Popular tech and electric vehicle reviewer Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, has announced that he has cancelled one of his two reservations for the yet-to-be-released Tesla Roadster.
Background
Brownlee has been a Tesla fan for years and had initially paid $50,000 to secure his reservation, which he made eight years ago. He had paid this amount in two installments: $5,000 and $45,000. Brownlee also has a free Tesla Roadster reserved as a referral reward, which is expected to be a founder’s version and one of the first 1,000 released.
Reason for Cancellation
Brownlee stated that he cancelled his reservation because he doesn’t need two Roadsters and is pessimistic about the delivery of the vehicle. He expressed his frustration with Tesla, saying that the company has been sitting on his $50,000 for eight years without doing anything with it.
Aftermath
During a podcast, Brownlee’s co-hosts pointed out that if he had invested his $50,000 in Tesla stock instead of the Roadster reservation, it would be worth $747,000 today. Brownlee responded by saying that Tesla has had his money the whole time. He later revealed that he did receive the full $50,000 reservation back, despite initially thinking that he wouldn’t get the first $5,000 deposit back.
Difficulty in Cancellation
Brownlee shared his difficulties in cancelling his reservation and getting his money back. He said that there was no cancel button in the account settings for the Roadster and that he had to call a phone number to initiate the cancellation process. This process took weeks, with Brownlee having to leave voicemails and talk to multiple people before finally getting an update.
Implications
The cancellation of Brownlee’s Roadster reservation may limit optimism about the vehicle, which was expected to enter production in 2020 but has had minimal updates from Tesla. The company’s website still allows users to reserve a Roadster, despite no clear timetable for its release. Brownlee’s decision also follows his announcement last year that he sold his Cybertruck and preferred the Rivian R1T instead.
Tesla’s Response
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chief Design Officer Franz von Holzhausen have occasionally teased the vehicle in interviews, stating that the company is still working on it and that the specifications are better than originally promised. However, Brownlee’s experience has highlighted the difficulties that customers may face when trying to cancel their reservations and get their money back.