How Tesla Charges Idle Fees?

[GKwey]

Each time when my car charged up to 80%, this text will sent to my phone: Supercharging is nearly complete at TIME. Idle fees will accrue once charging has ended.

My question is, How does Tesla charges idle fees to me? In future when people insert cards to purchase supercharging, that would make sense. Now all the owner has free charges and not required to show cards to charge. So just how it can be done? Or it's just a bluffing now?

 

[Az_Rael]

They will collect the next time you are in for service. Supercharger Idle Fee


I expect starting next year, when the paid supercharging goes into effect, we will all have to enter cards in to our accounts.

 

[TexasEV]

No one will be inserting cards for supercharging. Tesla knows what cars are plugged in and when, and will have an automated billing system. Whether it's prepaid or postpaid hasn't been announced yet. What we do know us that it will be frictionless-- you just plug in the car the same as before.

 

[BluestarE3]

I think @Az_Rael meant that you'll have to provide your credit card number in your MyTesla account rather than swiping the physical card at the charger.

 

[Yinn]

Or they can mail you a bill. The same way EZ-Pass chases after you, even if you don't have an account.

Difference is they have full control of your car should they need extreme debt collection measures.

 

[Maximapolak]

I read somewhere they'd charge you at the SC when you do service or warranty work.

 

[Patrick W]

Anyone here know when this new policy will go into effect? Thanks.

 

[bob_p]

Since there isn't a requirement for cars to go back to a service center - adding a credit card to the account would guarantee the fees are getting paid.

And if Tesla doesn't have any way to charge (either no credit card information provided or invalid info), Tesla could conceivably prevent use of the supercharger network, by not allowing charging to start, preventing opening of the charging port or possibly even preventing the car from even driving into an SC spot.

 

[EVCarGUy]

I read somewhere they'd charge you at the SC when you do service or warranty work.

Yeah, most likely on Tesla's own site. It's amazing how folks (the OP) don't even bother reading the actual information from Tesla but rather rely upon anonymous people posting on the internet for information.

 

[bkp_duke]

Anyone here know when this new policy will go into effect? Thanks.

It already has.

 

[Max*]

Difference is they have full control of your car should they need extreme debt collection measures.

There may be legal issues with this.


A better approach, though along the same lines, would be - if you owe more than $x, you can no longer supercharge. Pay up using your cell phone/17" screen under MyTesla, and your supercharging rights get re-instated.

I don't really like the "pay at your next service center visit approach"

 

[Yinn]

There may be legal issues with this.

A better approach, though along the same lines, would be - if you owe more than $x, you can no longer supercharge. Pay up using your cell phone/17" screen under MyTesla, and your supercharging rights get re-instated.

That's along the lines of what I meant. EZPass still has to send debt collectors, they can't stop you from actually going through an EZPass lane. I'm not sure what Tesla would or wouldn't be allowed to do legally, but at a minimum I would think they'd be able to prevent you from using superchargers.

I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped supporting the car with their free services either (e.g. no more OTA updates/blocked based on VIN, you NEED to bring your car in for service; where they can now charge you)

 

[Az_Rael]

I don't really like the "pay at your next service center visit approach"

I suspect that is only temporary. A few months ago, they added an option to add a credit card to your My Tesla account. I did it, just to see what would happen (nothing). Shortly afterwards, they deleted that code from the website, but it probably was just a sneak peak at a new credit card system.

My guess: the 8.1 update will implement some of this. They said the app is getting an overhaul for that one. Starting in January, the new paid supercharger plans will be in effect, so they have to be ready with all the info/rates/how to pay/etc for folks buying the cars after Jan 1.

 

[green1]

It's yet another case of Tesla breaking their promises. My car came with free supercharging for life. There were no restrictions placed on it. They can feel free to send me a bill, and I can feel free to ignore it. If they block my supercharging, they're breaking their contract with me. If they bill a credit card without authorization, I will reverse the charges.

 

[Max*]

It's yet another case of Tesla breaking their promises. My car came with free supercharging for life. There were no restrictions placed on it. They can feel free to send me a bill, and I can feel free to ignore it. If they block my supercharging, they're breaking their contract with me. If they bill a credit card without authorization, I will reverse the charges.

Your car still has free supercharging for life. They never promised free idling for life.

Good luck getting a bank to reverse the charge.

 

[green1]

Your car still has free supercharging for life. They never promised free idling for life.

Good luck getting a bank to reverse the charge.

Show me an agreement for Tesla to charge a credit card. They'll reverse it, that much is guaranteed.

As for free supercharging, exactly my point. it means that if I don't pay my idle fees, they CAN'T block my supercharging legally.

 

[Max*]

Show me an agreement for Tesla to charge a credit card. They'll reverse it, that much is guaranteed.

As for free supercharging, exactly my point. it means that if I don't pay my idle fees, they CAN'T block my supercharging legally.

There's ways to get around it. "You can supercharge for free for 1wh, if you didn't pay your fees." So they imposed a limit, but you still have free lifetime supercharging, just not free unlimited lifetime supercharging.


Anyways, the whole them blocking access to superchargers was a comment I made upthread, no one knows what Tesla's ultimate plan is, for now they'll just charge you next time you go get service/anything from the service center/etc.

They're not taking anything away from you yet, nor did they take anything away from you that they promised you'd have.

 

[green1]

There's ways to get around it. "You can supercharge for free for 1wh, if you didn't pay your fees." So they imposed a limit, but you still have free lifetime supercharging, just not free unlimited lifetime supercharging.


Anyways, the whole them blocking access to superchargers was a comment I made upthread, no one knows what Tesla's ultimate plan is, for now they'll just charge you next time you go get service/anything from the service center/etc.

They're not taking anything away from you yet, nor did they take anything away from you that they promised you'd have.

They won't get a single cent out of me for it, That I can guarantee.

They can feel free to change the deal for new customers. But they have no legal right to make retroactive changes to existing customers. That's not how the law works.

 

[mhan00]

It's yet another case of Tesla breaking their promises. My car came with free supercharging for life. There were no restrictions placed on it. They can feel free to send me a bill, and I can feel free to ignore it. If they block my supercharging, they're breaking their contract with me. If they bill a credit card without authorization, I will reverse the charges.

Gotta love the entitlement.

 

[Max*]

They can feel free to change the deal for new customers. But they have no legal right to make retroactive changes to existing customers. That's not how the law works.

lolwut? Where did they promise to let you idle at the superchargers for free?