Why Tesla's Direct approach to sales will fail

[Ken7]

A few? Most. You really don't seem to be too familiar with what's going on with Tesla. Yes, Tesla has been successful in getting the laws revoked, but that's been the exception rather than the rule. That's simply a fact. The bottom line is that the Tesla sales model is very different than any other major car company. Going off on tangents doesn't change that.

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[Stickboy46]

Huh? Service Centers are one part of Tesla and the boutiques are another. You don't order a car at a Service Center, you get your car serviced there. If I wanted to I can't order a car at my Service Center, but I can at one of the mall 'boutiques'. Bottom line is the overwhelming majority of orders are online. That's a fact any way you'd like to twist it.

Depends. The KC center is Service and Sales.

I've been very vocal against the model that Tesla uses .. but i just bought a Model 3 and cancelled my Mach E order. The closest service center to me is 2.5 hours away BUT they have mobile service in my area. The team in KC is was amazing the whole time. I nit picked every thing on my car when it arrived (2 weeks from order to delivery). They fixed everything on the spot including swapping out a mirror that had gotten scratched at some point in delivery.

I don't know how the long term will look with service and all that but i verified with them that if the car can't be serviced mobile they will tow all the way to KC. The buying process was definitely smoother than any dealership purchase I've made. We will have to see if the service matches up.

For reference, I went ahead and got the model 3 for a few reasons. The build I wanted (LR AWD, White interior, 19" rims, autopilot but not FSD) was still cheaper than buying the Mach-E even factoring in the tax credit. On top of that, it's faster, longer range, and has access to the superchargers (way cheaper/faster charging than the 3rd party networks). On top of that, I'm still skeptical that Ford will truly offer a comparable software product. Haven't been impressed with the demo Sync 4 that has been shown (obviously pre-release). Nor am I confident that they will truely offer OTA and not start locking stuff behind model years like they have done in the past. The neat things that Tesla has done with their OTA really pushed it over the top. I have the option to purchase a half second increase in 0-60 via OTA. I don't see Ford ever doing that stuff, but I hope I'm proven wrong. If Ford steps up over the next 2-3 years and proves me wrong on this and doesn't have major issues, I'll like sell and get a Mach-E then. Just a little leary of all the unknowns of how Ford will handle this drastic change.

 

[Ken7]

Good luck with your Model 3, I'm sure you'll love it. The only thing that held me back from a 3 was I prefer a softer ride than the 3 delivers. Even my S, which is certainly softer than the 3, could still be a bit plusher IMO. I know the new suspension on the S is supposed to be much improved over my late 2017 S, but I'm not in the mood to spend that kind of money again...certainly in light of what's going on today.

My rationale for the Mach-E is:
* I'm hoping it will be a plusher ride than either the 3 or the Y
* I far prefer the E's interior to the 3 or the Y. I even prefer it to my S
* I have no doubts the interior will be of better quality than a Tesla. I once owned a PHEV Fusion and that car was put together very nicely. It was rattle-free (surely not the case in my S) and better materials. I'd bet the E will be of similar construction.
* I like the exterior aesthetics of the E to either the 3 or the Y
* I prefer the instrument panel in front of the driver like my S has. That's an issue for me with the 3 or the Y. If I had to I'd adjust, but I do think it's safer to have the instrument panel in front of you.
* There's no question the Tesla charging network is superior, but I'll be using the car almost exclusively locally. For the rare times that I need a charger, they're there if not as plentiful. We have my wife's ES300h for long drives where I don't have to worry about anyone's charging network.
* With the $7,500 Fed rebate, plus my state's $2,000 rebate, the car will be cheaper than a LR 3 or Y

These are all great vehicles, so there's no right or wrong choice. It just depends on your needs & desires.

