[mikeash]

OK, so which part is the ploy?

Did they just make up (or perhaps fake) the incident where the seat belt came detached? That seems extremely far-fetched.

Everything else looks like a perfectly reasonable response to this incident.

Certainly, they're spinning this to be as positive as possible, but reacting well and putting a positive spin on something is really far from a "ploy."

[everly]

I guess I don't hold a super negative connotation of the word ploy. I didn't intend to condemn their actions as unsavory. But if ploy is defined as "a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage", then I think it's a fair word to use. It's just "reacting well and putting a positive spin on something" worded differently.

[schiffern]

>"a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage"

Sounds like the plan is to everyone's advantage?

* Owners get a prompt fix for a newly discovered safety issue (2 weeks ago), and clear reproduction steps.

* Tesla looks proactive, obviously.

* They're not taking the drastic (but expensive) option of replacing all seat belts, which makes investors happier.

* I think they're asking nearby owners to drive in, to prevent jamming their shipping infrastructure.