It’s the sort of video every Tesla owner fears. Now, after a model publicly shamed a famous postie in ‘keying’ row, a VERY different story has emerged

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Many Tesla owners have experienced the disappointment of finding scratches on their electric vehicle upon return, often telling tales of distress. To mitigate such incidents, most electric vehicles come equipped with cameras, which usually manage to record instances commonly referred to as ‘keying’, minimizing the chances of such damage going unnoticed.

However, a recent instance of an apparent keying occurrence led to a postal worker being publicly humiliated before more than a million viewers on Instagram, as well as being identified by a regional media source. This situation serves as a cautionary tale about the risks associated with making hasty judgments.

Initially, it appeared to be a straightforward instance of vehicle damage, which occurred last month. However, this week, after an extensive probe conducted by The Daily Mail, the situation took an unforeseen twist.

The events began on August 21, as Queensland model Ellie Gonsalves posted a video on her extensive social media platforms, featuring an Australia Post employee wearing a high-visibility uniform walking towards her car.

The footage recorded by Tesla’s in-car security camera inside a private parking lot in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, shows a man exiting a red delivery van, appearing to retrieve a keyring from his pocket, and touching the hood of the vehicle. Unfortunately, the moment when the key supposedly scratched the car was not filmed.

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At the specific moment, the car was empty. However, Gonsalves, aged 35, mentioned that she got a notification on her phone from an app indicating some commotion.

In her initial statement, Ms. Gonsalves expressed her anticipation for an apology and reparations due to a small damage, specifically a chip, on the hood of her vehicle. Furthermore, she asserted that the alleged act of vandalism would have been recorded by every security camera present in the private parking lot.

After requesting her Instagram community for assistance in identifying the man, she came back three hours later to disclose that she had obtained his name from them.

Detective work online revealed that the Australia Post employee was previously a well-known public figure who, after retiring from the limelight, now works as a postman.

The situation seemed clear-cut, appearing as an instance of vandalism against Tesla – it even sparked a flurry of comments on social media, and made headlines with local news outlets like 9News Gold Coast, who publicly identified the individual involved.

But there are two sides to every story.

The Daily Mail reports that despite allegations of damage to a car, which the postman initially denied, he was temporarily suspended for an investigation. This week, the conclusion of the investigation found him innocent, and he has been reinstated to continue his postal duties.

On Monday, an Australia Post representative stated that they had thoroughly examined the situation and discovered the damage to Ms. Gonsalves’ vehicle did not align with typical signs of a keying incident. The Daily Mail concurs with Australia Post’s findings and does not propose any alternative explanations.

As an ardent fan, I’m thrilled to share that we’ve given this issue the utmost attention it deserves. We’ve personally reached out to Ms. Gonsalves to keep her informed about our ongoing investigation regarding one of our team members and their interaction with her car.

I want to assure you, dear Ms. Gonsalves, that Australia Post acknowledges your concerns and sincerely apologizes for any distress caused by the conduct of our team member. We deeply value your peace of mind and are committed to ensuring a positive experience for all our customers.

The issue has been addressed with the team member by taking necessary actions. Currently, he is back at work with Australia Post.

The investigation by the Queensland Police Force has reached its conclusion, and no charges were filed.

On Monday, the police informed Daily Mail Australia that the owner of the vehicle, who is a man, opted against filing a formal complaint since there appeared to be no visible harm or damage to the car.

During our investigation, we also examined additional CCTV recordings from the private parking area and took a picture of the vehicle’s hood, for your information.

As a devoted follower, I’d like to emphasize that I don’t endorse any insinuations of dishonesty towards Ms. Gonsalves regarding the incident. Moreover, I acknowledge her response to the video as entirely justified.

Upon being asked for a response, her business manager, Ross Scutts, stated that there was an indentation on the car. The Daily Mail has obtained a photograph showing a small dent on the hood, yet no evident key scratches.

Scutts mentioned that the car wasn’t personally owned by Ms. Gonsalves; rather, she was temporarily using it as a rental until her newly purchased vehicle arrived.

He verified that the registered owner decided not to pursue the issue any longer, and that Gonsalves subsequently retracted her complaint upon receiving an apology.

On August 25, a Daily Mail photographer captured the postie near his home.

He looked disheartened, wearing a navy zip-up sweater with its hood pulled over, paired with gray shorts. Later on, he departed in a non-electric car.

We have chosen not to name him given that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing. 

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2025-09-09 19:04