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Tesla's checkout process has spoiled me. It's landing page -> select a model -> select options and appearance -> enter payment info for a 100$ deposit. No sig

Tesla's checkout process has spoiled me. It's landing page -> select a model -> select options and appearance -> enter payment info for a 100$ deposit. No signups, no friction, just car creation and transparent info and pricing. Step one on Ford's site is to select a dealer. Already I'm thinking about how much I hate my local dealer and the whole dealership system in general. Step two is a login screen with create an account burred at the bottom. Now I'm thinking about all the ford spam I'll get if I give them my email. Step three is me checking on the cyber truck status.

ketamine__ 5y ago
But how long does it take you to get it? Most people can walk into a dealership and buy a new car instantly.
- Cshelton 5y ago
  Keep in mind with the dealership model, you are easily paying a 25% or more premium on that vehicle.
- LanceH 5y ago
  instantly - a couple hours of hostile manipulation designed to screw you over It took me 2.5 hours to buy my truck where the price had been determined before I walked in and I had a check in hand. That's after the research to get a price upon walk-in ($6000 less than on the sticker). The process of walking in and looking at prices that everyone knows aren't real and negotiating with someone who is lying to you is beyond tiresome.
  - Loughla 5y ago
    I think internet sales have changed that, though. We got our last car - I did the looking and pricing out online beforehand. We spend about 30 minutes in the dealership when we went to buy it. They were very straight forward online - all in print in e-mail. You want x car, in y trim level, it costs $z. Are you financing or not? The only thing they tried to sell us was a maintenance package that, if we lived closer than 3 hours away, actually was a good deal for the cost. Maybe it's situational based on specific dealer?
itsoktocry 5y ago
>transparent info and pricing Sure, "transparent" pricing that can change on a whim, even after you've purchased the product. "Take-it-or-leave-it" delivery if you find flaws with your car. >Step three is me checking on the cyber truck status. Let me know when you take delivery of a Cybertruck for <40k, similar pricing to the Model 3, like the "transparent info" claims.
- Cshelton 5y ago
  Tesla does not really have "Model Years". The vehicle is constantly changing week to week, and priced so. You just need to buy when you want and be happy with the product. Just like an Iphone! Also, other car manufactures actually change their prices all the time based on cost of materials, shipping, etc. The Dealer will change the price based on inventory space, cost to hold, etc. You just don't see it as much because it is hidden behind Dealership "Deals" and "Promotions" that come and go. Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year, when the dealers are trying to make room for the next "model year".
  - jayd16 5y ago
    >Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year This is still fairly true with the Tesla. They change more often but they still do larger changes that seem to sync up with the calendar year. At least the Model 3 interior refresh did. Although the best time to buy a Tesla is when Elon needs to hit an earnings goal.
  - ortusdux 5y ago
    I've read several articles about when is the best time of month/year to buy from a dealer. Some say end of the month is best, because people are trying to meet their quotas. I've read an article written by a hostage negotiator about how to get the best price from a dealership. I can list off the top of my head a good 20 or so considerations that would go into buying the right truck for my needs. All of them are more important to me than the famously shitty minutia of the actual sale process. Buying a vehicle is a whole can of worms, and Ford's site forces me to open than can before I can even start imagining life with my fancy new truck.
Dah00n 5y ago
That's quite funny as just today the newest magazine from the local version of Consumer Reports came out and Tesla was rated pretty bad and this in total score (dealer rating is way worse). Tesla is rated on par with brands like Kia and Suzuki: https://ibb.co/TgKvP2g https://ibb.co/TgKvP2g But of course Ford is even worse here but not in the dealership rating (which I of course can't find atm. as it were in last months issue)..
- goshx 5y ago
  Consumer Reports is known for being biased against Tesla, so take their information with a grain of salt.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - Dah00n 5y ago
    But this isn't Consumer Report. This is an index of owners opinions. It's Danish Tesla owners that rate Tesla on par with Kia.
notJim 5y ago
Sure the checkout process is great, but as someone who ordered a car in March and is still waiting, it kinda goes downhill from there.
- belval 5y ago
  That's for most EVs though... My parents waited over 8 months for their Chevrolet Bolt. Now add the chip shortage.
macspoofing 5y ago
That's not everyone's experience. My friend bought a Tesla last July, finally got to pick it up in September. During inspection he found a ton of major issues (obvious discolorations, and what looked liked sand under the paint, amongst other things) refused delivery and swore off the car because he didn't understand how they could even present the car to him in that condition.
