Price Increase on the sly

[DaveTilly]

Hi All,

first post to this forum.

I have been considering the purchase of a new Tesla. I started the process about 7 weeks ago, test drove the S, then saw the X and immediately new that was the car for me. However, over the following weeks, Tesla were unable to answer quite a number of important questions fired at them and were very slow at communicating back.

I went to test drive the X 2-3 weeks ago as they were now allowing test drives, and playing on the configurator later that evening, realised that the price has increased by 6k on the spec I wanted. No one told me when I went down to test drive, and no one bothered to communicate this price increase to me. Let along give me the heads up to get an order in before the price went up.

Do you think its fair I ask them to honour the price they quoted me? I asked them 'do you think thats a fair way to treat a customer' and all I got was ' we are not abliged to honour any prices'. I was like 'yeah, great answer mate, but hardly going to inspire me to buy a Tesla'. He said, with regards to the questions I asked and couldnt answer, that I should trust in Tesla.
How can I trust a company who treats customers like this before they even make a purchase.

And does anyone know of any contact details for senior sales person for UK/EU whom I might take this up with? I still very much want to place the order.

Seriously not happy as had just decided after weeks of research, deliberation, finance organising etc etc to buy, then they go pull this? Plus it would have been the start of our new company fleet so doubly not impressed.

 

[PedanticOne]

They are well in their rights to change their pricing structure at any time. Once you confirm your order, however, I believe they must honor the price under contract.

 

[Az_Rael]

If you put a deposit down on a car with the old prices, I would hold them to the fire and get the old prices. However, if you didn't put anything down, and hadn't even placed an order yet... I think they are within their rights to raise the price.

 

[andrewket]

If you put a deposit down on a car with the old prices, I would hold them to the fire and get the old prices. However, if you didn't put anything down, and hadn't even placed an order yet... I think they are within their rights to raise the price.

^ This.

 

[mspohr]

Do you have a contract for a specific price?
Companies change prices all the time. Tesla will honor a contract price with a deposit. They won't honor old web site prices.

 

[vandacca]

It would have been courteous of the sales staff to warn you about the price increase, but I bet they didn't even know it was coming. However, the staff should have been a little more empathetic, maybe throw in a t-shirt or something. Just bad luck mate.

 

[ecarfan]

I went to test drive the X 2-3 weeks ago as they were now allowing test drives, and playing on the configurator later that evening, realised that the price has increased by 6k on the spec I wanted. No one told me when I went down to test drive, and no one bothered to communicate this price increase to me. Let along give me the heads up to get an order in before the price went up.

The showroom staff do not have much advance notice about price increases. Typically when prices change on the Tesla website that is when the showroom staff know about it.

You are assuming the staff knew in advance about a coming price increase. It is likely they did not.

I suggest adopting a less adversarial approach in your dealings with Tesla. The company is not out to screw you, as your thread title implies.

 

[jelloslug]

Suck it up.

 

[bushburner]

It would have been courteous of the sales staff to warn you about the price increase, but I bet they didn't even know it was coming. However, the staff should have been a little more empathetic, maybe throw in a t-shirt or something. Just bad luck mate.

lol a t-shirt, at least a cookie.

 

[Brandon332]

@DaveTilly I disagree with most people posting on here. I do think they should honor it. I do not believe they are required to, however if you manage to contact the right person, you may get what you request or possibly a compromise (half of the increase). I've heard that that has happened before.

On a side note I give two thumbs up to your use of the word "mate", UK people are so cool =)

Also remember to take advantage of the Tesla referral program to get $1000 off the car price. If you wanted to consider using my referral code that'd be awesome! I'm 1 away from the goal of 10 referrals, and I get a huge prize with 10. Tesla also gives me a number of smaller prizes for the other 9 referrals, if you were interested in any of the smaller stuff I could give it to you since my only goal is the top prize.

Feel free to private message me on message here if any other questions!

 

[DaveTilly]

The showroom staff do not have much advance notice about price increases. Typically when prices change on the Tesla website that is when the showroom staff know about it.

You are assuming the staff knew in advance about a coming price increase. It is likely they did not.

I suggest adopting a less adversarial approach in your dealings with Tesla. The company is not out to screw you, as your thread title implies.

When the price went up, no one bothered to contact me to inform me.
What do you say to that?
I say thats terrible communication considering the fact lots of people will buy using finance and so changing the goal post to the degree they have is going to change the figures and force a re-engagement for the finance.