 

[Stickboy46]

Good luck with your Model 3, I'm sure you'll love it. The only thing that held me back from a 3 was I prefer a softer ride than the 3 delivers. Even my S, which is certainly softer than the 3, could still be a bit plusher IMO. I know the new suspension on the S is supposed to be much improved over my late 2017 S, but I'm not in the mood to spend that kind of money again...certainly in light of what's going on today.

My rationale for the Mach-E is:
* I'm hoping it will be a plusher ride than either the 3 or the Y
* I far prefer the E's interior to the 3 or the Y. I even prefer it to my S
* I have no doubts the interior will be of better quality than a Tesla. I once owned a PHEV Fusion and that car was put together very nicely. It was rattle-free (surely not the case in my S) and better materials. I'd bet the E will be of similar construction.
* I like the exterior aesthetics of the E to either the 3 or the Y
* I prefer the instrument panel in front of the driver like my S has. That's an issue for me with the 3 or the Y. If I had to I'd adjust, but I do think it's safer to have the instrument panel in front of you.
* There's no question the Tesla charging network is superior, but I'll be using the car almost exclusively locally. For the rare times that I need a charger, they're there if not as plentiful. We have my wife's ES300h for long drives where I don't have to worry about anyone's charging network.
* With the $7,500 Fed rebate, plus my state's $2,000 rebate, the car will be cheaper than a LR 3 or Y

These are all great vehicles, so there's no right or wrong choice. It just depends on your needs & desires.

My Previous cars
2014 Taurus SHO
2006 Pontiac GTO (With coilovers)

My Wifes Car
2013 Charger RT AWD

The Model 3 rides better than any of those ha!

Same with Road/Wind Noise. The Model 3 is quieter than those 3 cars.

 

[Ken7]

Well you see that's where preference comes in. Some like that firm sporty ride. Mine lean toward a plusher ride. I'd guarantee you if we rode in a car together we'd have different opinions on the ride quality. No right or wrong. I've been asking on the Tesla forum if the Y rides any softer than the 3, but I haven't gotten response yet. Not enough owners at this point.

The wind noise issue is literally a car to car issue. I've heard many S owners say their wind noise is terrible. Although I have rattles from time to time in my S (they come and go for no apparent reason), I don't have wind noise. Same with the 3. I've read many owners say their wind noise is bad and others say it's fine. There are many videos (as you probably know) on how to reduce wind noise on a 3. There are even aftermarket 'fixes' for this now. I just saw a demo of one, a rubber strip that goes in the crevices around the panorama glass, that's supposed to be effective.

So it's a real lottery with these things and I think the lottery is more prevalent with Tesla than the manufacturers that have been building cars for a long time.

 

[Newbie]

I've been very vocal against the model that Tesla uses .. but i just bought a Model 3 and cancelled my Mach E orderThe team in KC is was amazing the whole. time. I nit picked every thing on my car when it arrived (2 weeks from order to delivery). They fixed everything on the spot including swapping out a mirror that had gotten scratched at some point in delivery.

Funny, my coworker just cancelled Mach E and ordered model y. I was excited to see Mach E, but he has watched all the recent model y videos and was sold. Like you say, way too many unknowns with Mach E. Model y is here and Tesla has 3 years of experience with model 3. He also said all this 3rd party charging hoops is a big turn off. Tesla super charger network is just another factor he could not overlook.

Enjoy your ev! 2 weeks from order to delivery is great.

 

[Ken7]

^ Good! That moves me up at least one on the Mach-E list.

But feeling as you do about the 'too many unknowns' with the Mach-E, why are you here? I wouldn't bother visiting forums for whose product I have no real intention of buying or at least seriously considering.

 

[Newbie]

^ Good! That moves me up at least one on the Mach-E list.

But feeling as you do about the 'too many unknowns' with the Mach-E, why are you here? I wouldn't bother visiting forums for whose product I have no real intention of buying or at least seriously considering.

Sorry, that was my coworker. I am into all evs, and hope ford can get a few out in a month or two.

