My Rivian Sales Rep Promised $500 Credit and 6 Months Free Charging, One Month Later, All I Have is a $100K R1S And Radio Silence

Rivian still feels like a rebel with a clean shirt. It’s the kind of company that promises your electric truck can ford streams, scale boulders, and look good doing it, all while keeping the granola dry. But the price of being different in an industry dominated by mass-production juggernauts isn’t just complexity. Sometimes mistakes can happen.

$500 Gear Credit & 6 Months Free Charging Accidentally Applied Elsewhere

It’s human error. And that’s exactly what unfolded, publicly and painfully, in a recent post on the r/Rivian subreddit.

“Just wanted to share a frustrating experience in case anyone else is dealing with similar issues.

A few months back, I was on the fence about ordering my R1S. I spoke with a Rivian sales rep who helped push me over the edge with some pretty enticing promises: $500 gear shop credit and 6 months of free charging on the Rivian Adventure Network.

He said he would apply a referral code to my order, and I was told it would show up 14 days after delivery.

So, I placed the order.

Fast forward 2 weeks post-delivery: nothing. No credit, no charging perks. I reached out to the sales rep, who told me they’d look into it. That’s when I found out my referral code was actually applied to someone else’s order.

I called him again, explaining that while the referral credit might still go through, the 6 months of charging wouldn’t, which was a big part of what he promised. He apologized and said he’d make it right by sending me the crossbars I wanted from the gear shop instead.

Cool, I thought. He asked for my shipping address, told me they’d send the crossbars. Weeks go by. Nothing.

I’ve followed up multiple times since. Every time I ask for an update or a tracking number, I get the same vague reply, 

'Still checking with the manager who approved it.'

It’s been over a month now. No crossbars. No referral credit. No charging perk. No resolution. And honestly, it just feels like I’m being ghosted in hopes that I’ll drop it.

I love the R1S, but this kind of customer service is not what I expected. Has anyone here had similar issues with Rivian sales reps or referral perks? Any advice on how to escalate this?”

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill gripe about tech glitches or misaligned panels. It’s a case of a company that sold itself as a community-focused, service-forward brand failing to uphold its side of the deal. Rivian’s pitch isn’t just about EVs; it’s about experience.

The True Experience

And when that experience becomes indistinguishable from the same robotic indifference that plagues legacy automakers and Silicon Valley disruptors alike, something’s gone sideways.

Rivian Delivery Milestones: 51,579 Units in 2024, Q1 2025 Dip to 8,640, and 2025 Forecast Revision

• In 2024, Rivian achieved a milestone by delivering 51,579 vehicles, surpassing its 2023 total of 50,122 units. 
• Despite the annual success, Q1 2025 deliveries fell to 8,640 vehicles, marking a 36% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. 
• In response to evolving trade policies and anticipated demand shifts, Rivian has revised its 2025 delivery forecast to between 40,000 and 46,000 vehicles, down from the earlier estimate of 46,000 to 51,000.

The twist? This Reddit story didn’t end with a rage-quit or a class-action thread. Rivian, to its credit, responded.

After the post went semi-viral within the community, the company reached out, confirmed the customer’s address, promised to send the crossbars and the $500 credit, and included 6 months of free charging.. 

“Thanks so much to everyone for the support!

A few folks from Rivian actually reached out after seeing this post, and it looks like it got their attention. They’re now working to resolve the issue.

Good news! I’ve received the $500 gear shop credit and 6 months of free charging, so that part is finally sorted!

Still waiting on clarification regarding the crossbars. I’ll keep you all posted as I get more info.

Appreciate the help and encouragement from this community!” 

Let’s take a step back. Mistakes like this are bound to happen. Tesla built an empire on the bones of aggressive expansion and customer service that often feels like shouting into a void. When you’re trying to deliver 1.8 million cars a year, the individual complaint becomes a statistic. But Rivian? Rivian isn’t there yet. And that’s both its challenge and its opportunity.

Other Customers Echoed The Same

Other Rivian customers echoed the original post. TerryXT, shared a nearly identical experience: 

“The rep lied and said it was ordered and sent to my address. A month later, still no NACS... I feel the same way you do, as if they just hope I drop it.” 

Another, “Roa_noke,” offered a strategy: get face-to-face. 

“I grabbed the service manager and explained all my issues to him. He was able to make things right.” 

This is the kind of transparency and persistence that reveals what’s still human in a largely automated experience. It’s not pretty, but it’s real.

So, what’s the broader takeaway? For Rivian, this is more than a flubbed gear shop credit. It’s a moment of truth. Their appeal has never been about beating Tesla in acceleration or undercutting Ford on price. It’s been about trust. About feeling like you’re part of something different, not just another invoice. And if that trust is broken, even once, it starts to resemble the same old dealership runaround, just with better UX design and vegan leather.

2025 Rivian R1S Quad-Motor: 1,025 HP, 316-Mile Range & 7,700 lb Towing Capacity

• The 2025 Rivian R1S Quad-Motor delivers a staggering 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. This performance positions it among the fastest SUVs available today. 
• Measuring approximately 200.8 inches in length, 81.8 inches in width, and 77.4 inches in height, the R1S offers spacious seating for up to seven passengers. Its adjustable air suspension provides up to 15 inches of ground clearance, enhancing its off-road capabilities. 
• Equipped with a 135 kWh battery pack, the R1S Quad-Motor boasts an EPA-estimated range of up to 316 miles. Additionally, it offers a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, making it a practical choice for both daily commutes and adventurous getaways.

Yes, Rivian is young. Yes, they’re still building their systems. And yes, they’re going to screw up from time to time. That’s the nature of a company trying to scale while still pretending to be bespoke.

But the difference lies in what happens after the mistake. Do you get ghosted, redirected, or gaslit? Or does someone actually read your email, acknowledge the error, and do their best to fix it, even if it takes a few weeks?

Rivian Is Still Growing

The Rivian story isn’t finished. Far from it. But this incident, documented in full color by real owners in real time, reminds us that customer service isn't a tagline, it's a test. One that Rivian is still taking, sometimes passing, sometimes failing, but at least still showing up to class. And in an industry where the big players often don't even bother bringing a pencil, that's worth something.

Image Sources: Rivian Newsroom

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.