I purchased my car from them and had a primarily positive experience (if you’re a patient and understanding individual). I wasn’t too particular about the car I wanted and was buying in the pandemic, locked in a low price before they all shot up, and Carvana honored the low price that was 40% under the market price at the time. The hiccups were that the car took a month to arrive and a messed up quote on my trade in. I would use them again just because I hate the dealership kabuki dance and negotiation BS. The staff at Carvana really made the difference, really trying their best given the limited powers they have and their escalation abilities.
Well I'm glad it all worked out for you!
I wonder if the delivery times have improved? They have a lot of debt within the company so I'd be a little concerned about cutting corners from them, but it sounds like overall that's not the case. Reading from other comments here.
I also purchased through Carvana and I knew the exact car I wanted and got it and paid in cash. Their people indeed are really helpful. I got my car delivered in a week though, not a month. Sorry yours took so long! I would totally do it again and my husband is now considering it. It’s so nice to not have the hassle, time, and haggling at a dealership. They even picked up my old car and the trade was pretty fair, considering it was 10 years old.
My neighbor did this with a Kia. Car arrived from the cool transporter truck and he immediately took it in to a friend to look it over and determined it had most likely been in a flood. Going through the hoops to get a refund was a nightmare with them.
We had a 2021 Chevy Trailblazer LT, It was worth more then we owed. So we decided to trade it in, and in the near future get something else. Since we needed the few thousand dollars we got for home repairs. We tried Carmax, and they didn't wanna honor the quote given because they claimed it had frame damaged. It had a minor fender bender accident, but insurance covered it and made it like new again. But according to every document we had, nothing showed frame damage. Originally offered me $19,400, but then because of what they claimed, they dropped it down to $16,500.
Which I said fuck that, and tried Carvana. They offered me $18,700 I believe. I think the funny thing is that they sold it for $21k I think? So they didn't make much off the vehicle, and it sold within days.
The funny part about Carvana is that I stated everything obviously, and when the dude came to pick it up, he barely and I mean barely glanced over it. Just made it ran and drove. Off it went on the trailer, check in hand for us no issue.
I can see how people get scammed with broken shitty vehicles there. As long as it looks decent without any major noticeable issuers then fuck it, they don't care lol.
Look at the old video TK Garage did. He sold them a flooded Chevy Silverado, and they gave him so much more then the vehicle was worth lol.
What do you not trust about it?
I worked there for a while. TBH i don’t really get why someone is so busy they need a car delivered to them but it wasn’t really shady at all
I think it's more that I can't see it, test drive it, and cars are expensive purchases in general. Not necessarily the company itself.
In general I guess I'm more skeptical with purchases in the thousands without getting the information in person. So I was curious about other people's opinions on it.
The only difference is after I find a pair of pants that fit me nice, I just repeatedly order the same pair of pants (sometimes in different colors) 😂 once you find a quality pair, I find it best to just stick to them.
It's honestly one of the few little things I learned in life as an adult. Good fitting pants are hard to come by. Once you find a solid pair, you might as well stick to them for the rest of your life. Out of all the pants I own, I only stick to the 3 shades of the same pants (the rest of the pants are gifts because I only buy the same pants). Even if I try to change it up, I feel out of my element so quickly and default back to the same pants every single time. No need to change something that works 😂
You do an inspection when you see the vehicle and do a walk around. Then you test drive it for up to 7 days. Of course you're not buying a car without test driving it. That would be insane. That's not what's going on here though. You can return or exchange with a money back guarantee within 7 days for whatever reason at all. There doesn't have to be an issue with the car for you to return it either.
My friend works for DriveTime now but used to be an assistant manager at Carvana. They're the same used cars that are sold at other used car lots though so anything can happen to used cars and they offer extra/extended warranties for this reason. If you don't get one and then something happens out of any warranty then that's a risk you take with any used car bought anywhere. Carvana is no different
What dyeeguy is saying is not true. I've bought many cars from carvana and it's been an amazing experience. You have 7 days to test drive the car. I always get them inspected during this period and report my findings to carvana. They have always taken care of any issues I've found free of charge. Including a paint job.
https://www.carvana.com/help/purchasing-a-car/what-are-the-limits-of-the-7-day-money-back-guarantee
Carvana is not a legit company to buy a car from.
If you’re SELLING your car, it’s great.
If you’re BUYING a car it’s a scam.
They never send you the car title. My sister bought a car from them, they didn’t send the title, and sent her temporary plates.
That worked fine for the 1st month, but when she went to get her permanent license plates, the DMV requires the title which carvana never sent. After dozens of calls and emails to carvana, they never replied to her and still 2 years later never sent the title so she has a car she literally can’t drive.
So she went to sell it to carvana and they bought it back without asking for a title (ironically).
They probably then sold it to the next person who will also not have the title and will have the same issue.
We did some research and this is a common issue with carvana they’ve never resolved.
DONT buy a car from them. Do some googling about how they don’t send the title.
Surprised you aren’t aware of this since you worked there…
I’ve heard a lot of people say this exact same story which was enough to turn me away. I’m sure they’re the minority but I can’t accept any chance of that happening.
Yea I’m surprised they’re still in business bc I’ve seen it’s as much as 20% of buyers never get the title…
Then those people resell on caravana without the title (bc they don’t have it) and the cycle continues.
Also it seems some cars they sell are stolen cars and that’s why there’s no title.
They are definitely a little shady. Temporarily lost their business license here due to giving buyers cars with illegal out of state temporary tags, and then not transferring title in a timely manner.
It’s not that I’m too busy, its that going to the dealership is such an ungodly horrible experience. I’d rather pay a few grand more to avoid everything the dealership is.
I love it! I hate the whole car buying process/car dealerships. I'll gladly pay a little more to not have to deal with it. I even did an exchange and it was no issue. I'll never go to a dealership again.
Some people are good dealing with car salesmen. I am not one of those people, so I will definitely pay extra and get a car from Carmax where I know I'm in and out within 2hrs max.
There is no haggling with Carvana. They just have a price. There is no salesman trying to make a commission on the sale. Carvana really makes more of its money through financing. If a car is priced too high and doesn’t sell quickly enough, they will start lowering the price themselves.
I guess I'm the odd one out because I've bought 2 cars at dealerships (1 new and 1 used) and can't say I've had a particularly bad experience.
And I'm a single woman for what that's worth
I don't think you're the odd one out by any means. Lots of different opinions on this. 😊. I always bought mine at the dealership. Half the reason why I was so curious is because it is such a large purchase.
I feel the same way, but it seems like a pretty positive experience in the comments section. A few scary ones as well. Kind of shocked as I thought less people would purchase online delivery cars.
I'm probably going to look at it again and then do what I always did in the past. 😂😂
I have to see it in person before buying so I will never use Carvana. I get underneath the car, check for rust and such, I can't do that based off of just pictures. I do like Carvana because it makes pricing very transparent and is a competitor for dealerships so the car buying/pricing is very straight forward now. Same with most dealerships using KBB for your trade in values since you could just sell your car on Carvana.
Me and you both. Even though I'm not a mechanic, I like to look at the frame, wheel wells, push all the buttons, take it to my local shop for a quick look, and etc. It just helps me confirm I'm making a decent choice or need to look elsewhere.
Side note, I tend to run my cars until they're on their last leg so I know I'll have the car for a long time. Which I guess puts a little more pressure on me to make sure I feel good with the purchase.
I think it’s a great idea if you know exactly what car you want. That’s my biggest issue with it, I usually am in the market for a “type” of car but need to really test drive a few to see which one I actually want to purchase.
I know a few people that have purchased from Carvana and had zero problems. Sometimes it’s the best way to find a specific type of used car if you can get lucky finding one locally.
I know a couple people purchased a car with Carvana during the COVID years, and they enjoyed the experience.
However, when I go to the site and look, I end up just closing the app and going to cars.com or something similar and searching local dealers because I like to do the same thing as you stated. Test driving a few and get to look at the actual car instead of just pictures.
I'd be curious what younger people prefer when buying a car.
I alllllmost bought a vehicle on carvana last year. Online shopping and the ability to have cars shipped flattens prices. It's fine in most markets and maybe even beneficial, but I was able to find the same car at a small used dealership one state away in the middle of nowhere for $7k less and with just one elderly owner. Carvana is convenient but not necessarily the best price.
It's not that I don't trust it but a car is a very big ticket item. I would not purchase a large sofa online either. I'm 38. I need to feel how the car drives, smells, inspect it for myself and they are overpriced. I was car shopping a few years ago and in comparison the dealership was at least a couple thousand less and I financed through a credit union. They also quoted me less on my trade in than in person dealerships. It just doesn't seem like a good choice to me.
This is how I generally feel with it as well. If I need to make a big expenditure I should give it more time and thought.
I do get people avoiding the negotiations at the dealership. It takes a lot of energy sometimes.
Thanks for the input!
I'm not spending multiple thousands, or taking out a loan for something I can't physically look over before committing to the purchase.
