Quoted from Darscot:
It was enabled but Tesla told them we don't actually manufacture the config you want but we will give you this car at that price but you will not get to keep the extras. Its just faster and cheaper to give them a car they have already built than try and build a different version. It would be like if Stern decided that all new Stranger Things now come with the UV kit built in from the factory but the price goes up $50. Someone that already ordered said no I'm not giving you the extra $50 and I don't want the UV lighting. So instead of spending time and money trying to remove the UV kit Stern just disabled it with software. People were just hoping they would get it for free and they didn't.
Indeed. You’re not entitled to something you didn’t pay for at the end of the day.
There are probably real cost savings in homogenising certain parts of a build, I can certainly believe that it would be more cost effective to build all seats with heat seating built in, then offering it as an upsell.
I bought a performance upgrade for a Porsche a few years ago which consisted of them authorising the VIN to have the feature, plugging the car in and unlocking it. Didn’t add any hardware components to the car as they were already rated for the spec upgrade.
Working in networking I’m used to kit coming with unified hardware that provides features that are unlocked via software licences.
Tesla’s mistake really was in inadvertently gifting this option to people up front, without making it clear that it was unintended and/or liable to be removed at any time without notice.
But I don’t think anyone can have cause for complaint. Down the line I can see them offering trial versions for feature unlocks, again more like IT things in general.