'I am blacklisted by Tesla all across the country' *** Buyer beware - Caveat emptor *** % Tesla running 'GM-liability-scared' > a petty-parts case of the 'Sue Me, Sue You Blues' > The media stink caused Tesla react *** Otmar was Tesla-tortured before this %
http://gas2.org/2014/09/27/tesla-wont-activate-mans-salvaged-model-s/ Tesla Won’t Activate Man’s Salvaged Model S [2014/09/27] [image http://gas2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/salvage-tesla.png salvage-tesla video flash ] Starting at $70,000, the Tesla Model S costs more than twice what Americans spend on the average new car, meaning most people that plain old can’t afford it. This has led some people to take desperate measures, such as repairing a salvage titled Model S, though a San Diego man is learning the hard way that it isn’t quite that easy. San Diego 6 News reported the plight of Peter Rutman, who spent $50,000 on a damaged Tesla Model S, and then invested another $8,000 into repair it. But when Rutman contacted Tesla about reactivating the car’s complicated software, he says the company wanted him to sign liability waiver that allows the automaker to ultimately determine the car’s roadworthiness. Rutman says the document didn’t say anything about fixing or repairing the car to accept a charge, and that it would allow Tesla to confiscate the vehicle if they felt it wasn’t safe. Rutman refused to sign, and as such says he’s been blacklisted by Tesla stores nationwide, meaning he can’t get parts of technical assistance. For its part, Tesla has serious safety concerns regarding the salvaged electric vehicle, but nothing in the inspection authorization form they wanted Rutman to sign would have let them take his car away. Tesla also says Rutman had his vehicle repaired by a non-authorized Tesla installer, and while he isn’t blacklisted, the company doesn’t sell certain parts that require special training to install to just anyone. Compare that to traditional automakers, which will sell you literally every piece you need to build a car, except in the case of specialty vehicles such as the Camaro Z/28. Rutman isn’t the only one to run afoul of Tesla’s parts counter and technical service though; a recent attempt to build a Tesla-powered stretched-wheelbase Volkswagen Westfalia (the “Stretchla”) has run into issues with Tesla as well. Because Tesla owns all its own stores and service centers, there’s no outside network for people who want to fix or re-engineer Model S components for their own purposes. Rutman has decided to try and sue the salvage auction that sold him the Model S, since California state law says if a car can’t be made roadworthy, it must be scrapped. The takeaway here? For those car modifiers who want to use a Tesla drivetrain for an EV conversion of their own, buyer beware. Rutman found out the hard way that the rules that apply to conventional cars don’t always apply to EVs, and especially not Teslas. Also I’d like to note, for the $58,000 Rutman spent, he was just $2,000 shy of what a base 60 kWh Model S would have cost, once Federal ($7,500) and state ($2,500) tax credits were factored in. As the old saying goes, penny wise, pound foolish. [© gas2.org] http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/San-Diego-mans-58000-nightmare-with-a-Tesla-Model-S-277017201.html San Diego man's $58,000 nightmare with Tesla Model S By Derek Staahl Sep 24, 2014 SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego man bought a high-end Tesla at auction for nearly half price, but now he can't get the company to activate the car. Peter Rutman purchased the 2012 Model S Signature at auction in March for $50,000 then spent another $8,000 fixing it. He says repairing the car has been easy; dealing with Tesla has been the challenge. "I'm blacklisted all across the country," he said. "Nobody's allowed to help us. They're not allowed to sell us parts. They're not allowed to service the car. Nothing." Rutman's Model S is a salvage title car, meaning an insurance company determined the vehicle was a total loss. Salvage titles are a notoriously risky proposition, but Rutman's case appears to illustrate something unusual: no alternatives. "Tesla has created a situation where there is nowhere to go. They've blocked every avenue," he said. Unlike other automakers, Tesla has a direct-sales model. That means car buyers must deal directly with the company, not independent dealers. And in the case of a dispute, the buyer has virtually no alternatives, according to industry experts. Rutman says he needs a Tesla-certified mechanic to switch on the car's brain so it will accept a charge. But Tesla won't do it unless he signs a liability