Looks like Tesla was serious with its Cybertruck flipping threats
The long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck racked up quite a significant list of reservations in the years between its announcement and release, pushing the American automaker to come up with harsh consequences for people trying to flip the electric pickup truck for a quick profit. Many assumed the automaker was bluffing, with some on Reddit and other forums saying Tesla would not pursue its threat of a $50,000 penalty for people caught reselling, but it now appears it wasn’t messing around. A recent post on the Cybertruck Owner’s Club forum details an experience one owner had after listing the truck, saying that the company canceled other reservations they had after discovering a sales listing for their new EV.
After listing a Cybertruck for sale, user malinecentral said they’d heard from Tesla’s Los and Prevention team, and a store leader, who told them their other two truck reservations had been canceled. While Tesla refunded their reservation fees, the user said the company told them that future reservations would be canceled without a refund of the $100 fee or the $250 order charge.
Malinecentral, whose first name is Dennis, posted that they listed the truck on several venues but said it hadn’t sold. They also said that they weren’t sure if the refunds meant they were blacklisted from Cybertrucks or all Teslas.
Though early Cybertruck configurations easily exceed $100,000, there are several for sale with price tags reaching upwards of $300,000 online and elsewhere. One sold at auction last month for $244,000 and another just last week for $189,000. It’s unclear if Tesla has pursued action against any of those sellers, but it’s also hard to feel bad for the forum user and their three reservations.
Malinecentral is precisely the type of buyer Tesla was hoping to curb with its threats, and they are probably very fortunate if the automaker’s actions stop with canceled reservations. Tesla has warned flippers that they could be required to pay damages of up to $50,000 or return the truck if they’re caught reselling.
