Is Tesla Ripping Off Customers?

[WhiteMS85]

In shopping around for a MX for my wife, I came across 2 window stickers that surely raised my eyebrows.
Normally I consider myself quite smart, but in this case I feel I need a little bit of help understanding. Can someone please explain. Perhaps I'm missing something?

Both vehicles are MX 90D. Both are manufactured 05/2016. Yes they have mostly similar upgrades. BUT WHAT'S UP WITH THE EXTRA $15,500 for a 90KWh battery on the Silver 90D vs "Included" on the Pearl White 90D???

I thought a 90D is a 90D because the 90KWh battery is already "included"?

Please look closely at the window stickers I attached.

I could be wrong but either one guy got really lucky or the other guy was seriously ripped off $15,500?

#TESLAPRICEGATE ?? (lol)


(added a better pdf of the silver car window sticker - clearer to see)

 

[bhzmark]

Ask Tesla directly for the sticker and you will likely find that since the car is being sold by a non-Tesla stealership, the scummy used car seller likely modified the Monroney sticker to misrepresent the original price.

 

[Troy]

It doesn't make a difference. For example, with the Model 3 Long Range, you can display the price either this way:

Model 3 base version: $35,000
Long Range battery: $9,000
Total: $44,000

Or you can display it this way:
Model 3 Long Range: $44,000

Tesla happened to select the first option. Here is the window sticker. However, in the future, they might change it to the second option. It doesn't make a difference. Whether a variant is considered a sub-configuration or an independent configuration, changes based on sales numbers and sales expectations. If Tesla expects a variant to sell more than 66% before they launch it, they can consider it the main configuration and the other variants with the same motor power would be sub-configurations. But later of it turns out that a sub configuration sells more than 33%, then it needs to be considered an independent configuration. It's just some meaningless technicality. It's not important.

 

[WhiteMS85]

Troy, Thanks for responding buy frankly I'm not sure where you're going with this - both vehicles have the same base price and the numbers add up. The only thing that doesn't add up is why one vehicle costs $15K more than the other with similar configuration.

bhzmark's explanation makes more sense, however people that shop for tesla's are generally pretty savvy so I dont see why a reputable dealership would ruin their reputation doctoring a Monroney sticker. I've never seen such a thing before.

 

[Troy]

OK, it looks like the issue is not what I thought it was. Let me help with the presentation of the data:

 

[mongo]

In shopping around for a MX for my wife, I came across 2 window stickers that surely raised my eyebrows.
Normally I consider myself quite smart, but in this case I feel I need a little bit of help understanding. Can someone please explain. Perhaps I'm missing something?

Both vehicles are MX 90D. Both are manufactured 05/2016. Yes they have mostly similar upgrades. BUT WHAT'S UP WITH THE EXTRA $15,500 for a 90KWh battery on the Silver 90D vs "Included" on the Pearl White 90D???

I thought a 90D is a 90D because the 90KWh battery is already "included"?

Please look closely at the window stickers I attached.

I could be wrong but either one guy got really lucky or the other guy was seriously ripped off $15,500?

#TESLAPRICEGATE ?? (lol)


(added a better pdf of the silver car window sticker - clearer to see)

@HankLloydRight do you have historical data on these? Wondering if there was a showroom discount between 6 and 7 seat versions.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

The first VIN has a B as the 6th letter suggesting an EU vehicle? Or could it be Canada?

 

[WhiteMS85]

US, Canada, EU - whats the difference? The bottom line is that it appears one vehicle was charged $15,500 for a 90KWh battery and the other vehicle wasn't.

I see mongo's point there may have been a discount but I don't think it would have been in the form of a "free battery upgrade" on a vehicle that is already sold as a 90D which implies its already a 90KWh car.
I would understand if it were a 70D with a "free" 90KWh upgrade that would "save" $15,500.... but not in this case. Its clearly a 90D in both stickers - and one obviously paid $15,500 more than the other.

What's going on here?
Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[mongo]

The first VIN has a B as the 6th letter suggesting an EU vehicle? Or could it be Canada?

That's restraint system difference for 6 vs 7 seat.

 

[NewTMSMan]

Seems like an oddity. There are sites you can use to generate a Monroney sticker and maybe they used that and it had an error. Dealer site doesn't list this in the details they provide so I am guessing the used car dealer is not really to blame here: 2016 Used Tesla Model X AWD 4dr 90D at MotorCars of Nashville - Mt Juliet Serving Mt.Juliet, TN, IID 16475758

 

[HankLloydRight]

@HankLloydRight do you have historical data on these? Wondering if there was a showroom discount between 6 and 7 seat versions.

I've got nothin'.

The actual price difference is only $8k. Where's the other $7k go?

edit: the only thing I would guess was there was a price change between these two VINs, and they adjusted how the options are displayed on the sticker.

 

[WhiteMS85]

yes - if you compare the 2 vehicle's options, the 7th seat, UHF sound, High Amp Charger, and Subzero - that a total of $15,500 difference which is exactly the charge of the battery "upgrade"

Still stumps me....

anyone else???

 

[AnxietyRanger]

That's restraint system difference for 6 vs 7 seat.

Isn't A and B the restraint difference for knee airbags, i.e. the difference between U.S. and EU.

Tesla VIN-Decoder certainly seems to say so.

 

[HankLloydRight]

You got him!

 

[mongo]

Isn't A and B the restraint difference for knee airbags, i.e. the difference between U.S. and EU.

Tesla VIN-Decoder certainly seems to say so.

Good catch, I missed the knee part at the end.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

A EU car seems unlikely (wrong charging connectors and all), but could B apply also to e.g. Canada?

 

[AnxietyRanger]

While I'm prone to jokes about "Showroom Adjustments" and all that, IMO this seems more likely some clerical error, an unusual car (e.g. for a different market) or a change in the way options have been listed at a particular time resulting in the difference, than a "gate" of some kind...

An interesting anomaly still, as a sleuthing exercise.

 

[NewTMSMan]

Looks like claim about the 90 kWh upgrade originated from seller in Chicago.

 

[mongo]

Isn't A and B the restraint difference for knee airbags, i.e. the difference between U.S. and EU.

Tesla VIN-Decoder certainly seems to say so.

Wait, I'm still confused. The official VIN decoder has only four option for 5,6,7, and 5 seats :
Digit 6: Restraint System
1= Type 2 manual seatbelts (FR, SR*3) with front airbags, PODS, side inflatable restraints, knee airbags (FR)
A = Type 2 manual seatbelts (FR, SR*3, TR*2) with front airbags, PODS, side inflatable restraints, knee airbags (FR)
B = Type 2 manual seatbelts (FR, SR*2, TR*2) with front airbags, PODS, side inflatable restraints, knee airbags (FR)
D= Type 2 Manual Seatbelts (FR, SR*3) with front airbags. PODS, side inflatable restraints, knee airbags (FR)

It looks like TeslaTap shortened the B entry. Or am I missing something?

 

[NewTMSMan]

The first VIN has a B as the 6th letter suggesting an EU vehicle? Or could it be Canada?

This difference is just that second row has 3 seat belts in 7 seater and 2 seat belts in 6 seater.