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> who buys a car brand in a country that doesn't even have a dealership? I too have bought a TM3 in Slovakia. The closest Tesla service center to Bratislava is

by yreg 2y ago

> who buys a car brand in a country that doesn't even have a dealership? I too have bought a TM3 in Slovakia. The closest Tesla service center to Bratislava is 50 kilometers away, in Vienna. What's the problem with not having a branch here as well?

ZeroGravitas 2y ago
Do the remote service teams travel across the border? That would probably be more impactful than the physical distance if e.g. there was some minor recall that travelling repair men could take care of while the car is parked at home or work.
- yreg 2y ago
  No, but do other brands even have remote service teams? I have never heard of anyone using such a service on any car in Slovakia. (Other than the assistance you can get from an insurance provider.)
michaelt 2y ago
If the purchase goes well, the vehicle is reliable, spare parts are easily available, and nobody has to resort to legal action? No problem. On the other hand, if I buy a car in Holland, get it serviced in Austria, and register and drive it in Slovakia - which legal system governs the transaction? Which country's consumer rights protections do I get? It would be jolly inconvenient if the manufacturer ripped me off, and my only option for redress was a court 1000km away, with the laws written and courts operated in a language I didn't speak. Or does the EU have some mechanism that avoids this problem?
- Stevvo 2y ago
  The EU is a single market. The consumer protections are much the same between countries. The differences are less than those between US states.
- yreg 2y ago
  Consumer protection follows the place of purchase and they are quite strong and very similar in the EU. I mean if I was super worried (as a Slovak) I could buy the car in Czech Republic which has pretty much identical consumer protection laws (and all Slovaks understand Czech well and vice versa). I bought mine in Slovenia. I understand Slovenian somewhat as well, but that didn't influence the decision. Fortunately I had zero issues in over 3 years and the car works great, but of course I could have been less lucky – I know that.

by yreg 2y ago

ZeroGravitas 2y ago

Do the remote service teams travel across the border? That would probably be more impactful than the physical distance if e.g. there was some minor recall that travelling repair men could take care of while the car is parked at home or work.

yreg 2y ago
No, but do other brands even have remote service teams? I have never heard of anyone using such a service on any car in Slovakia. (Other than the assistance you can get from an insurance provider.)

michaelt 2y ago

If the purchase goes well, the vehicle is reliable, spare parts are easily available, and nobody has to resort to legal action? No problem. On the other hand, if I buy a car in Holland, get it serviced in Austria, and register and drive it in Slovakia - which legal system governs the transaction? Which country's consumer rights protections do I get? It would be jolly inconvenient if the manufacturer ripped me off, and my only option for redress was a court 1000km away, with the laws written and courts operated in a language I didn't speak. Or does the EU have some mechanism that avoids this problem?

Stevvo 2y ago
The EU is a single market. The consumer protections are much the same between countries. The differences are less than those between US states.
yreg 2y ago
Consumer protection follows the place of purchase and they are quite strong and very similar in the EU. I mean if I was super worried (as a Slovak) I could buy the car in Czech Republic which has pretty much identical consumer protection laws (and all Slovaks understand Czech well and vice versa). I bought mine in Slovenia. I understand Slovenian somewhat as well, but that didn't influence the decision. Fortunately I had zero issues in over 3 years and the car works great, but of course I could have been less lucky – I know that.