Kesse is a very tall and heavyset guy. He wanted to sit in a Cybertruck and check out the fit and comfort before giving Tesla $100,000 for the vehicle. However, despite visiting three Tesla showrooms, he was denied access to the vehicle.
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Tesla’s mostly online direct-to-consumer sales model and fixed prices have transformed the automotive industry. Gone are the days of haggling with a dealer for hours to buy a car.
With Tesla, you can order a vehicle in two minutes, complete all the necessary paperwork online, and even take delivery of your car using your phone without physically interacting with a Tesla employee.
Tesla’s model is wonderful from an efficiency point of view. The EV maker might have the most streamlined car-buying process in the automotive world.
This streamlined approach is a significant step towards reducing the cost of Tesla vehicles for the end customer.
Although we applaud Tesla' ruthless efficiency, removing personal experience from the car-buying process has also come with issues.
This is especially true for buyers of the EV maker's more expensive vehicles. While shopping at other automakers, a person willing to spend north of $100,000 on a vehicle can expect a white glove treatment; however, Tesla’s customer service leaves much to be desired.
A prospective Tesla buyer recently expressed his dissatisfaction with Tesla’s wanton approach to customer service.
Keese Xzawlted Adams shared his experience going to a Tesla showroom to try out a Cybertruck before making a $100,000 plus purchase.
Kesse writes…”As a three-time Tesla owner, today, I’m canceling my Cybertruck Foundation Series order. I visited Three different metro Atlanta Georga Tesla locations and was denied access to the inside of the Cybertruck. I’m a very tall and large-framed male and only wanted to ensure proper fit and comfort before finalizing my Foundation Series configuration.”
Kesse followed up by writing…”When preparing to spend upwards of $100k dollars on another Tesla for a second time, sitting inside said vehicle beforehand should not be an issue for a paying customer, ever!”
People chimed in with their dissatisfaction with dealing with Tesla. A person on the opposite spectrum chimed in, stating she also wanted to try out the Cybertruck before purchasing, but she doesn’t think she will be able access to the vehicle.
Joyce writes, “I just received my invitation and was going to go see if I could drive before I finalized. I’m guessing not. I’m the opposite, 5’3”, and want to make sure I feel comfortable with the size.”
Tesla’s approach to treating vehicles as technology products has many merits, but it’s difficult for people to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a car without first experiencing it in person.
Another person, Allen Goodwine, expressed his frustration with Tesla’s approach to customer care, writing in response to Keese’s predicament, “That’s ridiculous. Some of the ridiculousness we have to put up with Tesla, like dealing with texts for service instead of being able to get someone on the phone. But… my wife was at a service center where someone was picking up his Cybertruck. He offered her to sit in it. I agree with the earlier poster, and I bet another owner would be happy to let you experience theirs. I don’t think Elon or Tesla are going to lose any sleep from your boycott. While you have a right to protest, Unfortunately, you are only hurting yourself.”
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Overall, there appears to be a lot of dissatisfaction with Tesla, especially regarding the Cybertruck. However, there were also people who gave Tesla a pass for not allowing customers to experience the Cybertruck before purchasing it.
Michael Brescio wrote, “I wanted to sit in a C8 Corvette at the dealership in Atlantic City before I brought one. I was told no by the salesman.”
Overall, when there is major hype for a vehicle but not enough supply to satisfy the demand, automakers occasionally resort to limiting access to a vehicle ahead of purchase.
However, this practice is applied to limited production-run vehicles. In Tesla’s case, however, when production is fully ramped, the EV maker plans to produce 250,000 Cybertrucks per year.
The practice of banning people from trying out the vehicle before purchasing it is especially concerning in the case of the Cybertruck. For the current Foundation Series Cybertrucks, Tesla makes prospective buyers sign a contract banning them from selling their vehicles in the secondary market.
In the case of one Cybertruck owner, Tesla discovered he had sold his Cybertruck, and the EV maker permanently banned him from purchasing any other Tesla vehicles.
Moreover, Tesla retains the right to sue anyone who sells their Cybertruck for $50,000 in damages. Given these onerous terms, it’s surprising that Tesla does not make more of an effort to ensure that people looking to purchase a Cybertruck have the chance to try it out beforehand.
After all, it doesn’t seem fair for Tesla to require people to buy the Cybertruck sight unseen and then bar them from selling the vehicle if they are unhappy with the purchase.
Currently, as more Cybertrucks are produced, the trend appears to be reversing, and several people in the comment section below Kesse’s post have pointed out that their local Tesla showrooms have recently started allowing people to experience the interior of the Cybertruck.
This is a move in the right direction; however, we hope that sooner than later, Tesla will start allowing people looking to purchase a Cybertruck to get a full test drive before they spend $100,000 on the vehicle.
Currently, this is all the information we’ve; however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as Tesla evolves its Cybertruck sales strategy. Until then, make sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
So, what do you think? Are you surprised Tesla doesn’t allow people to sit in a Cybertruck before paying $100,000? Given this fact, do you think people have the right to sell their Cybertruck? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below by clicking the red “Add new comment” button.
Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.
For more information, check out: I’m Getting Constant Insults When Out in Public in My Tesla Cybertruck – If It’s the Exposed Stainless Steel That Triggers People, I’m Considering Wrapping My Cybertruck
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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