A Reddit user by the name of Balloon Man recently recounted how an internet hiccup caused some trouble for his German father. An order for a single Tesla Model 3 ended up with the father’s order and deposit being multiplied. The original Tesla Model 3 with the Autopilot option was selected. But, when all was said and done, almost 30 Tesla Model 3 deposits were taken and orders placed.

The appeal of Tesla

The Tesla lineup of cars is admired the world over. The entire model lineup is comprised of all-electric vehicles that have incredible supercar-like performance, and are pleasing to most eyes. Consequently, many people that are ready to purchase a new vehicle and have the financial wherewithal will give Tesla a good looking over. Some even purchase them.

Unless you are in charge of fleet purchases for a company or a local government, there really is no need to duplicate orders for a Tesla, or any manufacturer for that matter. Though the Teslas have become increasingly in reach of more and more people, they are still a bit pricey. So, when a man’s father accidentally ordered a potential fleet of Tesla Model 3s, curiosity demanded we find more to the story.

How it happened

As mentioned earlier, Balloon Man’s father reached a point where he decided it was time to order a Model 3. He sat down at his computer and configured one just the way he wanted. This is where things went awry. Apparently, when the screen comes up asking to confirm the order, dad selected, “Confirm.” Oddly, nothing happened. Troubled, dad waited and clicked again. Still, nothing happened. Over the course of the next two hours, Balloon Man’s father continued to click “Confirm” until finally, the website responded. His purchase for the Tesla finally went through, as did 27 additional duplicate orders.

A total of 28 Model 3s were ordered. Each order required a $100 Euro deposit (approximately $114 US dollars today). That means that dad was on the hook for just under $2,800 Euros ($3,200 US) in immediate deposits on all 28 vehicles and a total commitment over, wait for it,… $1.6 million.

Tesla responded

According to our friends over at Driving,

“Tesla is notorious for not offering refunds on its products once the buyer has clicked “confirm,” but after a frantic phone call, the brand came to understand the issue and cancelled all of the orders. Tesla also refunded the 2,800 euros in deposits.”

The Tesla Model 3

According to Tesla’s website, the Model 3 sedan has a performance version that can seat five adults, can do zero-to-sixty in as little as 3.2-seconds, is all-wheel drive, and has a range of 299 miles. There is also a Long Range version. That version does zero-to-sixty in as little as 4.4-seconds and has a range reaching 322 miles.

COVID-19 has proven that we have all become somewhat reliant on the internet for business and for entertainment. Unfortunately, even as automated as the internet is, transactions can still have hiccups. In this case, a hiccup produced a potential fleet of vehicles being ordered. Thankfully, Tesla sorted everything out for the man. However, there is no indication if the man regained the confidence to go ahead and order his single Tesla again via the internet.