Tesla buyers are upset at the electric vehicle maker, saying they feel “cheated” and “taken advantage of” after being pressured to complete their purchases prior to huge discounts going into effect.
The electric carmaker slashed prices on its Model 3 vehicle by 6% and Model Y SUV by nearly 20% on Jan. 13 to help drive up sales and allow buyers to take advantage of a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit.
Deborah Martin, from Los Alamitos, California, was among 40 Tesla owners to express frustration to Insider. Martin said she ordered a Model Y Long Range earlier this month to take advantage of the electric vehicle tax credit.
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“I was told by the dealership that if I didn’t take delivery by January 12, the car would be given to the next person on the list,” Martin said.
She reportedly paid $76,440 for the vehicle, which includes the “Enhanced Autopilot” system. Martin said the same car now goes for $65,630: “So within 24 hours, not including tax, I lost $10,810.”
Aaron Brewer joined Martin in being upset over missing huge discounts on a December purchase of a Model 3. He said a sales representative told him Tesla “almost never discounts anything.”
“[It was] really painful for that euphoric feeling of being so happy with the car to be taken away and replaced with a sense of being taken advantage of,” Brewer said, adding that it was to the tune of “several thousand dollars.”
The Tesla buyers reported they had attempted to reach out to Tesla representatives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, via the carmaker’s app or on social media.
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“It feels like you have been cheated and robbed,” another buyer said. “It feels like we are helpless. It doesn’t seem fair to a hardworking family with two kids to rob them of their six months’ savings.”
Tesla did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
