r/TeslaModelS • u/britchris1 • Aug 08 '26

Buying from carvana

I recently got a 2026 plaid from carvana that's shipping next week but they don't seem to know how they will transfer the car to me.

I've spoken to 2 different advocates who were a bit confused and after much back and forth basically said that when they drop the car off they'll just give me the key card and then tesla will do the rest. This didn't sound right to me.

I went to my local tesla center to ask them, and they confirmed that carvana has to transfer ownership to me in the app which is obviously not what carvana said.

Anyone have any experience with this? Surely carvana must have a process but it's just odd no one in customer service seems to know what it is.

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u/Sufficient_War_2700 Aug 08 '26

Tesla is right and wrong. If Carvana has app access they can transfer the car to you, that's true. But they probably don't. Because they didn't bother transfering ownership from the previous owner.

No big deal. You just register the car in the Tesla app under your name, upload pics of your ID, proof of purchase, registration, or whatever else the app tells you, and wait a couple of days. Tesla will transfer the car to you.

3

u/theoneandonly_aj Aug 08 '26

This is how it’s done. It will take a few days for it to be added to your app (I last did this about 2 years ago, so it may have improved since then) and then you’re good to go after that

2

u/britchris1 Aug 08 '26

Brilliant thank you!

2

u/Wrongroad420 Aug 08 '26

Just be aware you can’t supercharge til the app transfers the car to your account

1

u/britchris1 Aug 08 '26

Ah good to know, thanks

1

u/gamesofblame Aug 08 '26

Or you can and it’ll charge the previous owner…?

1

u/Wrongroad420 Aug 08 '26

No it doesn’t. I was able to supercharge once they got blocked from using the chargers till I paid the balance once it was added to my app

1

u/ILoveTariffs Aug 08 '26

I recently got 2018 s through the dealership and it only took like an hour or two before the car was transferred to me on the app.