Tesla More Than Doubles Its Non-refundable Order Fee

Tesla has updated its online configurator, and its non-refundable order fee has more than doubled to $250.

In 2019, Tesla replaced its deposit system, when placing a new order for its vehicles, with a non-refundable order fee, reports Electrek.

Instead of paying $1,000 when placing the order and having this $1,000 be applied to the total price of the vehicle the buyer pays before delivery, Tesla charged a $100 non-refundable fee when buyers placed an order.

Tesla made the change at a time when the automaker had a policy that anyone could return a car, no questions asked, within seven days, as long as it wasn't damaged and had less than 1,000 miles on the odometer.

The automaker was trying to make the policy viable and it implemented some changes to its order process, including changing its deposit system to a non-refundable order fee, the report said.

Last year, Tesla gave up on its seven-day, no-questions-asked return policy, but the non-refundable order fee stayed.

The reason for the change is unknown, but it comes as the time between ordering a new Tesla and taking delivery is significantly increasing, as per the report.