Salespeople Misinformed About My Inventory Model S Purchase

[Chris TX]

I've just got to say that I think this is a dumb thread and I'm surprised it's made it to this many posts/pages.
If you purchased an inventory/used Model S, you're going to be 100% aware of how old it is due to the way the calculate price!

OP: "Is it the current model?"
Tesla: "Yes, it's a 2014 Model S!"

Only after the delivery, you realize you should have asked more specific questions.
Also, did you really think you were taking delivery of a 5 day old car?

As many others have said, time marches on and the OEM improves the product. Being upset that you aren't getting the latest gizmos doesn't do any good. If you didn't get the car you want, sell it and order one with all the bells and whistles. Just be prepared for that "next big thing" that might be added to the Model S a week or two after delivery of it

 

[Valkryst]

Chris.... I'm upset that I was told I was getting every feature on the current fleet, and the current fleet had just been updated with autopilot hardware. This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.

Yes my vehicle has an ionizer (to the other questions).

 

[dave]

Dave, but what if a customer came to you and said "Hey, Dave... Do you have any demo unit or floor equipment that's a few months old that you can sell me at a discount?"

How obligated would you feel to that customer telling them of unannounced advances in the pipeline?

I thought about this for a minute, but it probably wouldn't change my communications to them at all. An educated customer is a happy customer.

I often have knowledge of product changes scheduled for a year out or more, and I do not bring it up with my customers, because it is too far off, doesn't immediately impact them, and many times aren't even fully committed yet. However I can't think of a scenario where I would not let my customers know about an imminent price or technology change about to occur in the next month or two. It would just feel wrong, and would rightfully leave a bad taste in my customers mouth. Informing them of changes increases their trust level in me personally and in the company. It's just the right thing to do.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

I would stop using the word Lie unless you have proof the person you were talking to knew of the new vehicle release. I guess much depends on the definition of "the current fleet." To me cars/features you can't order do not qualify as current fleet. I may have missed it but how old is your inventory car?

 

[SFOTurtle]

Chris.... I'm upset that I was told I was getting every feature on the current fleet, and the current fleet had just been updated with autopilot hardware. This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.

Yes my vehicle has an ionizer (to the other questions).

"Unintentional lie"?!? No such thing. A lie is, by definition, made with intent to deceive. And you also said earlier that you blamed the salesperson (who you apparently still "love") for being uninformed. Please stop calling this a lie when it is plainly, unequivocally no such thing.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Chris.... I'm upset that I was told I was getting every feature on the current fleet, and the current fleet had just been updated with autopilot hardware. This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.
.

Yeah, but no, it wasn't a lie, unintentional or otherwise. Autopilot was not a feature in the current fleet as of that date. It's really pretty cut and dry. A few cars were being released with advanced hardware that was not part of any option of feature set available at that time. Especially since your car was built months before you took delivery. I understand you're pissed off over the timing, but really, your logic and accusations just don't add up. Like I said, if you had took delivery of a brand new car on Wednesday, and then on Thursday they're coming out with the Autopilot hardware, you might have a case (and there are plenty of people on the forum in this situation).

What if the announcement for Autopilot came on 11/9? or 12/9? At what date is it that you feel that it wouldn't be a lie, unintentional or otherwise?

 

[dsm363]

Chris.... I'm upset that I was told I was getting every feature on the current fleet, and the current fleet had just been updated with autopilot hardware. This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.

Yes my vehicle has an ionizer (to the other questions).

You were getting every feature on the current fleet. They started delivering the sensors a little early (they jumped the gun) prior to the announcement but nothing had been announced so they didn't exist to the sales people because you couldn't order it. Plus you bought an inventory car. If you bought s new car then maybe you'd have a case. No one lied to you. They just weren't informed of unannounced products.

 

[NigelM]

This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.

Lie: a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth

So "lie" is a pretty strong word, "unintentional lie" is an oxymoron. Tesla staff I know actually knew nothing more than we did back in September, you can even find posts on TMC where new owners reported that staff did not know what the sensors were.

I can see that you're disappointed you didn't get the latest, new everything but you were buying an inventory car. At best I think you can question the communications policy but I think it's a little unfair to put all the blame on local sales personnel.

