Carvana...anyone ever use them?

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

A good friend of mine is looking for a ‘new’ daily driver, and has found what he’s looking for on Carvana. 
Anyone ever buy from them before? Apparently they have a 7 day no questions asked return policy. 
He lives in Md, and the car he’s looking at is in Central Texas. It’s a 2017, with like 2000 miles on it. They deliver the car to your door, from wherever it’s located. No hassle, no haggle pricing. The price on this particular vehicle is a really decent deal. 
 

Personally, I’m a bit leery of buying something I’ve not laid eyes on, but the aspect of an insanely low mileage car, the transferable factory warranty, and no questions asked 7 day return policy is a little intriguing. 
 

What’s your experience with them?

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

Seriously, NONE of you guys have ever bought a car through Carvana?!

 

[Sniper 6,372]

2 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

Seriously, NONE of you guys have ever bought a car through Carvana?!

No, I buy my cars new... don't like sloppy seconds...

11 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

Personally, I’m a bit leery of buying something I’ve not laid eyes on,

and that's why...

11 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

but the aspect of an insanely low mileage car, the transferable factory warranty, and no questions asked 7 day return policy is a little intriguing. 

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...

Who offloads, and gets rid of a car like that if it's so great?

[InFamous 311]

Probably off a lease. Carvana is probably fine, I don't have experience with them but if you can give the car back within 7 days, they already know the car is in great condition. You also can find out for yourself within those 7 days. If you don't, that's on you. IMO you're good to go to order from them. I would, but I'd also do a full inspection of what I was receiving if it was a used car. 

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

I’m with you in that regard. I buy my cars new. My buddy is looking to buy a car, and was talking to me about online car dealers like Carvana, and Vroom. It all sounds a little too good to be true to me, and I wanted to hear from folks here with their personal experiences. I’d hate to see him to get screwed. I would be uncomfortable buying a car sight unseen, but maybe my fears are unfounded...I don’t know...I was uncomfortable about shopping online when that first became a thing...now I rarely go to a brick and mortar store!!
 

Researching a couple of the online dealers turns up a mix of good and bad info. The big ones are Carvana and Vroom. 
 

The common complaint I’ve seen about Carvana seems to be that they use an outside company to do the title/registration work for them, and they often don’t get the paperwork done. Many people report not getting plates/registrations for months...all while paying for a car they can’t use. I’d be pissed off about that. Some problems with vehicles, and ‘customer service’ dropping the ball when it comes to returning a car, that made it impossible to use the return policy. Seems unscrupulous to me. 

The consensus on Vroom isn’t good either. Many reports of poor customer service once they have your deposit/payment, and difficulty sorting out issues with vehicles they sell. Overall, I saw more shady shit with Vroom than Carvana, but both seem to have a lot of issues. 
 

Personally, I think that buying a car online IS the future. I think traditional brick and mortar dealerships will become more of a service/maintenance center than actually selling vehicles. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think dealerships will disappear entirely, but I DO think that more new cars will be ordered online. ‘Dealerships will become the place to pick up your vehicle and do the transfer paperwork, and a place to get service.
Look at what’s happening to shopping malls...major brick and mortar retailers are closing left and right, due to the advent of online shopping. 
I think it’s a matter of time before the traditional auto dealership declines, and follows a similar fate. 

 

[1LtCAP 4,262]

there is v irtually nothing wrong with buying a used car, especially if it's off lease, or even from enterprise or hertz...….rentals aren't like they were decades ago. 

 

 that said. I've never used carvana, and will never use a service like that. even used, a car is just too big of an investment to buy without actually sitting in it, driving it, etc. I know they offer a 7 day guarantee...…..but that's still wasted time. 

[Sniper 6,372]

24 minutes ago, Displaced Texan said:

Many people report not getting plates/registrations for months...all while paying for a car they can’t use. I’d be pissed off about that. Some problems with vehicles, and ‘customer service’ dropping the ball when it comes to returning a car, that made it impossible to use the return policy. Seems unscrupulous to me. 

That would be a big Red Flag to me. If they can't even process plates in a timely manner, I definitely wouldn't trust them to handle a issue with the vehicle. Once the 7 days are up, I bet your SOL and on your own..

27 minutes ago, Displaced Texan said:

The consensus on Vroom isn’t good either. Many reports of poor customer service once they have your deposit/payment, and difficulty sorting out issues with vehicles they sell. Overall, I saw more shady shit with Vroom than Carvana, but both seem to have a lot of issues. 

So, is it worth saving a few bucks to try a gamble like this. You usually get what you pay for. I would take a chance on buying a NEW car this way, maybe, as it hasn't been beat up by the previous owner. But buying a used car, sight unseen, is just asking for problems. If you buy the used car from a dealer, and it has issues, you know which showroom front window to drive it into or have humans to go battle.

I have very little need for a dealer even when buying a new car. All my decisions are made before I even step in the screwing room, oops, I mean showroom. I just have to go there to tell them what I'm going to pay for the car. Period.