60kWh supercharging - I want my money back please!

[StephRob]

I configured a 60kWh in early November without supercharging because I don't need it. However, I was very worried about what not having Supercharging access would do to my resale value. I even started a poll about this:

60kwh battery: to supercharge or not to supercharge?

Given my worry about resale value, I changed my order to include Supercharging for $2K + tax. Now, I learn that not having Supercharging is not a resale concern because a future owner could always pay to have SC access activated. This is expressly contrary to what I was told repeatedly and explicitly by Tesla personnel. I was told that if a car was not initially configured with SC access, it could never have it.

So, I configured my 60kWh at exactly the wrong time. Had I configured prior to Sept 30, I would had been grandfathered in and given SC access for free (I got the "Time to Configure" email August 14.) Had I configured now, I would have known that the SC access resale issue was in fact a non-issue, and not order the Supercharging. So the reward I got for being an early adopter was spending $2K unnecessarily.

Tesla, I would like you to please turn off my Supercharging access and give me back my $2K plus tax. And yes, I have already called "Ownership Experience" this morning and they don't have a clue.

I was sold an expensive option based on incorrect information that was given to me by Tesla.

_____________________________________________
Update: OK all, I have calmed down and read all the responses here. I am sorry that I sounded whiny, petulant and demanding in my original post. Please understand that Tesla has been my obsession now for YEARS and when it came time to configure, I absolutely agonized over every decision. The one I agonized over the most was this to-Supercharge or not-to-Supercharge decision. (I have gone over my decision process at length elsewhere in this thread so I will not repeat it here.) And so, when I read this morning that the SC access was an available upgrade to a future buyer and all my agonizing was for naught, I kind of freaked out a bit.

I do still think it would be the right thing to do for Tesla to provide a period of amnesty for those in my position who ordered the SC on the 60kWh cars to have their SC access turned off and their money refunded.

I received a very nice and timely phone call from my local Service Advisor following up on my call to Ownership this morning. So what I regret more than anything is posting so soon and in such a strident tone. I should have taken a breath and seen if Tesla could straighten this out for me before posting immediately and publicly. It seems that they are trying to do so, or at least looking into it, and it was unfair of me to jump down their throats so quickly.

Now, could someone please tell me how to change the thread title to something less inflammatory? Thanks

 

[Krugerrand]

*le sigh*

 

[AMPd]

What's the difference between you paying the 2k now and recouping it when you sell it, and getting 2k less on the sale if you don't have SC activated?

 

[ckessel]

I was sold an expensive option under false pretenses.

I can see being upset, but I don't understand this statement. It's your contention that this was Tesla's secret master plan all the time and they lied to you before?

 

[StephRob]

What's the difference between you paying the 2k now and recouping it when you sell it, and getting 2k less on the sale if you don't have SC activated?

Because I am unlikely to get full value for the SC access upon resale. I also have $2K + tax tied up until I sell it.

 

[Morristhecat]

I am in the same situation. Us 60Kw guys have gotten jerked around a bit in the middle here two times now, and timing has sucked. I am thinking of calling and asking to have my $2000 transfered to the service plan. Will wait a few days and think about it a bit first.

 

[StephRob]

I can see being upset, but I don't understand this statement. It's your contention that this was Tesla's secret master plan all the time and they lied to you before?

I don't think they had a secret master plan, but the contention that if a car wasn't configured from the outset with SC access then it could never be upgraded to have it, was completely incorrect.

If it is that easy for Tesla to just turn on or off SC access, since all cars have the "hardware", then what I'm asking for should be easy.

 

[jomo25]

I like what was suggested above. Request to xfer to svc plan

 

[Krugerrand]

Because I am unlikely to get full value for the SC access upon resale. I also have $2K + tax tied up until I sell it.

If you 'currently' think that you are unlikely to get full value for the SC access upon resale, then you 'previously' thought the EXACT same thing, AND YET, still chose to purchase the option.

 

[ckessel]

I don't think they had a secret master plan, but the contention that if a car wasn't configured from the outset with SC access then it could never be upgraded to have it, was completely incorrect.

Huh? That's exactly what's going on. Tesla is configuring every 60 now with hardware precisely because retrofitting it apparently isn't feasible. Tesla's decided now to eat the cost of the hardware, presumably to simplify production variants and with the hope that most folks will activate SC access.

If you're point is that new 60 owners don't have to decide up front on the SC cost, that's true and I can understand your desire for a credit. Saying Tesla had "false pretenses" is another thing though.

 

[Krugerrand]

I don't think they had a secret master plan, but the contention that if a car wasn't configured from the outset with SC access then it could never be upgraded to have it, was completely incorrect.

Things change. Things changed. Because that has never, ever, happened with any other company as a product developed and new things became possible or logical.

If it is that easy for Tesla to just turn on or off SC access, since all cars have the "hardware", then what I'm asking for should be easy.

Who said it was 'easy'? Do you happen to know how long it takes to change the programming? Could it be done by a 5 year old?

 

[StephRob]

In response to Kuggerand "If you 'currently' think that you are unlikely to get full value for the SC access upon resale, then you 'previously' thought the EXACT same thing, AND YET, still chose to purchase the option."

