Overview
- Marques Brownlee said he canceled the paid 2017 Roadster reservation and kept a separate free Founder Series slot earned through Tesla’s referral program.
- He reported receiving a $45,000 refund while Tesla retained the initial $5,000 portion of the $50,000 reservation payment.
- Brownlee described a phone-only cancellation process with no online button, repeated voicemails, confused sales staff, and a paper check issued afterward.
- Tesla’s July 23, 2025 earnings materials listed the Roadster as in “design development,” and the car remains unreleased.
- Tesla’s website still takes new $50,000 Roadster reservations, and Elon Musk has teased an updated reveal by year-end despite past missed timelines.