A cautionary tale

This story first appeared in the August issue of EVTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

If you know me in real life, or online, you’ll know that my nature is to look on the bright side. I can find a silver lining glowing around most clouds. This is a trait that some of my friends and colleagues can find irritating, and they do not hesitate to let me know when they do.

Saying that, I’d like to spend this column earnestly cautioning electric vehicle enthusiasts who are considering purchasing a car that is not supported on New Zealand soil.

I’ll be recounting to you our nine-month mission to get two cars serviced across the Tasman.

First, let me categorically state to you that we were never misled about servicing or repair arrangements by the manufacturer. We adore our cars, and would not hesitate to own one again, even after the rather long and sordid ordeal we have been through.

My husband and I own three Tesla vehicles. One roadster, one red P85+ which we named LOLGAS, and a black P90D we named QUIET — these are their licence plates, and the names they are known by whenever referred to.

Unfortunately there was an electrical issue with QUIET only a few short weeks after it arrived in New Zealand: our car’s electronics shut down completely — apparently a known but rare fault that could have been fixed fairly easily at a well-equipped service centre.

We enlisted the help of a local automotive electrician, who after a valiant effort was unable to fix the problem.
Coincidentally LOLGAS had been recalled for some pre-emptive drivetrain work, so it became clear it was time to send QUIET and LOLGAS on a cruise to Sydney for servicing.

No problem, right?

Wrong.

There are vehicle import approvals, documentation, bonds etc. that you must arrange in advance of a vehicle being landed temporarily in Australia. This is, in theory, fairly straightforward. We filled out all the appropriate paperwork, nominating our carrier’s Australian agent.

Our car sat for months as we waited to hear back on the status of our import approvals, and then, when we were contacted, it was to tell us that the permit was about to expire and we would need to reapply. Turned out the Australian agent had received the approvals almost immediately, but had simply ignored them.

Needless to say, we weren’t very pleased with this error. We asked our shipper if it was willing to work with us to remedy the situation, but it did the corporate equivalent of shrugging its shoulders.

Not taking kindly to this level of customer service, we voted with our wallet and changed to a new shipper. Its service has been great, and our cars are now receiving the loving attention they deserve at Tesla’s Sydney service centre.

Do I feel aggrieved by the treatment we received? You bet your sweet bippy I do. If I caught wind of anyone in my employment treating customers the way we were treated during this ordeal, I’d be handing out a very stern written warning.

Mistakes happen. But it is the way a company handles mistakes that matters. Attempting to fix problems, if and when they arise, will win lifetime loyalty from me as a customer. Our first carrier has now lost our business, and naturally we can no longer recommend it to anyone who asks.

In conclusion, I’d like to caution anyone thinking of purchasing a Tesla before the service centre arrives here in New Zealand. If you have the means and the resources to get your car over the ditch before then, and if you have a plan B for yourself, your business and your family, then you will NOT be disappointed by your decision to become a Tesla owner.

If, however, this is your primary vehicle and you have to mortgage the house to buy it, perhaps you could wait until Tesla arrives here on our fair shores, in an much more official and accessible capacity. When that day arrives, thousands of Tesla fans, enthusiasts, owners and future owners will get out the ticker tape, I am sure.

Only metaphorically of course, as ticker tape and confetti are terrible for the environment, and most of our EV enthusiasts care a great deal about the earth.

If you have any questions, please contact me on social media.