No, I was afraid that if the SC network really took off and was critical to the adoption of the Model S, then the resale value of a Model S could be greatly impacted. That is: I don't spend the $2K now, and the resale is decreased greatly, say $20K, because of the permanent lack of SC access. Therefore, I spent the $2K as insurance against the $20K future value decrease. Now, I learn I didn't need the insurance policy. My car (and every Model S) will never be materially hampered by not ordering SC access at the outset.

 

[Krugerrand]

Two words: Early Adopter

 

[StephRob]

Two words: Early Adopter

Four words: Do the right thing

 

[Morristhecat]

Four words: Do the right thing

+1

If we were the early adopter we would have got the free supercharging. Late adopters get the buildout insurance policy with option to pay later (I assume ). Middle adopters are forced to pay for the insurance policy. Timing sucks.

 

[DriverOne]

I understand. I'd have been very upset if things had gone the other way! Instead I did not pay the $2K, yet now I find I have the SC hardware after all, which I am very relieved about.

I hope Tesla & you can work out an amicable arrangement.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

If everything you've said is true, then I can completely understand your unhappiness. It is reasonable for you to explain your situation to Tesla and ask for what you want. You may or may not get it, and you may or may not be happy with Tesla, and that's just how business works between any two parties. Both try to make a deal that works, and sometimes things don't. A reasonable person will go and try to renegotiate a "better" deal when the other party has made a change they do not like. And in this case, I believe that I'd certainly be asking Tesla whether they can make me happier if I were in your shoes.

However, you are getting flak for this thread because you are letting your anger run your mouth. That's foolish on your part. It's blindingly obvious that there are no false pretenses or other such baloney, and if you'd stop and remove your foot from your mouth for a moment you'd see that. Tesla is a small company, it's growing, it's still within the first year of offering its first mass-produced vehicle, and they're learning as they go. It's inevitable -- hell, it's fantastic -- that they'll make changes along the way.

Quit whining to the Internet, and go talk to Tesla like a reasonable person. And if you don't like the opinions posted in this thread, remember it was you who chose to bemoan your situation on a public discussion board.

 

[jive_devil]

I'm in a similar predicament. I was originally a 40kWh reservation-holder who ended up upgrading to the 60 + SC because I was concerned about resale value and future-proofing (finalized my order back in January). And to "upgrade" meant some very real financial sacrifices on my end.

Now I'm finding out I could have stayed with my original order and upgraded at a later time and saved myself $10k in cash flow over the past few months. Even better, I could have used my expected EV tax credits from 2013 to upgrade to the 60+SC next year without taking a cash flow hit at all.

To make it worse, now there's no reason for Tesla to hold up the production of 40s (since the hardware is the same), so my 60 could be bumped back further in the queue.

With these mixed feelings, I'm wondering if it makes sense to go back and ask to downgrade a few options.

 

[montgom626]

Tesla can change price, configuration any time they want. They do not have to consult with everyone who has placed an order.

- - - Updated - - -

Quit whining to the Internet, and go talk to Tesla like a reasonable person. And if you don't like the opinions posted in this thread, remember it was you who chose to bemoan your situation on a public discussion board.

You are speaking the truth. +1

 

[StephRob]

If everything you've said is true, then I can completely understand your unhappiness. It is reasonable for you to explain your situation to Tesla and ask for what you want. You may or may not get it, and you may or may not be happy with Tesla, and that's just how business works between any two parties. Both try to make a deal that works, and sometimes things don't. A reasonable person will go and try to renegotiate a "better" deal when the other party has made a change they do not like. And in this case, I believe that I'd certainly be asking Tesla whether they can make me happier if I were in your shoes.

However, you are getting flak for this thread because you are letting your anger run your mouth. That's foolish on your part. It's blindingly obvious that there are no false pretenses or other such baloney, and if you'd stop and remove your foot from your mouth for a moment you'd see that. Tesla is a small company, it's growing, it's still within the first year of offering its first mass-produced vehicle, and they're learning as they go. It's inevitable -- hell, it's fantastic -- that they'll make changes along the way.

Quit whining to the Internet, and go talk to Tesla like a reasonable person. And if you don't like the opinions posted in this thread, remember it was you who chose to bemoan your situation on a public discussion board.

OK fine, I changed the original post to delete the reference to "False pretenses" because I don't want to give the impression that this was some master plan to deceive me and others. However, I changed it to "based on incorrect information that was given to me by Tesla" because that was what happened. I asked repeatedly if SC access could ever be added at a future date and I was told no. That is incorrect information. That's all.

And I did go talk to Tesla but my experience with Ownership was not confidence-inspiring. I posted here because others must be in the same predicament. And it appears that there are others.

Who said I didn't like the opinions posted on this thread? I'm all for discussion. If someone disagrees with me, fine. But that doesn't mean I can't explain and defend my position.

And I am a HUGE fan of Tesla. I have evangelized for the company for years and have shown off our Teslas to hundreds of potential buyers and know of at least a dozen that have resulted in sales.

I started this thread because I believe that,given the recent announcement, 60kWh buyers with SC access should be given an amnesty period during which they can have their SC access de-activated and receive their money back. I don't see why that should be all that contentious.