Dear Management,
I…read moream writing to formally express my extreme disappointment with the experience I recently had at Harper Audi Knoxville while attempting to purchase a used 2025 Tesla Model 3 Performance and trade in my 2023 Lexus IS500. As a former two-time Audi A7 owner, I expected a high standard of customer service, transparency, and professional communication. Instead, my experience was characterized by lowball offers, unsolicited add-ons, poor communication, and ultimately a complete lack of faith in your sales process.
Below is a brief outline of the events:
Initial Lowball Trade-In Offer: August 17th, I was initially offered a trade-in value for my Lexus that was $7,000 below Lexus of Knoxville's valuation and $6,000 below Tesla's. It was only after I left the dealership that sales representative Kay called to match the fair trade-in value of $58,000.
Unwanted Add-ons: Later that day, a deal sheet was provided, an unrequested $1,499 charge for "ECP Plus" (paint and interior protection) had been tacked on. I requested its removal before moving forward.
Supercharging Issue & Contradictory Claims: The Tesla displayed a "Paid charging unavailable" error. I informed Kay I would proceed with the purchase provided this issue was resolved, as restricted Supercharging severely limits the vehicle's utility. On August 18th via text, Kay claimed the vehicle was taken to Tesla, but that neither your dealership nor Tesla could find a solution.
Lack of Follow-Up: Knowing this error often occurs simply because the previous owner hasn't removed the vehicle from their Tesla account, on the 19th, I emailed Kay instructions detailing how to resolve it. At 1:05pm that same day, I texted her asking if she saw my email stating, "Hoping to close this deal soon." I followed up via text and she told me, "her manager and co-worker are looking to see if we're able to resolve it. I will let you know ASAP when I do"
Later that night I got an email from the sales manager, Tyler, asking why I didn't buy a car from them. I replied immediately that I was still interested and wanted to know what we "needed to do to close the deal," expressing my clear intent to buy the vehicle once addressed. I received no response.
I called the dealership on August 20th and was Kay was off, I left a message with Tyler to call me. He never did. Now I know it's because they already sold the car to someone else.
Abrupt Notification of Sale: After ignoring my outreach, Kay texted me days later stating the vehicle had been sold "as-is" late Wednesday evening--the exact day she had claimed the dealership was actively working with Tesla on a fix for me.
To feel as though I had to "chase" a sales team to purchase a vehicle, only to be fed contradictory information and ultimately brushed off, is completely unacceptable. Attempting to slip in forced add-ons and mishandling basic customer communication does a disservice to the Audi brand.
Because of this experience, I will never consider purchasing a vehicle from Harper Audi Knoxville again, nor will I recommend your dealership to others. I am sharing this feedback so upper management is aware of how prospective buyers--and loyal Audi customers--are being treated by your team.
