Breaking customer promises

[msvoyager]

Unfortunately I have a very disappointing experience about a broken Tesla promise I feel I should share.
I cannot believe I am saying this, as I was always such a HUGE fan of Tesla, and have convinced several friends to buy a Tesla as well, but with this attitude the company lost my trust and just completely dropped me as a customer!

When I bought my first Tesla in 2016, I would get unlimited supercharging if I ever decided to purchase a new car.
That was displayed in writing in my Tesla account. I have a screenshot, but cannot attach that here.

With that in mind I ordered a new Tesla last week, in time to benefit the Tax credit.
I just found out that Tesla no longer offered the supercharging carry-over since 10/19, and without any notification to the customer withdrew that promise and changed the content in my online account about this matter.

The store manager spoke to his managers, and they told him they will not honor the promise that was written in my account. Since I would never have chosen to upgrade to a new car if this would mean losing free supercharging, the manager started to refund my down payment.

In other words, Tesla rather breaks a customer promise, instead of selling me a new car.
This is the company that I have been advocating for the last two years to everyone...
I understand if certain changes must be made, but it is NOT cool to break a promise to a customer.

Even a request to talk to higher management to make things right, seems to get nowhere....

Any ideas how I could get Tesla ot honor that was displayed in my account?
BTW, when I ordered my new car, I checked my account and noticed the original text was still there, but now with the addition of "if ordered before January 2018 " Huh? Why even leave that text in there then...

 

[Tam]

...I have a screenshot...

Mine says:

If you can't show the screenshot, please type out the exact quote.

 

[TexasEV]

Free supercharging used to be for the life of the car, not the life of the owner. If you have something in writing that says differently, please share it here.

 

[ewoodrick]

In my book, free Supercharging is a greatly overrated. Except for someone who Supercharges only, the cost of Supercharging is often negligible.

Oh, and by the way, there has been a lot of notifications that free Supercharging rules have changed.

How much would you have spent on Supercharging. At 11,000 miles, I've spent just at $10/1,000 miles. I've filled up pickups that have cost more than the total Supercharging cost for me.

 

[msvoyager]

Below is the screenshot of what the text in my account used to say since day 1 after I bought my car, "You have free, unlimited Supercharging, including your current Tesla vehicle and any new Model S or Model X purchase." until it was changed and an antedated expiry date ("if purchased before 31-2-2018") was added, as that date was already expired when that text was added. I figured it was in error and didnt even pay attention to it until I became aware that in my new Tesla order free supercharging was not mentioned.

I understand the comment that this perk is overrated followed by the math. That may be true, but this is about a principle. I am promised something as a customer, and I expect a vendor, and especially Tesla, to honor that. Simple. And besides, I just like the idea that I never have to pay for "gas" ever again, as a "green statement of freedom I even drive <5000 miles per year. Next to that I am relying on a supercharger, as my building in a high-rise downtown Chicago doesn't have charging capabilities.

 

[Varmint]

Hmm, not really seeing any ambiguity in that text. They promised him free supercharging on any new S/X he buys, and they’re clearly not honoring it.

I’d be curious if this was ever a widespread promo, or if this was a one-off promise, though. Seems crazy to offer something like this at scale when the goal is to get to sustainability in the SC network.

 

[mathwhiz]

@msvoyager ... FYI, here's a link to an Electrek article from Jan 2016 that makes note of Tesla adding a deadline to its 'free unlimited Supercharging' on future car purchases by owners. The article lists the deadline as Dec 31, 2017. This is the same issue from your OP, except that Tesla subsequently decided to delay the deadline by a month, to Jan 31, 2018:

https://electrek.co/2017/06/16/tesla-supargarger-free/

 

[Tam]

..."You have free, unlimited Supercharging, including your current Tesla vehicle and any new Model S or Model X purchase."...

Thanks for Tesla's quote which is a clear promise for free Supercharging with new S or X and without an expiration date.

Thanks @mathwhiz for the Electrek article that said "The terms made it sound like that would be indefinite,..."

But Electrek also seems to be familiar with how the world works and it continued to finish the sentence "...which of course wasn’t likely."

Tesla has a long history of price changes and terms changes very often.

My guess is: Tesla claims its rights to change prices and its terms at any time without notice.

There wasn't an expiration and it later added on an expiration without your knowledge.

It would have been nice if Tesla sent you an e-mail informing you of the change.

I am sorry that it happens to you in this case.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

At that time wasn't free Supercharging offered on any new vehicle, not just for current owners? I honestly don't know. I wasn't really familiar with Tesla at that time. Granted the wording is awkward but it seems to me that the stated policy was just redundant as anyone would get free Supercharging at that time. To me, free Supercharging was never sustainable. I think the concept was doomed from the onset. I too feel that Supercharging for free is highly over rated but that's just me. Sorry for the misunderstanding the OP has experienced and that it has soured his experience. They are still remarkable cars in my opinion and even if I was having to pay for every mile I drove through Supercharging it is still half to a third of putting gas in a car. Alas perception is reality and different people will perceive it differently.

