Are MS owners receptive to after-market parts peddlers?

[Andyw2100]

I came to a decision today. I have until tomorrow night to confirm.

85D. Blue. Pano roof. Auto Pilot. Air Suspension. Thazzit. Since I can still make changes, I'm open to input. I wasn't going to go with the roof except the advisor told me virtually 100% do and not having it may affect resale. Whatever. I can't make up my mind on any of this so I may as well let him do it. I wasn't going to do the suspension either, but my wife (who up to this point gave me virtually no input) said she thought that would be worth it for snow.

Congrats!

I think you are making a good decision on the air suspension. It's cool, and useful. I agree with Pete on the lack of the tech package negatively mpacting resale more than the lack of the pano roof would. I had been given the same warning, and told the same thing about how nearly 100% of people order it. But are you ordering the car for yourself, or for the resale value? If you are concerned about the wind noise, and don't think you'd use the pano roof much anyway, I definitely wouldn't get it just out of concern about the resale value.

Just my opinion.

 

[bcsteeve]

Again... what's the tech package? I recall seeing it in the past, but as far as I can tell there is no such package.

Re: the roof. So before driving the car, I 100% wanted the pano. It was one of my very few "must haves". When I had my initial 15 minute test drive, it was with the solid roof and the guy told me that I'd benefit from the pano due to increased headroom, although I didn't really feel headroom was a problem. Still, for the $ I thought it was worth it because one of the few things I loved about my smart car was the glass roof. In other words, going into this I was very much going to order it.

Then with the longer drive, I noticed wind noise that was bugging me a bit. That alone wouldn't dissuade me, but I also realized that, unlike my smart car, the pano roof really isn't of much visual benefit to the driver. I look up and I still only see headliner rather than the mountains or skyscrapers or clouds or whatever interesting things I might see in my smart when I look up at a long light. That was disappointing. That plus the noise made me question the decision. The other benefits to the pano are a sunroof I would never open, a roof rack I would never put on, and the ability to add XM that I'm not adding.

With that info, I decided to remove the roof and save myself the cash. But then two things swayed me back: 1) the advisor telling me 100% of Western Canadian cars since he's been there have had pano and 2) my wife said the car looked nicer from the outside with it.

I guess I have a few hours to decide

Still... if someone can shed some light on the tech package, I'd appreciate it. I'm kind of assuming that its been rolled into standard equipment and/or is covered by the auto pilot package.

 

[Ingineer]

Did you used to own a Nintendo?

Atari 2600, maybe? ;-)

I was an Atari 2600 guy, then I got an Atari 400 in '79 and learned how to program in BASIC then 6502C Assembly.

Never had to blow in any cartridge ports, but it also wasn't sending hundreds of amps of 400 volts DC down it!

85D. Blue. Pano roof. Auto Pilot. Air Suspension. Thazzit.

I didn't get the Air Suspension on my 70D, and I'm happy with the coils. So far no clearance issues anywhere. Seems about the same height as my 2008 Prius was. I've also had no range issues with the 70D so far on 2 long road trips. The spacing of the SC's (at least in CA's mild climate) is more than adequate for anywhere I think I'll go.

 

[brucet999]

Still... if someone can shed some light on the tech package, I'd appreciate it. I'm kind of assuming that its been rolled into standard equipment and/or is covered by the auto pilot package.

Tech package disappeared about the time of the D release. Some items went to Auto Pilot package, some into Premium Interior and lighting, and I think one or two became standard.

 

[bcsteeve]

I've also had no range issues with the 70D so far on 2 long road trips. The spacing of the SC's (at least in CA's mild climate) is more than adequate for anywhere I think I'll go.

Really, I think the 70D would be fine for me. But I would really hate to find out later that was a mistake. If I love the car as much as I hope I will, I won't be upset for over-buying on the range. But I sure would be upset if I under-bought. SC's are fewer and further between here and I think the extra range may come in handy. It is a lot of money though. Thanks for your thoughts.

- - - Updated - - -

Tech package disappeared about the time of the D release. Some items went to Auto Pilot package, some into Premium Interior and lighting, and I think one or two became standard.

