A couple of weeks ago, I asked the question on whether or not it makes sense to make a deposit on a Tesla and then ask for a refund in order to make your minimum spend requirements.
Today I learned that Tesla refunds directly to the credit card you used so it is not a good way to meet your minimum spend requirement.
The Potential
I originally made my deposit on a Tesla Model 3 because I really wanted one but then later found out that there was up to an 18 month waiting period to secure one. Given that the wait was so long, I thought I could make better use of the $1,000 deposit.
When I looked online to see how long it would take to receive my refund, many people were complaining that it was taking upwards of 2-3 months to get their refund. When they received their refund, it was in the form of a cheque.
If you did indeed receive your refund in the form of a cheque, that would mean that you could Manufacture Spend that $1,000 (pay the deposit on a credit card, receive the refund in a cheque, deposit the cheque and pay off the credit card).
The Reality
I received notification this morning that my refund had been processed by Tesla, a mere 15 days after the refund was requested.
Unfortunately, the refund was processed back to the American Express card that I needed to make a minimum spend requirement with.
Conclusion
While I wasn’t intentionally trying to Manufacture Spend with this purchase, I found that there was a potential that it could have come to fruition.
Those hopes were short lived as Telsa refunds to the credit card that the deposit was made on, even if you use PayPal.