Dan

 

[Aieukl378]

Meh...free supercharging was nice but frankly it's so cheap to supercharge and it's nice to know money you spend there goes back into expanding the network helping all Tesla owners. If you can afford an S or X you can afford the few bucks it cost to supercharge.

 

[Gwgan]

There wasn't an expiration and it later added on an expiration without your knowledge.

The date was a recent addition.

 

[msvoyager]

Thanks for your responses.
And yes, I get it that some say its overrated and that I can afford to pay for this when I can afford a new Tesla. I am already investing in the company by buying a car again after only two years.
It's about the principle. Tesla made a promise in clear writing in my account. It's not cool to suddenly withdraw a promise. It was part of the promise and understanding when I bought my Tesla at that time. And even if it is somewhere in fine print they are legally OK to break any customer agreement/promise, why would a company actually WANT to do that? And rather NOT sell me a new car vs keeping their word??Terrible customer service and bad for any customer relationship. It really upset me. It spoiled the whole experience I was looking forward too. It costed Tesla a sale and a good loyal customer relation.

BTW, I should mention that the Store Manager, who agrees with me, tried to get through management and when management said no to him, at least he is now refunding my down payment, even though this was for an inventory Tesla, for which there normally is no cancellation grace period/refund, so kudos to the Store Manager on that.

 

[Tam]

...It's about the principle...

I agree with your feeling that you have been wronged.

However, if you've been with Tesla long enough, you should know that its terms and prices can change at any time without notification.

The only way you can lock in the price and its terms is to buy it.

When it offers something even when with no expiration date and you are not fast enough, you might not lock in the terms if you did not execute the contract in the form of a payment.

 

[mal_tsla]

I'll never understand people getting themselves all wound up about free supercharging. Even canceling buying a new car!

To each their own, I guess, but I'm glad free supercharging is going away. I need superchargers available on trips, not filled with locals getting their weekly free fills.

 

[msvoyager]

Again, for me its the principle: I bought a Tesla, and as part of that agreement I got the assurance -in writing no less- that I could buy ANY new car in the future, and free supercharging would be carried over to the new car.
I cannot stand a company that simply breaks a made promise just because they feel like it. Makes me think I cannot trust the company, and that I am not valued as a loyal customer. Think about the extra business that all loyal customers bring in, aside from actual sales through referrals.
Of course misuse of free supercharging should be taken care of. Maybe remove local supercharging- just check the owner zip code. Or limit the frequency allowed per week.
BTW, there are MANY Condo owners, including myself, who MUST use local supercharging as they don't have charging capabilities in their building. When I brought that up when I bough my first Tesla, I was told not to worry I could always keep using the supercharging as part of the purchase price.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

It's honestly hard for me to recommend Tesla.

I certainly recommend test driving it, and experiencing what it's like. But, I'm not going to go as far as to put my backing behind Tesla. I mostly just talk about how awesome EV's are, and let friend/family make their own decision as to what works for them.

The problem with Tesla is they make too many promises.

A lot of the time the promises themselves aren't very necessary.

Like the promise for free supercharging on a future Model S. Why? Why make an open ended promise like that?

Or the promise that all Tesla's are full self driving capable. Again, it's why make that promise?

 

[VT_EE]

Below is the screenshot of what the text in my account used to say since day 1 after I bought my car, "You have free, unlimited Supercharging, including your current Tesla vehicle and any new Model S or Model X purchase." until it was changed and an antedated expiry date ("if purchased before 31-2-2018") was added, as that date was already expired when that text was added. I figured it was in error and didnt even pay attention to it until I became aware that in my new Tesla order free supercharging was not mentioned.

I understand the comment that this perk is overrated followed by the math. That may be true, but this is about a principle. I am promised something as a customer, and I expect a vendor, and especially Tesla, to honor that. Simple. And besides, I just like the idea that I never have to pay for "gas" ever again, as a "green statement of freedom I even drive <5000 miles per year. Next to that I am relying on a supercharger, as my building in a high-rise downtown Chicago doesn't have charging capabilities.

View attachment 358017

I don’t see anything stating you get free supercharging on any S and X purchase forever. At the time this message was in your account, it was 100% true. If you were to buy and S or X supercharging would be free. Without a definititive duration, the statement can be interpreted to mean either “at this time” or “forever”. It depends on the reader as I didn’t read it as you did. I do believe it is a stretch to think that any company would offer anything for free forever.

 

[roadster2020]

Again, it's why make that promise?

it gets people excited and also acts as a carrot on the end of a long stick

 

[Tam]

...Again, for me its the principle...

It's just like a parking lot displaying a sign with "Free Parking."

Then, the next day the sign changes to "Free Parking with validation."

Then, the next, it changes to "Free Parking with any purchase."

Then, the next, it changes to "Free Parking with any paid Entree."

Then, the next, it changes to "No Free Parking..."

Companies have the right to change its terms.

While the current term is in effect, you need to be fast and seal in those terms.

If I have been a patron going to that restaurant for a long time, it would be nice if it would notify me of the change each time but they are not obligated to.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

it gets people excited and also acts as a carrot on the end of a long stick

I think it's more like a mirage in the desert.

Or the end of rainbow.

Sure it's pretty/tempting, but it's never going to happen at least with this stick.