Model 3 reservations ($1000 down) will be accepted in Tesla stores....

[ModelNforNerd]

That guy in line behind you will probably be me. While we wait for the store to open, we can commiserate over the various "OMG THE DATA CENTER IS ON FIRE!!!!11" emails that will inevitably be blowing up our phones.

Yea, I'm sure there will be plenty of those flying around.

I'm hoping to get in, drop my deposit shortly after 10, and then have a relaxing day...we'll see.....

 

[shrspeedblade]

Just spoke with my closest store. They said they are taking deposits that morning and that they would have pictures of the car to see before you make your deposit (if that's true, I'm guessing they won't allow pictures) even though the official unveiling is that evening. He said that with the amount of calls they've had, they expect a line out the door.

There are 94 Tesla stores in the US. I'm going to guess 100 people per store on average for day one. That's 10,000 deposits on day one just in the US, before online reservations even start.

Looks like I'm going to have to make the 3 hour drive if I want to have a chance to get my car next year.

You probably need to make sure you order a highly optioned car too, because if they're doing it this way it's nice to be an Australian/New Zealander besides just living in a great country!!!
(And it really shafts anyone on the US West coast or anyone at the reveal.)
I'm surprised that there will be pictures floating about prior to the reveal, because you just know there will be a leak and it will be plastered all over the web. Maybe Tesla is not too concerned about this as it will probably just add to the hype.

Walnut Creek is slightly closer, but maybe I'll come hang out with some of you Sactown folks at the Rocklin store.

 

[tga]

Yea, I'm sure there will be plenty of those flying around.

I'm hoping to get in, drop my deposit shortly after 10, and then have a relaxing day...we'll see.....

I'm planning to show up at Natick sometime before 10 on the 31st. The Natick Mall (oh, excuuuuse me, "Collection") opens for mall walkers at 7am.

 

[Andyw2100]

Just spoke with my closest store. They said they are taking deposits that morning and that they would have pictures of the car to see before you make your deposit (if that's true, I'm guessing they won't allow pictures) even though the official unveiling is that evening.

I'd expect most of their pre-launch event pictures to look a lot like this:

 

[McHoffa]

You probably need to make sure you order a highly optioned car too, because if they're doing it this way it's nice to be an Australian/New Zealander besides just living in a great country!!!
(And it really shafts anyone on the US West coast or anyone at the reveal.)

I am going to get mine loaded or close to it. Looking at spending up to $65k (I was already considering a 70D toward the end of this year, but since it's so close at this point, I'll just wait for a loaded 3). That should get me AWD, Performance, largest battery and a few options. Probably won't get me Ludicrous, but that's ok.

Do you think it will launch in AU/NZ? I was thinking they were delayed before. I figured North American and Europe would get first in line for them, but it's possible it's worldwide.

 

[S3XY]

Just spoke with my closest store. They said they are taking deposits that morning and that they would have pictures of the car to see before you make your deposit (if that's true, I'm guessing they won't allow pictures) even though the official unveiling is that evening. He said that with the amount of calls they've had, they expect a line out the door.

There are 94 Tesla stores in the US. I'm going to guess 100 people per store on average for day one. That's 10,000 deposits on day one just in the US, before online reservations even start.

Looks like I'm going to have to make the 3 hour drive if I want to have a chance to get my car next year.

I would think the average would be under 50 per store so more like 5,000 at most. Either way, it's not a big enough number (and not a guarantee of getting one of the first 5 or 10k cars) for me to take off work and drive 3 hours each way to Cleveland. I will be one of the April Fools. Hopefully that works out okay for me. BTW, your chances of getting yours delivered in 2017 are pretty slim so I wouldn't hold my breath. It may very well turn out that no one gets theirs in 2017.

 

[Tedkidd]

I would think the average would be under 50 per store so more like 5,000 at most. Either way, it's not a big enough number (and not a guarantee of getting one of the first 5 or 10k cars) for me to take off work and drive 3 hours each way to Cleveland. I will be one of the April Fools. Hopefully that works out okay for me. BTW, your chances of getting yours delivered in 2017 are pretty slim so I wouldn't hold my breath. It may very well turn out that no one gets theirs in 2017.

I'm going from Rochester...

My lease ends January 2018 - may be borrowing an ICE for a few months - yuck.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

I'm planning to show up at Natick sometime before 10 on the 31st. The Natick Mall (oh, excuuuuse me, "Collection") opens for mall walkers at 7am.

not sure what year, but they went back to "mall".

