Now that the purchaser kilometers have been restored, I plan three actions.
One involves Tesla and my credit card.
One involves Tesla and the Vehicle Sales Authority.
One involves my MLA and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
I encourage other British Columbians to do the same thing.
1. I plan to ask my bank to reverse the Tesla charges on my credit card for charging between July 3 and July 18. My argument will be that Tesla improperly charged me for charging during a period when my charging was to be free. The 7500 free kilometers are time-limited. It is unlikely that I will use all of the 7500 kilometers before the expiry. Therefore the reinstatement of the 7500 kilometers will not offset the charges to my credit card.
2. I plan to file a preemptive complaint against Tesla and/or the VSABC. The substance of the complaint will be as follows:
A definition in the Motor Dealers Act says that a,
"salesperson" means
(a) an individual, other than a motor dealer, who, on behalf of a motor dealer and for or in the expectation of a fee, gain or reward,
(i) solicits, negotiates or arranges for the sale of a motor vehicle to a person, or
(ii) in any way participates in the soliciting, negotiating or arranging for the sale of a motor vehicle to a person,
The Vehicle Sales Authority says that a person who provides a referral code meets the definition of a salesperson, therefore Tesla has denied any incentive to referrers who are ordinarily resident in British Columbia.
My argument will be that in making a referral I would not meet the definition in (a). I would be making the referral "in the expectation of a fee, gain or reward" however I would not be doing so, "on behalf of a motor dealer". I would be doing it on behalf of myself.
3. I plan to write to my MLA (who happens to be a member of the BC Green Party) and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General (whose ministry is responsible for the Motor Dealers Act). I will ask that the Vehicle Sales Authority be disbanded and the above limitation be amended to make Tesla's referral program permissible.
I will point out that the Vehicle Sales Authority was established by the former BC Liberal Party government to transfer statutory regulatory authority of motor vehicle dealerships to the private-interest dealerships themselves. As such, it was a breach of government's responsibility that laws for protection of the public be enforced by government, not by those being regulated.
Others, like Darscot, Wyman, possibly Kira who have experienced an actual loss of "referrer" kilometers would be in a stronger position than I am to take an action under point 2 above.
They have already experienced "injury" by the VSABC direction to Tesla and could seek remedy. They are probably more motivated than me as well as I would be arguing "anticipatory injury".
I hope that others will also take actions on this.
Here is a link to the Vehicle Sales Authority form for making a complaint
regarding Tesla.
https://mvsabc.com/v1/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Consumer-Complaint-Form_Version-11.pdf
Here is a link to the procedure for making a complaint against the Vehicle Sales Authority.
https://mvsabc.com/v1/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/VSA-Service-Complaints.pdf