Free Supercharging : Now you see it...now you don't

[Firewired]

I think it is a change in strategy as other's have pointed out. We are on our third Tesla and have done multiple long trips that were made possible due the convenience of superchargers. We tried one without it, and man did that stink by comparison.

When they posted the new policy on the mytesla webpage a month ago I naively took it as something like a thank you to those that had been willing to purchase cars during the infancy of the company before they began mass producing much larger volumes of cars which ultimately will provide much greater subsidization of the Superchargers. I remember thinking more than ever that I would only ever be driving a Tesla from here on out. Why would I ever by a car made anyone but Tesla, if any car I ever purchasedwould include free Supercharging? This change just brings me back to the reality that there may be some other electric car made by someone else in the future that I might consider.

 

[MarkS22]

Okay, thanks. So the latest referral program promotion from the start stated that it would end on 12/31/2017. I never believed that under that program, current owners would receive free unlimited Supercharging on any Tesla they purchased at any time in the future.I think Tesla is simply clarifying their program. They should have always specified an end date. They did not. I do not believe Tesla was trying to mislead or trick anyone. But if you choose to believe that, go ahead.

Having the benefit permenantly tied to owners makes complete sense, though. First, the current owner number and usage level is known and relatively small. It will never get larger. Second, Tesla will be under siege from other manufacturers, so giving exisiting owners one more reason to remain loyal to the brand is a great idea. ("Hmm... Brand 2 looks interesting but I don't want to give up Free Supercharging.")

However, telling me my next S or X will follow me as the owner and then taking it away is just poor communication. Don't say anything if you're not sure. But, as someone with a lease ending in 2018, don't tell me on my specific MyTelsa page that my next S or X will have Unlimited Supercharging and then take it away. To be clear, this was not presented as part of a referral program on MyTesla. It specifically said *I* will have Free Supercharging on if I purchase another S or X.

I thought it was an awesome gesture to existing owners and they reversed it. Ultimately, not a huge deal, but still not great communications.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

@MarkS22 It also made sense from the perspective that a buyer with free Supercharging may be reluctant to upgrade to a new car without it. That's why the lifetime policy also made certain logical sense. To remove that demand obstacle from that group of owners.

But logics and sense aside, this latest twist was just a new low from Tesla. I guess nothing is beyond them nowadays. And this with the fact that the original turn-around with free Supercharging was already a bit suspect given the same demand lever had already been used so recently...

 

[MarkS22]

FYI, this is the exact screen capture of MyTesla from May 24th. There's really no ambiguity here. It's on the page for my specific vehicle, VIN and all: "ANY new Model S or Model X you purchase." There's no hint of a deadline. The "Tesla Referral Program" is in a different box lower on the page. This was a dedicated "Supercharging" section.

Was it a nice bonus for existing customers that they didn't have to do? Absolutely. But if you tell someone you're going to do something, you keep your word.

 

[Mark Z]

There's no hint of a deadline.

I wonder how many Tesla owners still think they can wait forever to purchase their next "free supercharging" S or X? What a surprise is in store for them.

My guess is that with the former "forever" plan, many current owners decided to wait and sales dropped. With the deadline, Model S and X orders should improve, especially around December. You have to admire Tesla's ability to keep new orders flowing for the S and X without advertisement.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

You have to admire Tesla's ability to keep new orders flowing for the S and X without advertisement.

Admire? ... Admire?

IMO this is deserving of the absolute opposite of admiration. But I do agree with you Tesla is having to pull these levers because they refuse to employ traditional advertising and sales methods.

If Tesla just used traditional advertising and sales methods like discount campaigns, they would not have to resort to questionable demand levers like this, time and time again. Ad is an ad, a discount campaign is a campaign, much more honest than this.

Put out an ad or few and a discount package or whatnot, like everyone else does. Sometimes a simple ad just is that much more true and real than all of these "we don't advertise / everyone gets the same price" gimmicks that in the end have been a mess that in actual fact is not avoiding problems but is just creating more, because Tesla are not happy with the natural demand without levers...

I mean, think of all those referrals made under false pretenses by people who thought about lifetime Supercharging. What if instead of those false pretenses, that demand would simply have been gained through advertising and a normal price campaign.

 

[MarkS22]

Admire? ... Admire?

IMO this is deserving of the absolute opposite of admiration. But I do agree with you Tesla is having to pull these levers because they refuse to employee traditional advertising and sales methods.

If Tesla just used traditional advertising and sales methods like discount campaigns, they would not have to resort to questionable demand levers like this, time and time again. Ad is an ad, a discount campaign is a campaign, much more honest than this.

Put out an ad or few and a discount package or whatnot, like everyone else does. Sometimes a simple ad just is that much more true and real than all of these "we don't advertise / everyone gets the same price" gimmicks that in the end have been a mess that in actual fact is not avoiding problems but is just creating more, because Tesla are not happy with the natural demand without levers...

I mean, think of all those referrals made under false pretenses by people who thought about lifetime Supercharging. What if instead of those false pretenses, that demand would simply have been gained through advertising and a normal price campaign.

I think this is a key point. Tesla is trying very hard to not advertise and not offer "discounts." (It reminds me of when Tony Soprano suggests to Artie that they should do some coupons or two-for-one deals at Nuovo Vesuvio.) While I understand this is an attempt to keep the brand a premium, it doesn't happen without repercussions. All these "demand levers" threaten to erode passion in Tesla's earliest and strongest supporters. When someone shows interest or asks me about Tesla, it makes it more difficult for me. I've told a handful of people how impressed I was that they were extending free Supercharging to owners on their next S or X... and their eyes would light up. Not because they'd get the free charging, but because it looked like a company that wanted to take care of its customers. It was refreshing. Brands are really nothing more than cliques that represent your values. This type of gesture represented their values.