 

[Hawaii J]

I don't understand why people are saying that Tesla employees shouldn't have known about this. If you're delivering cars with new features there is no secret. You can keep the scope of the features the hardware will enable secret. But there's no point in keeping the sensors themselves secret, owners are going to notice these things and post about them. Other owners are going to read about it and know about it. So your employees should be able to answer questions about this new hardware and the features that are enabled on the current car.

Tesla really should inform their employees better or hold back things like this from being seen by the public if they want it secret.

I have no stance on this situation with the OP. No idea what he was really told or what he expected. But I don't think it's too much to expect the employees to be informed about what's being delivered.

Seem to be following AAPL's lead

 

[breser]

Seem to be following AAPL's lead

AAPL doesn't start selling customers new hardware before an announcement though.

 

[Valkryst]

AAPL doesn't start selling customers new hardware before an announcement though.

Thank you. That is exactly why I'm upset. I bought an outdated product that was being sold as new.

 

[mknox]

Thank you. That is exactly why I'm upset. I bought an outdated product that was being sold as new.

I found out that my car has an A-pack battery while I know personally of two people who got their cars a month before me with B-packs. Is that the same thing? (I don't really care one way or the other unless some damning information about the A-packs surfaces).

 

[ACDriveMotor]

#firstworldprobs

/unsubscribe

 

[dsm363]

Thank you. That is exactly why I'm upset. I bought an outdated product that was being sold as new.

Except Tesla didn't sell people that hardware. They included it for free for two weeks before it was announced. Besides you bought an inventory car! Was there a plan to ever buy a new one and wait two months?

 

[breser]

Except Tesla didn't sell people that hardware. They included it for free for two weeks before it was announced. Besides you bought an inventory car! Was there a plan to ever buy a new one and wait two months?

I understand what you mean but a more precise word to use here would be "advertise" not "sell."

Let's face it, everyone is paying for that hardware. Tesla may have chosen to lower their profit on the car and not raise the price of the car, but it is being paid for.

The most common definition of sell (transfer goods in exchange for money) they certainly did do. Some other definitions that align more with advertise (to persuade or induce someone to buy something) they did not.

I point this out so that hopefully there doesn't end up being a debate about what "sell" means.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I found out that my car has an A-pack battery while I know personally of two people who got their cars a month before me with B-packs. Is that the same thing? (I don't really care one way or the other unless some damning information about the A-packs surfaces).

Certainly seems similar, given the B packs are capable of 120kW charging and yours is limited to 90. Arguably, though, that's a much lesser deal than autopilot features. You can still Supercharge, just slower, while here there's no autopilot features at all.

 

[mdevp]

Chris.... I'm upset that I was told I was getting every feature on the current fleet, and the current fleet had just been updated with autopilot hardware. This was an unintentional lie to me in the days before purchasing on 9/26.

Yes my vehicle has an ionizer (to the other questions).

This is always going to happen with new tech that can't be retrofitted free of charge, right? 1. Elon and Tesla HQ will pick a date where a new option or upgraded feature will be added to the current production line. 2. At that same time the sales force throughout the country isn't aware and tell customers you're getting the latest and greatest. 3. People will get their cars w/o the latest features and look back, compare notes on what was said at the time, and say that they were lied to, and now very upset, etc.

I can now see why all other car companies don't add features like Tesla, they do the annual make over and customers know last years model will have nothing new.

 

[tga]

Thank you. That is exactly why I'm upset. I bought an outdated product that was being sold as new.

No, it was explicitly sold as used. All inventory cars are used, that's why you got the discount...

 

[rlang59]

No, it was explicitly sold as used. All inventory cars are used, that's why you got the discount...

Well the are untitled so technically they are considered "new".

 

[seanahan]

that deliveries made after 9/19 included the new hardware.
is anyone else in the same situation?

My delivery was 9/23, and it did not have the same hardware. I assume deliveries to the midwest and Texas throught ~9/26 and possibly the east coast through 9/30 all had the old hardware, given that they were built before 9/19.

I feel your pain, this is very frustrating, since you easily could have waited a few days, although likely not found any inventory cars with the new feature, since those would be in high demand for trade-ins and so on. The sales people were telling you what the public knowledge was as of 9/24, which is that there were no new features. News of the new features started to surface on this forum a little earlier than that. The cruise control stalk I believe was the first thing noticed.