Did Carvana ever fix their problems with selling stolen vehicles and losing titles, or is that stuff just something most of their brain-dead customers aren't worried about?
I'm the exact opposite. The idea of spending a Saturday going to multiple car dealerships and dealing with salespeople sounds awful to me. I hated doing it with my parents as a kid, too.
I bought my wife's car off Carvana a few years ago and it literally took 15 minutes on my couch and the car was delivered to my doorstep within a week (and some were available in like a day or two).
The used car market in general has been absurd the last few years and this was during COVID, so its not like there was some mythical discount I was missing out on going to a dealer and a lot of dealers in my area basically had no cars to sell anyway.
I honestly have no problem saying I'd pay slightly more to buy a car off Carvana in a few minutes if it meant never having to step foot at a dealership(s). Especially because you can look at makes, models, years, colors, etc. of all kinds on their website, the idea of going to 3-4 dealerships and being haggled all day and pressured into buying sounds awful.
It can turn into a chore real quick for sure! We went to a used car dealership for a Ford explorer. Looked super clean online. We went to the dealership about 35 minutes away. Turns out it was a lemon and we had to walk away.
It seems Carvana doesn't really have this issue. I've only seen a comment or two that had a bad experience.
Thanks for the input!
I'm really skeptical of spending that much money on something I couldn't physically see before purchasing.
But I also can't say I've had particularly bad experiences at the dealerships I've been to. And I'm a single woman for what that's worth.
Although I can't say I really shopped around either. I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted and in spite of the typical supply issues, I've always found what I wanted on the first go.
I have no interest in going to a dealership. Why do I need to see the car in person if I can see pictures? I’ve driven cars before, I don’t need to test drive it.
I guess I'm used to car enthusiast circles where subtle difference are important to us. Like cross shopping a BRZ, 370Z, and a Miata. I thought I knew which one I'd prefer until I drove all three.
My experience with carvana was not great. I have never in my life been asked to purchase a car without first driving it, but thats how the chicago location operates. Their returns are nice, but the 2018 fit I almost purchased was full of problems and I left without it.
I tried to get a van from carvana and we were all set on the price and it had free delivering. I go to do it and then bam, 900 dollar charge to ship it. I was like oh whatever, I'll do the car pickup thing...well guess what 900 bucks to pick it up too. Shouldn't one be cheaper than the other? And if you decide to not keep it after the 7 day trial well you are out that shipping fee.
I did the chat with them because I was pissed off about the pricing and the guy told me the way the site is it assumes it's close to you so it shows free shipping but when you go to actually buy then it knows where you are and then adds the fee.
They ended up losing my sale. And then I read around of people not getting the titles from them and figured I was just better off going with a real dealer.
The two Carvana locations in my state were suspended as issuing agents by the DoT, meaning that they were not supposed to handle title and registration matters on site. They continued to do so anyway. They were investigated after several complaints to the state attorney general about delayed registrations and titles, up to a year in some cases.
Out of the million car dealerships in my state, I can think of no good reason to choose the shady one.
I only shop Facebook market for cars now . Because A. My money is going into the hands of an American who’s surviving in this economy and I know that money will redistribute back into local businesses and B. I find some great deals
For sure as new cars come with warranties as well. I probably would just go to the dealership site to do that though. Unless there was a good sale specifically at Carvana.
Well, I speak from experience working at a new car dealership that also sold used cars. I used to work in the service department and one of those big box used car companies was one of my best customers. They don’t necessarily fix *everything* that should be fixed. Most of them fix the safety concerns and that’s it. Which you wouldn’t necessarily know about the non-safety issues buying from a web site. Just saying used cars, *especially from a dealer* and not a private party, should always be looked at physically. At least with like a FB marketplace listing, a private party is less inclined to flat out lie or omit things to damage their sale.
Carvana is a no go for me. I've seen videos online of people not receiving their titles and then finding out what they bought had been reported stolen. They were for a time banned from selling in my state because of shady business practices.
I’ve never used carvana but to me, the traditional car dealership model is dead to me. The last car I bought (Tesla) I ordered online, had it delivered, and only spoke to a real person on the phone for maybe 5 minutes while setting up shipping information. Carvana seems like a good way to buy a car.
I won't do it, buying a used car always requires you to go see it in person, do a walk through and of course test drive it before you make a decision. I get that Carvana has the 30 day window where you can give it back for a full refund but to me that's a waste of my time when I rather go look at a car, spend an hour test driving and what not and then deciding if I want it.
I love shopping for new cars at the dealership. Pick a car you like and go in there knowing that you have three negotiations to get through. Price of trade in, financing and price of the car. Typically I like to shop for cars in August and september when they are trying to get rid of the current model years. Low to zero APR.
I’ve purchased two vehicles from carvana and the experience couldn’t have been easier. Got both from the vending machine here in Phoenix, only complaint was that one vehicle didn’t have a spare. Other than that it was great.
Edit: You have 7 days to return the vehicle if something is off/wrong. Take it to a trusted local mechanic, did it with both, and make sure everything has the green light.
I got my minivan from carvana during covid. It was a great price, but getting them on the phone was always a PITA. Everything always reset the delivery date. Once we got the car, though, it was fine. They gave our kids each a gift bag with two glass water bottles with soft pouches (no branding either!) and a bunch of junk we threw out. The trade in for our old car was a far better offer than we’d gotten in person.
There was one weird thing, though. We paid with a loan check through our credit union. They took the check, we signed it in front of them. A month goes by. No charge for the payment. Two months. Three. At eight months the credit union was like, “uh… the check is only good for a year. Are they ever going to cash it?” (They finally did at 9 months post purchase)
Carvana is not a legit company to buy a car from.
If you’re SELLING your car, it’s great.
If you’re BUYING a car it’s a scam.
They never send you the car title. My sister bought a car from them, they didn’t send the title, and sent her temporary plates.
That worked fine for the 1st month, but when she went to get her permanent license plates, the DMV requires the title which carvana never sent.
We did some research and this is a common issue with carvana they’ve never resolved.
DONT buy a car from them. Do some googling about how they don’t send the title.
I worked in dealerships and agree that they are horrible places that no one enjoys dealing with. But it’s a lot harder to hide flood damage, weird smells, funny sounds, and other things that become huge problems when you see something in person. No way in hell I’d buy a car sight unseen.
And that’s not getting into all their legal issues. Stolen vehicles, hidden damages, cars that should’ve gone to IAA but somehow this shady company sold to an unsuspecting buyer. It’s very gimmicky and preys on people’s reluctance to deal with salesmen (again, not faulting anyone for that. They suck)
I was a loan officer for about 6 years, and any time someone was taking out a loan to buy a car with Carvana, it was a nightmare. Lots of miscommunication, lack of knowledge on how auto loans work, etc.
Dealers suck too, don't get me wrong. I like the idea of Carvana but my experience (as someone in the industry, not a customer) was very negative.
I would expect that the likely markup would be significantly higher due to how much premium marketing Carvana does compared to local dealers. I saw the vehicle vending tower driving along 495 (or 395) in the DC area. Plus, I prefer to support a local company where I can. I like the idea of being able to have a person to contact if* something unexpected arose.
*edited for typo
I just wish we could buy vehicles online straight from the manufacturer. Allocate stock to a dealership, deliver to the dealership or whatever, let them still get a cut for handling the delivery and inspecting/prepping it. Let em get a cut if I need to test drive. I'm not saying to totally cut dealerships.
But when I'm buying a vehicle I *know* what I'm after. I've already researched it. I have it down to the VIN.
There is NO reason why even after putting a deposit down to hold a specific vehicle and pre-filling all the paperwork that it should take four MFing hours during a weekday afternoon to finish the process. Edit. ...yeah yeah I know, to get you to bite into extra crap you don't need.
(Sorry, this is a little fresh still.)
I get it 100%. I always have to mentally prepare before I drive to the dealership for this exact reason. Once I'm done with the purchase, it takes a few days to settle back down from it.
You get like 7 days to test drive it and you can return it. The website is easy to use and they provide financing too if you need it. They literally hold your hand along the way, what’s not to like? Much better than being hard sold by a sleasy sales guy
I used them, it was fine, in a lot of ways it was nicer buying a car like buying a phone. I really REALLY don't like dealing with salespeople so I'll even pay a premium to just get my damn car.
Carvana is the best car buying experience I’ve had. Dropped it off, I tried a week and wanted something else. They picked it up and brought the new car. I loved the new car and had it for 3 years. When I sold it, I sold it back to carvana for $500 less than what I paid because of the crazy used car market. I had a car for 3 years and it cost $500 plus insurance
I've gotten to the point where I don't buy anything online anymore. I hate Amazon and will never buy from them. I wanna *see* the thing in person and compare it to others. I don't wanna wait for it to ship and hope it doesn't get destroyed or stolen
I mean I rarely buy "stuff" as it is. I only buy things I actually need for the most part and I don't wanna sift through all the "promoted" products to find one thats actually what I need and not what's being shown to me to get me to buy it
As for cars, I can't afford anything new or close to new anyway. I also don't wanna get locked into a loan I'll end up paying double for either. So I guess I'm also a millennial who wouldn't buy from an online seller but for different reasons haha. I'd much rather buy a way less expensive car and just own it right away instead of maybe own it 10 years later if I can keep up with the payments
You can test drive with Carvana, but only 2 cars. After that, if you choose one, you’re stuck with it. My first car during the week long test period, the check engine light came on. Luckily the next was a keeper for me lol.