christophilus 5y ago
I’m glad I have a local Honda dealer. It’s the cheapest oil change in the area. They have a full service kitchen that makes killer breakfasts while you wait. Their sales team is no pressure. I’m extremely happy with them. I guess my point is that one size doesn’t fit all. That said, I do hate going to the typical car dealer.
- giarc 5y ago
  You are right, dealerships aren't by definition terrible places. It all comes down to how they are run. If they are run by people just looking to make the fastest dollar, then yes you are going to have a bad time. But some are run by people that know a repeat customer is a good customer and therefore go out of their way to make you happy.
GuB-42 5y ago
Transparent? The price they show you include "fuel savings" and tax rebates you may not be eligible to. The situation is better now but you had to go out of your way to get the real price. You don't really know what the "full self driving" package is about. Hint: it is not fully driving itself. It is an improved "autopilot" that may get to full self driving in the future, no guarantee. And I've just saw an "engineering explained" video about how they put deceiving numbers for acceleration. They use all the marketing tricks in the book and then some more. But they really nailed down the "tech" part. It is almost like something from Google or Apple. They are smart enough not to put any obstacle if you are ready to spend your money.
cheeze 5y ago
> transparent info and pricing TSLA literally lies about the cost of the car on their website though. "* Costs above include potential incentives and gas savings of $4,300." Gas savings... What? This isn't some special tax credit you get, they lie about their pricing by including savings over time of ownership...
- andykellr 5y ago
  I'm not sure how you consider it lying to have an asterisk that clearly explains their calculation along with a slider that says Potential savings with said asterisk. That same asterisk is on every mention of the price on the page.
  - NoSorryCannot 5y ago
    I don't necessarily agree that it's clear cut lying but I do think it's deceptive. Claims with asterisks are an awful invention by advertisers with lawyers. Price tags as widely understood do not encode savings beyond the time of sale. Similarly, the public has a definition for what "unlimited" means and mobile carriers using asterisks to redefine the word is exploitative.
  - cheeze 5y ago
    Asterisk = read the fine print... That to me is super deceptive. Tell me the acutal price of the car that I'm going to pay. Hell, include a rebate if I'm gonna get it in the next year. But gas savings over life of the vehicle is an absurd way to psychologically trick people. You don't see the prius product page saying "well actually it's cheaper because it's a hybrid, you save 2300 over the life of the vehicle on gas!" No, they just tell you what the damn car costs. Tsla is doing many things right, but that's just a perfect example of some of their deception, which I don't love.
julianlam 5y ago
> ... how much I hate my local dealer and the whole dealership system in general I can't recommend enough just how refreshing it is to go to a no-haggle dealership after having experienced a regular dealership. The wife and I walked into the dealership, test drove a vehicle, and walked out with the signed proof-of-sale in just over an hour. Obviously, you're not getting THE BEST price, but the no-haggles in our area handily beat the prices of every single neighbouring dealership by a heck of a lot more than I think I'd be able to beat them down to. Last time I bought a car it took probably close to 6-8 hours of back-and-forth, telephone game with the manager, and I still felt like I got ripped off. Never again.
ryanmarsh 5y ago
I sold cars for a brief portion of my life. The independent dealership model is more predatory and rent seeking than people understand. I'm saying it looks worse from the inside than it does from the outside. It's an entrenched financial interest as well. It will be destroyed eventually but not before taking it's toll on ordinary people who just need to buy a car. At one time it was a useful financial tool to keep production high and reduce the shock (to manufacturers) of fluctuations in demand. Today with a streamlined and JIT supply chain, easy financing for buyers, and the internet, the independent dealerships really have to fight for every penny and the only way they can do that is by screwing you.
barefootcoder 5y ago
Put it on your own terms. Every time I've purchased a car for the last 15ish years, I decided on the model, specs, and price I want to pay. I then searched inventory at every dealer within 2 hours of driving and emailed their internet sales manager an offer. I take the lowest two, try to negotiate a few more times via email, sending the lowest quote to the next lowest, etc... once I'm happy with the price, I ask for an out the door itemized price, agree on it, and agree on a meeting time. I show up, sign some papers, drive away. How is Tesla's process much easier than that?

ketamine__ 5y ago

But how long does it take you to get it? Most people can walk into a dealership and buy a new car instantly.

