interruption problem every night. Luckily the car is still charging and performing normally. Tesla needs the car back to properly rectify the problem and informed me it would be $606 to cover the transportation. I am quite dissatisfied as we bought the car under the assumption that service visits for warranty repair would cost $100. Now any service visit is going to be a $600 plus bill. I have been a huge fan of Tesla and have helped spread the word by giving numerous test rides and attending various events. This however is quite a demoralizing and souring development.�
Aug 26, 2015
ohmman I feel for you. I think your emotions are fully warranted, given the situation. If I were you, I'd be sure to vocalize clearly why you feel your situation makes the policy a burden and feels a little like a bait and switch. To be clear, I don't think that's what it is, but I do think it would make sense to grandfather customers at certain distances from SCs to be at least heavily discounted.
As an aside, when a Ranger arrives at your house, ensure that they check out your UMC and your HPWC (if you have one). The "charging interrupted" issue for me was my HPWC cable, and it has happened twice. One thing you can do is test another charging cable - Supercharger or UMC if you're having HPWC issues, and see if you have the same error.�
Aug 26, 2015
AnOutsider and here I was upset I'd now be paying over $200 per trip. Many people loved that Tesla offered the valet service. Now I'm stuck between a $220-260 bill or spending about an hour and a half each way in the future. Definitely disappointing. Wasn't there an announcement about improving service a while back that never materialized? Seems it's gone in the opposite direction.�
Aug 26, 2015
JeffVanEpps I'm 245 miles away so following this with interest. $1470 or 10 hours driving...�
Aug 26, 2015
jweinstein I'm in Alaska!�
Aug 26, 2015
ohmman For the win.�
Aug 26, 2015
jweinstein FWIW - My service advisor in Seattle told me about two months ago that I would not have to pay for ranger fees, as there is a service center planned for Anchorage. I am on my second Model S, and so far, I have had excellent service visits here without any fees.�
Aug 26, 2015
Andyw2100 "Only" $735. The charge is $3.00 per one-way mile.�
Aug 27, 2015
Spidy Is is different depending on where you live? I though I read something about $1 somewhere.�
Aug 27, 2015
JeffVanEpps I interpreted that to mean $3 pays for 1 mile in one direction. But the car does have to be driven back to my home after service. However I have never used the service so I don't know how Tesla interprets it.�
Aug 27, 2015
AnOutsider From what I could gather, it's $1 per mile under a certain distance. Tesla really should issue a clear communication to owners re: the policy.�
Aug 27, 2015
bmanke A bit like bait and switch? I would say the policy change is a complete bait and switch! While I am sure the problem is minor - our car only has 11k so it's under warranty so Tesla needs to diagnose and replace the bad parts.�
Aug 27, 2015
mknox With a large percentage of the Canadian population lying along the border with the US, it occurred to me that one's closest Service Center might be in a different country. If I lived in Windsor, ON my closest center would be about 4 hours away in Toronto, but if something opened up across the river in Detroit, could a Canadian owner get servicing there? I know my previous ICE cars all stated that I could get warranty service anywhere I was travelling in North America, but I haven't seen any discussion about this wrt Tesla.�
Aug 27, 2015
Andyw2100 I and others have been told explicitly that it is $3 per mile, based on the one-way distance, to bring the car to the service center and back. So since the poster I was responding to lived 245 miles away, the charge would be $735 for the round trip.�
Aug 27, 2015
LetsGoFast This is the issue that I am most unhappy with Tesla about. I see no problem with changing the policy going forward, but it is very poor form to change the policy retroactively for people who already bought the car. In late 2014, they had done away with the prepaid Ranger/Valet program and I was told that it was a flat $100 per service if they had to get the car. I bought the car after asking numerous questions about that. Now the new policy is significantly more expensive and I've already prepaid for 8 years of service that I bought under a completely different understanding.�
Aug 27, 2015
Andyw2100 It's called changing the rules of the game after the game has started. It's not exactly a fair way to play the game.�
Aug 27, 2015
AmpedRealtor This is a good example of one area where the traditional dealership model is currently superior - more locations. Due to Tesla's limited ability to service its cars, Tesla either needs to make the cars more reliable so they don't require much service, build more service centers, or continue offering a flat-fee Ranger option. It seems like whoever is making the decisions in the service area is not concerned with prior promises and representations. If Jerome were still in charge of service, I very much doubt this would have happened.
My question: Who is the head of the service division? That is the person who needs to be asked these questions, or perhaps Elon himself. Nobody is saying that Tesla shouldn't change its policies if it needs to re-price something, but those who bought prior to that decision should be grandfathered in. I would be livid if I was in the position of some here, who were promised $100 ranger visits only to find out it's going to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. That's completely unacceptable.
I don't have a horse in this race - my service center is excellent and 50 miles away - but I feel for those who took the risk, only to find that Tesla doesn't have their back. Borrowing Elon's own term, this is "uncool" by Tesla.�
Aug 27, 2015
rogbmw I just scheduled my service yesterday. We have had our Model S for almost 2 years and 7 months, and have started seeing some changes that seem to be contrary to what TESLA originally put out regarding service. I understand that they have to make changes based on their business model, but to change the way they do business, especially for those who have supported them over the long haul just does not sit right.
I have had very good service by the TESLA service departments I have had to utilize, and it is not their fault. But - when I first purchased my TESLA, everyone here at work was most impressed about their service. A coworker who owns a Mercedes S Class sedan was most impressed. BUT - during his most recent service, they came to him, picked up his car and gave him a Mercedes loaner, took it to be serviced, brought it back cleaned and washed, dropped off his car and picked up the loaner------with NO CHARGE to him.
