Why? Because they missed out on them.
Several dozen Chinese Tesla owners are protesting over recently announced vehicle price cuts they failed to receive when they purchased their EVs only a few months ago. Per Reuters, the protests have been taking place at a Shanghai delivery center and in other cities, including Henan, Wuxi, and Hangzhou.
This is not the first time Tesla has faced customer backlash over price cuts in the world's biggest automotive market, but this recent bout is something different. The spontaneous protests are ongoing as owners are demanding to receive the same rebates Tesla is currently offering new buyers.
One Model Y owner says he purchased his vehicle only in September at full price and feels the current situation is extremely unfair.
Tesla slashed prices for the second time in three months last Friday on both the Model 3 and Model Y in China, hence the sudden surge of protests. Tesla is facing increasing competition in China, the world's biggest EV market, and dropping prices to lure in new customers is a relatively quick way to improve its position. What Tesla did not expect was the backlash.
"We trusted the brand so much that we canceled our orders for other brands for Tesla," said one owner. Many of these owners believe they were misled by Tesla sales employees pressuring them to finalize their orders. Otherwise, they would probably see higher prices in 2023.
"I haven't been able to eat or sleep," said another Model 3 owner who bought her car in December. Sales staff even came to her house to finalize the loan documents as a way to pressure her to close the deal. "I cannot accept this," she added.
Tesla has not yet commented on the situation and accusations. However, protesters are claiming that Tesla informed them via a group chat earlier this week that compensation would not be happening. They're now demanding the automaker reverse its decision.
Despite the angry customers, Tesla's discounts appear to be working. For example, new customer delivery times have been longer in recent days for the Model Y specifically. Along with China, Tesla has recently discounted prices in Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
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