Great writeup.
Valid points and honestly, we are all taken for a ride.
I can feel some fans of Tesla here seething in rage and wanting to ask me to choose any other car.
My point is, if I am made to wait for over a year and am a customer, I can be mad at Tesla and rant about my frustration. $99 I gave for the order does buy me the right.
I am a victim of the call in Oct 2021 who was asked to change to 6 seat config to get my car by the end of the year if I could pay extra $6500 to which I agreed. I am still waiting.
Monopoly in the market for EV is what is causing the headstrong behavior of Tesla.
You, me, all of us have a right to complain about this horrendous customer experience since 2020.
If, when they blew the April 2021 delivery date, they announced with a sincere apology that:
imaginary announcement "our planned production ramp of the MX will be delayed significantly. Once parts are available we will begin production of the 6 seat configuration of the LR and Paid until we have delivered 20% of the first order holders of that configuration. Then we will pivot to the 7 Seat configuration until we have delivered 20% of the first order holders of that configuration and then the same for the 5 seat configuration. It is our sincere hope that by the time the first set of the 5 seat configuration is in production we will be at full production ramp and wait times will be normalized. We understand missing the April 2021 date has been negatively impacting customers so all those with April 2021 delivery dates will receive free super charging miles with our sincere apologies. "
Then anyone ordering after that
imaginary announcement knew the risks and choose to order anyway. But there was no announcement, no clarification, no setting of reasonable expectations.
Here is what actually happened to me, I was called by my Tesla Advisor in Dedham MA on 1/28/2021. He told me my 2020 Tesla Model X order which I had secured financing for and Insurance had been canceled. He said all previous Model X order holders are being offered a "new" order for the refresh Model X that was just announced. The cost of the Model X was going up by $10k but if I committed by 2/28/2021 I would get a $2K credit and be on a priority build/delivery list for April 2021. This was only being offered to 2020 order holders and I have to commit to it by EOD 2/28/2021. If I did not commit by the cut off date and I decided later I wanted the refresh I would have to pay the full $10k and my order would be added to the bottom of the rapidly growing list as many people had been holding off on ordering waiting for the refresh.
This communication was clear and conscience. This is what's happened, here is our offer to you, if you don't accept here is what happens. They defined everything. For my part, I agreed to the new offer on 2/12021.
I heard nothing until October when I got the offer to switch to 6 seater with a delivery before 12/31/2021. I laughed at the guy. One, I don’t believe you will deliver before 12/31/2021 and I don't have another $6,500.00 to give Tesla.
So now I sit and I wait with you all... wishing things were different, angry with Tesla's lies and deceptions and their indifference to their customers. *sigh*