I saw this discussion in Tesla's Forum where one member wanted Tesla to allow him to sell his Model 3 pre-order place in line if he buys a Model 3. Here is why it's a win win for both: Tesla and Model 3 reservation holder, but is it ethical?
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If you are a Model 3 reservation holder, would you like to have the option to sell your place in line if you bought Model S? Let's say you put down your Model 3 reservation very early, but now you have changed your mind and want to buy a Model S instead, especially after the reintroduction of Model S 60 (the difference between Model S60 vs 70). Now, there probably are many people who would like to have a Model 3 sooner than later.
If Tesla allows Model 3 reservations to sell their place in line apparently everyone would win. Tesla would win because it sells a Model S without losing a Model 3 buyer. The Model 3 reservation holder wins because he or she gets the car that he wants. Someone else wins because he or she gets an earlier spot in the line for the Model 3.
"Allow me to sell my place in line (we will need some sort of Tesla version of Stubhub). If my agreed-to price is met Tesla will use the money to help me pay for a Model S. If I don't go through with the deal Tesla gets to keep my 1,000 deposit. It's a win - win - win," writes James in Tesla's Model 3 forum.
Creative, but Not Ethical
Now, is this ethical and moral? It's hard to say. I don't know. The topic is being discussed in Tesla's Model 3 Forum. It does a little sound like a ticket scalping. The reason I wrote that I don't know how moral and ethical it would be because everyone seemingly win in this scenario.
"Not worth Tesla's trouble not to mention not adhering to the rule and spirit of the reservation. It's a no go to me," writes Carl in the same forum. "No way, that is unethical and Tesla would be lambasted mercilessly in the press. Could be illegal too," writes WJ in the same place. It seems wrong in many levels.
I don't think this fits Tesla's ideas and they don't need a bad press doing unethical things.
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This is a silly idea given
This is a silly idea given the current environment. There isn't a single file line, so someone's place in line is not something tangible like a ticket. Production order will depend on many different aspects like upgrades purchased and whether the current ticket holder already owns another Tesla. It will be very difficult in practice to quantify anyone's given position, and thus provide enough details to "sell" it.
If someone wants to sell their spot in line, they can do so on their own by coordinating and selling the Model 3 they order. For Tesla to host this service is not really practical, and against the type of precedence Tesla would want to set (that positions in line can be bought and sold).
Agreed. There is no "place in
Agreed. There is no "place in line", and it would be impossible to decide how much your "place" is worth if you don't even know where it is. We've been led to believe that people who locked in a reservation early on will be invited to "configure" their vehicles sooner, but that apparently won't have much impact on when your car is actually delivered--that will depend on whether you are a current Tesla owner, how many options you select, and where you live. Tesla has not committed to exactly how those factors will be weighed, so most of us will have to wait and see how things roll. It's possible that a current Tesla owner who orders a maxed-out version of the 3 and lives in California could make a reservation today and still get delivery before most of the people who got "in line" back on March 31st.
My rich relative had a
My rich relative had a deposit down but finally got tired of waiting. She told them she just wanted to pay cash for a fully-loaded Model S. Tesla told her "fine, but no refund on the deposit." Can you believe that?
If she didnt have an army of lawyers at her beck and call, Tesla probably would not have caved in, and just kept the deposit.
Be warned if you think you can use that deposit for anything other than to wait for a Model 3.