Tesla Collection Day Guide & Tips

This blog article will cover what to expect when collecting your Tesla from a Tesla collection point. I'll share my collection experience, what to bring with you and also some tips on what to immediately after collection.

Timings

Firstly, you need to make your way to the collection point, whether there is a service centre or a dedicated Tesla collection centre. Depending on the location you maybe also get public transport to the collection point or dropped off by car. 

Either way, you will need to give yourself at least an hour to check in, inspect your car, wait for any minor fixes to be made and sign off your car. Personally, I made sure I was in no rush and ended up being on site 90 minutes despite only needing minor work on the car …. the time just flew by! 

You will have an allocated timeslot to collect your Tesla so try to arrive on time to give yourself plenty of time. There is no time limit on each collection unless you’re the last collection of the day. 

Collection

Make your way to reception where you will then present your driving licence and proof of insurance. In my case I showed the Tesla staff my insurance certificate PDF on my phone which was fine.

The Tesla staff will direct you to the inspection zone which in my case had a great vibe, with upbeat house music and dance classics playing. The staff were friendly and helpful and didn’t rush me at all.

When you lay eyes on your Tesla for the first time it’s likely to be love at first sight and it’s easy to get lost in the excitement and just want to drive it away immediately. However, you want to make sure you’re happy when you’re driving away and that there are no niggles with the car so you need to inspect it thoroughly.

Inspection

I highly recommend bringing an inspection checklist with you that you can tick off as you go. Personally, I used to checklist from a UK Tesla Facebook group I’m a member of but you can download a copy of this Tesla inspection checklist below (if you can't see a form below then please go directly to https://rickontesla.ck.page/df7555f8b4)

Firstly, check the exterior for dents, scratches, paintwork issues, panel gaps etc:

then the interior trim, lighting, seats, etc:

check the audio works as expected that you have all the accessories you’re supposed to:

followed by the functionality of the in-car system:

In my case, there were only a few minor issues which were largely resolved by the team on site. They polished out any paint imperfections I’d identified and removed some minor blemishes from inside the cabin too.

Once you’re happy with the car, you will sign some paperwork to officially sign it off at which point the car should appear on your Tesla mobile app. Your car should have enough charge to get you home if not they will have charging available on site if needed. 

FYI, you do have a 7 day period/100 miles post-collection to report any issues after collection which you do via the app. I did this for a very minor door unlocking issue I was having and a Tesla service engineer came out to fix it a few weeks later.

Tesla Collection Tips

• You absolutely have to bring your driving licence and proof of insurance so do not forget them!
• When checking the paintwork, bring some microfibre cloths and water so you don’t end up spitting on your fingers and rubbing the paintwork which isn’t the best look!
• Bring a clipboard so you’re able to tick boxes off without crumpling the paper up!
• Make sure you take the time to adjust the mirrors, seat and driving wheel position to suit you.
• If you're a nervous driver, consider using the "Chill" driving mode.
• Immediately after collection, enable pin-to-drive which as it sounds will only let you put the vehicle into drive when you enter your four-digit pin. Obviously, this will stop someone stealing your car and also if you have kids, it will stop them accidentally putting it into drive too!
• If you haven’t enabled two factor authentication on your Tesla account, then also do this immediately but you can/should do this ahead of your collection day.



And that’s it …. enjoy your new Tesla!