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BC and (new) Referral Program

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Those purchasing a Tesla in BC are permitted to use an owners referral code and earn a promotional benefit under BC law (free supercharging credits) and permitted by the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC.

Those credits to those owners that were inadvertently removed will been returned.

Referral awards remain ineligible for residents of BC along with Ohio and Virginia in the USA. Most throughout the rest of North America allow it. If you feel this is wrong we encourage you to write to your MLA and Ministry of Transport.
 
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I agree that Tesla messed up on this. Unlike some others, I don’t see some big conspiracy against British Columbians.

I see:

A large, yet still relatively novice, corporation that does marketing and sales differently from the industry standard.

An international program that was applied consistently.

A tiny marketplace (BC) in which the law prohibited part of the program.

Someone in the industry-controlled regulator (MVABC) telling Tesla its program was illegal.

Someone in Tesla making the first adjustment (cancelling the referrer aspect).

Someone in Tesla being concerned that was insufficient and cancelling the purchaser aspect.

Backlash.

A review at Tesla and correction.

Poor communication all around.

Also, unlike some others, I do not expect an international corporation to change a large, successful marketing campaign to comply with an unusual law in a tiny marketplace.

BC is like the tail on a dog, the dog being the international marketplace. The tail does not wag the dog.

If we don’t like the law in BC (that effectively protects existing dealerships that enforce the law) we should lobby politicians to change the law so that it is consistent with interprovincial and international standards.

How can say this with a straight face the second time Tesla pulled this. I can understand people giving them the benefit of the doubt when they pulled this with the old program. Acting like it’s ok to run a blatantly false and illegal marketing campaign a second time is just stupidity. Taking away the award does not unbreak the law. They knew the whole thing was a scam. They didn’t accidentally pull the award from purchasers. They did not pull the award from purchasers when this happened with the old program. They knew they could get away with screwing the referrers and the tried to screw over purchasers.
 
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Those purchasing a Tesla in BC are permitted to use an owners referral code and earn a promotional benefit under BC law (free supercharging credits) and permitted by the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC.

Those credits to those owners that were inadvertently removed will been returned.

Referral awards remain ineligible for residents of BC along with Ohio and Virginia in the USA. Most throughout the rest of North America allow it. If you feel this is wrong we encourage you to write to your MLA and Ministry of Transport.

This is fantastic news! Do you know the timeline as to when we'll see them back in our loot box?

Thank you for taking this all the way to the table!
 
Those purchasing a Tesla in BC are permitted to use an owners referral code and earn a promotional benefit under BC law (free supercharging credits) and permitted by the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC.

Those credits to those owners that were inadvertently removed will been returned.

Referral awards remain ineligible for residents of BC along with Ohio and Virginia in the USA. Most throughout the rest of North America allow it. If you feel this is wrong we encourage you to write to your MLA and Ministry of Transport.

Is there referrer excluded for any vehicle purchased in BC or only if the referrer is BC resident. I insured all my information was updated to my US residence and they still revoked the award. They said because I picked up my car in BC a year ago that makes me a BC resident. Yet the awarded me 5000 miles in the app because I was a resident of the US.
 
This is fantastic news! Do you know the timeline as to when we'll see them back in our loot box?

Thank you for taking this all the way to the table!
Likely this week or next.

Is there referrer excluded for any vehicle purchased in BC or only if the referrer is BC resident. I insured all my information was updated to my US residence and they still revoked the award. They said because I picked up my car in BC a year ago that makes me a BC resident. Yet the awarded me 5000 miles in the app because I was a resident of the US.
Your tesla.com address is mailing only. If you've registered & insured your car in BC, you're considered a resident of BC. I believe Tesla has now figured out those using the mailing address workaround & removed it to comply to the BC laws.

A local Tesla owner has started the following petition. If you believe this is unfair, I encourage all the sign.

Remove BCs "Bird Dogging" Laws for EVs to support a sustainable transportation future

Sign the Petition
 
Those purchasing a Tesla in BC are permitted to use an owners referral code and earn a promotional benefit under BC law (free supercharging credits) and permitted by the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC.

Those credits to those owners that were inadvertently removed will been returned.

Referral awards remain ineligible for residents of BC along with Ohio and Virginia in the USA. Most throughout the rest of North America allow it. If you feel this is wrong we encourage you to write to your MLA and Ministry of Transport.
Likely this week or next.


Your tesla.com address is mailing only. If you've registered & insured your car in BC, you're considered a resident of BC. I believe Tesla has now figured out those using the mailing address workaround & removed it to comply to the BC laws.

A local Tesla owner has started the following petition. If you believe this is unfair, I encourage all the sign.

Remove BCs "Bird Dogging" Laws for EVs to support a sustainable transportation future

Sign the Petition
Signed :)
 
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Is there referrer excluded for any vehicle purchased in BC or only if the referrer is BC resident. I insured all my information was updated to my US residence and they still revoked the award. They said because I picked up my car in BC a year ago that makes me a BC resident. Yet the awarded me 5000 miles in the app because I was a resident of the US.


Really?

Your information was your “US residence”?

That’s not what you said here.

BC and (new) Referral Program

You said,

I set the address on my account to a US package delivery. It currently says I have 5000 miles remaining. Wonder if its safe to set it back to my real address now.