Cshelton 5y ago
Keep in mind with the dealership model, you are easily paying a 25% or more premium on that vehicle.
LanceH 5y ago
instantly - a couple hours of hostile manipulation designed to screw you over It took me 2.5 hours to buy my truck where the price had been determined before I walked in and I had a check in hand. That's after the research to get a price upon walk-in ($6000 less than on the sticker). The process of walking in and looking at prices that everyone knows aren't real and negotiating with someone who is lying to you is beyond tiresome.
- Loughla 5y ago
  I think internet sales have changed that, though. We got our last car - I did the looking and pricing out online beforehand. We spend about 30 minutes in the dealership when we went to buy it. They were very straight forward online - all in print in e-mail. You want x car, in y trim level, it costs $z. Are you financing or not? The only thing they tried to sell us was a maintenance package that, if we lived closer than 3 hours away, actually was a good deal for the cost. Maybe it's situational based on specific dealer?

itsoktocry 5y ago

>transparent info and pricing Sure, "transparent" pricing that can change on a whim, even after you've purchased the product. "Take-it-or-leave-it" delivery if you find flaws with your car. >Step three is me checking on the cyber truck status. Let me know when you take delivery of a Cybertruck for <40k, similar pricing to the Model 3, like the "transparent info" claims.

Cshelton 5y ago
Tesla does not really have "Model Years". The vehicle is constantly changing week to week, and priced so. You just need to buy when you want and be happy with the product. Just like an Iphone! Also, other car manufactures actually change their prices all the time based on cost of materials, shipping, etc. The Dealer will change the price based on inventory space, cost to hold, etc. You just don't see it as much because it is hidden behind Dealership "Deals" and "Promotions" that come and go. Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year, when the dealers are trying to make room for the next "model year".
- jayd16 5y ago
  >Traditionally, it has always been the best to buy a vehicle at the end of the year This is still fairly true with the Tesla. They change more often but they still do larger changes that seem to sync up with the calendar year. At least the Model 3 interior refresh did. Although the best time to buy a Tesla is when Elon needs to hit an earnings goal.
- ortusdux 5y ago
  I've read several articles about when is the best time of month/year to buy from a dealer. Some say end of the month is best, because people are trying to meet their quotas. I've read an article written by a hostage negotiator about how to get the best price from a dealership. I can list off the top of my head a good 20 or so considerations that would go into buying the right truck for my needs. All of them are more important to me than the famously shitty minutia of the actual sale process. Buying a vehicle is a whole can of worms, and Ford's site forces me to open than can before I can even start imagining life with my fancy new truck.

Dah00n 5y ago

That's quite funny as just today the newest magazine from the local version of Consumer Reports came out and Tesla was rated pretty bad and this in total score (dealer rating is way worse). Tesla is rated on par with brands like Kia and Suzuki: https://ibb.co/TgKvP2g https://ibb.co/TgKvP2g But of course Ford is even worse here but not in the dealership rating (which I of course can't find atm. as it were in last months issue)..

goshx 5y ago
Consumer Reports is known for being biased against Tesla, so take their information with a grain of salt.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- Dah00n 5y ago
  But this isn't Consumer Report. This is an index of owners opinions. It's Danish Tesla owners that rate Tesla on par with Kia.

notJim 5y ago

Sure the checkout process is great, but as someone who ordered a car in March and is still waiting, it kinda goes downhill from there.

belval 5y ago
That's for most EVs though... My parents waited over 8 months for their Chevrolet Bolt. Now add the chip shortage.

macspoofing 5y ago

That's not everyone's experience. My friend bought a Tesla last July, finally got to pick it up in September. During inspection he found a ton of major issues (obvious discolorations, and what looked liked sand under the paint, amongst other things) refused delivery and swore off the car because he didn't understand how they could even present the car to him in that condition.

christophilus 5y ago

I’m glad I have a local Honda dealer. It’s the cheapest oil change in the area. They have a full service kitchen that makes killer breakfasts while you wait. Their sales team is no pressure. I’m extremely happy with them. I guess my point is that one size doesn’t fit all. That said, I do hate going to the typical car dealer.

giarc 5y ago
You are right, dealerships aren't by definition terrible places. It all comes down to how they are run. If they are run by people just looking to make the fastest dollar, then yes you are going to have a bad time. But some are run by people that know a repeat customer is a good customer and therefore go out of their way to make you happy.