Forgot to mention he, also wanted a full panoramic roof, which the model Y ended up having to his surprise. The Model 3 and Mach E dont have a full panoramic roof. He showed me this a few minutes ago

 

[Mister Mitch]

Canada here...

TLR - CF members used to purchase directly from the Big Three.

Way back in the day, my father was able to purchase a car directly from GM. Yup, no dealership.

I can hear you now... HOW?

Well, it would have been about 1972 or 1973, when member's of the Canadian Forces wanted to purchase a new car, they would go to CANEX. For the folks in the US, it would be the PX.

The nice folks at CANEX would actually take your request and pass it on to the proper manufacturer. Now, this is when GM/Ford/Chrysler all had plants in Toronto Canada.

So for this example, it was GM that contacted Dad directly. They confirmed he was looking to purchase a GMC Suburban.
What color? Dad didn't know how to reply. He asked, what's the most common color? Red. Then make it red.
What color interior? He didn't know, so said to make it red as well.
What size engine? 350 with dual carbs. (Dad felt like he knew his shit)
Any special features you would like? Power steering and power brakes.
OK, anything else? Yup a third seat in the back. OK, you will need bigger tires for that. Sure, put them on the truck.
OK, anything else? Nope, I guess that would be it.
OK, we will contact you once your truck is ready. Should be about a week.

A week went by. Mr Cormier? Your truck is ready to be picked up. Cost is $4,675.00. No tax as you are buying your truck in Ontario and taking it to Nova Scotia.

Dad goes to the bank and gets a car loan. Walks out with cashier's check. I got to hold the check for about 30 seconds. Phew, that was a lot of money.

Dad goes back to CANEX and lets them know his truck is ready. They booked him a flight from CFB Shearwater to CFB Trenton. Cost for the flight, $5.00 for each person. $10.00 for Mum and Dad. This was the cost of the box lunch that was served. The Canadian Forces flew 707's across Canada, once a week. Essentially you were considered "cargo" and every flight was a training flight.

They get to CFB Trenton and then get a Canadian Forces bus to Toronto. Cost - $0.00, your cargo again. The bus driver is training how to drive the bus.

Mum & Dad are in Toronto and take a cab to the GM plant.

They are met by the receptionist who gets someone to come get them. The bank's cashier check is given to the GM cashier. Other papers are signed. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Cormier, you are the proud owner of a 1974 GMC Suburban. Your truck is being brought around now.

The truck pulls around the corner. Yup, it's red. Must be our truck.

That is when the other surprises happened. No headliner. You didn't order it. No radio, you didn't order it. No carpets (rubber matting covered the steel deck), you didn't order them. No cigarette lighter, let me guess, I didn't order it. No ashtray and the list went on. One key for the ignition and one key for the back door, you didn't order 2 sets of keys. The truck did have controls for heat as that was standard equipment.

Mum kicked the tires on the truck. Dad laughed. They had about 2 gallons of gas in the tank. They were told where the closest gas station was. You did NOT get a full tank of gas with your purchase. The odometer didn't even have 1 mile on it.

They drove from Toronto back to Halifax.

Is GM out of business because of the deal they used to have with the Canadian Forces? Nope.

Does CANEX do this any longer? Nope. By the time I joined in 1981, you couldn't purchase directly from the big three any longer. Probably all the dealerships used to wet their pants when ever they would see some Canadian Forces person driving a new vehicle.

Back then, warranty was pretty much nonexistent. After you purchased your new car, you pretty much took it to any place you wanted to for oil changes and other services.

Since the Mach-E isn't made in Canada, going directly to the Ford plant is taken off the table. So I HAVE to go to the dealership.

Would Ford have sold me my Ford Flex at the plant (which is in Toronto)? Probably not. That's not their business model. Do I believe it adds to the overall cost of my car? Absolutely! I have to pay for the salary of every person at the dealership via the mark-up price of the car. They are not in this for charity.

