This, that I had to wait was annoying but at least I got exactly what I wanted. Years ago I tried to by a BMW, exactly the model I wanted with the options I wanted. No one in the area had one so I went to a dealer and had them order it and they had me put down a $1000 deposit. I took the bus to/from work for 3 months waiting. I got a call it was in on a Sunday. I went to get it on Monday, they had sold it to someone else. If I wanted it I could wait another 3 months. I was so angry feel like burning the place to the ground.
Tesla (and maybe Rivian) don't feel like they'd do that. You order what you want, you get exactly that. I hope I never have to deal with a dealer again.
That said, the same seems to be happening to e-bikes in the bad direction. They've gotten expensive. You have to take what the dealers have or order through the dealer as the manufacture doesn't take direct orders. Then you have to pray the dealer doesn't sell the bike while you wait. That seems less likely with a bike but it's annoying that you have to go through a middle-company.
The service experience with both Rivian and Tesla sucks. And that is why the manufacturer should never have a monopoly on the service of your car. Rivian wait times can be as long as five months. Tesla regularly denies warranty claims.
I can't speak for everyone, but ours was great. The other day the car threw an error message about the battery; we brought it to a service center, which swapped the whole battery free under warranty and without bother. Tesla gave my wife $100 in Uber credits per day until they got a loaner a few days later.
Perhaps the best part of the "service experience" is not having to go in for oil changes, brakes, and all the other stuff legacy cars require.
Not my experience with Tesla servicing. First off, you don’t have to service the car besides tire rotation and air filter replacement once a year or so.
When I do walk in to get something checked out, I get an estimate via the app and can chat with someone before even dropping off the car, which is nice. Tesla servicing has been a good experience for me so far, and does make me want to order another Tesla when our ICE car dies a couple years from now.
Turns out we probably should've gotten something else at that particular juncture due to life circumstances, but the process itself was painless.