Tesla Will Sue Cybertruck Flippers for Up to $50,000 in First Year of Ownership
Any Cybertruck customers with quality issues are stuck with their electric pickup for at least a year.
Automakers have been cracking down on flippers for the past few years, in an attempt to prevent people from quickly reselling high-demand, low-volume vehicles for profit. Brands like Porsche and Chevrolet will penalize customers who flip their cars within a year by reducing warranties or blocking them from buying future hot items. Add Tesla to the list, as it wants to legally prohibit any Cybertruck customers from selling their trucks in the first year.
There's a new Cybertruck-specific section of Tesla's vehicle order agreement that states the low-polygon pickup will be released in limited numbers and that customers agree not to sell it within the first year. However, if a customer needs to sell their Cybertruck due to any unforeseen reasons, they can sell their car back to Tesla, so long as Tesla agrees to the validity of those reasons.
"You understand and acknowledge that the Cybertruck will first be released in limited quantity. You agree that you will not sell or otherwise attempt to sell the Vehicle within the first year following your Vehicle’s delivery date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you must sell the Vehicle within the first year following its delivery date for any unforeseen reason, and Tesla agrees that your reason warrants an exception to its no reseller policy, you agree to notify Tesla in writing and give Tesla reasonable time to purchase the Vehicle from you at its sole discretion and at the purchase price listed on your Final Price Sheet less $0.25/mile driven, reasonable wear and tear, and the cost to repair the Vehicle to Tesla’s Used Vehicle Cosmetic and Mechanical Standards."
If Tesla decides to buy the car back, customers can then seek permission to sell to a third party from Tesla. But if Tesla doesn't consent to a third-party sale and customers do it anyway, Tesla will either seek injunctive relief to stop the sale or come after the customer for up to $50,000 in damages.
According to Tesla, Cybertrucks will officially launch on November 30, but it's unclear how many customers will actually receive their vehicles at that time. The few prototype test mules that were spotted in public all seemed to suffer from build quality and functionality issues, which doesn't bode well for its upcoming launch just two weeks away. If any customers take delivery and issues are present, though, they're stuck with the car for at least a year.
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