That's what I figured. Is it just me, or is the Premium Interior and lighting package the most over-priced option on there? I look at what you get and what you pay, and I never once even hesitated over saying, "no thanks" to that. Would I like a power liftgate? Sure... and I'd appreciate it as standard equipment. On my test drive I kept forgetting to power-close it though lol. Never did manage to do it! Hand-closed it every time. The ambient lighting is kind of cool, but I think I could pull that off myself for about $40. I had the car for 18 hours and I never noticed the lighted door handles. So that just leaves the leather interior inserts (again, I could have that done for < $300) and the fog/cornering lights. I probably would go for the fog/cornering lights and that's the only thing I would actually pay for if it was done a la carte. No way that's worth $3800 though. Not even close.

Just my opinion, obviously. No offence to those that did pay for it! To each their own.

I sure hope the non-nappa leather interior bits aren't too ugly. They weren't able to show me a sample.

 

[ra-san]

.
I sure hope the non-nappa leather interior bits aren't too ugly. They weren't able to show me a sample.

Most don't see the difference. It's not a big deal.

 

[DFiveK2]

Are you sure this isn't a problem with your car? I often manually push it, and my car has never refused to charge because of it.

You do raise a good point... but pressing the button fixes the "issue" for me. I live about 300 miles from the nearest SC but I'll be sure to point it out when it's due for service. Not being able to charge is extremely frustrating, but I'm glad I got it sorted out.

The fact that a certain procedure has to be followed to successfully charge definitely indicates a "connection" protocol and clearly there's a gap in the code that doesn't handle all scenarions properly. I'm sure that gap could manifest itself in other ways as bccsteve may have found out.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

That's what I figured. Is it just me, or is the Premium Interior and lighting package the most over-priced option on there? I look at what you get and what you pay, and I never once even hesitated over saying, "no thanks" to that. Would I like a power liftgate? Sure... and I'd appreciate it as standard equipment. On my test drive I kept forgetting to power-close it though lol. Never did manage to do it! Hand-closed it every time. The ambient lighting is kind of cool, but I think I could pull that off myself for about $40. I had the car for 18 hours and I never noticed the lighted door handles. So that just leaves the leather interior inserts (again, I could have that done for < $300) and the fog/cornering lights. I probably would go for the fog/cornering lights and that's the only thing I would actually pay for if it was done a la carte. No way that's worth $3800 though. Not even close.

When the Premium Interior and lighting package was first announced, it was $5000 in the U.S. and there was a huge uproar here. I think they lowered the price to $3000 within 3 days. I do wish the power liftgate was available à la carte.

 

[Max*]

When the Premium Interior and lighting package was first announced, it was $5000 in the U.S. and there was a huge uproar here. I think they lowered the price to $3000 within 3 days. I do wish the power liftgate was available à la carte.

I feel like it was the next day, but I could be wrong, heh.

 

[LetsGoFast]

Are you sure this isn't a problem with your car? I often manually push it, and my car has never refused to charge because of it.

Ditto.

 

[cgiGuy]

Getting back to your original question about developing aftermarket items for Tesla vehicles... I think most owners would more than welcome more options for accessories. You'll find pretty resourceful people on this forum who spread the word about things that work here and there for various needs. One thing I will caution you about though, is don't assume that you can slap the premium price on something because you're marketing it to Tesla owners. Many owners got where they are by making wise decisions with their money. Many stretched to even be able to purchase the car. So, the last thing I'm going to buy is a 1000% marked up product. If it's well thought out and useful, you'll get a lot of customers who will buy it at a fair price.

 

[Max*]

Getting back to your original question about developing aftermarket items for Tesla vehicles... I think most owners would more than welcome more options for accessories. You'll find pretty resourceful people on this forum who spread the word about things that work here and there for various needs. One thing I will caution you about though, is don't assume that you can slap the premium price on something because you're marketing it to Tesla owners. Many owners got where they are by making wise decisions with their money. Many stretched to even be able to purchase the car. So, the last thing I'm going to buy is a 1000% marked up product. If it's well thought out and useful, you'll get a lot of customers who will buy it at a fair price.

+1000

 

[bcsteeve]

That's an interesting statement. I've been in business a long time, and I mostly market to the niche. The 1000% mark up, from my viewpoint, isn't a function of how wealthy the audience is. I've never even considered that except when asking, "can the market afford it" but certainly not "how much can I fleece these guys for?". That's just not how pricing is determined. Really ever. I mean, someone unnecessarily marks something up 1000% and company B just offers it at 900% and then C offers it at 800% until someone realizes they screwed themselves by going lower.

There's no magic number. Some of my products are marked up 30% while others I have a margin of about 700%. In neither case am I ripping off the customer because the margin is really irrelevant. That 700% item... it has been 6 years and I still have no competition. It isn't because I'm the only genius on the block that can figure it out (far from it), its because there's just not enough money in it.