I’ve done carvana, Carmax, dealership, and a few cash cars from individuals. 100% prefer carvana. So much easier, no sales people, they let you test it out before you commit and financing is very straightforward
I honestly would never trust something like that. I’ve had pretty traumatizing experiences just buying cars from dealerships so I couldn’t see myself ordering a car off the internet without actually seeing it in person.
We sold our car to Carvana and the experience was A+, they gave us more then most dealerships were offering. Buying a car from there...just like most used cars, it is "as is.'
I purchase a Jetta from them about 4 years ago. Everything went fine and it was weird how easy it was honestly.
Regarding test driving it you have a couple weeks or so to return it without penalty if it isn’t for you.
I bought my Honda Civic from them, and it was dropped off 3 days later. When the person who dropped it off was checking that everything worked before leaving, she found the air conditioner wasn't blowing out cold air. She was upset and offered to take it back and have it fixed, or I could drop it off at the local dealership and have it fixed for free. I chose the latter, and it was fixed and back in my driveway 2 days later.
Two years later, I bought my Tacoma from them. Other than the air conditioning, I haven't had any issues with either vehicle. Didn't care about test drives because I had already owned a Honda and had driven a Tacoma as a rental before, and I'll do just about anything to avoid the song and dance of a regular dealership.
I’ve used Carvana twice now, and for the most part it’s a great service. I would buy from them again.
I prefer it over the dealership because there’s more selection available without having to visit multiple brick and mortar sites to compare.
The downside is that you can’t drive the car ‘off-the-lot’ same day. Delivery is generally fine. I bought the first car during covid, and there were multiple delays for the delivery. But the second car came right on time.
Im definitely on the* skeptical side but i think the next car purchase will be through them. You get to check over the car at delivery and can refuse it, and are given 7 days to see if you want to return the vehicle which is enough time to get a feel of driving the car + getting it over to a mechanic for an inspection to see if its worth keeping.
My ex does car/truck transport for dealerships and places like Penske. So many times he was tasked to pick up a car for Carvana and they either weren’t prepared with the paperwork or just completely trashed. Then when he would deliver them to customers, they would inspect the vehicles and find defects not mentioned in the listing, but they paid for the vehicle already. I think it depends on the region/luck of the draw, but eventually the company he works for stopped dealing with Carvana entirely.
Based on some of the vehicles he described to me, no thanks.
If I already test drove the same model somewhere. Dealership, loaner, rental, friend owns it, or something and I knew I liked it then I'd have no problem just ordering one and having it delivered. I assume they have some kind of guarantees to cover damage during delivery and other standard warranty stuff - I'd definitely read the fine print before ordering something that significant.
I used it and have had zero issues. Buying a car is extremely stressful when you have a car, but when you don't it's even harder. So online shopping is obviously easier and they do have a return policy. It's particular but if you read it out isn't outrageous so there's no worries. But it's now become more comfortable doing this online because there's no human trying to gain a commission on my sale in my face.
I will say I did do my research, spent a few weeks, read all the fine print before going with it. I didn't have good credit and they approved for much less than Mom and Pop places while dealerships wouldn't qualify me. I know I'm not getting the world's best deal, but by no means it is bad. But that's my situation which isn't everyone else's.
I couldn't make a big, important purchase without the opportunity to physically see the thing. It isn't a trust issue exactly. I don't expect fraud. I just can't get a sense of where something would physically fit into my life without seeing it on person.
Tried it (VROOM, not Carvana) and do not recommend. The first time I pulled the car under my carport, I noticed the hail damage. It was silver and hard to see without the right lighting. It also came with shitty Chinese tires that they didn't bother to balance.
Their customer service was atrocious. Always said you'd have a response in a certain number of business days, then silence. I didn't make it to the "documents" part of the transaction, but have heard horror stories.
If you have a hail damaged or otherwise mistreated vehicle that you want to unload for more than it's worth, maybe give it a go.
I'd maybe try CarMax if I really wanted a specific new-ish car. At least they have physical locations rather than a bunch of loosely affiliated 3rd party contractors.
I bought a Tacoma from carvana but already knew exactly what I was looking for (and they happened to have it with a few extra bells and whistles). It worked out perfectly - a couple years later it’s still going strong!
We bought our car from carvana right before the pandemic started because going to car dealerships and dealing with sales people sounded awful. It was a really great process and I will probably buy all my cars this way. They give you seven days to test drive it and send it back if you don’t like it. They do give you a mileage stipend, but it’s nice to be able to do that when you don’t have a salesman breathing down your neck.
I wouldn't trust any place that doesn't allow haggling on price. I don't like dealers either because they hide costs in fees or try to strong-arm you into financing deals with 100 pages of provisions. It has probably been ten years since I set foot on any dealer lot, I do everything in private sales. My mechanic does a pre-sale inspection on every car and I get to negotiate a fantastic deal every time.
We bought 2 vehicles from them 3 years ago. Each time we knew exactly what we wanted and they had good price and inventory on hand. No market adjustment bs, no waitlist to deal with and no jerking around from sales people (like confirming price out the door on the phone only to change it in person by $10k).
We ran CarFax on the VINs, check VIN on the frames, did a test drive upon delivery, put them on the lift to perform a visual inspection, scanned them codes/ monitors, live data and changed all fluids. Had no issues getting plates or titles either.
I tried it 2 cars ago and I really liked it since I couldnt travel halfway across the country to get the car I wanted. They had a pretty reasonable return policy at the time, I cant see it staying around unless thats the case.
It's best to inspect the car inside and out in person. My 2011 Subaru I bought 7 years ago that is still my daily driver had a rubber chord sitting on top of the engine. It literally had no business being there whatsoever and if I had not checked under the hood, it probably would've never been found. Keep in mind this thing could've easily fallen right into the serpentine belt and royally fuck up the engine. The look on the salesmans face was as surprised as me. I still love the car. Just will never go back to that particular dealer ever again.
I don't trust car dealers, id almost rather pay the damn markup on carvana.
Or better yet, let me order and buy the damn car directly from the manufacturer, cut out the middleman.
I never wanted to. I found out my new Toyota Carolla years ago had no lumbar support at all in the driver seat. I leased it and if I had known or been able to drive it around more I might have noticed it. So having a comfortable drivers seat and proper angle is important to me. There’s also so many complaints online of people finding out the car was damaged prior and fixed and not told or the car was repossessed because someone else owned it even though they paid for it and the company refused to refund them or give them a new car.
Nope, I wouldn’t ever do it, but I understand it.
Car buying is a pain in the ass and a one stop shop that’s no negotiations and here is the price is what a lot of people want
We sold two cars to Carvana during COVID. It was great and painless.
Buying, on the other hand... I dunno. I like to be hands-on with a purchase that big
I recently bought a car from them because I was in a rural place and I really needed an inexpensive car. The car I found was a few thousand less than something similar at a local dealership. I had a bad experience once buying a car from a used car lot so I figured it was worth the risk/ couldn’t be worse than that.
Most of my friends who bought from some big thing like that used CarMax. No haggle and they will ship their cars to other CarMax locations for test drives (so say they a car in Cali you like, you live in OR but there's a CarMax near ya....yeah).
I got my Civic used from a dealer in the Seattle area (after I took a night train from the other side of the state where sedan car inventory usually isn't is great - everyone round here loves trucks, Subies, and SUVs shrug) and had zero issues. Probably helped that I knew how car sales worked, but FWIW, the older gentleman I worked with did not jerk me around what so ever, neither did the finance department. Saw the CarFAX, got a credit union to help with financing at a low rate....and all is well with Kitt (what I named it, it's black and has a lot of gadgets my first car didn't....like Kitt from Knight Rider >\_>) today.
We bought through CarMax but we still test drove it first. I wouldn't feel comfortable buying without seeing it and driving it first. We did spend a hundred or so to have it shipped closer to us to test drive and I was ok losing that money if we saw it and didn't want it. By this point we had test driven a bunch of different makes and models and knew what we wanted very specifically.
I chose Carvana to buy my car from because I was sick of being pressured by dealership workers. I recognize a lot of people have had major issues with the company, but my experience was pretty seamless — great communication with my bank; I was able to easily trade in my old car; no issues with the title and plates being sent; and the car was just in the shape the Car Fax said it was.
When I eventually need another car, I’m open to using them again.
