[stuart22]

With the uncertainty going on with Model 3 production, what will be the thing that pushes you to ask Tesla to return your $1000 deposit back to you? What are your concerns that would prompt you to consider asking for your money back? How long are you willing to wait?

Have any of you considered never asking for your money back - to be content to sit back & let things play out at the risk of losing the deposit? The rationalization being: a thousand dollars lost is not too different from losing a grand in Vegas... from accepting $1000 less on a business transaction than you intended on getting..... from spending $1000 more on a business transaction than you intended on spending.... etc.

Just wondering.

 

[llninja]

I asked for my money back in April 2016 when I realized the model 3 was about the same size as the volt. I need something bigger and roomier so it’s Model S, X, CT6 Plugin, or a Volvo hybrid for me. But if I hold out long enough maybe the crossvolt or a Buick or cadillac variant will materialize. I’m praying for a Subyukonade!

If I were still a reservation holder, i’d Be nervous as there is a big canyon between now and the factory flowing smoothly delviering profit to Tesla for their survival. Manufacturing hell and some bad media might cause hundreds of thousands of cancellations which would further exacerbate their cash flow. I wish the best for Tesla, but am even hesitant to consider the model S as the car wouldn’t be much use if Tesla went under and there was nobody to maintain them.

 

[dannycamps]

I wouldn't worry about Tesla going under as it's unlikely to happen. I am sure you will eventually get your car but the question is - will you need it by then?

 

[Loboc]

Please explain how one would go about ‘losing the deposit’?

 

[sosmerc]

I knew when I made my deposit that it might be quite a long wait, and that the car might not even meet my expectations. I don't feel bad about giving Tesla $1000 ahead of time which I assume I can apply to a Model X, Y, Z, whatever when they build what I want.
Yes, I would feel bad if Tesla failed so badly that they went out of business and people lost their deposits. But in the grand scheme of things, $1000 is not that big a "hit" for anyone planning to spend $50,000 + for an exciting new car.

 

[joezzhou]

Got my refund

Requested my deposit back a month ago. Got it one week after the request. Do not want to be a gene-pig test driver for Tesla. Spend 40K buy a test car? No.

 

[wws]

Not worried about Tesla going under, and not in a hurry to get it. It's not like I have a lease ending in a week, and MUST do something NOW. When it comes, it comes.

I _may_ have seen my first M3 sighting in the wild this morning. It was partially hidden behind another car at an intersection. From the side, the nose looked a bit different than the Model S. They drove off when the light turned green, and it was really hard to tell.

 

[stuart22]

Please explain how one would go about ‘losing the deposit’?

That would be the worst case scenario, with Tesla going bankrupt despite having your $1000 in their bank account.

Lesser case scenarios that could come into play given the present uncertainty would include "tired of waiting"; "loss of interest", "something else came along that changes my mind", etc.

 

[limbery]

I decided that I wasn't going to wait any more, got my deposit and bought a volt. I got to drive the model S and X last week and although they're very nice, I appreciate my Volt even more now!

 

[Mark Z]

What will be the thing that pushes you to ask Tesla to return your $1000 deposit back to you?
If next year's AWD Model 3 isn't a vehicle I'd rather have (compared with the Model S).

What are your concerns that would prompt you to consider asking for your money back?
No concerns. Tesla is strong and I consider the $1,000 reservation like money in the bank. As far as the vehicle concern? If the doors use double stick tape for the weather seals, that would be a negative. Model S uses clips for superior longevity.

How long are you willing to wait?
As long as they allow me to leave the $1,000 reservation. I want a RWD test drive first. Then I would wait for an AWD test drive. Additional waiting would occur if certain options were not available. The final decision is based if Autopilot or autonomy are superior to the 2017 Model S. I consider the reservation a place holder for improved availability and flexibility of a future vehicle purchase.

 

[Norton]

How Long???
That might be the question.

