Low Model X Reservation Number

KidDocDMC · Jul 18, 2015

I know that reservations are non-transferable. However, given an interested person, I would be willing to use my very low reservation number (<200) to purchase a vehicle to his/her specifications, with a plan to transfer said car to the new buyer at delivery. I know there are a lot of details to work out in this transaction, and both are parties would need legal and financial protection to make sure that all went well. However, it is probably worth it to the right person, since I hear that new reservations are currently in the tens of thousands. This reservation guarantees delivery within the first batches of cars produced. I've held this reservation (and Tesla has held my money) for over three years. It would be a shame to see it go to waste with a simple refund.

For anyone who has the funds, and isn't interested in the wait, I can offer the chance to jump the line.

NigelM · Jul 18, 2015

Just be aware that plenty of folks have tried to go down this road before. Tesla does not allow the transfer of reservation numbers and the potential cost penalties (lost tax incentives, double sales tax, transport and shipping etc) for anyone buying what is then a second hand car tend to make these deals unappealing.

AnOutsider · Jul 18, 2015

Have we ever known of something like this to fail though? I've seen it discussed, but never seen any followup.

Krugerrand · Jul 18, 2015

AnOutsider said:
Have we ever known of something like this to fail though? I've seen it discussed, but never seen any followup.

Well, can't fail if it's not something that's a) not allowed by Tesla in the first place, and b) never been done because Tesla doesn't allow it, and even if they did nobody would because of what Nigel just said. :wink:

ecarfan · Jul 18, 2015

The OP appears to be offering to, right after accepting delivery, immediately sell his Model X for significantly more than what he will pay for it if that person will in advance enter into some sort of legal agreement to buy the vehicle from him. Sounds legal on the face of it but I am not a lawyer.

walla2 · Jul 18, 2015

Here is what you do: have both names of the OP and the list jumper on the title.

To do this, have the OP sign a contract removing his\her interest and tax benefits within 30 days.

Buy the car in two people's names. Tesla can't tell you the other name on the title. Would have to be a cash deal to avoid a loan hit on the OP.

The OP gets the title and signs their release of interest. A new title can be issued in just the list jumpers name. If they lived in different states, there might be a sales tax difference but you should get a credit for taxes paid already.

Not that hard but you have to be creative and their is some risk of course. Liability and the deal falling through are the obvious two.

AnOutsider · Jul 19, 2015

I'm fairly sure there's many ways to do it (walla's being one of them, if a bit complicated). I'm just curious if anyone ever went through with it. Most times it's brought up here there's a lot of "NOT ALLOWED! CAN'T BE DONE!", so the OPs usually leave and probably couldn't be bothered to share any info from there. Heck, if they DID find a way to do it, they probably wouldn't share just out of fair some whistleblower will try to screw it up with a tip to Tesla or something.

Krugerrand · Jul 19, 2015

Yes, trying to game the system should always be rewarded.

dsm363 · Jul 19, 2015

I don't think the OP is getting Tesla involved which is different than what others have tried to do in the past (sell their reservation spot). He's accepting delivery of the vehicle and then selling the 'used' new car to someone else knowing they might lose tax incentives. I agree with Nigel though that it would be hard to make the deal seem financially appealing enough but if someone is desperate enough for a Model X it's possible.

n88 · Jul 19, 2015

The question raises a thought. If there aren't many MXs shipped by year end, and one were to take a virtually zero mileage MX to say, Barrett Jackson in Jan/Feb, I wonder what the auction price might look like?

NigelM · Jul 19, 2015

n88 said:
The question raises a thought. If there aren't many MXs shipped by year end, and one were to take a virtually zero mileage MX to say, Barrett Jackson in Jan/Feb, I wonder what the auction price might look like?

No doubt at all that there's a time/value premium, the question is how high is that premium? E.g. Your reservation is #69xx and mine is #313, would you pay me $500 to swap places? Probably I guess, but how about $10,000? Probably not?

The logistical and financial issue of transfer can quickly add up to $10k even before the seller adds his required profit. At Barrett Jackson there's also the auctioneers premium to cover.

CarlK · Jul 19, 2015

Just be aware that the second buyer will have to pay any applicable sales tax again.

wk057 · Jul 23, 2015

CarlK said:
Just be aware that the second buyer will have to pay any applicable sales tax again.

Take delivery in NJ?

LetsGoFast · Jul 23, 2015

CarlK said:
Just be aware that the second buyer will have to pay any applicable sales tax again.

Not if they are a joint title holder using the method walla proposes.

Trnsl8r · Jul 23, 2015

Not that I condone selling reservations, but if you really wanted to it's stupid easy that I'm surprised no one has thought of it yet...

