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To be fair, it probably isn't available in that exact build configuration. You can however, walk into a dealership and say I'd like a BMW with XYZ and the will

by giarc 3y ago

To be fair, it probably isn't available in that exact build configuration. You can however, walk into a dealership and say I'd like a BMW with XYZ and the will submit your order and you'll receive it 4-6 months later. The cars on the lot have popular build configs that customers often request.

bhpm 3y ago
Meanwhile, I ordered a Tesla while I was in the shower. I even got financing. It showed up a week later.
- rondini 3y ago
  Because Tesla has too much inventory and very few options to configure? What's your point?
  - bhpm 3y ago
    As a car buying customer, I care about four things: (1) Getting the car I want (2) at a price I think is fair (3) as quickly as possible (4) with little effort on my part. The manufacturer or dealer’s inventory does not concern me. The number of configurations does not concern me. If the manufacturer has exactly one car and it is what I want and they will sell it to me for a price I think is fair and will deliver it in a timely manner and won’t waste my time, then I will buy that car. Traditional dealerships fail on all these aspects. They don’t have the car I want, they tack on fees that are bullshit, they take forever (last time I bought a Toyota it took five hours. Five. I walked in at 2pm on a Saturday and barely made a 7:30pm dinner reservation), and they make me do a bunch of work that I don’t want to do. I opened my web browser to spend $70,000 and only one company was able to take my money.
- NegativeK 3y ago
  Tesla's ordering process is simpler (granted, so is their options list), but my test drive process was obnoxious. There was a very strong feeling of them only caring about people physically present with their wallet out.
  - whalesalad 3y ago
    this is all salespeople in virtually every industry
- gamblor956 3y ago
  Tesla customization is limited to paint color, wheels, battery capacity, and your choice of 2 interior colors. For comparison, BMW's models (electric and ICE) offer more paint options, more wheel options, 4x as many interior color/upholstery options, 6 interior trim options, and multiple add-on packages. Yes, it takes longer, because when you customize your BMW (or any other non-Tesla automaker's cars) you can actually customize it to your preferences, and the customized interior is what can take a few months because BMW (or whichever automaker you went with) is actually building your car based on your customizations, and if you select an uncommon interior/trim/package combination, it can take some time to get to the front of the queue. You get your Tesla in a week because you're not actually customizing anything. You're just getting whatever Tesla already built. And if you want a non-customized car and getting it quickly is a priority, you can just go to your nearest car dealership and get a new car in an hour, and whatever that new car is will have better build quality and range then your Tesla. And with Tesla's recent price cuts killing the used Tesla market, your non-Tesla will also have better resale value when it comes time for your next car.
  - bhpm 3y ago
    It’s not about the time it takes to build the car. It’s about the fact that I can’t start and end the purchase in a single session, even though the purchase flow mimics the purchase flow of other online goods. If BMW let me configure a BMW, put down a deposit, and provided me with a delivery estimate, I’d do it. In a heartbeat. But I can’t. Imagine if Amazon worked this way. You do a search for a new backpack. You get to the page with the backpack you want. You select the size, color, number of pockets, everything. You add it to your cart. Then when you go to pay, Amazon puts up a screen that says “Thanks! Give us your phone number and someone will get back to you. Or, just visit your local BackpackMart and show them the configuration you want.” Hell no! Amazon has perfected the frictionless checkout. Car markers haven’t, because they’re stuck with these worthless middlemen who provide no value to the process whatsoever. The fact is, I don’t really even want to customize my car down to the stitching. I just do it because the interface on the website makes me do it.
    - giarc 3y ago
whalesalad 3y ago
The dark pattern is that car dealership websites, and even car manufacturer sites (looking at you Ford) will drag you through an intricate design process only to land you on a form that will say "Thank you for customizing your dream car! We've sent your request to <salesperson> at <your nearest dealership>, they will call you" and it's completely disingenuous. They gate these processes with lots of contact/lead gen questions so that you will get absolutely rekt with text messages, emails and phonecalls which adds insult to injury.
- giarc 3y ago
  They have to put you to a dealership because Ford et al don't actually sell cars, a franchisee does. It's the same reason you can't go order a Big Mac on McDonalds.com. Also, if you are customizing a car, a dealer has to put in that order. Agree with it or not, that's just the way it works.

