Here is a quite unfiltered log of my customer experiences so far, being a Tesla Model 3 payer (money out no car). I haven't included anything for the forums that, sadly, has been the main source of information for me.
Edit: Happy ending :-)
It all began in May 2016 as I was changing to summer tires/wheel, when I noticed some rust on my Audi. Just months earlier the new $35k Tesla Model 3 was announced. This made the decision easy, I visited the Tesla homepage, put in $1k and waited. I don't remember the "Tesla timeline" but since it never had succeeded in delivering on promised time, I planned for a delivery 2020...
I don't remember when it arrived, but this card/poster came in the mail.
And some occasional email came during the period:
2017-11-05 "Thank you again for your Model 3 reservation..."
2017-02-12 "Thank you once again for reserving Model 3 and your continued support..."
Fast forward to 13:th of November 2018...
An email arrives saying that the model 3 is available for viewing at Mall of Scandinavia. (Haven't seen it in person yet)
2018-12-06 Magic email, to good to be true??
"Congratulations, your Model 3 is now ready to be ordered"
Good times! though nowhere even remotely close to $35k.
After an interesting should I / should I not period, I ended up ordering a blue model 3 performance way, waaaay over my initial thoughts in price...
2018-12-12 I put in the order for a blue m3p, payed an additional 15000 SEK.
2019-01-23 Invitation to test drive. (Haven't driven it yet)
2019-01-27 SMS asking me to fill in details for delivery. (Already filled this in prior to this SMS)
2019-01-31 I send in a referral code for six months free supercharging. (more on that later...). Program to end on 1st of February.
2019-01-30 15:03 The magic call comes, they ask if I still want the car and a preliminary inquiry about winter tires. I answer yes to both of this questions. I get information that the winter tires will be fitted to the car and that the summer tires will be sent to a Euromaster tire hotel for a free change and a period free storage for the winter tires. Winter tires are 40000 SEK(!) from Tesla on original 20" rims.
And that the car will be delivered to SC Upplandsväsby.
(First contact with a human in almost three years)
2019-02-05 "Your order has changed". Added winter tires to design.
The magic VIN number has arrived to the documents part of the page in the invoice.
2019-02-07 I call to order a charger (SC Upplandsväsby). The charger is reserved for me.
2019-02-08 I go and pick-up the charger. The guy at the SC desk types on the computer for what feels like ten minutes, what's taking so long...?
He says the systems are a bit slow and hard to find info about my order and RN-numbers. He didn't as for the VIN number...
When I say that I have one, he and his colleague next to him, look exited. They haven't heard about any assigned VIN's yet. For kicks he searches the number, but can't see where it is or any other details than that it exists. I pay for the charger and as I am about to leave I ask if this is the place they will deliver from, he has no idea.
(A bit strange since I got confirmation that the car would be delivered from there)
2019-02-11 Time stops as I read an email with a confirmed time of delivery!
20:th of February. Could this really be true, pinch me!
I re-arrange my calendar and ask my nice brother for transportation.
It's a date!
2019-02-12 I call Tesla to ask about the payment. Here I get the information that the confirmation is just a preliminary confirmation (there are different levels of confirmations? wouldn't it be easier to let the mail say that then....) and that someone will contact me to book time and go through the invoice.
I ask about the referral code I've added. She can't see any trace of that.
That's strange since I have a clear record of me sending it in according to the rules.
Still while on the phone, I send it in again (forwarding my original mail). She can now see it in the mailbox (BuildMy3EMEA@tesla.com). Someone must have deleted the mail before... Anyway without giving to much hope, she promises to look what can be done.
2019-02-13 SMS That my final invoice is ready, "please pay".
2019-02-18 Early morning, an email with a reminder about my booked time is sent out...
2019-02-18 Still haven't got "the call", and since I have a time booked for 20/2, I call them. I get connected to a sales person that says he has been calling people the week before, he thinks it's a bit strange that I wasn't called. Anyway, he books me a new time since there are delays with Transport Styrelsen (Swedish Transport Agency). New time 25:th of February, just 5 days later, good times. He also confirms that the referral program six months free supercharging has been connected with the car. Thanks for that!
