Tesla is barring customers from buying the same version of the model they returned for 12 months

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

A Tesla Model 3 sedan.

• Tesla customers who return their vehicle will not be able to order another, identical vehicle for a year, the electric-car maker says in a recent addition to its return policy
• Tesla has also replaced a $2,500 refundable order fee with a non-refundable $100 order fee.
• The changes are significant because Tesla customers have complained about quality issues, like subpar paint and panel gaps, that have led them to attempt to return or exchange their vehicles.
• Tesla's new return policy will prevent exchanges and make returns more difficult, even if customers are dissatisfied with their vehicle.
• And the nonrefundable order fee, while small relative to a vehicle's price, means customers who return their vehicle will end up paying $100 for a vehicle they don't want.
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Tesla customers who return their vehicle will not be able to order another, identical vehicle for a year, the electric-car maker says in a recent addition to its return policy. Customers will be able to order a different trim of the same model or a different model.

"At this time, we are not able to facilitate vehicle exchanges. If you decide to order another vehicle, you may not order the same trim for a period of 12 months but may order another vehicle in a different trim at any time," Tesla's return policy says.

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Customers who "are found to have abused this policy or have acted in bad faith ... will be prohibited from purchasing any vehicle for a period of 12 months."

Tesla customers are still able to return their vehicles within seven days or 1,000 miles.

The company has also replaced a $2,500 refundable order fee with a nonrefundable $100 order fee.

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Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reasons for those changes.

The changes are significant because Tesla customers have complained about quality issues, like subpar paint and panel gaps, that have led them to attempt to return or exchange their vehicles. Tesla's new return policy and order fee will prevent exchanges and make returns more difficult, even if customers are dissatisfied with their vehicle.

The nonrefundable order fee, while small relative to a vehicle's price, means customers who return their vehicle will likely end up eating the cost of the $100 fee.

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can ask for more secure methods of communication, like Signal or ProtonMail, by email or Twitter direct message.

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• Elon Musk, who claims he's low on cash, recently sold his LA mansion for nearly $4 million - and that was just one of several properties he owns in the area. Take a look inside his real-estate portfolio.
• Older Teslas are reportedly running into an issue where the screen stops working and the car won't charge

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