Glad I'm not the only one. Pulled up my timeline on an X from June to take advantage of the reduced price before the purported ~3% increase on March 19th. Well, the price didn't actually go up on the X after that, and now the same config costs $3k less due to included autopilot, plus it's longer range + charges faster. Feeling pretty duped right about now...
I think the main reason it stings is that these changes are launched with seemingly arbitrary timing and no semi-reliable advance notice (though this particular announcement happening the day before earnings is unlikely to be a coincidence), so it's impossible to make an informed decision, and there's no consolation to those who picked a bad time to buy. With other products, you have a regular upgrade cadence, like smartphones or traditional cars where the new version is released around the same time each year and the previous model gets more and more discounted as you approach and pass the launch date. So you at least have the choice of trying to score a deal or waiting to see what the next generation will bring. But in this case, you're just rolling the dice as to whether you'll get the last in the line of a soon-to-be outdated generation. If you're unfortunate and an announcement drops for a significant upgrade at no additional cost the day after your return window closes, then too bad and better luck next time.
Tesla's approach here just doesn't sit right with me; it seems short-sighted and haphazard. There's something to be said for setting expectations with buyers rather than surprising them, which in the worst case leaves them sitting on the sidelines indefinitely. There are a number of ways Tesla could go about this differently to smooth out the transition. Like giving a 2 week lead time between announcement and launch, combined with a modest price premium on the latest and greatest that phases out over time (maybe tick/tock for product/pricing changes?). This would give Tesla a margin boost from early adopters, and the others get some semblance of choice and control. Sure, do iterative improvements to small things whenever, but save the big updates - significant range/performance boosts, styling makeovers, etc. - to something like once or twice a year, on a regular schedule, and introduce it in an orderly fashion, and customers would appreciate it more. Anyway, that's my 2 cents on the matter. Still doesn't do anything to make me feel better about the present situation, though.