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Latest Price Drop Discussion
- Thread starter Sutton 3P
- Start date
JamesBrown
Member
- I dont understand that goals can change: The mission is complete. Now that the goal is complete, Tesla should not adjust their goals or Mission. They should focus on keeping me happy instead of growing.
- My car is not tech based: Stop comparing my car price drop to a tablet or a TV price drop. I do not care that my car is more technologically driven than any other car on the market. I want to pick and choose which aspects to compare. Just because people want the newest tech and updates does not mean I should have to eat the cost as an early adopter. Tesla should forsee all market changes and set prices according to market demand a year from now and not today.
- Tech prices keep going down: I don't understand that new manufacturing processes have large upfront costs and can gain improvements. If the efficiencies are gained, I expect Telsa to artificially hold the price high to help my resale value and not pass the savings along to new customers. I am more important than new buyers because I have Tesla a $1000 deposit 3 years ago.
- I neglect savings on gas: Stop telling me that my gas savings help offset the money I lost on depreciation. I expect to save money on gas AND have resale value stay high. I bought my Tesla as an investment.
- Stop telling me to stop whining: I dont care that my constant bitching about price changes and class action lawsuits alienates new buyers from the Tesla community. It is my thread and I'll cry if I want to.
- I had no idea Tesla might make changes: I never followed Tesla pricing changes on the S or X and had no idea that Tesla might make changes on the 3 as well.
- My 2005 Civic did not depreciate this much: Stop comparing showing me similar examples of other cars with heavy depreciation. I only want to see comparisons to cheap economy cars that historically hold their value better due to 3-5 year refresh schedules. I am underwater on my car and feel foolish.
- I dont care that I agreed to a price: Tesla should sign a contract that they will not pursue any innovative changes or introduce any price drops within 6 months of my purchase. Again, I am more important than any new customers.
- Robotaxi’s aren't here now: I don't care that they have a modified goal they are trying to achieve that may bring value to my car. I purchased a Tesla because I only care about today and not 2 years from now.
- I dont care that other dealerships do the same: Please stop reminding me how all dealerships change prices that I dont notice. I refuse to acknowledge any industry examples and I dont care that businesses will adjust pricing to maximize sales and profit. The bottom line is that Elon is standing on my back as his biggest fans to pursue his mission (that isnt allowed to change). Price swings, unexpected updates, creating nearly 50,000 jobs, and fun tech centered nature make people fall in love with Tesla. The long term consequences of me being upset about loosing $5000 are much more important than drawing in thousands of new customers. Again, I am more important.
"Whatever Tesla does, makes sense" is not -always- true. However, we can assume they try their best to be rational agents. No one gets it perfect but absolutely they want to survive. If they want to survive, they get as close to Pareto efficiency as possible.
Everyone's known forever through inference/common sense that a 3P is a software AWD. MR of a 3P- is all positive while MC = 0.
My point here, is none of the customers are going to be able to tell Tesla how they should price their products. And also tell them how to price their products, independent of their anecdotal purchases (which is really what this is about).
It's really pissing in the wind and being mad the wind isn't cooperating.
Which is Q2 was a record all time and Q3 will even beat these numbers?
At some point you just GO. Don't assign ZERO value to owning a Model 3 for two years already - which July 2017 was first Model 3s.
jebinc
Well-Known Member
JamesBrown
Member
Model S and X owners also see price adjustments, but on a scale 2-3x larger... yet do not complain nearly as much as Model 3 owners. Seems like "average" owners are just more entitled and whiny.
davewill
Active Member
On the first point, had you bought a Toyota 30 days ago, they could be advertising a $4K factory rebate this month. There's always a cutoff point for price changes and somebody always ends up missing it by a little bit. It happens in the other direction, too. There's nothing much to do about it. Complaining doesn't make much sense.
On the second point, where the hell did you get THAT idea? (if you're about to say Elon, I WILL laugh) Tesla is going to price their cars to make money...period. There should be no expectation of "price stability in a major investment". A car is not an investment.
Any stability will only come years down the road when production costs stabilize and the market matures...and your new Tesla will still depreciate like crazy because the new models will have some new doohickey, count on it.
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They should learn from Apple.
Of course they are. What do you expect? It’s a car for average people who care about couple thousands. If you are buying a 100+k car, money is obviously not so important.
JamesBrown
Member
That is BS. Just because you have more money, does not mean it is less important to you. It just means you work harder. If anything, it would mean you value it more.
A) The main cost driver of an electric car, is battery cost - and maybe computer costs. Those fall quite rapidly, which means Teslas should be projected to either go down in cost, or considerably increase in feature content. Most ICE cars were continually increasing feature content. Certain law changes in the EU seem to have stagnated the European brands, though.
B) Would you complain about new cars being considerably faster, better handling, or better riding?
I bought my 3P, because I thought the price was fair, and I plan to drive it for about 120,000 miles, and the costs worked out well for that.
