Tesla is ripping off customer?

[gabeincal]

I understand OP's point. Yet, it's so easy to just let this go, pay $500 and be very happy with the new car. Just like @SomeJoe7777 mentioned, this is unlikely to be malicious, just OP's timing was a little off, compared to Tesla's price policy timing. Suck it up and enjoy the new 75D!!

 

[AnxietyRanger]

@SomeJoe7777 I am saying what I think would be wise. Nothing more.

In the end the customer felt misled and it seems it is plausible he was misled by Tesla's information, no matter how normal or legal or whatever it may have been.

And it is in Tesla's power to make this right by waiving a small fee. Not like they'd have to build a new car or anything unreasonable.

It would be wise to look at the events as a whole and waive the fee. Happier customer and better reputation in the long run.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I understand OP's point. Yet, it's so easy to just let this go, pay $500 and be very happy with the new car. Just like @SomeJoe7777 mentioned, this is unlikely to be malicious, just OP's timing was a little off, compared to Tesla's price policy timing. Suck it up and enjoy the new 75D!!

Just as equally Tesla could suck it up.

 

[jeffro01]

Okay I'll be "that guy" again as usual... How many different threads do we need about the same thing? It's like clockwork around here every time Tesla changes something there's a host of "life's not fair" threads...

Jeff

 

[Snowstorm]

Tesla changes their pricing and option structures all the time. Sometimes you win, like price increase for no apparent reason (late Nov 2016 and again in early 2017 in Canada), or the forced bundling of options you don't want (100D SAS and hi-amp charger). Other times you loose like free options or price drop. It is a gamble and is something we accept when we place our order.

I would say to look on the bright side, look at the expanded options available to you now ($500 for bigger battery and lift gate), rather than what others could get later. They could have not announced the change in the same way and you may "feel" better, but would end up worse off.

Go pay for the $500 change fee, and enjoy the battery size upgrade and power lift gate. It is a great deal.
Do it soon, as that is no longer an option if you are within 2 weeks from start of production.

 

[Darren Donovan]

Okay I'll be "that guy" again as usual... How many different threads do we need about the same thing? It's like clockwork around here every time Tesla changes something there's a host of "life's not fair" threads...

Jeff

Well, i do agree that this type of venting threads has occurred a lot more recently. It's obvious that there are more and more unhappy customers. As a growing and influential company, Tesla should come up with a way to address this issue. New customers who are not worshippers of Tesla will be much more vocal in voicing their displeasure. I admit i don't have any idea of what Tesla should do, just that something needs to be done.

 

[RogerHScott]

Tesla isn't "pushing" anyone to do anything. There's no stick here -- just carrot. I don't think the donkey in front has grounds to
complain just because he moved without a carrot and the donkey behind him was induced with a carrot. Everybody makes the best
decisions they can, at the moment, with the information available at that time.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Tesla isn't "pushing" anyone to do anything. There's no stick here -- just carrot. I don't think the donkey in front has grounds to
complain just because he moved without a carrot and the donkey behind him was induced with a carrot. Everybody makes the best
decisions they can, at the moment, with the information available at that time.

Sure, the best decision for Tesla is now to decide to waive the fee for that customer. They just look bad if they don't.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Okay I'll be "that guy" again as usual... How many different threads do we need about the same thing? It's like clockwork around here every time Tesla changes something there's a host of "life's not fair" threads...

Jeff

Maybe Tesla needs some new policies or would be better off not changing everything many times a quarter thinking of maximum deliveries only?

Seems short-sighted if the complaints and displeasure mounts.

 

[jlutzwpi]

This may be the tin-foil hat speaking, but a brand-new person posts the same content to both TMC and the Tesla forums riddled with basic English grammatical errors (like conjugation, not typos from hurried typo) and then doesn't respond back. I think the OP needs a screenshot of his config page (minus any PII) as evidence.....I am skeptical. (and I do agree that Tesla handles some of these cases poorly, I just don't believe this one).

 

[AndrewTX]

I guess it's still important to remember that the people working in Tesla's boutiques are 'sales people'. Their job is to sell you a car. They're not your friend and not a neutral 'Order Advisor'. They (the ones I dealt with, at least) are certainly better than the stereotypical traditional salesmen but they do have their own agendas which aren't the same as yours.
Caveat Emptor.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

So... you ordered a MS 60D for what you, presumably, thought was a fair price, loaded with the options you wanted. Then, Tesla offered you an optional range upgrade for 1/4 what it costs for anybody else(say, me, for example). And, yet, you're complaining because they lowered the price of a different model after you put in your order.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I guess it's still important to remember that the people working in Tesla's boutiques are 'sales people'. Their job is to sell you a car. They're not your friend and not a neutral 'Order Advisor'. They (the ones I dealt with, at least) are certainly better than the stereotypical traditional salesmen but they do have their own agendas which aren't the same as yours.
Caveat Emptor.

