In an unexpected twist of events, a couple from Scotland received an astounding repair bill of $20,740 from Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA). The couple claims that the massive bill stems from a malfunction they attribute to rainy weather.
What Happened: Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey, as reported by Edinburgh Live, found themselves in a situation where their $73,200 electric vehicle stopped working during rough weather in the Scottish city of Edinburgh last week.
Despite believing that they were not resp
onsible for the problem, Tesla asked them to foot the hefty £17,000 ($20,740) bill for repairing the battery, which the company claimed had been damaged by rain.
“I honestly can’t believe that this has happened. When I first got the call I thought we would get a bill for £500 or £1000. When they said over 17 grand – it’s absolutely obscene. My heart missed a beat, honestly,” Bacigalupo said.
The couple’s predicament began when they parked their car near a city-center restaurant on a rainy Saturday. To their dismay, after finishing their meal, they discovered that their car refused to start. Tesla’s support team picked up their high-end vehicle, but the couple has not seen their car since.
Later, Bacigalupo received word from Tesla that the battery had suffered damage due to water ingress, and this issue fell outside the scope of the battery’s eight-year warranty. The couple was astounded that a weather-related problem could lead to such an expensive repair.
Edinburgh Live verified the correspondence between the couple and Tesla regarding the $20,740 bill. Tesla’s customer relations team has reportedly committed to reviewing the claim.
Tesla UK & Europe are yet to comment on the issue.
Why It Matters: This isn’t the first time Tesla’s customer service has been under scrutiny. Earlier in February, a Hong Kong-based Tesla owner was handed a $22,000 repair bill after Tesla’s internal checks revealed that the vehicle had been through a flood, invalidating the warranty.
In another incident, a Model Y owner was advised to bring the burnt vehicle to their service center after the car burst into flames on the side of the road.
These instances raise questions about Tesla’s customer service, warranty guidelines, and how the company handles exceptional situations. The outcome of the Edinburgh couple’s case might provide further insight into Tesla’s approach to customer complaints and vehicle malfunctions.
Produced in association with Benzinga