One Tesla owner received a major win against the electric vehicle company, and he's giving others hope as well.
According to Drive Tesla, arbitration lawyer Marc Dobin paid the $10,000 extra for the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature for his wife's 2021 Model Y, but wasn't given access to it. Luckily for him, he knew how to fight it.
What's happening?
The Washington State resident chose to buy a Tesla with FSD to give his wife more independence due to her declining mobility. Unfortunately, they were denied access to it because they needed a higher "'Safety Score' based on undisclosed criteria. Dobin said this requirement was not disclosed at the time of purchase and became a central issue in his case," per Drive Tesla.
Tesla denied his request for a refund, so "he filed a claim with the American Arbitration Association (AAA)," reported Drive Tesla. This was a required step when making a claim like this.
Many people may be put off by this because Tesla has an arbitration clause, meaning you can't file a claim in court. However, this didn't deter Dobin, since he does this for a living. While Tesla didn't pay the arbitration fees upfront, delaying the case, when it finally did move forward, its only witness was a technician who knew little about FSD.
Tesla Drive said, "The arbitrator ruled that Tesla breached the agreement, stating the evidence showed FSD was 'not functional, operational, or otherwise available.'"
Dobin was awarded a $10,600 refund, plus arbitration costs of $7,975.
Why is buying an EV important?
The lack of transparency that Tesla gave Dobin could deter people from switching to an EV, meaning they wouldn't get to reap the benefits of saving $1,500 per year on gas and maintenance. But it also means your local community and the environment don't get to see the benefits, either.
For example, driving an EV can improve air quality in your area. A UC Berkeley professor placed 57 sensors in the San Francisco Bay Area to track pollution gases. The study found that toxic gases were reduced by 1.8% annually. Just think how much that can grow as more people switch to EVs.
Lack of communication isn't the only thing frustrating Tesla owners. One owner came home to find their window completely smashed, and the Sentry data wasn't able to help them determine what happened.
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How much cash back would it take for you to switch to an EV? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
$5k 💵 According to a recent survey of 8,000 people, Tesla's popularity has gone down due to CEO Elon Musk's entry into politics. Many people don't want to be associated with him, so they are hesitant to buy a Tesla.
What's being done about Tesla's customer service?
Dobin is encouraging others to act. He said on his company's blog post: "Don't let Tesla's arbitration clause scare you—you have options."
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