Tesla Has Finally Refunded Customers Double-Charged During New EV Purchases: CNBC

Tesla Inc. TSLA has finally refunded customers who were double-charged for new vehicle purchases made at the end of the first quarter, according to a report by CNBC on Wednesday.

What Happened: Six customers in California and North Carolina who had recently purchased brand-new electric cars said they received the refunds about a week after they initially complained to the Elon Musk-led company, as per the report. The refunds include payments for overdraft fees that were triggered by Tesla’s duplicate withdrawals from their funds.

The refunds were received after a previous report attributed to CNBC on the duplicate debit charges by Tesla and a video review by one of the affected customers who advised other Tesla car buyers to use a cashier’s check instead of allowing the company to debit their bank account directly.

The affected buyers had told CNBC that the amounts taken from their accounts ranged from $37,000, the price of a base version 2021 Tesla Model 3 sedan, to around $71,000, the price of a Tesla Model Y crossover with premium options.

Tesla has also reportedly sent the affected customers an apology via email and given them a $200 credit to spend in a single visit to the company’s online store. The credit, which expires on January 30, 2022, must be used in a single transaction on the online store and cannot be used for Tesla Tequila.

See Also: Tesla 'Fanbois' Are Harassing Ford Mustang Mach-E Owners Online: Freep

Why It Matters: Unlike other automakers, Tesla does not have a traditional franchised dealer network, making it difficult for customers to get refunds for their double charges. Customers have found Tesla to be slow in returning refunds and have urged the company to improve its sales and customer service.

Multiple Tesla customers came forward with complaints of “butt dial” purchases last year. It was reported in October that an owner of a Model 3 vehicle said he accidentally purchased a $4,280 software upgrade for the sedan due to butt-dialing and couldn't get the automaker to issue a refund.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed almost 3% lower on Wednesday at $670.97, but rose about 0.2% in the after-hours session.

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