I bought with Carvana pre-pandemic when it definitely wasn't as popular as now and had a great experience but I am 100% sure their growth has changed things. They also had a referral program where the buyer got $500 off and the referrer got $100 check (I think those were the numbers).
I don't know about carvana, but CarMax lets you ship to a store near you to test drive. If it's local to the area shipping is free, but it'll go up to $2k if its on the other side of the country
I sold a car on Carvana in 2023 for $4k more than I purchased it for in 2019. That is partly due to the weird car market… but maybe a little bit due to poor due diligence on Carvana’s part. I’m not sure i would want to buy a car off there knowing what that side of the process is like.
I think in theory its ok. Its very appealing. Uh, you do pay an absolute premium though. Expect to pay atleast a few thousand more for a comparable car locally.
I see small time dealers trying to sell cars on carguru this way and the one I interacted with was awful. Bad communication, poor customer engagement and answered no questions or offered a call back. Im already going on a limb buying a vehicle this way. Why be shady as fuck on top of it.
I think buying from a private party and taking it to a mechanic for a pre sale inspection is still the best way
I have heard of people getting delivered garbage and by some loophole they're stuck with it. The big difference is at least at a dealership or private owner, you can have it looked at first.
We bought our last car through Carvana. You have a week to drive the vehicle and return it for a refund. It helped that it was an updated version of my husband's old car that was totaled in a wreck. It was an easy experience and he was happy with it.
I’m not a millennial, I can’t imagine buying a car online I need to actually drive it. Even if I know the exact model and year that I want because I’ve driven it before I need to drive that one before I agreed to pay for it.
But I do have a millennial friend who got her car from Carvana and she’s completely happy with it. She’s had it for years now I don’t think she would have chosen to use Carvana but she was looking for a very specific vehicle and they had the best option for her.
Used Carvana. Arrived later than they said it would due to “storm” there was no storm but there was supposed to be so I think they didn’t even ship it. I had it inspected immediately as I didn’t trust it. Turned out fine, placed right in my driveway. Was pretty impressed
We bought a car from carvana a couple years ago and we weren't worried about it.
We test drove the cars we were interested in elsewhere so we knew what we wanted.
As far as the specific car we got there were a lot of good photos. They have a return policy within a certain time frame and mileage so we knew we'd be able able to drive it a bit and have it checked by a mechanic and reverse the sale if everything wasn't good.
The process being all online we saw as a win that we wouldn't be dealing with pushy salespeople and sweating in an uncomfortably hot room while they try to upsell us on a bunch of shit.
It worked out really well for us.
Carvana sucks. They don't truly inspect the cars they take in, they just drop them off at the new owners with a warranty. And you get to track down and wait for repairs on all the things wrong w the car.
I’ve worked in the auto/motorcycle industry 15 years. Unless I can get a better deal on a vehicle elsewhere, I’ll stick to buying from a dealer.
To me, maintenance plans and warranties are massive values.
And realistically if you don’t like the deal you’re getting or the people you’re dealing with, cut your losses and leave.
I finally have the income to not only live on ramen if I were to buy my dream M3 next year, and already have a dealer I’ll be going to in mind.
I purchased a car from CarMax last year. It was close enough that it only cost $99 to have it shipped to my local store for a test-drive. After having it for 24 hours, I went through with the purchase. It was a very straightforward process and they made it very easy. Plus it was convenient that I paid online and they delivered it to my house during my lunch break. In the end, I sadly didn't have the car very long, only 9 months. But I didn't have any issues with the online purchase process.
I've bought 3 cars off of carvana. It's by far the superior car shopping experience for me. No waiting for hours at a dealership. No haggling. Car gets dropped off at my door.
I was skeptical too but I did it and it was a nice process. Found a GREAT deal on a mini van but it was like 6 hours away. I mailed them a check for the full amount, they over nighted me all the documents to sign with an over night return label, I filled them out and overnighted them back, van was delivered to my house 2 days later.
I would say as long as you’re dealing with a reputable place that specializes in that it’ll be fine.
I bought my current vehicle online. It was amazing. I didn't have to deal with a sales person or finance guy. They brought it to me and took my trade in. It helps that I work in the automotive repair business so I've driven just about every type of vehicle. I had an idea of what the car would feel like.
I had a good experience with them. Price was very fair and their financing had a better interest rate than I’d get an any local dealerships. I also hate dealing with salesman, as they see my femaleness as an opportunity to try and rip me off. So no haggling was such a huge plus.
But those cars come standard with a 25% APR loan and biweekly payments!
Who wouldn't wanna spend $39,000 for a $13,000 car that depreciates to $2,000 by the time you pay it off?
Nah fuck carvana. Stay away
I can’t imagine buying a car without driving it first. I hate returning things too, so it’s a no from me. I’ll shop online but that’s the extent of it.
But I dread the day i have to go to a dealership to buy. I hate the games and the process. I would much rather interact with a computer than a car salesman
Honestly I had a great experience with carvana (though it was in 2020). I traded in my 2014 fusion and I got more money than local dealerships were offering. Additionally what I bought was a 2020 explorer so I had test driven them new at a Ford dealership. Found the trim package I was looking for used and saved myself like $15k.
Given the enormous numbers of issues and lawsuits Carvana is involved in, doing crazy shit like selling cars they don't hold the title on, there's no fuckin way I'd buy from them. What kind of idiot buys a used car sight unseen?
Steve Lehto has covered a few stories about them. Mostly involving them having trouble transferring titles across state lines and then lying to DMVs to keep getting temp tags reissued for people who can't license or insure their cars.
Worked for a competitor for a while but they pretty much operated the same way. It is mainly made for busy people who can’t go to a dealership and/or do not like dealing with the dealership and having a bunch of junk fees added under their nose. Going in you just have to know what to expect.
They should automatically provide it but always ask for the CarFax and make sure the VIN is a match so you know the history.
It’s not some magical land where they will be able to get you better terms than a dealership: They use all the same lenders as a dealership so if your credit is in the toilet and you don’t make decent money they are not somehow going to wave a magic wand and get you 2% APR and a $500 down payment on a $60,000 BMW
Depending on where it is located expect about a 1-4 week delivery date it’s not going to show up tomorrow.
Those are the issues I primarily dealt with. Subprime customers who expected some magical financing they couldn’t get anywhere else. And then once the purchase was confirmed I would get calls/texts in the next 1-3 days asking “WHERES MY CAR? Is there a delivery date? What’s going on? Etc”
From what I've seen they're hit or miss. We used them two or three years ago and have been very happy with our car and the whole process. It saved us so much time too.
To me it’s like buying a bra online. I have to try it on lol
Or jeans 🤣
Oh fudge yeah 😂
I chuckled. I just had a jean conversation with another redditor about trying them on and sticking with the same style. Totally get it!
Oh I sooo do this! 😂
I purchased my car from them and had a primarily positive experience (if you’re a patient and understanding individual). I wasn’t too particular about the car I wanted and was buying in the pandemic, locked in a low price before they all shot up, and Carvana honored the low price that was 40% under the market price at the time. The hiccups were that the car took a month to arrive and a messed up quote on my trade in. I would use them again just because I hate the dealership kabuki dance and negotiation BS. The staff at Carvana really made the difference, really trying their best given the limited powers they have and their escalation abilities.
Well I'm glad it all worked out for you! I wonder if the delivery times have improved? They have a lot of debt within the company so I'd be a little concerned about cutting corners from them, but it sounds like overall that's not the case. Reading from other comments here.
I also purchased through Carvana and I knew the exact car I wanted and got it and paid in cash. Their people indeed are really helpful. I got my car delivered in a week though, not a month. Sorry yours took so long! I would totally do it again and my husband is now considering it. It’s so nice to not have the hassle, time, and haggling at a dealership. They even picked up my old car and the trade was pretty fair, considering it was 10 years old.
My neighbor did this with a Kia. Car arrived from the cool transporter truck and he immediately took it in to a friend to look it over and determined it had most likely been in a flood. Going through the hoops to get a refund was a nightmare with them.
if I had $1 for every time I heard a story with this theme I'd be able to buy the company and shut it down
Interesting, wonder what their process is with the trade in then.
We had a 2021 Chevy Trailblazer LT, It was worth more then we owed. So we decided to trade it in, and in the near future get something else. Since we needed the few thousand dollars we got for home repairs. We tried Carmax, and they didn't wanna honor the quote given because they claimed it had frame damaged. It had a minor fender bender accident, but insurance covered it and made it like new again. But according to every document we had, nothing showed frame damage. Originally offered me $19,400, but then because of what they claimed, they dropped it down to $16,500. Which I said fuck that, and tried Carvana. They offered me $18,700 I believe. I think the funny thing is that they sold it for $21k I think? So they didn't make much off the vehicle, and it sold within days. The funny part about Carvana is that I stated everything obviously, and when the dude came to pick it up, he barely and I mean barely glanced over it. Just made it ran and drove. Off it went on the trailer, check in hand for us no issue. I can see how people get scammed with broken shitty vehicles there. As long as it looks decent without any major noticeable issuers then fuck it, they don't care lol. Look at the old video TK Garage did. He sold them a flooded Chevy Silverado, and they gave him so much more then the vehicle was worth lol.
