- Tesla customers who return their vehicle will not be able to order an identical vehicle for a year, the electric-car maker said in a recent addition to its return policy.
- Tesla has also replaced a $2,500 refundable order fee with a nonrefundable $100 one.
- The changes are significant because Tesla customers have complained about quality issues, like subpar paint and panel gaps, that have led them to attempt to return or exchange their vehicles.
- Tesla’s new return policy will prevent exchanges and make returns more difficult, even if customers are dissatisfied with their vehicles.
- And the nonrefundable order fee, while small relative to a vehicle’s price, means customers who return their vehicle will end up paying $100 for a vehicle they don’t want.
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Tesla customers who return their vehicle will not be able to order an identical vehicle for a year, the electric-car maker said in a recent addition to its return policy. Customers will be able to order a different trim of the same model, or a different model.
“At this time, we are not able to facilitate vehicle exchanges. If you decide to order another vehicle, you may not order the same trim for a period of 12 months but may order another vehicle in a different trim at any time,” Tesla’s return policy says.
Customers who “are found to have abused this policy or have acted in bad faith,” it says, ” will be prohibited from purchasing any vehicle for a period of 12 months.”
Tesla customers can still return their vehicles within seven days or 1,000 miles.
The company has also replaced a $2,500 refundable order fee with a nonrefundable $100 one.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reasons for those changes.
The changes are significant because Tesla customers have complained about quality issues, like subpar paint and panel gaps, that have led them to attempt to return or exchange their vehicles. Tesla's new return policy and order fee will prevent exchanges and make returns more difficult, even if customers are dissatisfied with their vehicles.
The nonrefundable order fee, while small relative to a vehicle's price, means customers who return their vehicle will likely end up eating the $100.
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