Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Trade In Experience

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Interesting--Tesla store in JAX quoted $52k trade in for a 2011 911s Cabriolet with 22k miles & made no effort whatsoever to do better. The print out on the quote had the right VIN but listed it as a coupe, non S, etc. My experience was they just are not very interested in doing a package deal--here's the price, take it or leave it. My local Porsche dealer offered $55K+ OVER THE PHONE without even seeing the car.

they hate trade-ins and the all the bidders know this. they feel tesla buyers will take anything because tesla doesn't care about it. my rep said they got 3k-6k offers too because it's a convertible. my response is very simple to him, if they don't want a convertible in the winter, then don't look at it when it comes up, don't bid on it or move on.
 
Friends, they are in the business of building and selling NEW cars. They realize that trading vehicles is a necessary evil so they do it but they don't want to do it at a loss. In case you haven't noticed they don't run a used car lot so all the cars they take in on trade are transferred to another seller to process. By definition they have to make something on the transaction. NOBODY will buy your used car for a retail price except a private party. It doesn't matter if you drive your brand new Porsche off the lot and then turn around and tell the dealer you want to sell it back to them - that dealer is going to tell you your car just lost 20% or more. It's the name of the game. If your car is so valuable, craigslist or any one of several web sites will solve your problem and you will make more money anyway. Don't disparage the dealer or manufacturer, you know what you're dealing with, just admit it and either take their offer or sell it yourself.
And by the way, I traded my first MS for my second MS - and Tesla's offer was $11k below my minimum. I listed the car on Panjo and sold it in 3 days. I also listed it on Craigslist and another site - had 6 others lined up just waiting for the first guy to back out (but he didn't). And I put that $11k in my pocket.
 
Slightly off topic. Got a mailing from my ICE dealership offering to give me "top dollar" for a trade in.

Number 1, they got the model specifications wrong (wait I figured they'd have that info, I did buy it there).

Number 2, they offered 8k below kbb value for my ACTUAL vehicle. Maybe accurate for the vehicle they think I own, didn't bother to check and don't care.

The dealership is AutoNation. AutoNation from what I've read does the trade ins for Tesla. They've consistently low balled all my trade ins (except one, and I've never seen that sales person again).

So don't expect to get a great deal for an ICE from Tesla. Try Carmax (I do not own stock) or private party.
 
In the age of low interest rates, they want to get peoples' cars cheap. Basically they are acting like it is a sellers' market due to the higher volume of new cars being sold and treating trade-ins like "well, they just want to get something new and will ignore the low-ball value". Don't fall for it - the point is not to let "the man" get your goods on the cheap :) When interest rates rise, private sale of used cars will start to grow in value for those willing to deal in cash. However, a leading change when interest rates rise is used car loans go up faster than the federal funds rate change. Fed goes up .25 and used car loans will go up .50 to .75% in reaction.