Tesla bans Stewart Alsop from buying Model X

[bonnie]

Now we have evidence that Tesla is perfectly willing to terminate business relationship because of a bad blog post. Not even a lawsuit, just a blog post!

And with Tesla customers have nowhere else to go. Nothing stops Elon from denying you service or repairs if he thinks that you don't sound enthusiastic enough when talking about Tesla (assuming you don't have extended warranty). Or perhaps for jailbreaking your car's central console.

So I'm now considering the "direct sales" model to be a huge disadvantage compared to regular independent car dealers model (funny enough, I've had no issues with car dealers in the past).

Dramatic much? This forum is filled with posts critical of Tesla and Elon, in particular. And yet no one here has been banned.

I'm curious about the phone call. Elon wouldn't have bothered calling an upset customer solely for the purpose of saying, 'No X for you!'. There is more to the story & I, for one, am not willing to just read a blog post and pass judgment based on one person's spin on events.

 

[eloder]

..the Elon fanboism is strong in this one...

I'm now reconsidering my Tesla purchase. It seems that Tesla Motors doesn't really care about their customers anymore.

Oh please. I work for a fortune 15 company and I've seen high-level managers personally stop active services/products for a customer, and bar their social security number from ever doing business with us again. Reason? They constantly complained irrationally about the service, making unrealistic demands. Mostly it's when they're actively trying to threaten and constantly belittle employees, but I've seen it happen simply because of excessive complaints.

Restaurants, airlines, banks--I've seen all of these companies bar people from products/services.

If you're not an outrageous jerk, you have no worries about losing the business of any large company.

 

[omarsultan]

The Verge's take:
A customer was so annoying that Tesla decided not to sell him a car

I think the last line in that piece is the most important--everyone just moved up one spot.

 

[S'toon]

Now we have evidence that Tesla is perfectly willing to terminate business relationship because of a bad blog post. Not even a lawsuit, just a blog post!

And with Tesla customers have nowhere else to go. Nothing stops Elon from denying you service or repairs if he thinks that you don't sound enthusiastic enough when talking about Tesla (assuming you don't have extended warranty). Or perhaps for jailbreaking your car's central console.

So I'm now considering the "direct sales" model to be a huge disadvantage compared to regular independent car dealers model (funny enough, I've had no issues with car dealers in the past).

There's more to the story than that. There was the phone call to Musk.

Many years ago I worked as a computer store for a local computer store. One time we had a customer tell one of our female sales people that she didn't know what she was talking about. She was a former network technician, better qualified than I was. She hung up on him. When he called back one of our other sales people told him "We don't need your business" and hung up on him. There is no requirement for a business to sell to an abusive customer.

 

[Canuck]

(funny enough, I've had no issues with car dealers in the past).

Not really. Like minds usually get along well.

 

[DaveT]

Having his X order seems a bit much, but am I the only one who found this humorous?



How else should he view it?

If the author of the blog only wanted Elon to know how he felt, then it would have been a private letter to him, not a public blog. It was not just something he was saying directy to Elon - it was publicly chastising him. Of course he took it personally. Who wouldn't? That has nothing to do with the event starting late and other issues that have been hashed out already on this forum. He waggled his finger at Elon and then did the 'whoa, it wasn't personal!'.

People have chastised Elon (and Tesla, for that matter) much worse on this forum and not had their order canceled. People have been publicly critical of that particular event and not had their order canceled. So I wonder what actually was said on that phone conversation. There is likely more to this story.

I think the author crossed the line when he titled his post "Elon, you should be ashamed of yourself". No need to try to "shame" Elon. But on the other hand, I understand the author's frustration. I also was very upset and angry at how I (and others) were treated at the X launch event. I event brought up my concerns with one of the main event coordinators (super late start with no apology, lack of X vehicles for test drive, overcrowding, ridiculous wait, etc). However, the event coordinator completely blew me off. The coordinator basically said, "we're doing a great job." And "Elon can start whenever he wants and do whatever he wants." I felt reprimanded and it was a terrible experience. And this wasn't the first time I felt like this dealing with Tesla recently. I've had a lot of negative experiences with Tesla over the past year or so. I feel sad, especially since I'm one of their biggest fans.

