Local buyer says Tesla didn't ship his special edition car and sold it to someone else
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Big Island man admits not getting the special model Tesla you ordered isn't the biggest problem in the world. But he's sharing his story so future buyers are aware of what could happen.
In March, Ernest Texeria ordered a limited edition, Tesla Model Y Launch edition. But there was a problem and he got a text from his Tesla representative.
Name change: Proposal to change 'Island of Hawaii' to just 'Hawaii'
'Basically, they told me that Pasha's shipping has slowed down because of a shipping maintenance, and they decided on their own, that instead of having my car sitting at the docks in California that they sold it to somebody else,' Texeria said.
Texeira says Tesla told him that 150 cars to Hawaii were affected.
A representative for Pasha Hawaii says there was a ship in drydock, but another ship from its fleet was available, so there was no interruption in service.KHON2 reached out to the Tesla store at the Ala Moana Shopping Center and spoke to the manager. She said she could not give details on the customer's account, and would not comment on this story.
KHON2 also reached out to the state's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. They said they received a complaint on April 6 that is very similar to what happened to Texeira. That case is under investigation.
The Better Business Bureau says there are three important keys in big purchases–read the contract thoroughly, document everything throughout the buying process and do an inspection upon delivery.
Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news
'We're dealing with big name companies that have established a lot of credibility in the marketplace, but it's still important to trust and verify everything,' said Dale Dixon from the Better Business Bureau.
'It says everything about what I can and cannot do, but there's nothing that said anything about what they can do,' Texeira said. 'Like selling my car to somebody else.'
Texeira is still buying a Model Y with the same features as the launch edition–just at a higher price. He just wishes the situation was handled better.
'There's bigger problems in the world, but just the feeling where you get this big corporation taking advantage of some regular dude,' he said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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