Tesla stopped calling them CPO but it’s still the same thing...
“manufacturer supplied, approved against a set of criteria defined by them, and warrantied by them
You may have issues with their criteria especially over cosmetics but every manufacturer has their own standard.
Put another way, what’s missing to stop it being a “CPO” other than cosmetics? The key elements regarding mileage checks, ownership checks, recall and safety checks, warranty provision, etc are all still there.
No, it's not still the same thing. It's quite different and continuing to intentionally call it something it's not isn't making it so and only serves to confuse potential buyers.
Ask yourself, why did Tesla put forth the effort to systematically and completely eliminate the term "CPO" from any and all locations if it's the same. It's not. It's just not. There's a very select few people on this forum who want to argue this simple fact with me and it's already created confusion from those who don't fully understand the CPO program no longer exists. There's even threads posted very recently of new owners who are now in a poor situation with Tesla because they thought they were buying a "CPO" car based on posts they read here. People buy used from Tesla thinking it's a CPO still because of people continuing to incorrectly call used Tesla Cars "CPO" when they aren't. You and I may know the difference but if you're just now coming to the party these terms and facts can be quite confusing so why intentionally muddy the waters by using improper terminology?
When Tesla was doing the CPO program they only selected certain cars that were exceptional version of their cars that were traded in. They couldn't have an accident history or repairs and basically needed to be in nearly perfect cosmetic condition with any and all issues being refurbished, repaired or replaced. Specimens with substantial versions of any of these went to auction. If you bought a Tesla CPO and discovered an issue later that was clearly a cosmetic type issue that was missed initially you could bring it to their attention and they would likely resolve this issue to your satisfaction. The delivery was more akin to taking delivery of a brand new Tesla and it was quite the experience.
This is a FAR cry from what this program has devolved into. This is EXACTLY why, after tons of backlash, Tesla removed any and all mention of the term "CPO" from all of their platforms. We need to make sure we do the same during our discussions (unless, of course, you're referring to those specific cars that were sold during a time when the CPO program still existed) because it does a disservice to those who are new to the used Tesla topic and are seeking information. They see the term CPO and assume that Tesla's CPO program is like all other luxury brands that endeavor to present a car buying experience as close to a brand new luxury car experience as they can. This is no longer the case.
Tesla doesn't do this. They sell used cars. Many horror stories of the condition of the cars sold by Tesla over the last year or two which is indicative of the fact that Tesla doesn't care about it's used car program or it's customers who buy used cars. It's an annoyance to them and gets in the way of selling new cars which is all they care about. They give low-ball offers so bad that people should be offended because they simply don't want your trade. But, for reasons known only to them, people continue rewarding bad behavior & losing TONS of money in the process and accepting them. Tesla is then forced to continue taking in trades that they try to rush out the other side w/o even so much as a basic inspection even though they tout a 70-point comprehensive inspection on the listings. Look at some of the blatant items people are faced with upon taking delivery and ask yourself how someone could have missed that if they did any sort of inspection at all let alone the 70-point inspection they claim they do on all cars.
Sure they also carry a warranty against manufacturer defect which is one of the few hold-overs from the previous CPO program. But this is mechanical issues and it's important that potential buyers know this on the front end so that they treat the transaction as it is: a used car purchase. They need to know that, unless they look it over carefully and get Tesla to agree to any refurbishment on the front end
in writing they are taking FULL ownership of all cosmetic issues that the car has at the time of singing paperwork. Tesla is gross in how they process used car sales by intentionally tricking people into signing paperwork and effectively legally taking ownership delivery before they even let them see the car. You have to demand seeing it before signing anything and they will likely push back on this front and even make it seem like they're doing you a tremendous favor by letting you see it first. Don't even bother asking to test drive. This is done intentionally and it puts the buyer in a horrible position if the car doesn't meet up to the condition of a handful of low-res & intentionally poorly lit photos. Often time the condition isn't anything that's presented beforehand and if you signed before getting any sort of cosmetic issues because you thought it was a "CPO" you're basically now screwed and at the mercy of Tesla to get free work done and we all know how that goes.
It's simple: Tesla previously had a CPO program. It no longer does. It now sells used cars that have a warranty against manufacturer defect and mechanical failure on non-wear items. To continue calling it a CPO program when there's a clear line of delineation only serves to further confuse those who don't understand that difference which is future Tesla owners trying to wade through the waves of confusion intentionally created by Tesla.