Strike a deal with the person that want your reservation so badly.
Log in to MyTesla.
Edit your personal details so they match the other person's.
(Hope that TM didn't notice or, if they did, pretend they didn't.)

tga · Jul 24, 2015

Trnsl8r said:
Not that I condone selling reservations, but if you really wanted to it's stupid easy that I'm surprised no one has thought of it yet...

Strike a deal with the person that want your reservation so badly.
Log in to MyTesla.
Edit your personal details so they match the other person's.
(Hope that TM didn't notice or, if they did, pretend they didn't.)

Somewhere here I found a posting once where someone claimed to have done that to sell a Sig S reservation, but I couldn't find it now.

KidDocDMC · Jul 26, 2015

Good thought

tga said:
Somewhere here I found a posting once where someone claimed to have done that to sell a Sig S reservation, but I couldn't find it now.

You're right that I can change every field in my profile, which would (theoretically) make someone else the holder of my low # reservation. Others are also right that my original thought was to NOT have Tesla involved at all, and to look for someone who has a strong interest in the car, a low tolerance for waiting in line, and crazy amounts of money to spend.

I buy a lot of tech gadgets right after launch, and sometimes sell them immediately (at a profit) to just such people. The Amazon Echo was a recent example. I sold it for a 30% premium because I had early access to purchase it, and decided that it just wasn't that interesting to me. With the Model X, I purchased the reservation at a time when I thought I would have the salary to cover such a car. I also got a two year lease, with the anticipation of it expiring right at the time that the Model X was released. Unfortunately, my salary hasn't skyrocketed as fast as I had hoped, and my lease was up on my Acura last month, so I went ahead and got an Infiniti. Not as exciting as the Model X, but practical.

In this case, Tesla has held onto my $5000 cash for 3+ years, and I am just looking to profit a little while adding to someone's stable of expensive cars. There are plenty of people who have multiple cars sitting in garages that total in the millions. I'm not expecting a soccer mom from Fresno to pay extra in this case. It is really the collector/enthusiast that I am after.

Vger · Jul 26, 2015

To the costs and risks of such a transaction, one must add something else-- the high probability that an MX reserved now and delivered as VIN 20k+ will be a significantly better car than the OP's reservation will yield. There will inevitably be new features, perhaps upgraded AutoPilot sensors, perhaps a more advanced battery chemistry and thus longer range, etc.

Having been through this story with the Model S, I am not anxious to be near the front of the line anymore. Tesla's rate of learning in the field and resultant continuous improvement is unprecedented in the auto industry, so the old rules for such early reservation premiums do not apply.

mzpolo · Jul 26, 2015

KidDocDMC said:
You're right that I can change every field in my profile, which would (theoretically) make someone else the holder of my low # reservation. Others are also right that my original thought was to NOT have Tesla involved at all, and to look for someone who has a strong interest in the car, a low tolerance for waiting in line, and crazy amounts of money to spend.

I buy a lot of tech gadgets right after launch, and sometimes sell them immediately (at a profit) to just such people. The Amazon Echo was a recent example. I sold it for a 30% premium because I had early access to purchase it, and decided that it just wasn't that interesting to me. With the Model X, I purchased the reservation at a time when I thought I would have the salary to cover such a car. I also got a two year lease, with the anticipation of it expiring right at the time that the Model X was released. Unfortunately, my salary hasn't skyrocketed as fast as I had hoped, and my lease was up on my Acura last month, so I went ahead and got an Infiniti. Not as exciting as the Model X, but practical.

In this case, Tesla has held onto my $5000 cash for 3+ years, and I am just looking to profit a little while adding to someone's stable of expensive cars. There are plenty of people who have multiple cars sitting in garages that total in the millions. I'm not expecting a soccer mom from Fresno to pay extra in this case. It is really the collector/enthusiast that I am after.

So lets be even clearer than what you have just been.... what exactly is "I am just looking to profit a little" since you are specifically looking for "someone who has ....crazy amounts of money to spend."
I am all for the free market, but this attitude is not something I like

, That said, more power to you for taking advantage of the stupid folks who fall for it.

AnOutsider · Jul 26, 2015

mzpolo said:
So lets be even clearer than what you have just been.... what exactly is "I am just looking to profit a little" since you are specifically looking for "someone who has ....crazy amounts of money to spend."
I am all for the free market, but this attitude is not something I like , That said, more power to you for taking advantage of the stupid folks who fall for it.

If I had the cash and wanted a Model X ASAP, I don't think I'd be "stupid" for offering to pay someone 10k, for example, to jump the line. It's all relative... Some folks may call all of us stupid for spending 10's of thousands of dollars to save a few dollars and minutes at a gas pump.

More power to them.

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