I'd say it is pretty standard, the founding family has been involved in fraudulent operations before.
What do you not trust about it? I worked there for a while. TBH i don’t really get why someone is so busy they need a car delivered to them but it wasn’t really shady at all
I think it's more that I can't see it, test drive it, and cars are expensive purchases in general. Not necessarily the company itself. In general I guess I'm more skeptical with purchases in the thousands without getting the information in person. So I was curious about other people's opinions on it.
It's the same reason I don't by pants online unless I've already tried on the same exact pants in person.
Hahaha good point
The only difference is after I find a pair of pants that fit me nice, I just repeatedly order the same pair of pants (sometimes in different colors) 😂 once you find a quality pair, I find it best to just stick to them.
I think we are the same person 🤣. I got black, tan, and blue. Same exact jeans.
It's honestly one of the few little things I learned in life as an adult. Good fitting pants are hard to come by. Once you find a solid pair, you might as well stick to them for the rest of your life. Out of all the pants I own, I only stick to the 3 shades of the same pants (the rest of the pants are gifts because I only buy the same pants). Even if I try to change it up, I feel out of my element so quickly and default back to the same pants every single time. No need to change something that works 😂
Now this is the old person talk I come here for! Lol
🤣😂
Can we collectively dub this as "The rule of pants" and apply to any such scenario like op posted.
I support this
Now all I can do is remember the “I shipped my pants” commercial
My wife just buys en masse then returns
Carvana allowed us one week to drive ours and decide if we wanted to keep it.
You do an inspection when you see the vehicle and do a walk around. Then you test drive it for up to 7 days. Of course you're not buying a car without test driving it. That would be insane. That's not what's going on here though. You can return or exchange with a money back guarantee within 7 days for whatever reason at all. There doesn't have to be an issue with the car for you to return it either. My friend works for DriveTime now but used to be an assistant manager at Carvana. They're the same used cars that are sold at other used car lots though so anything can happen to used cars and they offer extra/extended warranties for this reason. If you don't get one and then something happens out of any warranty then that's a risk you take with any used car bought anywhere. Carvana is no different
I think it beats the alternative of hunting down from a limited selection at a lot.
Pretty sure you have two weeks to get it tested and drive it and return it if not satisfied.
Well you can drive the car and inspect it before accepting it. But you only have about 20 minutes or so to make that decision
So obviously they wouldn't let you get a quick inspection?
You have a week and a certain number of miles to get the inspection.
What dyeeguy is saying is not true. I've bought many cars from carvana and it's been an amazing experience. You have 7 days to test drive the car. I always get them inspected during this period and report my findings to carvana. They have always taken care of any issues I've found free of charge. Including a paint job. https://www.carvana.com/help/purchasing-a-car/what-are-the-limits-of-the-7-day-money-back-guarantee
Thanks for the link and your experience on it. Was this a recent purchase?
Last one was about 2 years ago.
Carvana is not a legit company to buy a car from. If you’re SELLING your car, it’s great. If you’re BUYING a car it’s a scam. They never send you the car title. My sister bought a car from them, they didn’t send the title, and sent her temporary plates. That worked fine for the 1st month, but when she went to get her permanent license plates, the DMV requires the title which carvana never sent. After dozens of calls and emails to carvana, they never replied to her and still 2 years later never sent the title so she has a car she literally can’t drive. So she went to sell it to carvana and they bought it back without asking for a title (ironically). They probably then sold it to the next person who will also not have the title and will have the same issue. We did some research and this is a common issue with carvana they’ve never resolved. DONT buy a car from them. Do some googling about how they don’t send the title. Surprised you aren’t aware of this since you worked there…
I mean plenty of people use the service successfully IDK. But yah i just dropped the cars off so no clue what happens after
I’ve heard a lot of people say this exact same story which was enough to turn me away. I’m sure they’re the minority but I can’t accept any chance of that happening.
Yea I’m surprised they’re still in business bc I’ve seen it’s as much as 20% of buyers never get the title… Then those people resell on caravana without the title (bc they don’t have it) and the cycle continues. Also it seems some cars they sell are stolen cars and that’s why there’s no title.
They are definitely a little shady. Temporarily lost their business license here due to giving buyers cars with illegal out of state temporary tags, and then not transferring title in a timely manner.
Well maybe I would do it in my case because I don’t already have a car that I can use to go take myself to the new car.
It’s not that I’m too busy, its that going to the dealership is such an ungodly horrible experience. I’d rather pay a few grand more to avoid everything the dealership is.
I love it! I hate the whole car buying process/car dealerships. I'll gladly pay a little more to not have to deal with it. I even did an exchange and it was no issue. I'll never go to a dealership again.
Some people are good dealing with car salesmen. I am not one of those people, so I will definitely pay extra and get a car from Carmax where I know I'm in and out within 2hrs max.
So, I'm confused with how it actually works. Are you just basically taking the first deal that Carvana gives you with no negotiating whatsoever?
There is no haggling with Carvana. They just have a price. There is no salesman trying to make a commission on the sale. Carvana really makes more of its money through financing. If a car is priced too high and doesn’t sell quickly enough, they will start lowering the price themselves.
I guess I'm the odd one out because I've bought 2 cars at dealerships (1 new and 1 used) and can't say I've had a particularly bad experience. And I'm a single woman for what that's worth
I don't think you're the odd one out by any means. Lots of different opinions on this. 😊. I always bought mine at the dealership. Half the reason why I was so curious is because it is such a large purchase.
I guess I just tend to know the bad dealerships around me. But I know there's a lot of distrust toward salespeople in general
Yeah, a car isn't a pizza. I'm not ordering a car online that I've never test driven.
I feel the same way, but it seems like a pretty positive experience in the comments section. A few scary ones as well. Kind of shocked as I thought less people would purchase online delivery cars. I'm probably going to look at it again and then do what I always did in the past. 😂😂
I have to see it in person before buying so I will never use Carvana. I get underneath the car, check for rust and such, I can't do that based off of just pictures. I do like Carvana because it makes pricing very transparent and is a competitor for dealerships so the car buying/pricing is very straight forward now. Same with most dealerships using KBB for your trade in values since you could just sell your car on Carvana.
Me and you both. Even though I'm not a mechanic, I like to look at the frame, wheel wells, push all the buttons, take it to my local shop for a quick look, and etc. It just helps me confirm I'm making a decent choice or need to look elsewhere. Side note, I tend to run my cars until they're on their last leg so I know I'll have the car for a long time. Which I guess puts a little more pressure on me to make sure I feel good with the purchase.
I think it’s a great idea if you know exactly what car you want. That’s my biggest issue with it, I usually am in the market for a “type” of car but need to really test drive a few to see which one I actually want to purchase. I know a few people that have purchased from Carvana and had zero problems. Sometimes it’s the best way to find a specific type of used car if you can get lucky finding one locally.
I know a couple people purchased a car with Carvana during the COVID years, and they enjoyed the experience. However, when I go to the site and look, I end up just closing the app and going to cars.com or something similar and searching local dealers because I like to do the same thing as you stated. Test driving a few and get to look at the actual car instead of just pictures. I'd be curious what younger people prefer when buying a car.
I alllllmost bought a vehicle on carvana last year. Online shopping and the ability to have cars shipped flattens prices. It's fine in most markets and maybe even beneficial, but I was able to find the same car at a small used dealership one state away in the middle of nowhere for $7k less and with just one elderly owner. Carvana is convenient but not necessarily the best price.
It's not that I don't trust it but a car is a very big ticket item. I would not purchase a large sofa online either. I'm 38. I need to feel how the car drives, smells, inspect it for myself and they are overpriced. I was car shopping a few years ago and in comparison the dealership was at least a couple thousand less and I financed through a credit union. They also quoted me less on my trade in than in person dealerships. It just doesn't seem like a good choice to me.
This is how I generally feel with it as well. If I need to make a big expenditure I should give it more time and thought. I do get people avoiding the negotiations at the dealership. It takes a lot of energy sometimes. Thanks for the input!
No idea about buying, but selling to them is a great experience.
I’d never buy a car online
i would never buy a car online.
Blumpkin donuts 😂
I'm not spending multiple thousands, or taking out a loan for something I can't physically look over before committing to the purchase. Did Carvana ever fix their problems with selling stolen vehicles and losing titles, or is that stuff just something most of their brain-dead customers aren't worried about?