So you are saying it is like visiting a dealership?

Only worse for Tesla, they get no pass as a company because unlike with a dealership, these employees are Tesla.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

So... you ordered a MS 60D for what you, presumably, thought was a fair price, loaded with the options you wanted. Then, Tesla offered you an optional range upgrade for 1/4 what it costs for anybody else(say, me, for example). And, yet, you're complaining because they lowered the price of a different model after you put in your order.

Quite the over-simplification, though. The story has an important additional twist: the guy was sold on the idea by Tesla because 60D was going away, Tesla's timing/pressure being presumably to make sure Q2 delivery can be made. Then that very same Tesla (after all, all the sales people are Tesla), changes the pricing so that the customer that was told there was a hurry, actually could have gotten more by waiting. Customer contacts Tesla asking to fix this, Tesla easily can fix it all (a click on the computer really), but demand 500 dollars to get it done...

Given the pressure from Tesla to close the initial sale, and that it was Tesla that then afterwards changed the pricing in a way the customer could not anticipate given the rush, and Tesla can without unreasonable trouble still fix this, asking to waive that 500 hardly seems unreasonable.

This is why places like Amazon.com do pricing guarantees and all sorts of stuff. It is just good business to keep customers happy, especially when it can be done reasonably. Some policy to guarantee customer pre-delivery pricing decreases, without change fees, would actually just be good policy. After all, Tesla does know when prices change, but the customer does not. So the party having the upper hand giving a guarantee to the party without is, well, fair and wise.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

In the end the customer felt misled and it seems it is plausible he was misled by Tesla's information, no matter how normal or legal or whatever it may have been.

And it is in Tesla's power to make this right by waiving a small fee. Not like they'd have to build a new car or anything unreasonable.

Think about it like this:

He goes to the config page to configure his 60D. Gets all the options like he wants. Looks at the 75D -- too much money, can't swing it, gotta stick with the 60D. To reduce costs, also gotta stay with body color roof and few other options.

Configuration is like he wants, price is acceptable, he orders.

What if during the checkout, there was a large flashing button at the bottom that said the following:

ON SALE TODAY ONLY!

• Upgrade to 75D, 15 kWh extra = 50 more miles of range!
• Power liftgate now included!
• No loss of deposit!
• You don't even lose your place in line! Delivery date remains the same!
• Price: $500

Do you think the OP would have clicked this button? Would you? I know I would. $500 is less than what I paid for ONE T-Sportline 20" wheel.

This is a rare fantastic deal that no one in their right mind would pass up. Yet somehow, people here think A) Telsa did something wrong, B) The OP was "misled", and C) Telsa owes him something as "goodwill".

Poppycock.

 

[jlutzwpi]

Quite the over-simplification, though. The story has an important additional twist: the guy was sold on the idea by Tesla because 60D was going away, Tesla's timing/pressure being presumably to make sure Q2 delivery can be made. Then that very same Tesla (after all, all the sales people are Tesla), changes the pricing so that the customer that was told there was a hurry, actually could have gotten more by waiting. Customer contacts Tesla asking to fix this, Tesla easily can fix it all (a click on the computer really), but demand 500 dollars to get it done...

Given the pressure from Tesla to close the initial sale, and that it was Tesla that then afterwards changed the pricing in a way the customer could not anticipate given the rush, and Tesla can without unreasonable trouble still fix this, asking to waive that 500 hardly seems unreasonable.

This is why places like Amazon.com do pricing guarantees and all sorts of stuff. It is just good business to keep customers happy, especially when it can be done reasonably. Some policy to guarantee customer pre-delivery pricing decreases, without change fees, would actually just be good policy. After all, Tesla does know when prices change, but the customer does not. So the party having the upper hand giving a guarantee to the party without is, well, fair and wise.

He said he ordered end of March (30th of March). Orders don't count in financials until they are delivered. The timeline doesn't align to an end of quarter push, because he never would have received it by the end of the quarter.

 

[Jashev]

I think the silence from the OP is deafening.

 

[AndrewTX]

So you are saying it is like visiting a dealership?

Only worse for Tesla, they get no pass as a company because unlike with a dealership, these employees are Tesla.

I'd say that depends on the car company and specific dealership. They reminded me of the people at Saturn back in the day.

 

[Knightro]

I am in the same boat as OP (ordered a 60 not 60D w/glass roof). Pressured into taking the plunge before the only price point I could afford went away. My order confirmed the Monday of the price drop. I paid the $500 to upgrade. Sucks, but like everyone says its a no-brainer. According to my SA they are still trying to figure situations like mine out and whether or not they will refund or do accessory credit or something. Still happy with my purchase but the frugal side of me can only think if I had waited 12 hours I could have saved $500.

 

[Max*]

This is why places like Amazon.com do pricing guarantees and all sorts of stuff.

Pretty sure Amazon stopping doing price guarantees a few years ago.

Their policy now is "return and re-buy for the lower price if you want to".