$1000 interest-free feel-good 'money in the bank'. Corporations have gone down with 'Customer deposit money' before, right?

Test drive first? When was that ever offered?

 

[sea]

2012 Gen 1 Volt owner with 43K miles. I had a reservation and was split for the next car. List was reduced to:

-Keep the Gen1, no issues so far,
-new Gen2,
-new Model3,
-used ELR

After I saw the actual interior of a model S, and then the pictures of the model 3, I decided to ask for my money back. I had put the deposit on a 2% cash back card. They sent me a check so I made more than if the money was sitting in the bank. I hope they make it but I'm just not too interested in the interior. The minimalist form is just not for me.

Went the other direction and found a used ELR with all the options (RS) in the color I wanted with 5600 miles, CPO warranty.

 

[1612202]

How many deposits made for a new Tucker?

 

[BAZINGA]

I can't recall where I read this but to meet Tesla's production goals they would need to go from the 65 to 2nd in terms of vehicle production as plants are measured.

 

[SirSpammenot]

To quote from Ratatouille... "But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations.

The new needs friends.

Last night, I experienced something new...".

To be honest I am hoping to jump in line for a Model Y, so I am loaning Tesla a grand for at least 3 years? I want a slightly larger car that I can drive across Texas in, charge with my solar panels, that will update itself over it's lifetime, be safer, and technologically advanced. Having a wiring harness that is 20% of a Model S? The engineer in me sees how much more refined the components have to be to pull that off. Being the most domstic/American content doesn't hurt either.

So by the time a Model Y is available there will be choice in the CUV EV market. I can't wait!
Until then I'm a friend of the new... no refund.

 

[jsmay311]

With the uncertainty going on with Model 3 production, what will be the thing that pushes you to ask Tesla to return your $1000 deposit back to you? What are your concerns that would prompt you to consider asking for your money back? How long are you willing to wait?

I've got a pretty early spot in the reservation line, so there's virtually no way Tesla would go under before I would get a chance to place an order (likely within a matter of months). Even in a near-worst-case scenario with regards to Model 3 production rates, I'd probably still be early enough in line to qualify for the full $7500 tax credit.

So the only way I'd ask for a refund of my reservation is if I decide I don't want to order a Model 3 at all. (If I was further back in line and production delays might mean missing out on $3750-to-$7500, that might be a decent reason to cancel.)

There are still quite a few details to come out and basic features that still need to be finalized via software updates, so I haven't made up my mind 100% yet. But I'm currently of the opinion that some of the Model 3's apparent design quirks/drawbacks are outweighed by its positives, so I'm leaning towards buying one when I get the chance.

 

[telveer]

I cancelled a few weeks ago and got my refund. I never intended to buy a Model 3. The booking was more of a show of support for Tesla.

 

[Upper5Percent]

How many deposits made for a new Tucker?

Today, Tucker’s 475-acre Chicago production plant houses a Tootsie Roll factory and shopping center.

 

[VoltageDrop]

After I saw the Porsche Mission E sexy beast that will be coming out in the next couple of years (had to contain my drooling as I risked short-circuiting my keyboard).....I definitely want it in my garage......and I most likely will be asking for a refund on my M3 deposit as a result....(although I don't mind leaving the deposit with Tesla for a bit to help them out either... as I am in no rush to get the deposit back)....

 

[Upper5Percent]

I can't recall where I read this but to meet Tesla's production goals they would need to go from the 65 to 2nd in terms of vehicle production as plants are measured.

According to an analysis of U.S. automotive factories from IHS Markit, Fremont was ranked 65th in terms of production volume in 2016. In order to hit its 2018 target of 500,000 units, it would need to become 2nd in the country.

Referenced by http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/10/teslas-production-goals-starting-look-unfeasible/



(Whereas FCA US, Ford, and General Motors have more than 200 assembly plants, manufacturing facilities, R&D and distribution centers, and other facilities, which directly employ approximately 232,000 U.S. workers in thirty-two states.)