Harsh puinshment for early X ordering

[Stasla]

BTW, I was going to do the same, but when the missus and I saw both trims at the Meet the X event, matte seemed more fragile and susceptible to dents, dings, scratches that our 3 little monsters would have undoubtedly inflicted upon a seemingly softer wood. Plus the Dark Ash looked much better with the white seats I was dead set on getting (it has the stain proofing for my monsters!), and the missus said "I wanna Dark Ash" I was just happy we were agreeing on getting the car at that point and did not feel like arguing over cosmetics. Happy wife = happy life

I took the base trim. It was free. If Dark Ash was the free option, I'd have chosen that.

 

[SageBrush]

We all pay before production -- it is part of the Tesla business model to capitalize the ongoing R&D costs.
Whining about it later is juvenile, and trying to put a line in the sand of before/after delivery is arbitrary.

Get used to it: money spent later will get more.

 

[Stasla]

We all pay before production -- it is part of the Tesla business model to capitalize the ongoing R&D

I haven't paid anything besides a deposit yet, have a confirmed order that hasn't started production. I doubt I'm unique in this.

Whining about it later is juvenile, and trying to put a line in the sand of before/after delivery is arbitrary.

Before/after production. Not delivery.

P.S. Calling others expressing a legitimate opinion juvenile is ..... juvenile. Get used to it: people have different opinions.

 

[ibdb]

And in general X to S comparison should not apply.

The last we need to add to questions about Tesla customer relations is different levels of "customer satisfaction" based on which model you've ordered.

As I wrote earlier in this discussion, Tesla also changed the cost of the headliner between the time we confirmed our order and the time that our car entered production. What was once a $1,000 option became standard. We had originally not selected the option, having decided it wasn't worth the $1,000 to us to upgrade. People who placed orders after us received that "option" as part of their standard configuration. I imagine there were others who paid for the option, only to find it now included in the base price. I don't know how many people felt slighted by the change at the time. I was more concerned with getting my car as I ordered it to seek out that discussion at the time.

With an evolving feature set, there is always a chance that things are going to change. Going back to what I wrote earlier, when do you draw the line? How long should someone have waited for their order? Add that in to the mix of the other questions I asked earlier. I generally dislike slippery slope arguments, but I can see how Tesla could see this issue as that sort of situation. You have to draw a line somewhere, or abandon the process of evolving when possible improvements are available in favor of waiting for an arbitrary point in time.

 

[Merrill]

The last we need to add to questions about Tesla customer relations is different levels of "customer satisfaction" based on which model you've ordered.

As I wrote earlier in this discussion, Tesla also changed the cost of the headliner between the time we confirmed our order and the time that our car entered production. What was once a $1,000 option became standard. We had originally not selected the option, having decided it wasn't worth the $1,000 to us to upgrade. People who placed orders after us received that "option" as part of their standard configuration. I imagine there were others who paid for the option, only to find it now included in the base price. I don't know how many people felt slighted by the change at the time. I was more concerned with getting my car as I ordered it to seek out that discussion at the time.

With an evolving feature set, there is always a chance that things are going to change. Going back to what I wrote earlier, when do you draw the line? How long should someone have waited for their order? Add that in to the mix of the other questions I asked earlier. I generally dislike slippery slope arguments, but I can see how Tesla could see this issue as that sort of situation. You have to draw a line somewhere, or abandon the process of evolving when possible improvements are available in favor of waiting for an arbitrary point in time.

It is easy to draw the line, those who have confirmed their order and their car has not gone into production should not have to,pay for something that is now free.

 

[ohmman]

If the complaint is phrased as "this kind of sucks," then I can agree. It does.

I just have a hard time agreeing with "Tesla should" arguments. People enter agreements all the time. I've been on both sides of contracts where the situation has changed after the initial agreement, and wound up either in or out of my favor. There are usually options to move forward, just as there are now. Pay a change fee, bail and lose a deposit, etc. All of them clearly defined prior to confirming the agreement. Participants in this thread seem to disregard the reality of the sunk cost fallacy.

So yeah, this kind of sucks - but in the same way that picking all but one of the winning lotto numbers sucks. It's too bad, but you were fine with your decision when you bought the ticket. Hindsight and all that.

 

[Diavel]

It is easy to draw the line, those who have confirmed their order and their car has not gone into production should not have to,pay for something that is now free.

What happens to the people (me included) that did order the base and got an upgrade (matte obeche)? Do they have to pay more to keep it or have to change? If we have to pay then Tesla even reserves the right to charge me for the 75d upgrade of $3000 by that reasoning as the pendulum swings both ways.

Easy for me to accept since I came in the receiving end of an upgrade but if we were both satisfied and Tesla takes the hit, I don't think it's ideal as well. They are a for-profit Company that is juggling alot including our expectations.

Fine line indeed.