For my scheduled service, TESLA said that the new policy was $3 per mile, and that the annual service does not include an alignment (which it originally did). If the car needs an alignment, it will be an additional $225 as it has air suspension. I am not going to let my coworker who owns the Mercedes know about this - as I am sure he will rib me to no end that he does not have to pay for the service, and now I do......
It just does not sit well when TESLA changes the rules - especially to those of us who have supported them longterm. I still have a copy of the paperwork saying TESLA would provide alignments at their annual service appointments that I received when I purchased the car.
Just my 2 cents worth......�
Aug 27, 2015
AmpedRealtor And an alignment at my service center costs $150 regardless of suspension type. This is getting ridiculous.�
Aug 27, 2015
rxlawdude Once more, the issue of CONSISTENCY between Service Centers (and even individual advisers within a Service Center, in word and deed, rears its ugly head.
And this is not to mention the inconsistency in interpretation of prepaid service and ESA terms that everyone gets different answers about. OK, I mentioned it.�
Aug 27, 2015
AnOutsider Honestly, I'm glad this is being echoed by others. As a forum member here knows who lent me an ear the other day, I was pretty put off by what appeared to be sudden changes made to the policies with no formal notification (in my case anyway - I was discussing the extended warranty and how much of a ripoff it seemed), and how it put a negative spin on my thoughts of Tesla ownership going forward. I didn't know how to put my thoughts together or even where/who to send them to at Tesla.
Seeing the discussion here puts me at ease knowing I'm not alone, but also makes me more concerned that the issue seems to have been brought up already, but not addressed.�
Aug 27, 2015
AmpedRealtor Touch��
Aug 27, 2015
jaguar36 I think this is more an issue of the small nature of Tesla rather than the dealership model. If you look at automakers of similar scale to Tesla, say Maserati or Jaguar, they have a similar number of locations. However the big difference is that you can take you Maserati or Jag to an indy shop to get every thing done if you want to. Not so with Tesla.�
Aug 27, 2015
LetsGoFast I found an unusual loophole in the policy. I had reported a problem with my TACC and I had a service visit scheduled for which I was expecting to pay the $450 or whatever it was to get someone to pick up the car. Before the day my visit was scheduled, I managed to get a flat tire and they were happy to tow my car to the service center for free as part of the roadside assistance plan. I assume they would wise up if I somehow happened to get a nail through my tire tread every time I need service, but maybe not.�
Aug 27, 2015
rxlawdude Of course, then there's that $400 tire.�
Aug 27, 2015
beeeerock I think it's safe to say he paid for it somehow... buried in the purchase price of the car or included in some sort of service package... or maybe they thought he was ready to trade up and wanted to suck up a little. FWIW, I never had Mercedes do *anything* that made me feel warm and fuzzy (and un-gouged)! I would take consolation in knowing you shouldn't have to require as much service as he will, over the life of the car! :biggrin:�
Aug 28, 2015
slevit1md I'm in Toledo and my closest service center is in Cleveland, about 2 hours away. I have a ranger coming out to fix a GPS issue and I'm not being charged for it. I would be awfully unhappy if this policy were to change! Would have been difficult to justify buying a car that requires a 4 hour round trip for service.�
Jun 17, 2016
AZ Desert Driver The most recent post here is Aug 2015...I'm looking for an update.
At the Scottsdale Gallery, the test driver said (Mar, 2016) something like - "there is a Ranger headquartered in Tucson and there are plans to build a SC there soon."
I don't know how to find out if this has any substance. Someone - show me how to search for correct answers. I am not looking to change any policy, or to argue what should/should not be that policy...just what it is. Help!!�
Jun 17, 2016
Gwgan May, 2016, 240mile Ranger visit at TM�s insistance (we had a later date planned, they did not want it to go that long).�
Jun 17, 2016
AZ Desert Driver I think this means that the Ranger program is alive - (in Main). Did it cost $3/mile?�
Jun 17, 2016
Gwgan They waived the fee on this one.�
Jun 17, 2016
dgpcolorado I believe the policy changed (again?) shortly before I bought my car. I was told that for warranty service (4 years, 50,000 miles) if the car was driveable it was my responsibility to get it to the Service Center. If the car is not driveable they will have it towed up to 500 miles without charge:
https://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/Roadside_Policy_NA.pdf
FWIW.�
Jun 17, 2016
AZ Desert Driver So I read into that ---the Ranger program is myth. If my headliner/trim/display etc is on the fritz, there is not a chance to have a trained mechanic show up a hundred miles away from the Service Center. This contradicts what the local guy said, but confirms what Ive seen in official documents.
Not the answer I wanted, but the answer I expected.
I suppose I can hope that there will be a future SC and Ranger located in my hometown. Santa exists, right?�
Jun 18, 2016
dgpcolorado I really don't know what's up with the ranger program nowadays. Used to be free then it was a charge per one-way miles. Now, at least for warranty service, transport is free for 500 miles if the car is undriveable. I was quite pleased with this development because I am 330 miles � plus a whole lot of mountains � from the nearest Service Center. By my standards Tucson is very close to the Scottsdale SC, so no big deal having to go there for service.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Service Center appear in Tucson in a few years, it being a fairly sizeable city and university town. Where I live? Not a chance!�
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