Musk answers Altman’s complaint about Roadster refund

Sam Altman waited more than seven years after his $45,000 Roadster deposit. He tried to get a refund by contacting Tesla through the email on file, but that address was inactive. He shared screenshots showing his original order and his failed attempt.

Some customers have said they faced similar issues when reservations for the Roadster began in 2017 and the car still hadn’t shipped.​​

How Tesla’s agreement describes cancellation

Tesla’s Roadster Reservation Agreement says you can cancel any time through your Tesla Account until you sign a purchase deal. The terms don’t say you must call or email to cancel. But if your original payment method no longer works, Tesla will mail you a check.​​

Some buyers find there isn’t always a clear cancel button for Roadster orders in their Tesla dashboard. When users click manage, they are sometimes given only a phone number or email, and both have failed for some. This is how Altman’s message bounced back. ​

Musk’s response and quick refund

Elon Musk replied to Altman’s post publicly. He said, “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours. But that is in your nature.” Musk made it clear that once Tesla received a valid cancellation, they acted fast. In each case, after the proper channel was found, the refund went out.

In the same discussion, Musk accused Altman directly. He wrote, “You stole a non-profit,” referencing the high-profile split over OpenAI’s move from non-profit to commercial work.

The official policy says to cancel using the Tesla Account, but many have found that it doesn’t always work for Roadster reservations. If the Tesla Account doesn’t offer the option, customers can try support or visit a Tesla showroom. Once Tesla receives a proper request, refunds are usually processed with no delay.

However, Altman did get his money returned within a day after the company was able to help. For new requests, making sure to use up-to-date contact details matters for a smooth experience.