by giarc 3y ago

bhpm 3y ago

Meanwhile, I ordered a Tesla while I was in the shower. I even got financing. It showed up a week later.

rondini 3y ago
Because Tesla has too much inventory and very few options to configure? What's your point?
- bhpm 3y ago
  As a car buying customer, I care about four things: (1) Getting the car I want (2) at a price I think is fair (3) as quickly as possible (4) with little effort on my part. The manufacturer or dealer’s inventory does not concern me. The number of configurations does not concern me. If the manufacturer has exactly one car and it is what I want and they will sell it to me for a price I think is fair and will deliver it in a timely manner and won’t waste my time, then I will buy that car. Traditional dealerships fail on all these aspects. They don’t have the car I want, they tack on fees that are bullshit, they take forever (last time I bought a Toyota it took five hours. Five. I walked in at 2pm on a Saturday and barely made a 7:30pm dinner reservation), and they make me do a bunch of work that I don’t want to do. I opened my web browser to spend $70,000 and only one company was able to take my money.
NegativeK 3y ago
Tesla's ordering process is simpler (granted, so is their options list), but my test drive process was obnoxious. There was a very strong feeling of them only caring about people physically present with their wallet out.
- whalesalad 3y ago
  this is all salespeople in virtually every industry
gamblor956 3y ago
Tesla customization is limited to paint color, wheels, battery capacity, and your choice of 2 interior colors. For comparison, BMW's models (electric and ICE) offer more paint options, more wheel options, 4x as many interior color/upholstery options, 6 interior trim options, and multiple add-on packages. Yes, it takes longer, because when you customize your BMW (or any other non-Tesla automaker's cars) you can actually customize it to your preferences, and the customized interior is what can take a few months because BMW (or whichever automaker you went with) is actually building your car based on your customizations, and if you select an uncommon interior/trim/package combination, it can take some time to get to the front of the queue. You get your Tesla in a week because you're not actually customizing anything. You're just getting whatever Tesla already built. And if you want a non-customized car and getting it quickly is a priority, you can just go to your nearest car dealership and get a new car in an hour, and whatever that new car is will have better build quality and range then your Tesla. And with Tesla's recent price cuts killing the used Tesla market, your non-Tesla will also have better resale value when it comes time for your next car.
- bhpm 3y ago
  It’s not about the time it takes to build the car. It’s about the fact that I can’t start and end the purchase in a single session, even though the purchase flow mimics the purchase flow of other online goods. If BMW let me configure a BMW, put down a deposit, and provided me with a delivery estimate, I’d do it. In a heartbeat. But I can’t. Imagine if Amazon worked this way. You do a search for a new backpack. You get to the page with the backpack you want. You select the size, color, number of pockets, everything. You add it to your cart. Then when you go to pay, Amazon puts up a screen that says “Thanks! Give us your phone number and someone will get back to you. Or, just visit your local BackpackMart and show them the configuration you want.” Hell no! Amazon has perfected the frictionless checkout. Car markers haven’t, because they’re stuck with these worthless middlemen who provide no value to the process whatsoever. The fact is, I don’t really even want to customize my car down to the stitching. I just do it because the interface on the website makes me do it.
  - giarc 3y ago

whalesalad 3y ago

The dark pattern is that car dealership websites, and even car manufacturer sites (looking at you Ford) will drag you through an intricate design process only to land you on a form that will say "Thank you for customizing your dream car! We've sent your request to <salesperson> at <your nearest dealership>, they will call you" and it's completely disingenuous. They gate these processes with lots of contact/lead gen questions so that you will get absolutely rekt with text messages, emails and phonecalls which adds insult to injury.

giarc 3y ago
They have to put you to a dealership because Ford et al don't actually sell cars, a franchisee does. It's the same reason you can't go order a Big Mac on McDonalds.com. Also, if you are customizing a car, a dealer has to put in that order. Agree with it or not, that's just the way it works.