I think they agreed with most peoples' perceptions that "collection" sounded a bit snooty. LOL

 

[etm33]

They have said that the deposit for the 3 is refundable as well.

Source? I've seen no such confirmation, only surpassing that this would be the case based on Model S and X.

I certainly hope and expect it to be true, but am not aware of an official statement to that fact.

 

[Andyw2100]

Source? I've seen no such confirmation, only surpassing that this would be the case based on Model S and X.

I certainly hope and expect it to be true, but am not aware of an official statement to that fact.

I think you mean surmising, not surpassing.

I haven't seen anything official either, but I also haven't looked.

The deposit would pretty much have to be refundable because the details of the item the deposit is being put down for are not known. The price is not known, the specifications are not known, the prices of the options and even availability of the options are not known, etc. I'm sure that's why Tesla has always made the deposits refundable in the past. It's one thing to take a non-refundable deposit on a very specific item someone intends to purchase, but another thing entirely to take a non-refundable deposit with so many unknowns.

 

[Bimbels]

Source? I've seen no such confirmation, only surpassing that this would be the case based on Model S and X.

I certainly hope and expect it to be true, but am not aware of an official statement to that fact.

How Model 3 Deposits Will Impact Tesla Stock - Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) | Seeking Alpha

i read this, plus based on how they have handled deposits in the past, and even now with the S and X.

 

[etm33]

I think you mean surmising, not surpassing.

I haven't seen anything official either, but I also haven't looked.

The deposit would pretty much have to be refundable because the details of the item the deposit is being put down for are not known. The price is not known, the specifications are not known, the prices of the options and even availability of the options are not known, etc. I'm sure that's why Tesla has always made the deposits refundable in the past. It's one thing to take a non-refundable deposit on a very specific item someone intends to purchase, but another thing entirely to take a non-refundable deposit with so many unknowns.

Indeed. Autocorrect for the loss.

The source cited is definitely not official. I agree that I do expect it to be refundable, but that's not a factual statement at this point.

 

[EcoHeliGuy]

Source? I've seen no such confirmation, only surpassing that this would be the case based on Model S and X.

I certainly hope and expect it to be true, but am not aware of an official statement to that fact.

It's a deposit not down payment. By definition it's refundable


Although he did tweet this

Elon Musk
Elon Musk – Verified account ‏@elonmusk

Model 3 reservations ($1000 down) will be accepted in Tesla stores on March 31 and online April 1
11:10 PM - 10 Feb 2016

 

[TEG]

Will those in earlier time zones get to put in orders first?

For instance, will people on the East Coast of USA be able to get an order number 3 hours earlier than those going to store openings on the West Coast?

I wonder where you will have to be in the world to get Model 3 #1 ...


-----

Some related other threads:

Who is going to be camping out on March 30th?
Are you reserving at the reveal, at a store, or online?

 

[EcoHeliGuy]

I don't see a problem with this. The first person to place a deposit, and more then likely it will be a electronic online transaction, should be first in line (subject to production constants). If that means people in the East coast get in three hours before people in the west coast, then great. That's sounds fair. It's the people in all the other time zones you have to worry about like Australia, Asia, Europe. Although the North American ones should probably be produced first.

What everyone is forgetting is there has never been a history of first deposit produces the first car. Unless your a founder, and even then I know of at least one Founders model X not built yet.

 

[Trev Page]

First in line doesn't guarantee anything. Tesla produces high optioned cars first. History proves this.

 

[McHoffa]

First in line doesn't guarantee anything. Tesla produces high optioned cars first. History proves this.

I'm guessing anyone that is willing to get first in line also plans on getting a highly optioned Model 3. I know I am.

 

[Brad_SC]

I'm guessing anyone that is willing to get first in line also plans on getting a highly optioned Model 3. I know I am.

I will be lining up, and intend to get a highly optioned model.

 

[brianman]

It's a deposit not down payment. By definition it's refundable

Incorrect on the underlined. Ludicrous upgrade isn't refundable.

 

[UKayla]

Had planned on going to the Cincinnati store to reserve on 3/31, felt like it was time for a small trip out of town anyway. Then I wasn't sure if I should go reserve it without even seeing a drawing of it due to the time of the reveal. But if the reservation fee is refundable, seems worth it. I can't think of a scenario in which I'm going to absolutely hate how the car looks. As long as it isn't one of those hideous vehicles that looks like you're driving a refrigerator box, I should be okay with it.