 

[Cyberax]

If you only had one Chevy dealer in your city and you did a blog post that gained widespread attention where you blasted the owner of the dealership do you think they'd gladly sell you a car?

Then I can go to _another_ Chevy dealer. There are no other Tesla dealers.

 

[Canuck]

Then I can go to _another_ Chevy dealer. There are no other Tesla dealers.

No you can't. Once you're blacklisted by GM you can't just buy from another dealer:

Tesla Model X Cancellation - Page 6

 

[Cyberax]

Restaurants, airlines, banks--I've seen all of these companies bar people from products/services.
If you're not an outrageous jerk, you have no worries about losing the business of any large company.

Other companies can be arschlochs too! News at 11.

However, people don't normally buy $70k+ items from them.

And while Tesla probably won't come down on regular critics or irate customers (Tesla still enjoys fairly good PR), the scary thing here is that it _can_. There's nothing that can stop them legally.

 

[dsm363]

Then I can go to _another_ Chevy dealer. There are no other Tesla dealers.

Yes. You could but the point is a business can make a decision like this. You could also buy a Ford. No one is forcing you to buy a Tesla. There are options.

 

[Cyberax]

No you can't. Once you're blacklisted by GM you can't just buy from another dealer:
Tesla Model X Cancellation - Page 6

You can. There's no requirement for any identification when you buy a car and GM can't actually force dealerships to do additional checks. I should know, I bought my first car in the US without showing anything but a foreign drivers license.

Case in point: So apparently I am blacklisted by GM from buying a C7 - Page 11 - Corvette Forum - guy went into another dealership and got his car.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes. You could but the point is a business can make a decision like this. You could also buy a Ford. No one is forcing you to buy a Tesla. There are options.

There are no options if Tesla one day decides to stop servicing your car. And they (legally) can do it if your warranty expires.

 

[omarsultan]

You can. There's no requirement for any identification when you buy a car and GM can't actually force dealerships to do additional checks. I should know, I bought my first car in the US without showing anything but a foreign drivers license.

How do you transfer title or register a car with nothing but a foreign driver's license?

 

[green1]

How do you transfer title or register a car with nothing but a foreign driver's license?

The manufacturer, and dealer, do not need to be involved in that process.

All the dealer needs to do is write a bill of sale with your name on it, and the registry does the rest.

 

[Auzie]

It's a fact of business life. Sometimes you fire the vendor, sometimes you fire the customer.

It's not something you take lightly, or want to do, but on occasion it is the correct path.

<--- Not an FanBoy. Just wonder why folk today assume a business must always placate troublesome potential customers. At least it is still legal to choose your customers, much like customers can choose their supplier. Freedom doesn't suck as bad as some folk think.

I would expand your comment to apply to not only business but to all kinds of relationships. Life's too short to waste it on some people that are too troublesome to deal with. We have a saying here when we do not appreciate someone: I have no time for "insert undesirable's name here".

has to be said that if you buy a Tesla you deal with Tesla.
If you fall out with Tesla ...

if you buy any other car ... from a dealer
... at least you can use another dealer

Tesla's direct sales model is great and has a ton of advantages, but you do need to be aware of this

Tesla (or Elon) is in the driver's seat and dictating the terms of the relationship. I guess it is a perk of being a CEO of an electric car maker in a world dominated by ice car makers.

..the Elon fanboism is strong in this one...

I'm now reconsidering my Tesla purchase. It seems that Tesla Motors doesn't really care about their customers anymore.

Nothing to do with fanboyism, just understanding (empathy) of the simple business (and life) improvement technique that works wonders.

