Tesla’s customer service team has once again proven to be unresponsive to customer complaints. The latest example of its lack of concern for its drivers comes from Scottsdale, Arizona.
Erine Erickson, the owner of a Tesla Model 3, says that her vehicle was barred from using the automaker’s Supercharger network after going in for warranty repairs. The problems started in August, when her battery died.
Fortunately, she was able to get it replaced at no cost, but when she got it back and tried to charge at a public station, she found out that she couldn’t. She told AZ Family that other drivers at the Supercharger came over to try and help her out, but no one could find a solution.
Read: Would You Replace A Tesla Model 3’s Battery For $12K Or Sell As Is For $16K?
Tesla barred her because the car had been totaled
As it so happens, her inability to use fast-charging service was intentional. Tesla technicians made the decision to bar her from using the service after they discovered from the vehicle’s Carfax report that it had been listed as totaled.
While that is a normal safety measure that the automaker employs, there was one problem for Erickson: her car hadn’t actually been totaled. Instead, she had been involved in a minor fender bender, and her insurance provider had incorrectly listed the car’s status.
So Erickson set about remedying the situation, and managed to get both her insurer and Carfax to correct the Model 3’s status. But she was still struggling to get Tesla to give her back her right to Supercharge, so she reached out to Arizona Family.
“I am just hoping for some attention at Tesla and for somebody to look at all of the proof that I provided, from the insurance company, from the collision center, from the DMV, that my car is obviously not totaled,” Erickson told the outlet.
Indeed, her tactic worked, and now that the status of her car has been updated, and that the local news team reached out to the automaker, the Model 3 can charge freely again. The ordeal has left a bad taste in Erickson’s mouth, though.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as customer service,” she said. “I mean, there’s not a way to email [Tesla]. There’s a way to communicate on the app but they don’t respond.”
Indeed, leaked Tesla documents suggest that the automaker has allegedly implemented an internal policy of not providing assistance to customers who report battery issues. Tesla is said to be reluctant to furnish owners with any paperwork or official documentation when they seek assistance, reportedly opting to disregard customer requests. This approach has resulted in issues like the one mentioned, which, in theory, should be straightforward to resolve but has necessitated the intervention of an investigative team for resolution.
