Cybertruck Buyer Accuses Tesla of "Blatant Misrepresentation," Here's Why

Tesla understood from the get-go that the Cybertruck would be very, very popular. Unofficial estimates showed around two million pre-orders for the marque's battery-electric pickup truck. Converting even 10% of those pre-orders into actual sales would have been a major success for a first-generation product.

So, the brand trod carefully. It delivered a few production-ready Cybertrucks to some vetted buyers. Afterward, it announced that it was ready to take real orders from people willing to play along and accept the prices that rival luxury cars from brands like Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

Initially, we were led to believe that Tesla was going to force these lucky early buyers not to flip their EVs for a hefty profit. Keep in mind that a nonexistent "low-VIN Cybertruck" sold for $400,000 at the 29th Petersen Gala. It wouldn't be out of this world to think someone could have easily made $100,000 by reselling their Cybertruck to an eager and well-off buyer.

But after word got out about the no-resale clause, the order agreement changed. That provision disappeared.

Now, it appears that it's back. However, Tesla is pulling a seemingly sneaky move on prospective buyers.

If you're among the lucky ones invited to configure and order a Cybertruck that'll soon be on the production line, you'll be asked to pay a nonrefundable $1,000 "early access deposit." Given the high demand and popularity, it's smart that the automaker thought of securing real orders and making customers put their money where their mouths are.

It's a simple yet effective way of making sure that there won't be any inventory units lying around awaiting a buyer. After all, not many people are willing to forgo $1,000. That eases the pressure on the logistics team and ensures that the Cybertruck will remain a desired vehicle for longer because you won't be able to score a deal. Nobody can imagine obtaining discounts or free Supercharging with this pickup truck now.

One customer decided to order the 600-hp dual-motor Cybertruck with the Foundation Series extras. Before sending Tesla the nonrefundable deposit, they got access to the pre-order agreement. It didn't say anything specific about flipping the EV besides warning the customer about the brand's option to cancel the order if it suspects foul play.

However, the contract language changed after paying the $1,000 for their special vehicle with an MSRP of $99,990. It included the provision that's barring people from flipping their Cybertruck. It's the same one that we initially reported about.

The buyer says this situation is absurd and accuses the EV maker of "blatant misrepresentation" while also wondering how Tesla can swap the order agreements with no prior warning.

But he's not the only one in this situation. Others said they went through the same thing. They claim the document changed after paying the deposit, too.

It remains to be seen if Tesla will address these complaints and eliminate any concerns other prospective customers might have.

But should Tesla do something about this, given that the people most upset about this whole ordeal would be those looking to flip their Cybertruck? We'll let you answer that.