A Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says Tesla is Treating the Wrap & Magnets He Put Over His Cybertruck as “Physical Damage” – Adds, “Tesla is Deducting My Trade-in Value Because of It”

Ace, a Cybertruck owner from Arizona, says he’s looking to trade in his Cybertruck to buy another one.

The main reason he’s doing this is because of Tesla’s latest 0% APR promotion. Ace wants to trade in his current Cybertruck, which has a higher interest rate, for another Cybertruck with a 0% interest rate and free lifetime supercharging access.

Ace is happy with this decision; however, what surprised him was when he tried to trade in his Cybertruck to Tesla, the EV maker deducted his trade-in value, saying the truck has “physical damage.”

Given that he hasn’t been in any accident and Tesla only calculated the trade-in offer based on the VIN and pictures he provided, Ace is convinced that the “physical damage” Tesla is referring to is related to the wrap and magnetic stickers he has put on his truck.

Confused by this decision, Ace went on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum to discuss his situation.

Ace writes…

“How much did Tesla give you for your Foundation Series Cybertruck AWD? If you don’t mind sharing, what was your trade-in value? Was any physical damage deducted? What was your mileage?

My truck has just over 9,000 miles, and Tesla offered me $66,500, saying they found “physical damage” in my photos.

I’m guessing this refers to the wrap? Just trying to understand how much of an impact that has.”

Below his post, Ace shared a picture of his Cybertruck wrapped in blue and with multiple magnetic stickers attached to the stainless steel vehicle.

Looking at the comments, the first thing fellow Cybertruck owners wanted to know was why Ace is selling his truck.

In response, Ace writes…

“I’m trying to schedule my Cybertruck AWD with free lifetime supercharger access pickup before Monday so I can still get the 0% APR.

The deal is mostly done (insurance binder, etc.).

I'll give up my aftermarket modifications for that, and I'll redo them. It sucks, I love my wrap, Xpel armor, and fiber optic starlights.

But I will love free supercharger access more.

Everything else is transferable. I’m going to dismantle the blue truck today—S92 mirror, light bar, side steps, wheel caps, bed contents, molle panels, Cybertruck hardware, etc.

They just sent me my trade offer, and it said they identified “physical damage” in my pictures, which probably means my wrap and light bar.

The offer was $66,500. What do we think? Try CarMax or just accept that?

There is literally nobody to complain to at Tesla about this. Nobody I’ve been able to reach on the phone, at least.”

Besides questioning why Ace was selling his truck, another concern fellow Cybertruck owners brought up was that Tesla is subtracting his trade-in value and classifying a wrap and magnetic stickers as “physical damage.”

A fellow Cybertruck owner, Koolio from Massachusetts, writes…

“Regarding the 'physical damage,' after seeing your pics above, my guess is Tesla is lowering the trade-in value because of the stickers on the rear passenger door and the graphic on the hood.

I’m also guessing they are considering the labor costs associated with removing them. So, I wonder if you can remove most of it (not the wrap, obviously, but it’s possible), they might bring the trade-in price back to the original offer.”

A second Cybertruck owner, Mark from Pennsylvania, agreed and shared that when he traded in his Model Y to buy a Cybertruck, Tesla offered him a lower trade-in value because of aftermarket add-ons he had installed on the all-electric crossover.

Mark writes…

“The aftermarket accessories definitely make a difference when trading in a Tesla. I traded in my 2020 Model Y Long Range with 31,000 miles as part of my Cybertruck purchase.

The automatic trade estimator quoted me $20,500. When I sent them photos of me swiveling the screen and showing cosmetic issues, I received an offer of $19400.

They told me this was because of all the extra stuff. I asked what the offer would be if I removed all the aftermarket items to see if it was worth the effort.

They said it would increase to $21500. For $2100, I removed all the custom items, and they kept their word. I can't say what numbers they would give you, but aftermarket upgrades definitely matter to them. Good luck, and congrats on the new truck.”

Overall, looking at the comments, Cybertruck owners appear to be okay with Tesla treating a wrap and magnetic stickers as physical damage.

However, please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the RED “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image 1: Screenshot from Wrap Lab YouTube channel

Image 2: Screenshot from Mark’s post on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum. Resposted under the fair use copyright rule.

For more information, check out: A Tesla Cybertruck Buyer Asks “What Did I Get Myself Into?” After Visiting a Tesla Delivery Center – Adds, “The Lot is Overrun With Cybertrucks; They’re Filthy, Rusted & Look Abandoned”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.