In my opinion, I think Tesla has it spot on. If I could afford a Tesla, they would deliver my car to me. (tell me that wouldn't be exciting) Then they have a mobile service team come to me. Another WOW moment! Is there some hick ups and growing pains with this business model? Of course! I'm sure Tesla is getting better at it. You never hear from the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of happy Tesla customers. Regretfully only the people that have had a negative experience, are the ones that we hear from.

Would I purchase my Mach-E from Amazon? Why not? I'd be sitting on my front deck waiting for my car to be delivered. Talk about no hassle buying! Did it come in the color I wanted? Yes. Did it have the features I wanted. You bet. Would I look my vehicle over during delivery? Of course! Now, would I shit all over FedEx delivery guy if there was a scratch on the car? Geesh, they are the delivery guys, not the vendor. I would put a claim into Amazon. Again, I'm sure that Amazon would have their proverbial ducks in a row before they decided to start delivering cars.

Cripes, there is no difference when you purchase from Dealership "A" and then get it serviced at Dealership "B". Would "A" be a bit miffed that I bought my car at "B"? Of course they would! Would "A" give me grief how they can't support the local ball team - I can guarantee, they had better not. You have money to throw around, at my expense... yea, you may want to keep that info to yourself. I'm already paying quite a bit for my new car.

Tesla also takes the guess work out of the price. I know this really pisses off those people that are looking for a deal. Tesla pretty much says, here is your price. Oh, you don't want to pay that? You, the person that is next in line, your up, here is the price. They pay and go away happy. Person looking for the deal is standing there with their mouth open. Like what the hell just happened? Oh my, that's a negative experience. I bet were going to hear from them. We just lost their business. How are we ever going to survive as a business?

If you have read ALL of this. I certainly appreciate that you did. Time to get off this soap box and let someone else have a go.

 

[Ken7]

Sorry, that was my coworker. I am into all evs, and hope ford can get a few out in a month or two.

Forgot to mention he, also wanted a full panoramic roof, which the model Y ended up having to his surprise. The Model 3 and Mach E dont have a full panoramic roof. He showed me this a few minutes ago

Oh, it sure sounded like those were your feelings. I was always under the impression the Y would get a full panoramic roof. The 3 essentially has it so I'm not sure why the Y wouldn't. The Mustang looks to me to have a roof that could certainly be called panoramic, so I'm not sure how much less glass there is then exists in the Y.

Hopefully the Y is put together better than the 3 was. Lots of bad stories about the 3. After reading the threads on the 3 over at TMC, I was really scared away. Best of luck to your coworker.

 

[Ken7]

In my opinion, I think Tesla has it spot on. If I could afford a Tesla, they would deliver my car to me. (tell me that wouldn't be exciting) Then they have a mobile service team come to me. Another WOW moment! Is there some hick ups and growing pains with this business model? Of course! I'm sure Tesla is getting better at it. You never hear from the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of happy Tesla customers. Regretfully only the people that have had a negative experience, are the ones that we hear from.

I'm confused, if you can afford a Mach-E, why couldn't you afford a Model 3 or Y? Their pricing is quite similar. You can get a 3 for less. I'm not sure what the rebate story is in Canada, but in the U.S. I can get about $9,500 in rebates between the Federal & State.

 

[Stickboy46]

^ Good! That moves me up at least one on the Mach-E list.

But feeling as you do about the 'too many unknowns' with the Mach-E, why are you here? I wouldn't bother visiting forums for whose product I have no real intention of buying or at least seriously considering.

Not sure which of us that was directed to.

I'm here because I'm still really interested in the Mach E. I want it to succeed because I'll likely buy one in a few years if it does.

 

[Ken7]

Not sure which of us that was directed to.

I'm here because I'm still really interested in the Mach E. I want it to succeed because I'll likely buy one in a few years if it does.

No, my post was directed at Newbie.

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