Tesla Roadster Refund Conundrum Leaves Depositors in Lurch
Tesla's highly anticipated electric hypercar, the Roadster 2.0, has been a topic of much excitement and anticipation since Elon Musk first unveiled it back in 2017. However, with over eight years having passed since its initial reveal, many depositors are starting to feel like they've been left in the dust.
The latest example is Sam Altman, a well-known entrepreneur who reportedly paid a $45,000 deposit for his Roadster back in 2018. But when he tried to request a refund after growing tired of waiting, he was met with a brick wall - or rather, an email address that had been deleted. According to Altman's social media posts, the only way he could get Tesla to acknowledge his request was by calling someone on the phone, a practice he admits to having previously learned from other people who'd fallen victim to the company's pre-order woes.
Altman's experience is far from unique. In recent months, several depositors have taken to social media and online forums to share their own stories of frustration with Tesla's lack of progress on delivering its highly publicized Roadster 2.0. While the electric hypercar boasts impressive specs - including a range of over 620 miles and "cold gas thrusters" for added acceleration - many are starting to wonder if it'll ever see the light of day.
Tesla's customer service department has yet to respond to requests from Arstechnica, but the company's silence on the matter speaks volumes about its priorities. With a growing number of depositors clamoring for refunds and some even taking to Twitter to air their grievances, it remains to be seen whether Tesla will finally come clean about the status of its highly-anticipated Roadster 2.0.
Tesla's highly anticipated electric hypercar, the Roadster 2.0, has been a topic of much excitement and anticipation since Elon Musk first unveiled it back in 2017. However, with over eight years having passed since its initial reveal, many depositors are starting to feel like they've been left in the dust.
The latest example is Sam Altman, a well-known entrepreneur who reportedly paid a $45,000 deposit for his Roadster back in 2018. But when he tried to request a refund after growing tired of waiting, he was met with a brick wall - or rather, an email address that had been deleted. According to Altman's social media posts, the only way he could get Tesla to acknowledge his request was by calling someone on the phone, a practice he admits to having previously learned from other people who'd fallen victim to the company's pre-order woes.
Altman's experience is far from unique. In recent months, several depositors have taken to social media and online forums to share their own stories of frustration with Tesla's lack of progress on delivering its highly publicized Roadster 2.0. While the electric hypercar boasts impressive specs - including a range of over 620 miles and "cold gas thrusters" for added acceleration - many are starting to wonder if it'll ever see the light of day.
Tesla's customer service department has yet to respond to requests from Arstechnica, but the company's silence on the matter speaks volumes about its priorities. With a growing number of depositors clamoring for refunds and some even taking to Twitter to air their grievances, it remains to be seen whether Tesla will finally come clean about the status of its highly-anticipated Roadster 2.0.
I mean, come on... this is like a classic case of governance in crisis management 
. Elon Musk and Tesla need to take responsibility for their mistakes (i.e., not delivering the product on time) and give customers what they're owed - a refund or some kind of update on the status of their deposits 
. The fact that Sam Altman had to resort to calling someone just to get his deposit acknowledged is unacceptable 
. This is what happens when you prioritize hype over substance 
.
. Transparency and accountability are key in a situation like this, folks 
. Let's see if they can step up and show us what they're really made of 
.
I'm starting to think Elon Musk has a few screws loose 
. Anyway, this is getting ridiculous...
I'm still waiting on my own Tesla refund from like 2019... I was supposed to get my Model 3 back then but they kept pushing the delivery date 
. And now this Roadster business? Forget about it 
. If I were Sam Altman, I'd be super frustrated too 
. Has anyone else been stuck in the Tesla preorder limbo? 
. And honestly, the fact that depositors are complaining about not being able to get refunds is ridiculous 
. They should've known better than to pay $45k upfront for a car that's probably still in development mode 
People need to chill and realize that companies are made up of humans, just like us. Mistakes happen, but so does progress 
. Tesla's probably working hard behind the scenes to make sure their next project is even better 
. Meanwhile, these depositors are just whining like babies 
.
is already stressing me out... I mean, have you tried pre-ordering a new gadget? It's like playing a game of musical chairs! You think you've got it locked in, and then BAM! They change the color palette or something, and you're back to square one. I'm starting to think Elon Musk is just trolling us at this point 
. It's like, come on, Elon, give us some updates! We're not exactly going to move on with our lives while we wait for your fancy car 
.
. i get that companies take time to deliver stuff, but 45k deposit + no updates = red flag 
. we should be callin out tesla for their lack of transparency instead of just waitin and hopin they come through 
. it's like, we're all tryna live in a sustainable future, not stuck in some neverland of hype 
! Sam Altman just shared his story online and honestly, it sounds so crazy that he had to call someone on the phone to even talk to Tesla about getting a refund 
.
. I hope Tesla steps up their game and gives these depositors the updates they deserve 
. They gotta do better than just ignoring us on social media... that's just basic customer service 
, what's up with tesla's customer service tho? it's like they're ignoring everyone and hoping people just forget about the roadster 
I'm just so done with companies like Tesla making promises they can't keep 
You gotta deliver, right? 
I've been following this whole thing for years now, and it's just gotten more and more frustrating with every passing year. 
... but when it comes down to customer service? Forget about it 
? Only time (and a lot more deposits) will tell