GuB-42 5y ago

Transparent? The price they show you include "fuel savings" and tax rebates you may not be eligible to. The situation is better now but you had to go out of your way to get the real price. You don't really know what the "full self driving" package is about. Hint: it is not fully driving itself. It is an improved "autopilot" that may get to full self driving in the future, no guarantee. And I've just saw an "engineering explained" video about how they put deceiving numbers for acceleration. They use all the marketing tricks in the book and then some more. But they really nailed down the "tech" part. It is almost like something from Google or Apple. They are smart enough not to put any obstacle if you are ready to spend your money.

cheeze 5y ago

> transparent info and pricing TSLA literally lies about the cost of the car on their website though. "* Costs above include potential incentives and gas savings of $4,300." Gas savings... What? This isn't some special tax credit you get, they lie about their pricing by including savings over time of ownership...

andykellr 5y ago
I'm not sure how you consider it lying to have an asterisk that clearly explains their calculation along with a slider that says Potential savings with said asterisk. That same asterisk is on every mention of the price on the page.
- NoSorryCannot 5y ago
  I don't necessarily agree that it's clear cut lying but I do think it's deceptive. Claims with asterisks are an awful invention by advertisers with lawyers. Price tags as widely understood do not encode savings beyond the time of sale. Similarly, the public has a definition for what "unlimited" means and mobile carriers using asterisks to redefine the word is exploitative.
- cheeze 5y ago
  Asterisk = read the fine print... That to me is super deceptive. Tell me the acutal price of the car that I'm going to pay. Hell, include a rebate if I'm gonna get it in the next year. But gas savings over life of the vehicle is an absurd way to psychologically trick people. You don't see the prius product page saying "well actually it's cheaper because it's a hybrid, you save 2300 over the life of the vehicle on gas!" No, they just tell you what the damn car costs. Tsla is doing many things right, but that's just a perfect example of some of their deception, which I don't love.

julianlam 5y ago

> ... how much I hate my local dealer and the whole dealership system in general I can't recommend enough just how refreshing it is to go to a no-haggle dealership after having experienced a regular dealership. The wife and I walked into the dealership, test drove a vehicle, and walked out with the signed proof-of-sale in just over an hour. Obviously, you're not getting THE BEST price, but the no-haggles in our area handily beat the prices of every single neighbouring dealership by a heck of a lot more than I think I'd be able to beat them down to. Last time I bought a car it took probably close to 6-8 hours of back-and-forth, telephone game with the manager, and I still felt like I got ripped off. Never again.

ryanmarsh 5y ago

I sold cars for a brief portion of my life. The independent dealership model is more predatory and rent seeking than people understand. I'm saying it looks worse from the inside than it does from the outside. It's an entrenched financial interest as well. It will be destroyed eventually but not before taking it's toll on ordinary people who just need to buy a car. At one time it was a useful financial tool to keep production high and reduce the shock (to manufacturers) of fluctuations in demand. Today with a streamlined and JIT supply chain, easy financing for buyers, and the internet, the independent dealerships really have to fight for every penny and the only way they can do that is by screwing you.

barefootcoder 5y ago

Put it on your own terms. Every time I've purchased a car for the last 15ish years, I decided on the model, specs, and price I want to pay. I then searched inventory at every dealer within 2 hours of driving and emailed their internet sales manager an offer. I take the lowest two, try to negotiate a few more times via email, sending the lowest quote to the next lowest, etc... once I'm happy with the price, I ask for an out the door itemized price, agree on it, and agree on a meeting time. I show up, sign some papers, drive away. How is Tesla's process much easier than that?