We also confirm the invoice details.
Then I once again re-arrange my calendar and ask nicely for my brother to clear his schedule as well, so I can get to the delivery.
2019-02-18 A confirmation email is sent out for my new time 25:th of February.
2019-02-18 Payment is registered to be payed on 19:th of February. Jikes! that's a lot of money, but "it'll sting less" in just a couple of days as I drive my new car... or so I thought.
2019-02-19 Bank transfer is completed, the money are on their way to Tesla.
2019-02-20 SMS: "TESLA / Update: Your model 3 is ahead of schedule and we can deliver your vehicle early. If you are available to take delivery this Friday or Saturday, please reply "YES" and we will contact you to update your schedule. To unsubscribe from SMS, reply STOP."
- What??? You can't deliver it on 20:th but now you can deliver before my booked time on Monday? (I answer "YES" of course)
2019-02-23 15:37, just seconds after I viewed the page to check my order, I get a new SMS (Translated here from Swedish): "We are sorry to inform you that your booked delivery for Monday must be re-booked, we'll contact you beginning of next week to book a new time, sorry for the inconveniences this may cause you..."
The two messages came quite close to each other, and it looks kind-of funny, in a non funny way. (as in looking back it's probably funnier than now. Tragedy + time equals comedy..)
Some other oddities, webpage on the 23:rd of February.
The day after 24:th of February.
2019-02-25 10:40, Call from Tesla Amsterdam to confirm that my earlier second promised time for delivery is cancelled with reference to problems at "Transport Styrelsen". No new time booked.
2019-02-25 14:55, I call Tesla to ask about my payment. The homepage is less than clear on those details (as can be seen below). She confirms that the payment is received.
I can't close the call without at least trying to get some more information about the delay, this is what I get (paraphrasing), problems with "Transport Styrelsen" and that the cars "don't want to be registered". When (err.. If) I get mine, I'll be sure to ask why it didn't want to be registered!
2019-02-28 16:44, I was in a call and got call from a mysterious cellular number (+4673...). Normally I don't answer calls when I am busy, but in these days I made an exception. To my astonishment it was a Tesla delivery person that called and wondered if I could take delivery tomorrow (1:st of March). Of course I can!
Third time is the charm?
I also received a plate number for the vehicle and some answers to my questions.
15 minutes is booked per customer per car, optimistic? we'll see.
I was asked about if I still wanted to have the winter tires fitted to the car. When I asked about the summer tires and where they would be delivered to, I was informed that apparently there had been some "miscommunication" about that (also). They are not delivered to the closest Euromaster to me, but the closest to Tesla SC (Kista).
Anyway, the best of news!
2019-03-01, 12:45, D-Day has arrived, as in delivery day :-)
Outside Tesla Trosta park. Insane amount of cars on site. Talked to the people prepping the cars and they said that there were over 250 cars on site. Three vehicle transports arrived with seven cars each during the time we were there.
The personnel was fitting plates and washing cars.
I was received by a delivery person and directed to the floor below where my blue car was waiting and looking awesome.
Quick walk-through about some details like driving, charging and other various stuff.
Taking delivering through the option on the webpage, poor cellular coverage had to use their tablet.
Some minor hickups/QA-issues:
* Glue residue on the inside of the glass roof
* Missing three phase adapter (none exists in Sweden at the moment, to be mailed later)
* Residue from the protective plastic still remaining on some panels
After seeing the vehicle in sunlight we went back and they redid some of the detailing.
On the way home we got a message about that the tyre pressure system needed service. Called Tesla and it was a common problem on models 3, and that it should soon be (hopefully) be fixed automatically. It was, after some 20 kilometers or so a question popped up asking if tires has recently been replaced and the system wanted to know what size of rims was installed. All well after that.
The autopilot system was calibrated by the end of the trip home (about 40km). Using the autopilot was quite freaky. First time using adaptive cruise control also :-).
The acceleration is insane! Feels almost as my S1000RR did, but so surreal without the ice-noise.