Tesla is going viral on TikTok again, and this time it's not because of people using Autopilot without anyone behind the wheel. In a recently uploaded video, one person claims that their 10-month-old baby accidentally purchased the Full Self-Driving upgrade for their Model X — resulting in a $10,000 purchase that isn't refundable.
When buying a new Tesla, people have a few options to choose from for customizing their car. In addition to various motor configurations, paint jobs, wheels, and interior designs, Tesla also sells an optional $10,000 package for Full Self-Driving. It's an extension of the Autopilot feature that comes with every Tesla by default, adding things like automatic lane changes, self-parking, and the ability to summon the car using the Tesla mobile app. While Full-Self Driving was initially offered as a $5,000 upgrade back in 2019, it's seen multiple price hikes that have put it at the current $10,000 price. If people don't buy Full Self-Driving when customizing their new vehicle, they can always purchase it after the fact through the companion app.
That's exactly what happened to TikTokker stayfitstaylit, except they didn't make the purchase intentionally. In the video that currently has nearly 2 million views, she starts off the viral clip with captions that say, "When your 10-month old purchases the full self-driving package through the Tesla app," and continues with, "And you didn't know until you checked the bank statement and you find out that this is NON-refundable 48 hours after purchase."
How An Accidental Purchase Like This Can Happen
It might seem a bit ludicrous that a baby could accidentally purchase a $10,000 upgrade for a car like this, but as pointed out by the mom in various follow-up videos, the process is surprisingly easy. All someone needs to do is open the Tesla mobile app, go to the upgrades menu, and select the FSD option. She says her kid did it from an iPad while they were both in the same room while she was getting his dinner ready.
Some TikTok users have commented that this large of a purchase is hard to go unnoticed, sighting that most banks will send out confirmation texts. Once again, stayfitstaylit points out that customers give Tesla their banking info when buying a car to be automatically used for service visits and at Superchargers. In other words, Tesla already has authorizations to draw from people's accounts without needing confirmation every single time.
While people can get a refund after purchasing FSD for their Tesla, a refund request must be made within 48 hours. After 48 hours have passed, the upgrade remains permanent. Most people would likely notice $10,000 missing from their bank account pretty quickly, but if not, it appears an accidental purchase like this can happen relatively easily. The moral of the story? The Tesla app + kids is an expensive pairing waiting to happen.
Source: Stayfitstaylit (TikTok)