It has now been eight long years since Tesla unveiled its plans for the second-generation Roadster, yet the car still hasn’t made it past prototypes and digital renders. First shown in 2017 as the all-electric supercar that would shatter performance records, the Roadster was supposed to hit production in 2020. Instead, what buyers got was delay after delay and sporadic updates on Elon Musk’s X.
Back then, Tesla convinced enthusiasts to put down $5,000 to reserve a spot, followed by an additional $45,000 deposit to secure their future Roadster. In total $50,000 on hold. The assumption was simple: production was just around the corner. Fast forward to today, and many reservation holders are still asking the same question, how do you get your money back?
The answer only came recently thanks to YouTuber Marques Brownlee (known also as MKBHD), who shared his experience on a podcast. Brownlee placed a $50,000 deposit when the Roadster was first announced. Years later, when he decided to cancel, he followed the in-app process that redirected him to a phone number. Calls initially went straight to voicemail, and when he finally reached someone, Tesla staff admitted they weren’t sure how to cancel a Roadster order.
Eventually, Tesla confirmed a refund of his $45,000 deposit but initially kept the $5,000 reservation fee. Days later, however, perhaps influenced by Brownlee’s visibility, Tesla refunded the full $50,000, aligning with its website’s claim that the initial $5,000 is “fully refundable.
”The case raises bigger questions: were those millions in deposits quietly used to fund Roadster development or other Tesla projects? Or were they simply parked in accounts, collecting interest for nearly a decade? If Brownlee invested his $50,000 in Tesla stocks back in 2017, when shares traded at just $22, he would now be sitting on over $1 million, with Tesla closing at $454 on October 1st.