release form. The form also gives Tesla the final say on whether the car is roadworthy. "The document they wanted me to sign didn't indicate they were going to do any repairs to the car, or get it up and running," he said. "They can take the car. They can keep it. They can do whatever they want with it." A spokesperson for Tesla responded to those assertions Thursday in a written statement, which is copied below in its entirety. "It's probably something the state regulations haven't caught up on yet. But he shouldn't have bought it to begin with unless he had the technical know-how himself," said Dave Cavano, car buying manager at the Auto Club of Southern California. Cavano says it's important to remember why companies are careful with the liability surrounding salvage title vehicles. "Those (cars) are a danger to everyone if they don't act mechanically as designed." Rutman says he never would have purchased the car if he knew about Tesla's terms in advance. Now he's trying to challenge the insurance company who sold the car under the salvage title designation by arguing it's not repairable. Under DMV rules, cars that can only be used for scrap should be sold with an "nonrepairable vehicle" title. So far, it hasn't worked. "I want my money back. Just walk away from this and get back to my life," he said. Simon Sproule, vice president of communications for Tesla, issued the following statement to San Diego 6 on Thursday: "Safety is Tesla’s top priority and it is a principle on which we refuse to compromise under any circumstance. Mr. Rutman purchased a vehicle on the salvage market that had been substantially damaged in a serious accident. We have strong concerns about this car being safe for the road, but we have been prevented from inspecting the vehicle because Mr. Rutman refused to sign an inspection authorization form. That form clearly states that in order for us to support the vehicle on an ongoing basis, we need to ensure the repairs meet minimum safety standards. Regardless of whether or not the car passed inspection, Mr. Rutman would have been free to decide where to conduct any additional repairs and to leave with his vehicle. There was never any threat to take away his vehicle at the inspection or any time thereafter and there is nothing in the authorization form that states or implies that we would do so. Additionally, Mr. Rutman opted to have his vehicle repaired by a non-Tesla affiliated facility. We work with a network of authorized independent repair facilities to ensure our safety standards are met. It is also worth noting that Mr. Rutman is not on any “blacklist” for purchasing Tesla parts. While we do sell certain parts over the counter, we do not sell any parts that require specific training to install. This is a policy that is common among automakers and it is in place to protect customers from the risk of repairs not meeting our safety standards." Sproule told San Diego 6 that Rutman is still welcome to have his vehicle inspected at a Tesla-certified facility, and the company will waive the inspection fee. But Rutman would still need to sign the liability release form in advance. [© 2013 Bay City Television] http://investorplace.com/2014/09/tsla-tesla-tesla-model-s-auction/ Auction Pain: Why TSLA Won’t ‘Turn On’ Man’s Tesla Model S The Model S is a salvage vehicle Sep 25, 2014 | By William White A man from San Diego is very frustrated with Tesla Motors. Rutman claims that Tesla wants him to sign a document that would allow the company to take the car away from him. The company claims that it’s a liability document. The man’s situation is unique as he has no alternative but to work directly with the company to get the car running, San Diego 6 notes. The Tesla Model S software was recently updated to give it several new features. This includes being able to remote start the car with a smartphone and give it an official nickname, but none of these options will help Rutman if he can’t even get the car turned on. [©2014 InvestorPlace Media] http://www.teslarati.com/think-twice-buying-salvaged-tesla-model-s/ Think Twice Before Buying a Salvaged Tesla Model S By Gene Sep 26, 2014 San Diego 6 [image http://cdn.