When I was looking to purchase my Model S in September 2016, I had a feeling a hardware update to Autopilot was coming. Since Autopilot is important to me due to my long highway commute to work every day, I asked the sales representatives if I should delay my purchase and wait for the new hardware suit. The response I received was that there would be no hardware updates in the near future. In addition, I was told I could always upgrade the hardware after it was released. Both these claims have turned out to be false.
Another misleading claim by the sales team happened shortly after I paid my deposit and was informed I was being offered a 60D inventory car at the same price of my ordered 60. When this offer was made I was told “the only catch with this offer” is that I need to take delivery of the vehicle before September 30th, which was quarter end for Tesla. When I asked if this deal was being offered because a new Autopilot hardware suit was about to be released, it was reiterated to me that it did not appear there would be an Autopilot hardware release coming soon. Looking back, given that the delivery date for my car was scheduled to be in late October, there was in fact a huge catch not mentioned to me for accepting the offer that I was being made. That catch was that my car would not include the new Autopilot hardware suite, an important feature for me. It also meant that my car would effectively be out of date less than 4 weeks after I took delivery of it.
In sum, I was misled during my purchase experience and it’s very disappointing. I believe my experience highlights an important flaw in Tesla’s marketing strategy that should be rectified if the company wants to differentiate itself with a no nonsense sales approach. I bought a Tesla after coming close to purchasing a Chevrolet Volt, but got put off by the usual dealership shenanigans. When I walked into a Tesla store it was a breath of fresh air and I felt I could trust what I was being told. Sadly, my experience has proven otherwise.
In conclusion, what bothers me the most is that I want nothing more than to be a proud ambassador for Tesla. I’m 35 years old and I love the idea of only owning Tesla vehicles for the rest of my life. Tesla is the future. Sadly, feeling cheated by the company has undermined my fervor towards the brand.
Another misleading claim by the sales team happened shortly after I paid my deposit and was informed I was being offered a 60D inventory car at the same price of my ordered 60. When this offer was made I was told “the only catch with this offer” is that I need to take delivery of the vehicle before September 30th, which was quarter end for Tesla. When I asked if this deal was being offered because a new Autopilot hardware suit was about to be released, it was reiterated to me that it did not appear there would be an Autopilot hardware release coming soon. Looking back, given that the delivery date for my car was scheduled to be in late October, there was in fact a huge catch not mentioned to me for accepting the offer that I was being made. That catch was that my car would not include the new Autopilot hardware suite, an important feature for me. It also meant that my car would effectively be out of date less than 4 weeks after I took delivery of it.
In sum, I was misled during my purchase experience and it’s very disappointing. I believe my experience highlights an important flaw in Tesla’s marketing strategy that should be rectified if the company wants to differentiate itself with a no nonsense sales approach. I bought a Tesla after coming close to purchasing a Chevrolet Volt, but got put off by the usual dealership shenanigans. When I walked into a Tesla store it was a breath of fresh air and I felt I could trust what I was being told. Sadly, my experience has proven otherwise.
In conclusion, what bothers me the most is that I want nothing more than to be a proud ambassador for Tesla. I’m 35 years old and I love the idea of only owning Tesla vehicles for the rest of my life. Tesla is the future. Sadly, feeling cheated by the company has undermined my fervor towards the brand.