At a certain point, artificial demand levers and changing or extending of "special deals" will simply be more detrimental to Tesla than traditional advertising. There's a reason we have dozens of posts on here... Electrek... Facebook groups... all on this subject. And, believe me, it has ripples.

I may sound harsh on them here from time to time, but it's because I love the company and vehicle so much. Being a "yes" customer is a disservice to the company because they need honest and open feedback to thrive in the mass market.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

At a certain point, artificial demand levers and changing or extending of "special deals" will simply be more detrimental to Tesla than traditional advertising. There's a reason we have dozens of posts on here... Electrek... Facebook groups... all on this subject. And, believe me, it has ripples.

I am of the opinion that time was already a year ago - and I have posted this opinion on TMC many times already prior to this latest debacle. That was the time, around a year ago, when more harm started happening than good from this policy of no advertising and "same price" for all.

It was summer 2016 when Tesla was first feeling the natural demand not reaching the heights they were looking for and the gimmicks started en masse. That was the time to say, advertising and price action are needed. Indeed, Tesla sort of agreed because they did resort to price action in Q3/2016, only to reverse course a day or two before end of quarter with the infamous Elon posting...

 

[azred]

Okay, thanks. So the latest referral program promotion from the start stated that it would end on 12/31/2017. .

No

 

[Mark Z]

Admire?

A stockholder would admire rising production numbers.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

A stockholder would admire rising production numbers.

No argument from me regarding the fact that TSLA and Tesla car owners have different priorities.

Ethics should not depend on such a perspective, though.

 

[Ebony Star]

FYI, this is the exact screen capture of MyTesla from May 24th. There's really no ambiguity here. It's on the page for my specific vehicle, VIN and all: "ANY new Model S or Model X you purchase." There's no hint of a deadline. The "Tesla Referral Program" is in a different box lower on the page. This was a dedicated "Supercharging" section.

Was it a nice bonus for existing customers that they didn't have to do? Absolutely. But if you tell someone you're going to do something, you keep your word.

View attachment 231660

False advertising. Superchargeing for life is one reason I brought. This is not a software update.

 

[AndrewTX]

False advertising. Superchargeing for life is one reason I brought. This is not a software update.

Sadly, there is no reason to actually believe any forward-looking 'promises' about supercharging made by Tesla at this point. Assume the worst, hope for the best, and plan accordingly.

 

[alcibiades]

Tesla likes to limit their deceptive to claims to small groups.

EAP: Anyone who bought between announcement and end of Q4.

Free supercharging on any new X or S: Anyone who bought a car between announcement and last week. If you bought during that window, Tesla owes you. The rest of are mere bystanders.

 

[hacer]

False advertising. Superchargeing for life is one reason I brought. This is not a software update.

This can't be false advertising because you didn't own a Tesla and didn't have a my Tesla page promising this. It was not a public statement that they made. If you were an existing Tesla owner and bought another already then you got your free supercharging. The people complaining about the "harm" they suffered are the ones that own aTesla and hoped to buy an S or X sometime after next year with free supercharging. Tesla "gave" them this gift, but then put a time limit on it. For those that didn't buy but we're going to in 2021, there is no inducement to buy because they've been informed before the time of purchase.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Sadly, there is no reason to actually believe any forward-looking 'promises' about supercharging made by Tesla at this point. Assume the worst, hope for the best, and plan accordingly.

Sadly, there seems to be little reason to believe any promises made by Tesla.

Tesla likes to limit their deceptive to claims to small groups.

So basically you feel Tesla has no ethics when they feel they can get away with it?

EAP: Anyone who bought between announcement and end of Q4.

Free supercharging on any new X or S: Anyone who bought a car between announcement and last week. If you bought during that window, Tesla owes you. The rest of are mere bystanders.

What was it they said of good people just standing by and looking away from bad things happening...

 

[AnxietyRanger]

This can't be false advertising because you didn't own a Tesla and didn't have a my Tesla page promising this. It was not a public statement that they made. If you were an existing Tesla owner and bought another already then you got your free supercharging. The people complaining about the "harm" they suffered are the ones that own aTesla and hoped to buy an S or X sometime after next year with free supercharging. Tesla "gave" them this gift, but then put a time limit on it. For those that didn't buy but we're going to in 2021, there is no inducement to buy because they've been informed before the time of purchase.

Wrong. There was a group of buyers making referral orders and taking delivery based on this promise.

And frankly your dismissal of the main old owner group is suspect too.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

I'm still going to buy a Model 3, but it will be based on what I actually see and observe. It will not be based on anything Tesla promises. After watching Tesla for four years now, one things stands out - Tesla's promises are worthless.

 

[xyeahtony]

I just saw today that they revised the thing online to say you get free supercharging for any new car purchased by years end. I too was under the impression that it would be free supercharging for life on any future Tesla you bought.

#shrug oh well.

 

[hacer]

Wrong. There was a group of buyers making referral orders and taking delivery based on this promise.

And frankly your dismissal of the main old owner group is suspect too.

Except that "promise" was not made to them by Tesla before purchase. They were promised free supercharging for their referral purchase, which they got. Until they committed to that purchase they did not have a my Tesla account in which to see the pomise. At most they could have heard about it 2nd hand which cannot be false advertising.