The staff and Tesla make up the company. Im not blaming anyone personally but the fact they might not hace know doesnt in my opinion remove Tesla's job of communicating in a professional manor.

I appreciate they do not have to honour the price. That wasnt my point.
My point was do you think they should, as the leading service led company they are made or making out to be, in light of bad untimely service, honour the older price.

 

[PedanticOne]

My point was do you think they should, as the leading service led company they are made or making out to be, in light of bad untimely service, honour the older price.

I respectfully disagree. I don't quite understand why you think they should honor the old price. Maybe they could have been more proactive about telling you, but at the same time, people order their cars online, so you'll know about the increase regardless. Even if they did tell you ahead of time, why would they ever give you the old price? You hadn't yet even committed to buying the car.

Somehow you feel jilted by this, and I would be annoyed by it too, but I wouldn't ever expect them to give me the old price. Then everyone would claim the same as you and want the old price. The price is the price. Buy it or don't buy it.

 

[Brandon332]

I respectfully disagree. I don't quite understand why you think they should honor the old price. Maybe they could have been more proactive about telling you, but at the same time, people order their cars online, so you'll know about the increase regardless. Even if they did tell you ahead of time, why would they ever give you the old price? You hadn't yet even committed to buying the car.

Somehow you feel jilted by this, and I would be annoyed by it too, but I wouldn't ever expect them to give me the old price. Then everyone would claim the same as you and want the old price. The price is the price. Buy it or don't buy it.

Elon Musk has regularly said that buyers of the Model S and Model X at this point are early adopters, will experience the ups and downs of Tesla maturing as a company, and should be accommodated as much as possible. I feel like they should honor it. However what we "feel" on here is useless. I would advise @DaveTilly to see my comment above about reaching out to higher ups at Tesla. I HAVE heard that this has worked in the past.

 

[Jay MX]

Should they honor it? Yes. Will they? Probably not. It is important for anyone new to Tesla to remember that their model is build to technology. Orders aren't placed with salespeople at the Tesla store. Orders are placed online. Therefore, if you haven't put your deposit down on a build you've created online, nothing is set in stone.

Don't get me wrong. I think they should honor the pre-price increase price, but until you've locked in your order, everything is subject to change. It took me a while to grasp this concept, but this is just how Tesla's business model is built.

 

[TJtv]

Can you explain exactly what caused the price to increase by 6k? You may be comparing prices now to previous prices on things that don't even exist anymore. For example the X used to have the coil suspension as standard and to get air suspension was $2500 extra. Now the air suspension is standard(the coil never was and never will be manufactured) so the $2500 is included in the base price with no option to get rid of it. Autopilot 1.0 was $3k, but it doesn't exist anymore. The autopilot that is available now is called enhanced autopilot and is now $3k instead.

 

[gearchruncher]

I placed my $2,500 deposit for a X60D the morning that they canceled it that afternoon. They didn't even honor that. As their own contract says, either party can back out until confirmed.

This sounds a lot to me like "why didn't you tell your customers the price was going up before you told your customers the price is going up!?" If you've every worked in a business selling things, you'll see how crazy this is. If you haven't, well I envy your ability to buy a very expensive car without having worked in such an industry.

As for them not contacting you, you were likely just another tire kicker to them. How many people do they have that spend a lot of time looking at the car but never order?

 

[MP3Mike]

Autopilot 1.0 was $3k, but it doesn't exist anymore. The autopilot that is available now is called enhanced autopilot and is now $3k instead.

Actually EAP is $5k.

 

[gangzoom]

I placed my UK order the day the Brexit vote result was declared. You really don't need to be a genius to work out a product imported in from the US was going to get more expensive due to the £ dropping in value.

Apple, Microsoft etc have all increased the price of their products in the UK recently, would you expect them to sell you their products at the old price just because you were thinking about placing an order but didn't??

One thing to note though is there is probably more price increases to come in the UK. Not all the changes in price recently has been due to currency differences. Infact I think Tesla have only put up UK pricing up by around 3% due the weak £ the rest of the price rises have been inline with other markets.

So in essence the longer you wait to order in the UK the higher prices are likely to go. Tesla do actually honor the old pricing if you comit to an order, in invoice price of our 60D X is some £15k cheaper than the current 75D X in the same spec.

 

[eye.surgeon]

I remember when the Model S was announced the base model was going to be $50k. They should honor that price for you. Jerks.

Seriously though, you haven't even ordered and Tesla has hurt your feelings, You should get a different car.

 

[bonaire]

Try to bargain a deal next week from the set of inventory cars. You might be able to get a price break.