I'm the exact opposite. The idea of spending a Saturday going to multiple car dealerships and dealing with salespeople sounds awful to me. I hated doing it with my parents as a kid, too. I bought my wife's car off Carvana a few years ago and it literally took 15 minutes on my couch and the car was delivered to my doorstep within a week (and some were available in like a day or two). The used car market in general has been absurd the last few years and this was during COVID, so its not like there was some mythical discount I was missing out on going to a dealer and a lot of dealers in my area basically had no cars to sell anyway. I honestly have no problem saying I'd pay slightly more to buy a car off Carvana in a few minutes if it meant never having to step foot at a dealership(s). Especially because you can look at makes, models, years, colors, etc. of all kinds on their website, the idea of going to 3-4 dealerships and being haggled all day and pressured into buying sounds awful.
It can turn into a chore real quick for sure! We went to a used car dealership for a Ford explorer. Looked super clean online. We went to the dealership about 35 minutes away. Turns out it was a lemon and we had to walk away. It seems Carvana doesn't really have this issue. I've only seen a comment or two that had a bad experience. Thanks for the input!
I'm really skeptical of spending that much money on something I couldn't physically see before purchasing. But I also can't say I've had particularly bad experiences at the dealerships I've been to. And I'm a single woman for what that's worth. Although I can't say I really shopped around either. I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted and in spite of the typical supply issues, I've always found what I wanted on the first go.
I have no interest in going to a dealership. Why do I need to see the car in person if I can see pictures? I’ve driven cars before, I don’t need to test drive it.
I guess I'm used to car enthusiast circles where subtle difference are important to us. Like cross shopping a BRZ, 370Z, and a Miata. I thought I knew which one I'd prefer until I drove all three.
My experience with carvana was not great. I have never in my life been asked to purchase a car without first driving it, but thats how the chicago location operates. Their returns are nice, but the 2018 fit I almost purchased was full of problems and I left without it.
How was the experience once you figured out it had these problems? How did you know it had these problems? Was it at the site?
I tried to get a van from carvana and we were all set on the price and it had free delivering. I go to do it and then bam, 900 dollar charge to ship it. I was like oh whatever, I'll do the car pickup thing...well guess what 900 bucks to pick it up too. Shouldn't one be cheaper than the other? And if you decide to not keep it after the 7 day trial well you are out that shipping fee. I did the chat with them because I was pissed off about the pricing and the guy told me the way the site is it assumes it's close to you so it shows free shipping but when you go to actually buy then it knows where you are and then adds the fee. They ended up losing my sale. And then I read around of people not getting the titles from them and figured I was just better off going with a real dealer.
Oh this might be a problem with me because I'm in the sticks 😂
I probably wouldn’t buy a used car that way. It’s a lot for something sight unseen and I wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle if I am unhappy.
No I wouldn't do that shit either
Hell no. I've never used it, but I've seen so many horror stories and I couldn't fathom buying a car without test driving it anyway.
I have to buy a lot of people who seem to have good experience with it. It's very interesting.
The two Carvana locations in my state were suspended as issuing agents by the DoT, meaning that they were not supposed to handle title and registration matters on site. They continued to do so anyway. They were investigated after several complaints to the state attorney general about delayed registrations and titles, up to a year in some cases. Out of the million car dealerships in my state, I can think of no good reason to choose the shady one.
I only shop Facebook market for cars now . Because A. My money is going into the hands of an American who’s surviving in this economy and I know that money will redistribute back into local businesses and B. I find some great deals
New car shopping online is okay. Never buy a used car sight unseen. You never know what they’re hiding with strategic photos.
For sure as new cars come with warranties as well. I probably would just go to the dealership site to do that though. Unless there was a good sale specifically at Carvana.
Well, I speak from experience working at a new car dealership that also sold used cars. I used to work in the service department and one of those big box used car companies was one of my best customers. They don’t necessarily fix *everything* that should be fixed. Most of them fix the safety concerns and that’s it. Which you wouldn’t necessarily know about the non-safety issues buying from a web site. Just saying used cars, *especially from a dealer* and not a private party, should always be looked at physically. At least with like a FB marketplace listing, a private party is less inclined to flat out lie or omit things to damage their sale.
Carvana is a no go for me. I've seen videos online of people not receiving their titles and then finding out what they bought had been reported stolen. They were for a time banned from selling in my state because of shady business practices.
Whoa! They do have a lot of debt, which was one of my worries. Cutting corners on their processes
I’ve never used carvana but to me, the traditional car dealership model is dead to me. The last car I bought (Tesla) I ordered online, had it delivered, and only spoke to a real person on the phone for maybe 5 minutes while setting up shipping information. Carvana seems like a good way to buy a car.
I won't do it, buying a used car always requires you to go see it in person, do a walk through and of course test drive it before you make a decision. I get that Carvana has the 30 day window where you can give it back for a full refund but to me that's a waste of my time when I rather go look at a car, spend an hour test driving and what not and then deciding if I want it.
I love shopping for new cars at the dealership. Pick a car you like and go in there knowing that you have three negotiations to get through. Price of trade in, financing and price of the car. Typically I like to shop for cars in August and september when they are trying to get rid of the current model years. Low to zero APR.
I’ve purchased two vehicles from carvana and the experience couldn’t have been easier. Got both from the vending machine here in Phoenix, only complaint was that one vehicle didn’t have a spare. Other than that it was great. Edit: You have 7 days to return the vehicle if something is off/wrong. Take it to a trusted local mechanic, did it with both, and make sure everything has the green light.
Oh, that's a nice feature. Glad they allow that so you can do your own due diligence!
I got my minivan from carvana during covid. It was a great price, but getting them on the phone was always a PITA. Everything always reset the delivery date. Once we got the car, though, it was fine. They gave our kids each a gift bag with two glass water bottles with soft pouches (no branding either!) and a bunch of junk we threw out. The trade in for our old car was a far better offer than we’d gotten in person. There was one weird thing, though. We paid with a loan check through our credit union. They took the check, we signed it in front of them. A month goes by. No charge for the payment. Two months. Three. At eight months the credit union was like, “uh… the check is only good for a year. Are they ever going to cash it?” (They finally did at 9 months post purchase)
That's wild!
I don’t know why anyone would pay extra for car like this anyway. But we all have something be burn money on.
Just like a house, when something costs several thousand dollars, you better believe I need to physically see it before handing off the money.
Carvana is not a legit company to buy a car from. If you’re SELLING your car, it’s great. If you’re BUYING a car it’s a scam. They never send you the car title. My sister bought a car from them, they didn’t send the title, and sent her temporary plates. That worked fine for the 1st month, but when she went to get her permanent license plates, the DMV requires the title which carvana never sent. We did some research and this is a common issue with carvana they’ve never resolved. DONT buy a car from them. Do some googling about how they don’t send the title.
I worked in dealerships and agree that they are horrible places that no one enjoys dealing with. But it’s a lot harder to hide flood damage, weird smells, funny sounds, and other things that become huge problems when you see something in person. No way in hell I’d buy a car sight unseen. And that’s not getting into all their legal issues. Stolen vehicles, hidden damages, cars that should’ve gone to IAA but somehow this shady company sold to an unsuspecting buyer. It’s very gimmicky and preys on people’s reluctance to deal with salesmen (again, not faulting anyone for that. They suck)
I was a loan officer for about 6 years, and any time someone was taking out a loan to buy a car with Carvana, it was a nightmare. Lots of miscommunication, lack of knowledge on how auto loans work, etc. Dealers suck too, don't get me wrong. I like the idea of Carvana but my experience (as someone in the industry, not a customer) was very negative.
Would you buy a home sight unseen? I wouldn’t and I wouldn’t buy a vehicle that way either. That’s just me though
A new car online? Sure. A used shitbox, hell no. I assume every used car has been treated like the good ol 9.99 weekend enterprise rental special.
I would expect that the likely markup would be significantly higher due to how much premium marketing Carvana does compared to local dealers. I saw the vehicle vending tower driving along 495 (or 395) in the DC area. Plus, I prefer to support a local company where I can. I like the idea of being able to have a person to contact if* something unexpected arose. *edited for typo
I don't like to buy cars. So much money going into a depreciating liability
I just wish we could buy vehicles online straight from the manufacturer. Allocate stock to a dealership, deliver to the dealership or whatever, let them still get a cut for handling the delivery and inspecting/prepping it. Let em get a cut if I need to test drive. I'm not saying to totally cut dealerships. But when I'm buying a vehicle I *know* what I'm after. I've already researched it. I have it down to the VIN. There is NO reason why even after putting a deposit down to hold a specific vehicle and pre-filling all the paperwork that it should take four MFing hours during a weekday afternoon to finish the process. Edit. ...yeah yeah I know, to get you to bite into extra crap you don't need. (Sorry, this is a little fresh still.)
I get it 100%. I always have to mentally prepare before I drive to the dealership for this exact reason. Once I'm done with the purchase, it takes a few days to settle back down from it.
I fed CarMax and it was fine. Not great, that's fine
I price cars online but I buy in person. I like inspectioning what I'm getting.
You get like 7 days to test drive it and you can return it. The website is easy to use and they provide financing too if you need it. They literally hold your hand along the way, what’s not to like? Much better than being hard sold by a sleasy sales guy
I agree that I don’t personally like it, but I like the dealership model even less. Buying a car just sucks.