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Salvage-Title-Tesla-Model-S.jpg Peter Rutman of San Diego thought he landed a bargain when he purchased a salvaged 2012 Tesla Model S Signature for $50,000 at auction, but what he didn’t realize was that his efforts to put the car back on the road would present more hurdles than just repairing a simple $8,000 worth of parts. ] The top of the line and limited-edition Signature series Model S was offered as a preorder for early adopters of the premium all-electric sedan. At nearly $120,000 when fully loaded the Model S comes in at nearly twice the price of other luxury sedans on the market thus adding a significant barrier of entry for many. Unless of course you can pick one up for less than half the original price? Rutman saw an opportunity to get into the seat of a Model S at a deep discount by purchasing one with a salvaged title through an auction. He claims that repairing the vehicle into a visible working state was easy and came with a relatively low repair cost at only $8,000. However having Tesla Motors maker of the Model S activate the car’s onboard computer and allowing it to drive came with a whole different set of challenges – something that he’s been reluctant to address. Rutman tells San Diego 6, “The document they (Tesla Motors) wanted me to sign didn’t indicate they were going to do any repairs to the car, or get it up and running … They can take the car. They can keep it. They can do whatever they want with it.” To provide further context, Tesla Motors is asking Rutman to sign a form that would authorize them to ensure the safety of the vehicle before allowing it to be placed back on public streets. We think there’s good cause behind this for many obvious reasons especially considering the vehicle was given a salvage title by an insurance company ... Simon Sproule, VP of Communications for Tesla Motors responds to the San Diego 6 story: “Safety is Tesla’s top priority and it is a principle on which we refuse to compromise under any circumstance. Mr. Rutman purchased a vehicle on the salvage market that had been substantially damaged in a serious accident. We have strong concerns about this car being safe for the road, but we have been prevented from inspecting the vehicle because Mr. Rutman refused to sign an inspection authorization form. That form clearly states that in order for us to support the vehicle on an ongoing basis, we need to ensure the repairs meet minimum safety standards. Regardless of whether or not the car passed inspection, Mr. Rutman would have been free to decide where to conduct any additional repairs and to leave with his vehicle. There was never any threat to take away his vehicle at the inspection or any time thereafter and there is nothing in the authorization form that states or implies that we would do so. Additionally, Mr. Rutman opted to have his vehicle repaired by a non-Tesla affiliated facility. We work with a network of authorized independent repair facilities to ensure our safety standards are met. It is also worth noting that Mr. Rutman is not on any “blacklist” for purchasing Tesla parts. While we do sell certain parts over the counter, we do not sell any parts that require specific training to install. This is a policy that is common among automakers and it is in place to protect customers from the risk of repairs not meeting our safety standards.” [© teslarati.com] http://www.autospies.com/news/WHO-Is-In-The-Wrong-Tesla-vs-Owner-Of-Car-From-Auction-We-GUARANTEE-Tesla-Won-t-Mention-This-When-IT-Talks-About-Its-Direct-Sales-Model-82911/ WHO Is In The Wrong? Tesla vs. Owner Of Car From Auction? We GUARANTEE Tesla Won't Mention This When IT Talks About Its Direct Sales Model Agent00R 9/27/2014 ... http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/09/tesla-motors-inc-model-s-bought-at-auction-causes-trouble/ Tesla Motors Inc Model S Bought At Auction Causes Trouble by Aman Jain ... http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/36214-San-Diego-Man-s-58-000-Nightmare-with-a-%28Salvage-Title%29-Tesla-Model-S San Diego Man's $58,000 Nightmare with a (Salvage Title) Tesla Model S 2014-09-24 ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor Caveat emptor ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Me,_Sue_You_Blues Sue Me, Sue You Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vXZPztcGaY ... http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/Tesla-responds-to-story-San-Diego-mans-car-problems-277180601.html Tesla responds to story about San Diego man's car problems Sep 26, 2014 Tesla says it will inspect the man's car free of charge, but he still must sign a liability release. [© 2013 Bay City Television] ... http://cafeelectric.com/stretchla/ Otmar's salvaged Tesla EV woes not resolved ... Parked Wreckla, Pariah at Pasture Petty Problems Purchasing Parts ... For EVLN posts use: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Dsearch_page%26node%3D413529%26query%3Devln%26sort%3Ddate {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EValert-Don-t-buy-a-salvaged-Tesla-EV-to-repair-drive-video-tp4671831.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
