Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Tesla has reportedly canceled an audacious return policy in which new buyers of its electric vehicles could return them for a full refund within seven days. The news, reported on Friday by Electrek, marks an end to one of CEO Elon Musk’s flashier marketing strategies.
Musk has used the seven-day return policy as a way to boast about Tesla’s high customer satisfaction rates, with the company so confident new buyers would be happy with their purchase that they wouldn’t take Tesla up on its bold offer, which is practically unheard of in the standard automobile industry. The policy also bolstered the idea that Tesla cars are like consumer electronics products — you could order and customize them online and have them delivered to your door,…