Helping people find or sell a reservation for a model S or X

[mnx]

I don't even like the fact the a separate signature queue exists... That already lets late comers (to a certain extent) jump the line by plopping down a bigger reservation.

For the Model E it'd be nicer if there was only a Tesla owners queue and then a general production queue. It would also be nice if they combined the Canadian and US reservation lists, that way there's no ambiguity of where you are in the queue...

I strongly agree with this. Tesla is trying to reward those who provided them with support before the car was fully realized. They are marketing a "Tesla family" concept, and speculating has no place here. It's refreshing to find a tiny bit of our society that can be different than the rest of our objective capitalist society. Loyalty should be rewarded. It would leave a bitter taste in my mouth if someone like Justin Bieber purchased a Sig reservation in a week and get his Tesla before everyone who has patiently stood by Tesla through media smear jobs, stock volatility, and their difficult learning curve.

 

[KBF]

I don't even like the fact the a separate signature queue exists... That already lets late comers (to a certain extent) jump the line by plopping down a bigger reservation.

For the Model E it'd be nicer if there was only a Tesla owners queue and then a general production queue. It would also be nice if they combined the Canadian and US reservation lists, that way there's no ambiguity of where you are in the queue...

I agree (at this stage). Signature made sense when people were willing to lay down $40k a year or 3 ahead of time, but their over-allotment of Canadian Sigs is more to blame with the currunt situation. Hindsight / demographic info probably suggests 100 as a better number for us.

 

[davidsiegel]

This is the discussion I was hoping for. Thank you. So here's my question:

A "speculator" could purchase a $5k reservation, hoping to sell it for what might amount to $2-5k, depending on market demand and visibility for what amounts to a 3-month wait. But that same person could configure the car into a studmobile, take delivery, and then sell it on eBay for at least a $10k profit, if not double that, because there are likely some Justin Biebers or hedge fund honchos who want the car immediately and are willing to pay for it (history with other hot cars, like the Boxter, has shown this to be true). Furthermore, that person may be able to get someone to loan him the $100k for the car in exchange for half the profit, giving the original "speculator" his $5k, possibly more.

And that's all just fine with people who have a problem with selling a reservation?

Are the original reservation people more dear to the company and more enthusiastic about their cars than those who pay a premium to get one right now?

I'm casting a single vote for liquidity, but I want the company to read these threads and see what others think. So please say something and cast your vote. Again, contact me directly if you are interested in selling or buying - that helps me tell the company what the real demand is. Thanks.

 

[Robert.Boston]

People -- or, at least, Americans -- react very strongly to line-jumping. There's something about the egalitarianism of "everyone takes his turn" that is drilled in from kindergarten.

A famous economist (Stiglitz, I think, not perfectly sure) tells the story of running into a supermarket to pick up a few items. He's in a hurry, and, being a rational economist, approaches someone near the front of the line and offers to give him $10 to go to the back of the line, allowing the economist to take his place. This proposed transaction caused an uproar with all the people behind the guy in line, despite the fact that the economist only had a few items and the guy in line had a cart-full. Everyone would have been better off if the transaction had occurred, but the economist gave in to peer pressure and stood at the back of the line.

 

[brianman]

People -- or, at least, Americans -- react very strongly to line-jumping. There's something about the egalitarianism of "everyone takes his turn" that is drilled in from kindergarten.

A famous economist (Stiglitz, I think, not perfectly sure) tells the story of running into a supermarket to pick up a few items. He's in a hurry, and, being a rational economist, approaches someone near the front of the line and offers to give him $10 to go to the back of the line, allowing the economist to take his place. This proposed transaction caused an uproar with all the people behind the guy in line, despite the fact that the economist only had a few items and the guy in line had a cart-full. Everyone would have been better off if the transaction had occurred, but the economist gave in to peer pressure and stood at the back of the line.

Personally speaking, I have trouble with the "swapping positions". The first person in line doesn't have that to offer.

If OTOH he paid everyone in sequence to move forward 1 slot in line, then I'd have no problem with it.

 

[konefunk]

I don't think Tesla's potential customers gain anything by Tesla opening the floodgates to the reselling of reservations. Only speculators would gain...

That is exactly right.

- - - Updated - - -

This is the discussion I was hoping for. Thank you. So here's my question:

A "speculator" could purchase a $5k reservation, hoping to sell it for what might amount to $2-5k, depending on market demand and visibility for what amounts to a 3-month wait. But that same person could configure the car into a studmobile, take delivery, and then sell it on eBay for at least a $10k profit, if not double that, because there are likely some Justin Biebers or hedge fund honchos who want the car immediately and are willing to pay for it (history with other hot cars, like the Boxter, has shown this to be true). Furthermore, that person may be able to get someone to loan him the $100k for the car in exchange for half the profit, giving the original "speculator" his $5k, possibly more.

And that's all just fine with people who have a problem with selling a reservation?

Are the original reservation people more dear to the company and more enthusiastic about their cars than those who pay a premium to get one right now?

I'm casting a single vote for liquidity, but I want the company to read these threads and see what others think. So please say something and cast your vote. Again, contact me directly if you are interested in selling or buying - that helps me tell the company what the real demand is. Thanks.

Tesla has revolutionized the auto industry, in part by getting rid of the middleman...the salesman at the dealership. This twist on the speculator/middleman is not much different. If people want to sell their reservation, or their car after its delivered, on their own that's their right and that seems acceptable. People may have good reasons for doing so (wanting a faster model, or Model X, etc). But people who want to make a living acting as a broker will really only benefit the broker...if X amount money is to be made on the sale, the money the broker gains is coming either out of the pocket of the buyer or seller. Most people will find this distasteful I think...very much like scalping tickets.