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Virginia Hearing, 4/25 -- Represent!
- Thread starter bonnie
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- Tesla Inc.
chickensevil
Active Member
More people than the last hearing - I think the message is 'stall all you want with repetitive dealership testimony, but we won't go away. We'll just call our friends.'
More to come soon but wanted to throw this out there in objection to allowing public opinion the VADA lawyer basically threatened that if getting emails and having people show up was a requirement of determining public interest then he would make some phone calls.
He apparently got a copy of the email from Will which was presented as evidence stating that Tesla had asked for owner support.
Well since that email (for the first hearing) was posted in this forum, he didn't have to do much digging.
To the best of my knowledge, there wasn't an email like that for today's hearing. In any case, even if Tesla did ask for owner support, people are there of their own free will. Including Hodginator, who also owns a Volt. And he didn't testify to support the dealership model
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chickensevil
Active Member
Just FYI they did let us testify under oath, with cross examination, and five of us got up and said our peace. Took about an hour, hour and a half for just our small portion. Really glad the hearing officer let us. Boy being under the sweat box was intense! Everyone did a fantastic job in what they had to say, and we all said different things but cohesive things.
It would seem that the Lawyer's attack toward us was to characterize us as a-typical buyers... Which sorta fell apart when they got to me... I forced them to address that I only have the Tesla and that it was important that it could be my only car. Also I moved up from a honda civic... So yeah, I get the buyers who are buying the Model 3. Boom... Mic drop.
He was also insistant on asking about the transportation and doc fee and if we knew what the breakout of that was, to which all of us said no... I made it a point to state that it was never made clear the breakout of these fees in any other purchase. And noone cares about it as a consumer.
It would seem that the Lawyer's attack toward us was to characterize us as a-typical buyers... Which sorta fell apart when they got to me... I forced them to address that I only have the Tesla and that it was important that it could be my only car. Also I moved up from a honda civic... So yeah, I get the buyers who are buying the Model 3. Boom... Mic drop.
He was also insistant on asking about the transportation and doc fee and if we knew what the breakout of that was, to which all of us said no... I made it a point to state that it was never made clear the breakout of these fees in any other purchase. And noone cares about it as a consumer.
You're all awesome!
Wish you could have questioned the VADA lawyer.
Wish you could have questioned the VADA lawyer.
I thought all first year law student knew to never ask a question of a witness when you don't already know the answer. Total fail by the VADA lawyer.
Well, we're off script. The public commentary doesn't usually require the public to swear in and be subject to cross examination. I suspect it was a scare tactic. So we aren't vetted in any way, so the VADA lawyer was flying blind to question us. I wish he asked me more questions, I suspect he didn't smell blood to pursue it.
chickensevil
Active Member
He made assumptions based on the price of the car. Also I forced the issue as I was number 4 and was tired of their shenanigans so wanted to blow up that angle.
chickensevil
Active Member
Also this! It certainly made me stop and hesitate on if I really wanted to do this. Considering we still had 5 people get up and swear in I would say the scare tactic failed miserably.
chickensevil
Active Member
It seems odd that the hearing proceeds with cross-x by VADA of public witnesses. Perhaps that is the prerogative of the hearing officer. But if things don't go our way I like that as a grounds to appeal the recommendation of the hearing officer or resulting decision of the commissioner.
chickensevil
Active Member
They are finally arguing over the settlement. Tesla lawyers are saying what we are saying about how this settlement doesn't limit the persuit of stores.
He forced her to read the same lines of text we all pulled out and basically forced her to state that is what it says.
Their defense amounts to saying that the spirit of the agreement was for it to be one store and that would be it. And the text at the beginning of the agreement States it was for one store.
Also apparently the AG has motioned to throw out the law suit filed by VADA against the commissioner and Tesla.
He forced her to read the same lines of text we all pulled out and basically forced her to state that is what it says.
Their defense amounts to saying that the spirit of the agreement was for it to be one store and that would be it. And the text at the beginning of the agreement States it was for one store.
Also apparently the AG has motioned to throw out the law suit filed by VADA against the commissioner and Tesla.
Big thanks to @chickensevil @linkster @Hodginator @Only Trons @boberd @techmaven @bhzmark "Team Green Mileage Monster" and everyone else who stood up to VADA.
“Revolutions don't happen if you just roll over to the powers that be. Got to fight for what you believe.” @elonmusk Feb. 15, 2013
Lanny
“Revolutions don't happen if you just roll over to the powers that be. Got to fight for what you believe.” @elonmusk Feb. 15, 2013
Lanny
Perfectly said.
I wish more people would understand this isn't just a state-by-state issue. Dealerships (and certain manufacturers -cough GM cough cough-) are waging a battle nationwide. Everyone needs to get involved.
chickensevil
Active Member
Their expert witness is who spoke equated hybrids, and Cars like the Volt and i8 as "competition" saying that nothing Tesla makes is unique to the industry.
He also tried to use the fact that EVs have been around for over 100 years now as evidence that this isn't new technology and wouldnt be any more difficult to sell.
He also tried to use the fact that EVs have been around for over 100 years now as evidence that this isn't new technology and wouldnt be any more difficult to sell.
Phil Seastrand
Member
That's one of the most frustrating things about these hearings, the dealers and/or GM can spout all kinds of nonsense and the legislators or hearing officer don't know any better and take them at face value. I imagine you guys have synchronized eye rolls by now. LOL
Maryann Keller is testifying for VADA. Tesla tried to stop her from being classified as an expert witness since she obviously carries in an anti-Tesla bias, after a career of defending the franchise model. They weren't successful.
She brought up ev-cpo.com listings as proof that Tesla does discount new cars, but she confuses the issue of inventory demo cars.
She brought up ev-cpo.com listings as proof that Tesla does discount new cars, but she confuses the issue of inventory demo cars.
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