I think that lots of people had legitimate complaints that they complied with the requirements of BC laws and Tesla’s program and were temporarily denied a benefit.

Piecing together your comments it has the appearance that you tried to game the system to get a benefit to which you were not entitled, were unsuccessful, and are upset that you got caught.
 
Likely this week or next.


Your tesla.com address is mailing only. If you've registered & insured your car in BC, you're considered a resident of BC. I believe Tesla has now figured out those using the mailing address workaround & removed it to comply to the BC laws.

A local Tesla owner has started the following petition. If you believe this is unfair, I encourage all the sign.

Remove BCs "Bird Dogging" Laws for EVs to support a sustainable transportation future

Sign the Petition

I love how Tesla has found out this work around, but at no time does buying a car, insuring a car or holding a drivers license make a person a legal resident. Nor was any of that information provided to Tesla for the referral program. If they said sorry we can't provide the referral to anyone that referred a car purchased in BC than that makes sense. Its a valid legal argument under the act. The act is to protect purchasers and to insure all salesman are licensed. They didn't do that and they just made up their own definition of what makes some one a resident. I am so sick of Tesla's we make the rules and we make them up as we go bullshit. They screwed me when they told me purchasing FSD up front guaranteed me the best price. Then they lied with the whole we will give you early access to make up for it and screwed me again. Now they have been super shady with the referral to drum up sales and then revoked the award for the second time. At least with the referral I knew in advance they were going to screw people just like before. I really wish I could just enjoy my car and never deal with Tesla every again but they are an anchor attached to this amazing car.

Petition Signed
 
Really?

Your information was your “US residence”?

That’s not what you said here.

BC and (new) Referral Program

You said,



I think that lots of people had legitimate complaints that they complied with the requirements of BC laws and Tesla’s program and were temporarily denied a benefit.

Piecing together your comments it has the appearance that you tried to game the system to get a benefit to which you were not entitled, were unsuccessful, and are upset that you got caught.

I 100% did everything I could to allow me to receive the referral award under the rules specified under the act and Tesla. I did absolutely nothing wrong or illegal. I love how I'm the one gaming the system when Tesla knowingly broke the law for a second time to drum up sales and than revoked the awards without notice. At no time have I pretended otherwise.

The one thing I have done wrong is waste far too much time on this.
 
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I know there is fine print that says BC residents are exempt from the referral program rewards. But not sure what that means for the free supercharging.

Do we still get the free supercharging credit and are only excluded from the raffle for the Y and Roadster? Or do we also miss out on the free supercharging?

What if someone from BC uses our (also from BC) referral code. Do they get the free supercharging at least?



When I purchased my Model 3 the manager told me that only licensed car salespeople could receive any type of compensation in British Columbia. When I used my friends referral code the free kilometres showed up in my loot box and his… I’ve had my model 3 for just over a month and his free kms that were in his loot box are now gone and the ones he had used already were charged to his CC. So let your referrals know that the free supercharging might show up, just don’t use them.
 
Got my 7,500 back! But heard they’ll expire in 6 months?
 

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Just checked and my purchaser km came back too.

Terms of the program says they expire "6 months after they are added", but no way to tell whether they reset the clock when they added them back. The expiry is extended 6 months longer for each referral, but as long as we don't get the referral km I doubt we get the extensions either.

Unfortunately my referrer km have not come back. I wrote my MLA and his office responded right away that they are reaching out to the responsible ministries. I directly asked that the government clarify with Tesla that participants of their referral program should not be considered a "salesperson" under the definition in the Motor Dealer Act. Failing that I asked that they change this law ASAP. I think there is a chance that this could change if enough people will write their MLAs. In the US a number of states have amended laws to allow the Tesla direct sales model, in some case with limitations (just Tesla, just ZEVs, limited number of sales or stores, etc). At least some governments are willing to look for solutions to modernize their laws. Might not bring back our past referrals, but could help with future ones.
 
Not only did Tesla reinstate my purchaser kilometres, Tesla gave me 7500 kilometres. So any of the free kilometres that I had used resulted in be “double free”. I used them once and I get to use them again.

I know that some people believe that Tesla had some grand conspiracy to diddle British Columbians. I have always thought it was more likely just administrative lack of competence. I think the “restoration” of the full 7500 kilometres is consistent with the lack of competence theory. It is administratively easier to just give everyone 7500 kilometres now than to calculate what each owner had used and restore only the unused kilometres.
 
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Unfortunately my referrer km have not come back. I wrote my MLA and his office responded right away that they are reaching out to the responsible ministries. I directly asked that the government clarify with Tesla that participants of their referral program should not be considered a "salesperson" under the definition in the Motor Dealer Act. Failing that I asked that they change this law ASAP. I think there is a chance that this could change if enough people will write their MLAs.

I emailed my MLA as well. Leaving on a big road trip with my kids this weekend and pretty discouraged that I now have zero kilometres for it.
 
My Loot Box is back with 7,500 in the box! They topped it back up as I had already used a couple hundred km's before it disappeared. This is good as I was given these free km's by TESLA for the initial purchase of the vehicle and had not earned them from any referrals.
 
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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
 
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