Tesla has officially replaced a Plaid Model S that was totaled by a service center employee following a wheel bearing replacement. The owner, Jeff, updated us on the situation this morning and told us that Tesla had replaced the car, but he is expecting a large financial refund from the automaker.
Earlier this month, Teslarati reported that Jeff, a Model S Plaid owner, received a call from the Tesla service center in Plano, Texas, after a routine maintenance appointment when the vehicle had only been driven a few thousand miles . Jeff was informed by Tesla that his car had been destroyed by a service center employeeand police reports retrieved by Teslarati showed that the employee had been found responsible for the accident and charged with “failure to yield – stop sign”.
Tesla Model S Plaid Totaled By Service Center Employee, Leaving Owner Unanswered
Tesla had not loaned Jeff a vehicle or obliged him with a previous statement that made him believe they would replace his vehicle with a clone located in a showroom in Texas. While Tesla partially abolished its Uber loan or credit policy, Jeff’s situation was slightly different. Jeff and Tesla were stalled until our cover. Within an hour of the story’s publication, Jeff had been contacted by Tesla and asked to remain patient.
Three days after the story, Jeff contacted me and told me that Tesla had a Model S Plaid on the way from Fremont. Jeff was hoping to take delivery by September 18, as he is spending half the year at a vacation home in Mexico. Jeff finally delayed his trip to take delivery of the vehicle yesterday September 20th.
UPDATE: Well done, @You’re here and @Elon Musk! https://t.co/zIedJA03hJ pic.twitter.com/AuFXAYKwNA
— Joey Klender (@KlenderJoey) September 9, 2022
He confirmed to Teslarati yesterday that the car was in his possession. “It’s fabulous,” he said. However, Tesla is still working with Jeff to iron out the financial situation.
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“I’m still responsible for over $252,000 to replace a car I could buy for $160,000,” Jeff said. He paid Tesla more than $50,000 to forfeit a loan on the previous vehicle. However, after picking up the vehicle, Jeff said Tesla withdrew an additional $137,000 from his account. “It was the most dysfunctional process I have ever seen in my life,” he added.
Jeff clarified this morning that Tesla acknowledged the extra funds taken from his account and said they don’t know how it happened because Jeff didn’t authorize the purchase. However, they assured him that the money should be returned within 10 days.
Overall, Jeff is happy to have the car, but isn’t impressed with the unorganized process. He hopes to get his money back in the next few days, and says he’s still a Tesla fan despite that experience.
I would love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoeyor if you have any topical advice, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
