Background
I got my first car in February of 2013 and actually provided my BMW trade in December to lock in the trade in number. Tesla was just beginning the whole car delivery thing in earnest and was going through trade in growing pains. They quickly realized that having a sole source bidder for their trade ins resulted in low ball offers and was not in their or their customer’s best interests. Somewhere along the way one of the Tesla SuperStars, Seneca Giese, got involved. Seneca was around in the Roadster days when Tesla had to actively sell the last of the Roadsters as the production run was not fully subscribed so he knows what it is like to earn a sale and thus knows the value of a customer.
I suspect Seneca was heavily responsible for implementing their current trade process where the trade is evaluated and then the summary is provided to a group of dealers who then provide their highest number. This creates competition thus dramatically improving the bid Tesla’s customers receive for their ICE trade in. It was a simple stroke of genius that has worked well for the company and for the bidders that have access to a steady supply of high end high quality trades.
Enter the CPO program carefully timed with the introduction of the D and some things have changed. This is where I would like to hear some competing thoughts as I am a bit miffed and do not do my best thinking in this state.
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I’ve been very busy trying to make sense of trading my P+ in for the new PD and had placed a PD on order. When I finally ran down the last of the avenues available to me, I sent the following note to Tesla Sales. They did not respond so I called them today. They told me they had canceled the order and I would be receiving a refund of my deposit. I told them I really did want the car and hoped they could have done better.
I’d love to hear some counter and/or different views on this especially from others that have been working the whole MS trade in bit with Tesla.
“Tess,
I have been working on my P85+ trade in heavily over the last week without
success. Here is what I have learned so far.
It took several days but I did succeed in tracking down a trade in offer
from Tesla. It was $9,500 below wholesale market value for the car. When
I inquired about the discrepancy, I was told by the SE Regional Sales
Manager that Tesla was doing good things with their CPO program and the
bid was good for customers. Tesla markets the MS as being better long
term than ICE and thus it should hold its value. Tesla then underbids my
trade in by $9500. I am a (your) customer and this is not good for me.
Once I saw the Tesla offer I sought out other wholesale offers for the car
and received the above mentioned bid. I then asked Tesla to provide a
courtesy trade so that I could recoup $4,000 in Florida sales tax. This
is the exact same transaction used for ICE trade ins through Tesla and the
same used when I upgraded from my previous P85 to my current P+. Tesla
declined telling me it was not in Tesla’s interest to have MS going to
other dealers. Facilitating a courtesy trade costs Tesla nothing while
denying it costs me $4000.
I have now learned that my wholesale bidder is backing out of the bid.
This dealer gets a lot of ICE trade in product from Tesla and values that
inventory. This makes it difficult for him to take my car as there is the
distinct chance that doing so will affect his access to ICE inventory in
the future.
Tess, I have tried my best to make this happen and yet Tesla has fought me
every step of the way. Tesla has put a wonderful program in place whereby
ICE trades are offered out to bid to yield the highest number and then the
trades are processed by Tesla for the sales tax credit. Not only is Tesla
not doing this for their own customers (the ones that bought MS) but you
are actively pulling on the other side of the rope against your customers.
I would like to buy a PD. This would be my fifth MS purchase. If you can
not do better for your customers than the above, please cancel my order
and return my deposit.
Best Regards,
Bill Hart”
I got my first car in February of 2013 and actually provided my BMW trade in December to lock in the trade in number. Tesla was just beginning the whole car delivery thing in earnest and was going through trade in growing pains. They quickly realized that having a sole source bidder for their trade ins resulted in low ball offers and was not in their or their customer’s best interests. Somewhere along the way one of the Tesla SuperStars, Seneca Giese, got involved. Seneca was around in the Roadster days when Tesla had to actively sell the last of the Roadsters as the production run was not fully subscribed so he knows what it is like to earn a sale and thus knows the value of a customer.
I suspect Seneca was heavily responsible for implementing their current trade process where the trade is evaluated and then the summary is provided to a group of dealers who then provide their highest number. This creates competition thus dramatically improving the bid Tesla’s customers receive for their ICE trade in. It was a simple stroke of genius that has worked well for the company and for the bidders that have access to a steady supply of high end high quality trades.
Enter the CPO program carefully timed with the introduction of the D and some things have changed. This is where I would like to hear some competing thoughts as I am a bit miffed and do not do my best thinking in this state.
- - - Updated - - -
I’ve been very busy trying to make sense of trading my P+ in for the new PD and had placed a PD on order. When I finally ran down the last of the avenues available to me, I sent the following note to Tesla Sales. They did not respond so I called them today. They told me they had canceled the order and I would be receiving a refund of my deposit. I told them I really did want the car and hoped they could have done better.
I’d love to hear some counter and/or different views on this especially from others that have been working the whole MS trade in bit with Tesla.
“Tess,
I have been working on my P85+ trade in heavily over the last week without
success. Here is what I have learned so far.
It took several days but I did succeed in tracking down a trade in offer
from Tesla. It was $9,500 below wholesale market value for the car. When
I inquired about the discrepancy, I was told by the SE Regional Sales
Manager that Tesla was doing good things with their CPO program and the
bid was good for customers. Tesla markets the MS as being better long
term than ICE and thus it should hold its value. Tesla then underbids my
trade in by $9500. I am a (your) customer and this is not good for me.
Once I saw the Tesla offer I sought out other wholesale offers for the car
and received the above mentioned bid. I then asked Tesla to provide a
courtesy trade so that I could recoup $4,000 in Florida sales tax. This
is the exact same transaction used for ICE trade ins through Tesla and the
same used when I upgraded from my previous P85 to my current P+. Tesla
declined telling me it was not in Tesla’s interest to have MS going to
other dealers. Facilitating a courtesy trade costs Tesla nothing while
denying it costs me $4000.
I have now learned that my wholesale bidder is backing out of the bid.
This dealer gets a lot of ICE trade in product from Tesla and values that
inventory. This makes it difficult for him to take my car as there is the
distinct chance that doing so will affect his access to ICE inventory in
the future.
Tess, I have tried my best to make this happen and yet Tesla has fought me
every step of the way. Tesla has put a wonderful program in place whereby
ICE trades are offered out to bid to yield the highest number and then the
trades are processed by Tesla for the sales tax credit. Not only is Tesla
not doing this for their own customers (the ones that bought MS) but you
are actively pulling on the other side of the rope against your customers.
I would like to buy a PD. This would be my fifth MS purchase. If you can
not do better for your customers than the above, please cancel my order
and return my deposit.
Best Regards,
Bill Hart”