Tesla won't honor their price

[Mrcarcrazy]

Regardless, I would never buy a used vehicle from anyone, particularly Tesla, sight unseen. Watch this video if you have time. After you do, I am sure you will agree with me.

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I’ve bought multiple vehicles sight unseen (well I’ve seen pics and had discussions with the seller prior to purchase, and some I’ve flown or driven to pick up the car). Some new, some used. Oddly never had a bad experience.

 

[TeeEmCee]

I bought a used Model 3 at $33.8k last Friday. I got email of confirmation. I went to get auto loan and got approval. Then Tesla called me saying the price was not correct. They need extra $3500. What the hell.... How come they can't honor the price....

Tesla’s sale process is entirely online. You look at a listing, decide to buy it and click the Reserve button. The computer then takes your input and walks over to the Finance Manager computer. They sit there chatting for a few minutes, then it comes back with a message telling you that the price was wrong and there are two other buyers looking at that car.

This software is expected to be feature-complete by the end of the year, when the buyer will be able to four-square himself as well as outbid the other buyers for the various protection packages.

Tesla’s internal data shows that the customer satisfaction with the sale process has reached new highs and that buyers overwhelmingly favor it over the antiquated dealership model.

 

[r1200gs4ok]

And that contract will have a get-out clause in case of pricing error, which Tesla is exercising.

I would like to see that....I am not saying you’re wrong, in fact you are probably right, but I would like to see it......would make for interesting reading and just emphasizes reading ALL the fine print...thanks

 

[Trips]

For Prime Day Amazon had a $13,000, $11,500 and several other expensive camera's that were $94 because of a pricing mistake. They were honoring them for obvious reasons. This happens all the time and until the transaction in good faith is completed, it is not a legal sale.

 

[r1200gs4ok]

They priced many used cars incorrectly this past weekend. This happened to a lot of people.

bait aND SWITCH....HAHAHHA

 

[hydro 481]

Is this the car that some Reddit user posted?

 

[JBT66]

You haven’t even paid them have you? No ones signed anything other than an automated system with an error in it emailed you? Good luck...

 

[ngogas]

I understand the frustration but mistake happens and I doubt you can do much. It’s their product and you didn’t sign any papers at that price. Move on is my advice.

 

[patbaker82]

Stinks, but I get why Tesla is doing it.

 

[tvad]

That would anger me as well. However, it may be a mistake, as Tesla explained.

Also, it's not unusual for car dealers to change a negotiated price on a contract and say it's a "mistake" when they're called out for it. It happened to me once during the purchase of a Corvette.

Regardless, no contract has been signed. You can fight it, but I suspect it won't do anything except make you angrier. Best to move on...or buy it at the higher price, which still seems reasonable.

 

[poweredbyjae]

Sorry to hear about your experience but as many of the other members have noted it still is a good price for the vehicle listed. It isn't the no brainer deal but still solid if you're looking to pull the trigger on the build you had reserved.

 

[mreynolds767]

I believe the online system will only permit (and requires) a $2500.00 deposit so correct me if I am wrong but no one really bought the cars this weekend at the low prices. They merely put a deposit to hold one so the dealer even without the protections they get could easily pull out from this commitment by refunding your deposit.
I assume someone is getting fired over the pricing mistake, maybe someone simply entered into the system their internal projected cost for each instead of the sell prices.
Used car saves does not appear to be one of Telsa's strengths.
I think Tesla is doing the right thing by countering each "buyer" with a lower than normal price offer ; they could have just told everyone the car was sold or is not available any longer and refunded the deposits.

For the buyer, it is frustrating I am sure. No longer an incredible steal / bargain. An excellent price if you were planning on buying anyway ; but the ask prices were so good it would turn someone into a buyer that was on the fence.

 

[PNWLeccy]

I know many people have been contacted who purchased in the Friday Night Fire Sale but did anyone hear back from yesterday morning's purchases? I bought a LR RWD that wasn't quite as good as Friday night's sale but a few thousands more and I'm anxious that they'll contact me and tell me it's not accurate.

