![Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in Hawthorne, California on March 14, 2019.](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_center,h_80,pg_1,q_80,w_80/sloqvsgmaejwdvynvmfz.jpg 80w, https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_320/sloqvsgmaejwdvynvmfz.jpg 320w, https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_470/sloqvsgmaejwdvynvmfz.jpg 470w, https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_800/sloqvsgmaejwdvynvmfz.jpg 800w, https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_1600/sloqvsgmaejwdvynvmfz.jpg 1600w)
For years, Tesla, as well as its eccentric founder and CEO Elon Musk, proudly proclaimed to recent customers that if they were unhappy with the vehicle they had just purchased, they could simply return it. The catch? Hardly anything. It just had to be done within seven calendar days.
That was then. Now, as reported by Electrek, recent Tesla customers experiencing buyer’s remorse over their new vehicle may just be stuck with it. In other words, it probably won’t be that easy to return it. Electrek reports that Tesla eliminated its seven-day return policy, which the company had maintained was proof of the confidence it had in its cars, this week.
Indeed, when you search “Tesla seven day return policy” in Google, you see the old return policy as one of the top results. However, once you click on the link to Tesla’s official site, it redirects you to the Tesla support page, which makes no mention of the old return policy.
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But this is the internet, which allows you to reminiscence over old Tesla policies if you wish. A cached version of the Tesla return policy page from Oct. 15—the same day Tesla reportedly decided to axe the policy, per Electrek—shows the old policy in all its glory.
It reads:
“Owning a Tesla vehicle means you are driving one of the most advanced, best performing and safest vehicles available. We are confident that you will feel great about your new vehicle, and so are giving you time to experience and enjoy your new Tesla. Subject to the terms and conditions of this policy, if you are unhappy with your vehicle, you may return it to us within seven (7) calendar days.”
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According to the now-defunct policy, to be able to qualify for a seven-day return, the vehicle must have less than 1,000 miles on the odometer, a New Vehicle Limited Warranty that has not been voided, be in new condition without damage or abnormal wear and tear and not have been resold or transferred to someone else, among others.
Nonetheless, unnamed sources cited by Electrek said that dissatisfied buyers would now be referred to Tesla’s service department if they want to return their vehicle for whatever reason.
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As noted by Electrek, the move seems a bit strange, especially considering that the policy was meant to show how confident the company was that people would love its cars. Just a year ago, Musk proudly proclaimed on Twitter, his social media vice, that you could order a new Model S online “in 2 mins for home delivery & return in 7 days for full refund.”
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But at the same time, is this really a great loss for current and future Tesla buyers? Per Electrek, we don’t know how many people actually used the policy to return their cars.
Since Tesla closed its PR department, we may never know why the seven-day return policy was axed (of course, there’s also no guarantee that if the department was still in existence it would tell us). Maybe Musk will tweet about it someday and provide an answer to this mystery.
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[Electrek]