Model 3 Reservation Refund: Conclusion

            Today in the postal, I received a business letter. With a glance at the return address from Palo Alto, California 94304, I knew who this was from: Tesla. I received my full $1,000 (USD) refund in a very timely manner: less than two weeks after initiating the cancellation. The letter was nothing more than an 8.5 x 11 paper with an empty invoice table entitled “Remittance Advice,” with the perforated check at the bottom.

            Despite placing the reservation originally through bank transfer, I decided to receive my refund through check. Tesla made note on the refund page, returns by check will be the most lengthy reimbursement timeframe ranging form 30-60 days. There are some situations, such as this one, where I would rather go to the bank myself and complete the deposit rather than rely on an electronic transfer. There's a sense of security to deposit a check in person thereby eliminating the discomfort brought by the thought the direct deposit might be lost in limbo.

          Following my cancellation, I looked through Twitter, online forms, cancellation videos, polls, and so forth to see what people who had also withdrawn were saying about their refund status. Responses had irregular results: somewhere refunded within a very short period of time like myself, while others were waiting longer and longer as the weeks progressed into months, and the months began to clump together.
          To connect some dots between the time it took to cancel the reservation and be refunded, here are some key points I noticed from the letter sent by Tesla:

• Reservation cancelled 04 July, check is written 06 July
• Tesla writes a lot of checks, as my check number is above 335, XXX
• My former reservation number does not appear on the letter, but I am assigned a vendor number
• Tesla banks with Wells Fargo
• Letter mailed First-Class at the metered rate of 37.8¢ (USD), on 10 July from zip code 85282

            Stepping out of the Model 3 reservation line was ultimately the best decision for me at this time. On a positive note, someone else is now even closer to having their order fulfilled and taking delivery; I hope this also lessens the production stress Tesla is facing. I must note, my comment from the previous post suggesting Tesla will disregard current reservation holders and open up ordering to the public came true just a few days ago on 10 July. New orders are required to have $2,500 attached when the order is submitted; the world is still to some extent buzzing for the Model 3. What the public sees in the Model 3 design studio on Tesla's website is the same screen and procedure I clicked through back in June. For documentation purposes, below is a combined PDF showing the Model 3 terms and conditions for original reservation holders, and the later pages for orders placed today. The first page was attached to the email when my reservation was originally confirmed; the footnote suggests this T&C document was finalized on 25 March 2016, just prior to the unveiling. Pages 2-5 may currently be found on the Model 3 reservation page on the final step and looks to be relevant as of 12 June 2016.

Keep a copy of this PDF

Works cited 

Tesla, Inc. Model 3 Reservation Terms & Agreements. V.20160325 ed., PDF ed., 2016.

---. Motor Vehicle Order Agreement Terms & Conditions. V. 20180612 ed., PDF ed., 2018.