Tesla has set up a way to bypass the dealerships and the usually annoying experience that goes with them. Through their website, you can buy certified pre-owned models without the hassle, or so they say. One YouTuber tells the exact opposite story of how he bought a used Model X in October of last year, and the car still isn't in his possession as of January 9th. Yikes!

When you've made up your mind that you'll buy a used car, you might think about going the way of a certified pre-owned example bought through an authorized dealer. The thinking is that the dealer took care to give the car a once over and fix some things before putting it up for sale again. You'd also think that they aren't taking in just any beater and that you could get an acceptable deal on a car or truck that's in good condition. That's exactly what YouTuber 'Rich Rebuilds' thought when he decided to buy a used Model X. However, what followed is nothing short of nightmarish.

Remember That Old Phrase 'Let The Buyer Beware'?

'Rich Rebuilds' rose to prominence after he bought a salvage Tesla Model S which had been sitting underwater after a flood and then proceeded to bring it back to life. He video-logged the whole process, detailing the various components and sub-assemblies of the car along the way and, at the end, when the project was finished, he had a running and driving Model S for himself to enjoy. With that being said, he did criticize Tesla throughout this time, especially for their tedious service operations.

According to a video he posted on New Year's Day, he stated that he wanted to make amends with Tesla by buying a Model X directly through the automaker's website that lists CPO models alongside brand-new ones. His goal was to get the car to both have a feel of the online experience but also end up with a vehicle that he could then work on, upgrade, modify, and also be able to buy parts for it directly from Tesla, which is trickier to do if you own a salvage.

Already, this seems like quite a lot. In fact, he makes the point in the video that some other luxury manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz only ask for a couple of days of your time and then you have your car. However, that man's month-long wait proved to be a summer rain compared to the continuing hailstorm that Rich has been enduring.

In short, Rich bought used Model X back in October sight unseen as he never received the extra pictures of the SUV that he'd asked for through Tesla's website. What followed was a barrage of emails sent to Tesla as it became apparent that his pre-owned Model X wasn't going to arrive right away as you'd expect. The whole situation gets confusing from this point on as the various Tesla employees Rich talks to via email and text have conflicting stories.

We find out that the delivery of his car will be delayed, then that he'll be rescheduled, then that the option of having the vehicle delivered to his home state is no longer an option. This last information is rebuked by a message that informs Rich about the car's imminent arrival to - you've guessed it - his home state. This continuous exchange of messages wasn't even over by Christmas time.

In the end, Rich is told he can head to one of Tesla's New York dealerships to pick up a loaner Model S while his Model X gets fixed (wheel re-alignment, rim refurbishing, repainting, and other things). After a five-hour commute, he's met by an oblivious staff that has no idea about the whole situation or his appointment to come to pick up a loaner vehicle. The end result: he heads home empty-handed due to yet another misunderstanding.

The video is almost 11 minutes long, and you've also got to watch the first part to get the full story. It all sounds awful, and Tesla tries to make it seem like it's a rare situation but, as Rich noted, people have flooded the comments sections of his most recent videos talking of similarly poor experiences with CPO Teslas bought through the website. Even one of Rich's friend finds himself in a similar cul-du-sac: his Model X was sold to him without a title and he was given temporary plates while Tesla solved the issue with the title.

I browsed a bit to try and find other disgruntled Tesla customers and one of the stories I found comes straight from the Tesla Motors Club forum board. The user sharing this forgettable episode, a certain 'ToothSlayer', says that he'd never previously bought a car without seeing it or driving it but that he was convinced by the Tesla sales person who told him that "all of our CPO cars go through the rigorous Tesla certification process and have passed the Tesla quality standards in terms of aesthetics and function."

Just like in Rich's case, the situation took a lot of time to settle, and it got messy, someone even claiming at some point that some CPOs that are advertised for sale were previously used as loaners and that could be why they end up in such poor state which flies below Tesla's radar. This all is another reminder, if you ever needed one, that you should never buy a car - regardless of manufacturer or age - without seeing it and driving it and, maybe, having it inspected by an independent mechanic.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Tesla Model X.

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