How long did it take for Tesla to get in touch with you?

 

[shiftkenny]

I know many people have been contacted who purchased in the Friday Night Fire Sale but did anyone hear back from yesterday morning's purchases? I bought a LR RWD that wasn't quite as good as Friday night's sale but a few thousands more and I'm anxious that they'll contact me and tell me it's not accurate.

How long did it take for Tesla to get in touch with you?

I called them..

 

[shiftkenny]

I called them..

I had a used car advisor already assigned to mr because I requested him before I was shopping.. hes the best used SA I had..

 

[Cochrane]

I bought a used Model 3 at $33.8k last Friday. I got email of confirmation. I went to get auto loan and got approval. Then Tesla called me saying the price was not correct. They need extra $3500. What the hell.... How come they can't honor the price....

Bait and Switch!

We have looked forward to buying a Model 3 for over two years. On Sept 15, 2019, Tesla salesman Kevin Kwok in Portland, Oregon offered sales incentives for new orders delivered before the end of Q3. Kwok offered the choice of 2 out of 3 upgrades: custom color, custom interior, or custom wheels. Our order was placed online with Kwok’s help at the dealership. The costs of the custom color and interior upgrades could not be zeroed out on screen but not to worry… Kwok promised the $2000 credit would be on the final invoice.

On Sept 24, after driving 100 miles to pick up the car, we were surprised that the invoice did not include the incentive discount. The attending salesmen couldn’t fulfill the agreement, saying “That policy is no longer in effect.” Kwok was “out of the office” as was the manager.

What an incredible disappointment! A plan two years in the making goes up in smoke over a broken promise.

Business is based on trust. If a company won’t honor its agreements two weeks later, do you trust their warranty promises? This is not an isolated incident. Google “Tesla not honoring” for similar unkept promises. Buyer beware!

Douglas Cochrane

P.S. Surprisingly, twelve hours after we walked away, the order form has self-adjusted to include $1500 charge for 19” wheels, which we did not want or order. What company makes deals where the only documentation is what shows up on their own website? What happened to sales contracts?

I am selling my Tesla stock. The erratic behavior of the company is reflected in the stock price. I’ve ridden this rollercoaster too long.

 

[mreynolds767]

Bait and Switch!

We have looked forward to buying a Model 3 for over two years. On Sept 15, 2019, Tesla salesman Kevin Kwok in Portland, Oregon offered sales incentives for new orders delivered before the end of Q3. Kwok offered the choice of 2 out of 3 upgrades: custom color, custom interior, or custom wheels. Our order was placed online with Kwok’s help at the dealership. The costs of the custom color and interior upgrades could not be zeroed out on screen but not to worry… Kwok promised the $2000 credit would be on the final invoice.

On Sept 24, after driving 100 miles to pick up the car, we were surprised that the invoice did not include the incentive discount. The attending salesmen couldn’t fulfill the agreement, saying “That policy is no longer in effect.” Kwok was “out of the office” as was the manager.

What an incredible disappointment! A plan two years in the making goes up in smoke over a broken promise.

Business is based on trust. If a company won’t honor its agreements two weeks later, do you trust their warranty promises? This is not an isolated incident. Google “Tesla not honoring” for similar unkept promises. Buyer beware!

Douglas Cochrane

P.S. Surprisingly, twelve hours after we walked away, the order form has self-adjusted to include $1500 charge for 19” wheels, which we did not want or order. What company makes deals where the only documentation is what shows up on their own website? What happened to sales contracts?

I am selling my Tesla stock. The erratic behavior of the company is reflected in the stock price. I’ve ridden this rollercoaster too long.

Welcome to the forum.
Quite a few posts about the end of quarter incentives which were poorly communicated to sales staff and by sales staff which after existing for a few day window have since ended.

Your post would have been better served on one of the handful of threads related to that and you could have read up more about it yourself and been prepared before making that 100 mile drive.

Your example is about worst case, as the salesperson not informing you the incentives cannot be honored before pickup date is a terrible oversight on his part so good you called him out publicly for that.