Think about an artist making a one-off painting. What's the mark-up on that? It is only a number. The "correct" price is a balance between what people are willing to pay and what someone is willing to provide the product/service for. Some will find a price a great value while others will consider it a rip off. I learned a long time ago that I can't please everyone!

 

[Canuck]

If it's a niche product, how would a buyer even know what the mark up is? I guess if it's something like a fob cover, and you can buy Toyota ones for $1 but Tesla ones are $10, then we can say it is marked up by a factor of 10 after the standard 50% keystone mark up on the $1 fob cover, which perhaps cost 50 cents. Even leaving out the keystone mark up, we're at 1000% mark up on a $10 fob cover but is that gouging? I don't think so because mark up is not relevant. Sales volume, overhead costs, and just making it worth your while producing and selling the product is what's relevant. Mark up percentages mean more to how many you will sell, and even more to the next guy coming along to undercut you, than to the actual percentages itself. That's why the market, and not percentages, will always determine pricing.

If I want a product you sell, and you have marked it up 1000%, I would likely never know it, and even if I did it would not be the determining factor in my purchase. I would buy it provided it was what I wanted at a price that was fair. A 1000% mark up can be fair.

By the way, my fob cover examples are just that, examples. I have no idea if they have any relation to actual costs.

 

[pete8314]

If it's a niche product, how would a buyer even know what the mark up is? I guess if it's something like a fob cover, and you can buy Toyota ones for $1 but Tesla ones are $10, then we can say it is marked up by a factor of 10 after the standard 50% keystone mark up on the $1 fob cover, which perhaps cost 50 cents. Even leaving out the keystone mark up, we're at 1000% mark up on a $10 fob cover but is that gouging? I don't think so because mark up is not relevant. Sales volume, overhead costs, and just making it worth your while producing and selling the product is what's relevant. Mark up percentages mean more to how many you will sell, and even more to the next guy coming along to undercut you, than to the actual percentages itself. That's why the market, and not percentages, will always determine pricing.

If I want a product you sell, and you have marked it up 1000%, I would likely never know it, and even if I did it would not be the determining factor in my purchase. I would buy it provided it was what I wanted at a price that was fair. A 1000% mark up can be fair.

By the way, my fob cover examples are just that, examples. I have no idea if they have any relation to actual costs.

They don't Overheads eat profit; shipping, packing materials, website hosting, customer service, shipping loses, inventory management, storage, duty, no-question returns, warranty etc etc. Niche is niche, in all regards, meaning there's a lot of economies of scale that are lost on the production and distribution side. I'm not whining, and it's still more of a hobby than a business, just don't want anyone thinking I'm making $9 on every FobPocket. Put another way, on small orders I'm upside down each time USPS loses something (and I replace it, for free), which is relatively frequently, unfortunately. That's ok though, this was started for Tesla owners by a Tesla owner, and I welcome it as a creative outlet otherwise lacking in my day job.

 

[Canuck]

They don't Overheads eat profit; shipping, packing materials, website hosting, customer service, shipping loses, inventory management, storage, duty, no-question returns, warranty etc etc. Niche is niche, in all regards, meaning there's a lot of economies of scale that are lost on the production and distribution side. I'm not whining, and it's still more of a hobby than a business, just don't want anyone thinking I'm making $9 on every FobPocket. Put another way, on small orders I'm upside down each time USPS loses something (and I replace it, for free), which is relatively frequently, unfortunately. That's ok though, this was started for Tesla owners by a Tesla owner, and I welcome it as a creative outlet otherwise lacking in my day job.

Yes, of course. I thought of you while typing that -- I should have used a different product example to make my point.

By the way, you have excellent products and service. I love my fob covers, especially since my fob came apart a few short months after I got it. After Tesla repaired it, I got two of your covers, plus I paid $5 for the surprise product (I'm still a kid at heart and like surprises in the mail -- it ended up being the screen cleaner -- and I really like that too!). Your run a great business.

 

[pete8314]

Ha, thanks. The funny thing about those mystery gifts is that they're actually quite stressful for us. Originally they were used for slow sellers, but now we over-analyse every order to try to figure out what the customer would like, factoring in the shipping costs and package size....WAY too much though goes into them, I just need to create a bin with a 'lucky dip' selection in there, but I know I'd still pick and choose