- Tesla owners are venting their frustration after missing out on a steep price cut this week.
- One customer told Bloomberg she missed out on a $13,000 discount and won’t buy another Tesla.
- Customers on a Facebook group in the UK asked if they could get a refund after recent purchases.
Some Tesla customers who missed out on big price cuts that could have saved them thousands have hit out at electric carmaker Elon Musk.
Social media posts and a Bloomberg report suggest several owners were angry after Tesla announced big price cuts this week in a bid to sell more cars.
Bloomberg spoke with three recent buyers who missed out on discounts of $10,000 for the Model 3 and $13,000 for the Model Y.
“I feel like I’ve been ripped off. I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of as a consumer,” Marianne Simmons told Bloomberg after paying more than $77,000 for a Model Y in September.
“Right now, I’m losing $13,306. That’s such a big reduction that it’s going to affect a lot of people who just bought a vehicle,” she said. Simmons told the dealership she would never buy a Tesla again because of it.
The reductions follow Tesla’s first cuts in Asian markets, which briefly left cars about 40% cheaper in China than in the US. Reuters reported that the cuts have sparked protests at some Tesla dealerships in China.
Tesla also lowered prices in European countries such as France, Germany and the UK.
Some who said they had recently bought a Tesla vented their frustrations on a Facebook group in the UK.
“Feeling shortchanged since I only picked up my model 3 rwd in December, would be nice if Tesla could soften the blow somehow,” one user posted.
According to The Telegraph, another user posted: “I just collected my car yesterday. What should I do? Go to Tesla and return the car? I can’t believe I’ve lost £5k within hours of collecting the car.”
Jack Bradham told Bloomberg that the long-range black edition Tesla Model Y now costs $12,000 less than the $69,000 he paid in December.
There is currently no indication that Tesla will refund recent customers.
“There’s no one to contact. I’ve called them and tweeted them, no response,” Bradham told Bloomberg.
James Baggott, editor-in-chief of Car Dealer magazine, told the Press Association news agency that UK Tesla customers who had placed orders at the old prices could cancel, but those who already had their cars were stuck.
“This will also have a major impact on used Tesla prices. Our research has shown that Tesla prices have fallen by more than a fifth in the past year and these new price cuts will have a serious negative effect on the used car market,” he added.
The Model Y and Model 3 were the two best-selling cars in the UK in December – with almost 16,400 registrations – even before the price cuts.
Tesla has dropped the price of the Model Y by £7,000 to around £45,000, or $55,000; while the entry-level Model 3 is now £8,100 cheaper at around £43,000 or $52,600, the Evening Standard reported.
Tesla said in a statement to the Press Association that some costs have stopped rising, “giving us the confidence to pass them on to our customers.”
“As local vehicle production continues to increase and we gain further economies of scale globally, we are making the Model 3 and Model Y even more available” in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company said in a statement.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.