 

[pchan]

To all,

I reserved my X in summer 2015 and ordered in February 2016. At time of the order, I picked Dark Ash Wood Décor as a $750 option. On April 1, 2016, Dark Ash Wood officially become a standard feature, which means, people who ordered and picked Dark Ash Wood do not have to pay for extra. I have call-in HQ, DS, Owner's Adviser and plead my case and asked to wave the $750 charge. I believe it is unfair. The car is not even in production, and by the time of the delivery, my car already have devalued $750. For me, this is unfair and unacceptable. It is a punishment. HQ never replied me. I also had to reach out to DS and Owner's Adviser again and again to follow up and continue to "fight" for my right. No one contacted me, not even once.
At the end, here is what I had to do:
1. Pay $500 to change option
2. Change option from Dark Ash Wood Décor to Dark Ask Wood Décor
3. So, I saved $250 for the overall cost of the car.
I was heart broken and still am. What a punishment for early order. If I waited, none of the waiting game or quality or build issues would be my concerned.
I waited on Tesla, stood along side with it, ordered it early. None of those really matters.
What a punishment to believe in you!

I don't know if anyone in Tesla will feel my pain.

Tesla is totally right again!!!! No one in Tesla and pretty much no one in this forum will feel your pain. Just because you waited, stood along side with Tesla, ordered it early and paying for a $130K car that you have never driven or seen before, it doesn't matter ... Simply NO ONE cares. Tesla has a take it or leave it attitude and this is a Tesla fanboy forum. Whatever Tesla do is right. You said something negative? You are shorting TSLA! You posted a video? You are unfair to a young company like Tesla and it is a fake! Wait ... even though I am in the same situation as you and being charged extra $750. (Read my thread below) I think you deserve it! You are just trying to blackmail Tesla! Thank you Tesla for letting me be their customer and let me drive their car. Thank you for accepting my money and thank you for charging me $750 more than others. I think this is just a way for Tesla to show that I am special! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Long live Tesla! ...

Terrible Tesla customer service

 

[rundown]

To all,

I reserved my X in summer 2015 and ordered in February 2016. At time of the order, I picked Dark Ash Wood Décor as a $750 option. On April 1, 2016, Dark Ash Wood officially become a standard feature, which means, people who ordered and picked Dark Ash Wood do not have to pay for extra. I have call-in HQ, DS, Owner's Adviser and plead my case and asked to wave the $750 charge. I believe it is unfair. The car is not even in production, and by the time of the delivery, my car already have devalued $750. For me, this is unfair and unacceptable. It is a punishment. HQ never replied me. I also had to reach out to DS and Owner's Adviser again and again to follow up and continue to "fight" for my right. No one contacted me, not even once.
At the end, here is what I had to do:
1. Pay $500 to change option
2. Change option from Dark Ash Wood Décor to Dark Ask Wood Décor
3. So, I saved $250 for the overall cost of the car.
I was heart broken and still am. What a punishment for early order. If I waited, none of the waiting game or quality or build issues would be my concerned.
I waited on Tesla, stood along side with it, ordered it early. None of those really matters.
What a punishment to believe in you!

I don't know if anyone in Tesla will feel my pain.

Ummmm, Tesla should waive your $750 since your X is not build yet..Period. I am a TSLA fanboy but what's fair is fair.

 

[LeonardD]

Funny what some people would consider harsh. I reserved in 2012, configured in November of 2015 and am still waiting. I am glad I ordered the Matte Obeche. The money is not an issue here, considering the price of the car, and I would have ordered it regardless of whether it was the included option when I placed my order. On your order confirmation page it clearly states that Tesla reserves the right to change options at any time. You signed a contract to get what you want, and if Tesla chooses to change how an option is priced it is a non issue. I wonder how you would feel slighted if you chose an option that was initially free, but now has a cost to new orders. The options trim in a car does not have an impact on the value. The only things that really count are the Premium Interior, Ultra HiFi Audio, Tow, number of seats and battery pack, fabric or leather seating, and wheel size. Exterior color and interior trim mean nothing.

 

[WilliamZ]

Funny what some people would consider harsh. I reserved in 2012, configured in November of 2015 and am still waiting. I am glad I ordered the Matte Obeche. The money is not an issue here, considering the price of the car, and I would have ordered it regardless of whether it was the included option when I placed my order. On your order confirmation page it clearly states that Tesla reserves the right to change options at any time. You signed a contract to get what you want, and if Tesla chooses to change how an option is priced it is a non issue. I wonder how you would feel slighted if you chose an option that was initially free, but now has a cost to new orders. The options trim in a car does not have an impact on the value. The only things that really count are the Premium Interior, Ultra HiFi Audio, Tow, number of seats and battery pack, fabric or leather seating, and wheel size. Exterior color and interior trim mean nothing.

Thank you for sharing. You got a great point. Waving the contact and say "I got you! & No hard feelings!"

 

[LeonardD]

Do not get me wrong though. I do not necessarily agree that it is the right thing for them to do, but in the scheme of things it evens out. What I also consider to not be a little not so great, is that confirming your car more than 90 days before it even got a VIN still required the $500 penalty for changes long before it went into production. For example, I was going back and forth on ordering the upgraded audio, but had no way of hearing an example. I do not think that is very fair either.

 

[aesculus]

I tend to agree about the extensive lead time. To me 30 days prior to VIN assignment is really long enough.