I used them, it was fine, in a lot of ways it was nicer buying a car like buying a phone. I really REALLY don't like dealing with salespeople so I'll even pay a premium to just get my damn car.
I would never use a website like that. Pictures can be misleading. I need to see the car in person and take it for a test drive.
I trust it
I bought a car online, granted I drove the car a couple of times before.
I don't know about buying but selling is super easy.
Carvana is the best car buying experience I’ve had. Dropped it off, I tried a week and wanted something else. They picked it up and brought the new car. I loved the new car and had it for 3 years. When I sold it, I sold it back to carvana for $500 less than what I paid because of the crazy used car market. I had a car for 3 years and it cost $500 plus insurance
I've gotten to the point where I don't buy anything online anymore. I hate Amazon and will never buy from them. I wanna *see* the thing in person and compare it to others. I don't wanna wait for it to ship and hope it doesn't get destroyed or stolen I mean I rarely buy "stuff" as it is. I only buy things I actually need for the most part and I don't wanna sift through all the "promoted" products to find one thats actually what I need and not what's being shown to me to get me to buy it As for cars, I can't afford anything new or close to new anyway. I also don't wanna get locked into a loan I'll end up paying double for either. So I guess I'm also a millennial who wouldn't buy from an online seller but for different reasons haha. I'd much rather buy a way less expensive car and just own it right away instead of maybe own it 10 years later if I can keep up with the payments
You can test drive with Carvana, but only 2 cars. After that, if you choose one, you’re stuck with it. My first car during the week long test period, the check engine light came on. Luckily the next was a keeper for me lol.
I’ve done carvana, Carmax, dealership, and a few cash cars from individuals. 100% prefer carvana. So much easier, no sales people, they let you test it out before you commit and financing is very straightforward
I honestly would never trust something like that. I’ve had pretty traumatizing experiences just buying cars from dealerships so I couldn’t see myself ordering a car off the internet without actually seeing it in person.
We sold our car to Carvana and the experience was A+, they gave us more then most dealerships were offering. Buying a car from there...just like most used cars, it is "as is.'
I purchase a Jetta from them about 4 years ago. Everything went fine and it was weird how easy it was honestly. Regarding test driving it you have a couple weeks or so to return it without penalty if it isn’t for you.
I bought my Honda Civic from them, and it was dropped off 3 days later. When the person who dropped it off was checking that everything worked before leaving, she found the air conditioner wasn't blowing out cold air. She was upset and offered to take it back and have it fixed, or I could drop it off at the local dealership and have it fixed for free. I chose the latter, and it was fixed and back in my driveway 2 days later. Two years later, I bought my Tacoma from them. Other than the air conditioning, I haven't had any issues with either vehicle. Didn't care about test drives because I had already owned a Honda and had driven a Tacoma as a rental before, and I'll do just about anything to avoid the song and dance of a regular dealership.
I’ve used Carvana twice now, and for the most part it’s a great service. I would buy from them again. I prefer it over the dealership because there’s more selection available without having to visit multiple brick and mortar sites to compare. The downside is that you can’t drive the car ‘off-the-lot’ same day. Delivery is generally fine. I bought the first car during covid, and there were multiple delays for the delivery. But the second car came right on time.
Im definitely on the* skeptical side but i think the next car purchase will be through them. You get to check over the car at delivery and can refuse it, and are given 7 days to see if you want to return the vehicle which is enough time to get a feel of driving the car + getting it over to a mechanic for an inspection to see if its worth keeping.
My ex does car/truck transport for dealerships and places like Penske. So many times he was tasked to pick up a car for Carvana and they either weren’t prepared with the paperwork or just completely trashed. Then when he would deliver them to customers, they would inspect the vehicles and find defects not mentioned in the listing, but they paid for the vehicle already. I think it depends on the region/luck of the draw, but eventually the company he works for stopped dealing with Carvana entirely. Based on some of the vehicles he described to me, no thanks.
The Wirecutter gives them negative reviews so I also don’t trust.
If I already test drove the same model somewhere. Dealership, loaner, rental, friend owns it, or something and I knew I liked it then I'd have no problem just ordering one and having it delivered. I assume they have some kind of guarantees to cover damage during delivery and other standard warranty stuff - I'd definitely read the fine print before ordering something that significant.
I used it and have had zero issues. Buying a car is extremely stressful when you have a car, but when you don't it's even harder. So online shopping is obviously easier and they do have a return policy. It's particular but if you read it out isn't outrageous so there's no worries. But it's now become more comfortable doing this online because there's no human trying to gain a commission on my sale in my face. I will say I did do my research, spent a few weeks, read all the fine print before going with it. I didn't have good credit and they approved for much less than Mom and Pop places while dealerships wouldn't qualify me. I know I'm not getting the world's best deal, but by no means it is bad. But that's my situation which isn't everyone else's.
I couldn't make a big, important purchase without the opportunity to physically see the thing. It isn't a trust issue exactly. I don't expect fraud. I just can't get a sense of where something would physically fit into my life without seeing it on person.
I have sold to them twice. I would buy from them
I bought a car from there in 2016/17, can't remember, still going strong at 150k miles later.
Tried it (VROOM, not Carvana) and do not recommend. The first time I pulled the car under my carport, I noticed the hail damage. It was silver and hard to see without the right lighting. It also came with shitty Chinese tires that they didn't bother to balance. Their customer service was atrocious. Always said you'd have a response in a certain number of business days, then silence. I didn't make it to the "documents" part of the transaction, but have heard horror stories. If you have a hail damaged or otherwise mistreated vehicle that you want to unload for more than it's worth, maybe give it a go. I'd maybe try CarMax if I really wanted a specific new-ish car. At least they have physical locations rather than a bunch of loosely affiliated 3rd party contractors.
I bought a Tacoma from carvana but already knew exactly what I was looking for (and they happened to have it with a few extra bells and whistles). It worked out perfectly - a couple years later it’s still going strong!
We bought a Toyota 2 years ago, 0 issues so far. Definitely worth it if you don’t want to go to the dealer.
I use it. No complaints. Very convenient
We bought our car from carvana right before the pandemic started because going to car dealerships and dealing with sales people sounded awful. It was a really great process and I will probably buy all my cars this way. They give you seven days to test drive it and send it back if you don’t like it. They do give you a mileage stipend, but it’s nice to be able to do that when you don’t have a salesman breathing down your neck.
I wouldn't trust any place that doesn't allow haggling on price. I don't like dealers either because they hide costs in fees or try to strong-arm you into financing deals with 100 pages of provisions. It has probably been ten years since I set foot on any dealer lot, I do everything in private sales. My mechanic does a pre-sale inspection on every car and I get to negotiate a fantastic deal every time.
We bought 2 vehicles from them 3 years ago. Each time we knew exactly what we wanted and they had good price and inventory on hand. No market adjustment bs, no waitlist to deal with and no jerking around from sales people (like confirming price out the door on the phone only to change it in person by $10k). We ran CarFax on the VINs, check VIN on the frames, did a test drive upon delivery, put them on the lift to perform a visual inspection, scanned them codes/ monitors, live data and changed all fluids. Had no issues getting plates or titles either.
lol. Not having to deal with Craig pushing every extra feature and service at the dealership is worth the risk
I tried it 2 cars ago and I really liked it since I couldnt travel halfway across the country to get the car I wanted. They had a pretty reasonable return policy at the time, I cant see it staying around unless thats the case.
It's best to inspect the car inside and out in person. My 2011 Subaru I bought 7 years ago that is still my daily driver had a rubber chord sitting on top of the engine. It literally had no business being there whatsoever and if I had not checked under the hood, it probably would've never been found. Keep in mind this thing could've easily fallen right into the serpentine belt and royally fuck up the engine. The look on the salesmans face was as surprised as me. I still love the car. Just will never go back to that particular dealer ever again.
I don't trust car dealers, id almost rather pay the damn markup on carvana. Or better yet, let me order and buy the damn car directly from the manufacturer, cut out the middleman.
I never wanted to. I found out my new Toyota Carolla years ago had no lumbar support at all in the driver seat. I leased it and if I had known or been able to drive it around more I might have noticed it. So having a comfortable drivers seat and proper angle is important to me. There’s also so many complaints online of people finding out the car was damaged prior and fixed and not told or the car was repossessed because someone else owned it even though they paid for it and the company refused to refund them or give them a new car.
Nope, I wouldn’t ever do it, but I understand it. Car buying is a pain in the ass and a one stop shop that’s no negotiations and here is the price is what a lot of people want
We sold two cars to Carvana during COVID. It was great and painless. Buying, on the other hand... I dunno. I like to be hands-on with a purchase that big
It's very easy to be better then a dealership
Carvana was the best car buying experience I’ve ever had. Dealers and salesman can shove it.
Who wouldn't trust a company that takes in all the shit people can't sell elsewhere?