If, when I get done, its only worth scrap, and a new one is 20K, great! I'll happily buy it, or an S or a Roadster.
I think some of the issue is Tesla doesn't really think of their cars as "everyman" vehicles, for folks who spend a large chunk of their net worth on a car. They are tech. As such, they should, always, be getting cheaper, and better.
Smartphones are a bit stalled out right now, because they aren't really getting much better, but they are getting vastly more expensive - same as wireless service in the US.
B) Would you complain about new cars being considerably faster, better handling, or better riding?
I bought my 3P, because I thought the price was fair, and I plan to drive it for about 120,000 miles, and the costs worked out well for that.
If, when I get done, its only worth scrap, and a new one is 20K, great! I'll happily buy it, or an S or a Roadster.
I think some of the issue is Tesla doesn't really think of their cars as "everyman" vehicles, for folks who spend a large chunk of their net worth on a car. They are tech. As such, they should, always, be getting cheaper, and better.
Smartphones are a bit stalled out right now, because they aren't really getting much better, but they are getting vastly more expensive - same as wireless service in the US.
groovidad
Living the Dream!
I'm sorry but, I didn't purchase the M3 as an "investment". I also didn't purchase worried about "depreciation". Didn't purchase with worries about future price fluctuations. I purchased because it just made sense. I am happy to see many get the fantastic deals which only benefits our community AND the happiness I have experienced since my purchase is priceless!
JamesBrown
Member
You can pick on me all you want, but I am not sure how you tie a clearly satirical thread to a political agenda. I guess since I am Pro-Choice, it means I instinctively think people complaining about price drops on a tech product is dumb?
This is patently untrue. Do you not recall the pricing "controversy" on the initial iPhone? Apple overpriced the phone then dropped it within a month. I paid the original price, but I did get an Apple gift card. However I wasn't upset and didn't expect anything because that's the risk of being an early adopter.
Go out and see what you can get last year's iPhone for right now. It's significantly less than if you bought it last fall. Within 6 months, you can get the current iPhone model for way cheaper than the initial price. It happens every year. Or if you think an iPhone holds it's value, try to trade it in or resell it. Guess what, it's probably depreciated by at least 50%.
Last time I updated my iPhone at full price, two weeks later our carrier offered a free iPhone when you updated one. I still got the phone I bought at the price I agree to pay, so I moved on.
Same thing happen this week with Amazon's Prime day. Several items I've purchases over the last few month ere 40%-50% off.
Prices change. If I got pissed off every time they did, I would be miserable most of my life.
According to Elon Musk it is! The car is supposed to appreciate in value! 
If we compare Tesla to other manufacturers, they don't change their MSRP. They offer incentives, short-termed or long-termed, to move certain inventory. The baseline still remains the same. This in turn helps determine the residual value of the car 2 years, 5 years, 10 years down the road.
As I mentioned in my response above, Tesla, as a company, can choose whatever they want to do, and for that matter, each of us on the forums, made independent decisions to buy the car, and not under duress. I made the purchase based on Tesla's stability in model changes year-over-year (limited changes rather than a new model every year), their pricing stability (price didn't change unless features changed), and straight through purchase process. All this meant, their prices will be more stable.
The challenge for Tesla will be that more buyers in the future will wait on the sidelines or will go for other cars because they don't feel like the money they spent is protected. Yes, the car will inherently lose its value over time. However, some of the car company's practices lead to more stable / greater residual value for the car. Honda, for example, hold up their values better than many other cars not only because they are reliable, but also because they have not flooded the market with rental cars and such.
Hope you understand my sentiment, and not blindly accepting everything they company does!
If we compare Tesla to other manufacturers, they don't change their MSRP. They offer incentives, short-termed or long-termed, to move certain inventory. The baseline still remains the same. This in turn helps determine the residual value of the car 2 years, 5 years, 10 years down the road.
As I mentioned in my response above, Tesla, as a company, can choose whatever they want to do, and for that matter, each of us on the forums, made independent decisions to buy the car, and not under duress. I made the purchase based on Tesla's stability in model changes year-over-year (limited changes rather than a new model every year), their pricing stability (price didn't change unless features changed), and straight through purchase process. All this meant, their prices will be more stable.
The challenge for Tesla will be that more buyers in the future will wait on the sidelines or will go for other cars because they don't feel like the money they spent is protected. Yes, the car will inherently lose its value over time. However, some of the car company's practices lead to more stable / greater residual value for the car. Honda, for example, hold up their values better than many other cars not only because they are reliable, but also because they have not flooded the market with rental cars and such.
Hope you understand my sentiment, and not blindly accepting everything they company does!
Maybe it's the homophobic slur in your title?
davewill
Active Member
On the contrary, it's a tightrope. They have to lower prices to generate the demand to support the production levels where they can make money. What they absolutely cannot afford to do is sit tight on their pricing and expect to keep selling more cars.
The tough part is that ultimately they need to make that $35K car profitable.
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