I am not on Elon's level, but I use the same business (and life) improvement method and it works like a charm. If a relationship with a supplier or a customer (or anyone else) is becoming more trouble that it's worth, it is best for all to go separate ways. Everyone is better off and happier. It is often irrelevant who's right and who's in the wrong, it is a waste of time and energy trying to have a business (or any other kind) relationship with incompatible partners.

 

[Spidy]

Elon Musk on Twitter:

Must be a slow news day if denying service to a super rude customer gets this much attention

 

[MrAustraliaTax]

I got put on a GM blacklist - NEED HELP PLEASE!!! - Corvette Forum

*Big* difference from what has apparently happened between Alsop and Musk.

GM stopped this guy from buying a car which they believed he was buying to immediately export for a hefty profit - unfair to local customers.

At face value, Alsop v Musk is Musk being very thin skinned and throwing a hissy fit for valid, robust criticism. There is plenty of damning precedent (Broder, Top Gear). Musk's childish response on Twitter just strengthens my argument.


The MOST IMPORTANT thing Tesla needs to do RIGHT NOW is take away Elon Musk's twitter account. No good has ever come from it.

 

[bhzmark]

There's nothing that can stop them legally.

Right. No law forcing tesla to sell anyone a car. And no law forcing anyone to buy a tesla. Welcome to the free market where buyers and sellers may engage in mutually beneficial transactions -- Or decide that a transaction is not sufficiently beneficial to them.

 

[ankitmishra]

Well done Elon!!! No need to deal with people who are rude and attack on your personal life due to business decisions. I have myself read comments on forums where people begin attacking elements of Elon's personal life because they aren't happy about something that Tesla did. If Elon is saying he was super rude, I can understand that. Even on the forums I have seen comments on Elon which bear no relation to Tesla. It's one thing to comment in a forum and another to do a public blog post and then call him personally. If a person is unhappy with Tesla, its better to criticize Tesla instead of singling someone out. Good job Elon!!

 

[Lokolo]

Well done Elon!!! No need to deal with people who are rude and attack on your personal life due to business decisions. I have myself read comments on forums where people begin attacking elements of Elon's personal life because they aren't happy about something that Tesla did. If Elon is saying he was super rude, I can understand that. Even on the forums I have seen comments on Elon which bear no relation to Tesla. It's one thing to comment in a forum and another to do a public blog post and then call him personally. If a person is unhappy with Tesla, its better to criticize Tesla instead of singling someone out. Good job Elon!!

Not sure I agree with this. Elon is CEO of Tesla. Therefore any criticism of Tesla is effectively a criticism of him anyway. I don't see it as a downright personal attack on him as a person, more of a CEO, which I think is perfectly fine. If the the OP had said "You should be ashamed ElonMusk, you are a terrible father" then yes, thats a very personal attack, but this was clearly an "attack" on him as CEO of Tesla, which he is, and hardly "personal".

 

[AlMc]

I think the author crossed the line when he titled his post "Elon, you should be ashamed of yourself". No need to try to "shame" Elon. But on the other hand, I understand the author's frustration. I also was very upset and angry at how I (and others) were treated at the X launch event. I event brought up my concerns with one of the main event coordinators (super late start with no apology, lack of X vehicles for test drive, overcrowding, ridiculous wait, etc). However, the event coordinator completely blew me off. The coordinator basically said, "we're doing a great job." And "Elon can start whenever he wants and do whatever he wants." I felt reprimanded and it was a terrible experience. And this wasn't the first time I felt like this dealing with Tesla recently. I've had a lot of negative experiences with Tesla over the past year or so. I feel sad, especially since I'm one of their biggest fans.

There were a group of TMCers at this event that hung together and I agree with everything Dave has articulated here. Dave's last name does not begin with 'T'. It stands for Tesla. He is a true believer and I think this is one of the most painful posts for me personally to read.