Tesla Won't Refund This Dude’s Money
Image: Tesla
I know, I know. A lot of you think we have it out for Tesla — but a lot of the things we talk about concerning the company are valid criticisms. From the shoddy build quality to the rampant racism Musk seems to be OK with, there’s a lot to dislike about Tesla. Case in point: CNBC reports that a Tesla customer has been waiting two years for a refund after he returned his Model X.
Like thousands of other people, Danny Roman is a Tesla fan. So much so that on February 28th, 2020, he dropped $116,000 on a Model X. Its 400 mile range, something he needed for business trips from SoCal to the Bay Area, and safety attracted him. Not long after taking delivery. That good old fashioned Tesla quality started to shine through. Problems like a sticking falcon door and shorter than advertised range were the main issues:
When he first took the Tesla Model X out, the vehicle’s range indicator said that Roman had drained 15 miles from the battery after he had driven less than a half-mile from his home.
He was also misquoted a charging installation price by Tesla, something he says would “cost 10 times the amount that Tesla sales reps claimed it would” to install a charger in his apartment.
So Roman took advantage of Tesla’s return policy, something that Musk himself touted, and returned the car just three days after taking delivery. Records show that a Tesla tow truck didn’t come and pick up the car until March 8. On the advice of his bank, he informed Tesla to perform a stop-sale on the Model X and was told by a Tesla rep that his refund was being processed.
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Except that it wasn’t. Days turned into weeks. He got random alerts to come get his vehicle from service (he says he never authorized service; how could he if he returned the car?). He even stopped making his car payments, something he had to resume doing or risk taking a credit score hit.
After three months of getting nowhere, Roman filed a suit against Tesla. Except that he couldn’t proceed with the case:
To his surprise, instead of being able to proceed in court, he was informed his case would be sent into an alternative dispute resolution process.
When he signed paperwork in order to take delivery of his Model X, Roman had agreed to an arbitration clause.
Now two years later, Roman is still waiting for his money. He’s had to lease a Prius to get around, and his Model X payments still come out of his account. And he’s still getting service alerts for him to come pick up his vehicle. On top of all this, Tesla won’t even acknowledge that the company picked up the car. What’s worse? Roman still supports the company.
“After everything I’ve been put through, I am still a huge believer in Tesla, Elon Musk and electric cars,” he said.