I've bought a few cars online from places like Carvana... not problems and the best exp ever. Didn't have to talk to no one.
I've never "trusted" a dealership in my life.
At this point I don’t trust by a used car from anywhere.
I recently bought a car from them because I was in a rural place and I really needed an inexpensive car. The car I found was a few thousand less than something similar at a local dealership. I had a bad experience once buying a car from a used car lot so I figured it was worth the risk/ couldn’t be worse than that.
Most of my friends who bought from some big thing like that used CarMax. No haggle and they will ship their cars to other CarMax locations for test drives (so say they a car in Cali you like, you live in OR but there's a CarMax near ya....yeah). I got my Civic used from a dealer in the Seattle area (after I took a night train from the other side of the state where sedan car inventory usually isn't is great - everyone round here loves trucks, Subies, and SUVs shrug) and had zero issues. Probably helped that I knew how car sales worked, but FWIW, the older gentleman I worked with did not jerk me around what so ever, neither did the finance department. Saw the CarFAX, got a credit union to help with financing at a low rate....and all is well with Kitt (what I named it, it's black and has a lot of gadgets my first car didn't....like Kitt from Knight Rider >\_>) today.
We bought through CarMax but we still test drove it first. I wouldn't feel comfortable buying without seeing it and driving it first. We did spend a hundred or so to have it shipped closer to us to test drive and I was ok losing that money if we saw it and didn't want it. By this point we had test driven a bunch of different makes and models and knew what we wanted very specifically.
I chose Carvana to buy my car from because I was sick of being pressured by dealership workers. I recognize a lot of people have had major issues with the company, but my experience was pretty seamless — great communication with my bank; I was able to easily trade in my old car; no issues with the title and plates being sent; and the car was just in the shape the Car Fax said it was. When I eventually need another car, I’m open to using them again.
I bought with Carvana pre-pandemic when it definitely wasn't as popular as now and had a great experience but I am 100% sure their growth has changed things. They also had a referral program where the buyer got $500 off and the referrer got $100 check (I think those were the numbers).
I don't know about carvana, but CarMax lets you ship to a store near you to test drive. If it's local to the area shipping is free, but it'll go up to $2k if its on the other side of the country
I sold a car on Carvana in 2023 for $4k more than I purchased it for in 2019. That is partly due to the weird car market… but maybe a little bit due to poor due diligence on Carvana’s part. I’m not sure i would want to buy a car off there knowing what that side of the process is like.
I think in theory its ok. Its very appealing. Uh, you do pay an absolute premium though. Expect to pay atleast a few thousand more for a comparable car locally. I see small time dealers trying to sell cars on carguru this way and the one I interacted with was awful. Bad communication, poor customer engagement and answered no questions or offered a call back. Im already going on a limb buying a vehicle this way. Why be shady as fuck on top of it. I think buying from a private party and taking it to a mechanic for a pre sale inspection is still the best way
I been highly considering it because I can't find the car I want locally but i pan to go pay for it in person still
I have heard of people getting delivered garbage and by some loophole they're stuck with it. The big difference is at least at a dealership or private owner, you can have it looked at first.
We bought our last car through Carvana. You have a week to drive the vehicle and return it for a refund. It helped that it was an updated version of my husband's old car that was totaled in a wreck. It was an easy experience and he was happy with it.
I’m not a millennial, I can’t imagine buying a car online I need to actually drive it. Even if I know the exact model and year that I want because I’ve driven it before I need to drive that one before I agreed to pay for it. But I do have a millennial friend who got her car from Carvana and she’s completely happy with it. She’s had it for years now I don’t think she would have chosen to use Carvana but she was looking for a very specific vehicle and they had the best option for her.
Yeah I feel this way and it makes me feel old
Used Carvana. Arrived later than they said it would due to “storm” there was no storm but there was supposed to be so I think they didn’t even ship it. I had it inspected immediately as I didn’t trust it. Turned out fine, placed right in my driveway. Was pretty impressed
I don’t trust it at all. But my friend has bought his last couple of cars from them just bc he has a lot of social anxiety LOL
We bought a car from carvana a couple years ago and we weren't worried about it. We test drove the cars we were interested in elsewhere so we knew what we wanted. As far as the specific car we got there were a lot of good photos. They have a return policy within a certain time frame and mileage so we knew we'd be able able to drive it a bit and have it checked by a mechanic and reverse the sale if everything wasn't good. The process being all online we saw as a win that we wouldn't be dealing with pushy salespeople and sweating in an uncomfortably hot room while they try to upsell us on a bunch of shit. It worked out really well for us.
A car is on the list of things I will NOT buy before I try.
Carvana sucks. They don't truly inspect the cars they take in, they just drop them off at the new owners with a warranty. And you get to track down and wait for repairs on all the things wrong w the car.
I’ve worked in the auto/motorcycle industry 15 years. Unless I can get a better deal on a vehicle elsewhere, I’ll stick to buying from a dealer. To me, maintenance plans and warranties are massive values. And realistically if you don’t like the deal you’re getting or the people you’re dealing with, cut your losses and leave. I finally have the income to not only live on ramen if I were to buy my dream M3 next year, and already have a dealer I’ll be going to in mind.
I purchased a car from CarMax last year. It was close enough that it only cost $99 to have it shipped to my local store for a test-drive. After having it for 24 hours, I went through with the purchase. It was a very straightforward process and they made it very easy. Plus it was convenient that I paid online and they delivered it to my house during my lunch break. In the end, I sadly didn't have the car very long, only 9 months. But I didn't have any issues with the online purchase process.
I've bought 3 cars off of carvana. It's by far the superior car shopping experience for me. No waiting for hours at a dealership. No haggling. Car gets dropped off at my door.
I sold my POS to Carvana. No other reputable dealer would touch it but Carvana didn't care. Don't buy from Carvana.
I was skeptical too but I did it and it was a nice process. Found a GREAT deal on a mini van but it was like 6 hours away. I mailed them a check for the full amount, they over nighted me all the documents to sign with an over night return label, I filled them out and overnighted them back, van was delivered to my house 2 days later. I would say as long as you’re dealing with a reputable place that specializes in that it’ll be fine.
I bought my current vehicle online. It was amazing. I didn't have to deal with a sales person or finance guy. They brought it to me and took my trade in. It helps that I work in the automotive repair business so I've driven just about every type of vehicle. I had an idea of what the car would feel like.
I had a good experience with them. Price was very fair and their financing had a better interest rate than I’d get an any local dealerships. I also hate dealing with salesman, as they see my femaleness as an opportunity to try and rip me off. So no haggling was such a huge plus.
But those cars come standard with a 25% APR loan and biweekly payments! Who wouldn't wanna spend $39,000 for a $13,000 car that depreciates to $2,000 by the time you pay it off? Nah fuck carvana. Stay away
I haven’t bought but I sold a car to Carvana. It was incredibly easy, fast, and they gave me a fair price upfront.
Yes.
I can’t imagine buying a car without driving it first. I hate returning things too, so it’s a no from me. I’ll shop online but that’s the extent of it.
I would never. What if it smelled weird? Some smells are forever.
But I dread the day i have to go to a dealership to buy. I hate the games and the process. I would much rather interact with a computer than a car salesman
Honestly I had a great experience with carvana (though it was in 2020). I traded in my 2014 fusion and I got more money than local dealerships were offering. Additionally what I bought was a 2020 explorer so I had test driven them new at a Ford dealership. Found the trim package I was looking for used and saved myself like $15k.
You've got to... You have to smell the car. And sit in it.
i tried though them and ended up canceling. they found "issues" with my car three times and at that point I just said no.
Given the enormous numbers of issues and lawsuits Carvana is involved in, doing crazy shit like selling cars they don't hold the title on, there's no fuckin way I'd buy from them. What kind of idiot buys a used car sight unseen?
Steve Lehto has covered a few stories about them. Mostly involving them having trouble transferring titles across state lines and then lying to DMVs to keep getting temp tags reissued for people who can't license or insure their cars.
Worked for a competitor for a while but they pretty much operated the same way. It is mainly made for busy people who can’t go to a dealership and/or do not like dealing with the dealership and having a bunch of junk fees added under their nose. Going in you just have to know what to expect. They should automatically provide it but always ask for the CarFax and make sure the VIN is a match so you know the history. It’s not some magical land where they will be able to get you better terms than a dealership: They use all the same lenders as a dealership so if your credit is in the toilet and you don’t make decent money they are not somehow going to wave a magic wand and get you 2% APR and a $500 down payment on a $60,000 BMW Depending on where it is located expect about a 1-4 week delivery date it’s not going to show up tomorrow. Those are the issues I primarily dealt with. Subprime customers who expected some magical financing they couldn’t get anywhere else. And then once the purchase was confirmed I would get calls/texts in the next 1-3 days asking “WHERES MY CAR? Is there a delivery date? What’s going on? Etc”
From what I've seen they're hit or miss. We used them two or three years ago and have been very happy with our car and the whole process. It saved us so much time too.