Had you walked in any other weekend, this would not have happened to you as the promotion was announced Friday ; misunderstood over the weekend and cleared up (which in most cases meant removed) on Monday following a tweet by Elon Musk.
Tesla definitely ticked off some customers this month with this botched sale. In my experience that is not the norm though.

 

[OCR1]

Bait and Switch!

We have looked forward to buying a Model 3 for over two years. On Sept 15, 2019, Tesla salesman Kevin Kwok in Portland, Oregon offered sales incentives for new orders delivered before the end of Q3. Kwok offered the choice of 2 out of 3 upgrades: custom color, custom interior, or custom wheels. Our order was placed online with Kwok’s help at the dealership. The costs of the custom color and interior upgrades could not be zeroed out on screen but not to worry… Kwok promised the $2000 credit would be on the final invoice.

On Sept 24, after driving 100 miles to pick up the car, we were surprised that the invoice did not include the incentive discount. The attending salesmen couldn’t fulfill the agreement, saying “That policy is no longer in effect.” Kwok was “out of the office” as was the manager.

What an incredible disappointment! A plan two years in the making goes up in smoke over a broken promise.

Business is based on trust. If a company won’t honor its agreements two weeks later, do you trust their warranty promises? This is not an isolated incident. Google “Tesla not honoring” for similar unkept promises. Buyer beware!

Douglas Cochrane

P.S. Surprisingly, twelve hours after we walked away, the order form has self-adjusted to include $1500 charge for 19” wheels, which we did not want or order. What company makes deals where the only documentation is what shows up on their own website? What happened to sales contracts?

I am selling my Tesla stock. The erratic behavior of the company is reflected in the stock price. I’ve ridden this rollercoaster too long.

Sorry to hear about your experience, and I agree it’s a bad way of doing business. But how did you not first review the final purchase agreement online to confirm the dollar amounts before driving 100 miles to pick up the car?

 

[Cochrane]

I guess I am just old fashioned. I was raised to believe that someone’s word was his bond. Although the online agreement never was the same as what the salesman said, he assured me that it would be corrected upon delivery.
The agreement changed and we walked away. According to the reports I’m seeing, this was not an isolated event. Numerous buyers found that the promised incentives were not honored.

Early on in our delivery meeting, when everything seemed to be going as planned, I asked the young Tesla employee organizing the handover about the many truckloads of Teslas I was seeing on the road. (Four loads headed for Seattle that day!) He told me that his store had received 8 loads that week. I asked how many of those cars were presold. His response was peculiar. He said that normally about 95% of the cars were presold. But this week it was more like 50%. I wondered about such a large change. Was it because, like us, many other prospective buyers backed out when the deal changed?

Our culture seems to be more accepting of misbehavior corporately and governmentally than usual. Management by tweet leaves minimal explanation or accountability, making it all too easy to misinterpret what was directed or agreed upon. Do we accept that this is just “Elon being Elon”? Or do we demand a higher standard?

I am severely disappointed that our long term plan for participating in the battle against climate change has been disrupted. But I can’t accept dishonest dealing as “business as usual”.

Douglas

 

[mreynolds767]

Not defending how they handled this but it was an isolated weekend when this occurred to you and anyone else.
It is not common practice.
Doesn't make it any better for you but you should know the details and why you got caught up in bad timing.

Also the deal only changed if you thought you were getting something extra for free. Yes, for a weekend sales people promised this and most then had to go back on that promise.

Could be a variety of reasons for the presold inquiry, and fairly certain cancelled orders is not one of them.
Increased supply, decreased demand are the 2 most obvious. Personally I think beg. of Sept Telsa made a ton of Model 3's to ship to each sales center in hopes they would sell them by end of Q3.
Normally they ship to meet orders so there is not a bunch of excess cars to be sold shipped.
In August it seemed like there were hardly any shipments to the US centers as I believe production was focusing on catching up with demand from non-US markets. Those US customers that ordered in August are getting their cars about the same time as those that ordered in Sept.