Anyone with experience with Carmax?

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milestogo
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Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by milestogo »

I hate going to a car dealer and trying to negotiate a price? Has anyone had any experience with Carmax? Are their rpices reasonable or should one stilll try to get a better deal? I will be looking for a used suv like a lexus or bmw about 2-3 yrs old. i need 4wd or awd as I sometimes drive in snow and ice and occasionally a little bit of off road. I could trade in my currrent car but may keep it as a car for upcoming teenage driver.
JDCPAEsq
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by JDCPAEsq »

Carmax is great to deal with and their cars seem to be in beautiful condition when put on the lot. I helped a friend buy a car from them and was most impressed. However, the price is not negotiable.
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stan1
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by stan1 »

I sold them my previous car. They offered me $500 more than the dealer did for a trade-in. Everything seemed professional and even though they were very busy everything moved along reasonably fast (about 90 minutes until the time I drove up with my old car until they handed me a check).
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Allgood
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Allgood »

I've used Carmax twice now...price is non-negotiable...but they have a great selection as long as the vehicle is within the area...if you find one they like they ship it to your area...after that had 24 hours to decide. Both experiences were positive.
OhioGozaimas
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by OhioGozaimas »

I had a positive buying experience with Carmax some years ago (1999). Also, something major went out on the car just before the warranty ran out, and they fixed it with no hassle at all.

(Note, however, that this was on a mid-price plain-vanilla sedan; I have no idea whether high-end and/or specialty vechicles are available or good values...)
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JPH
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by JPH »

I've purchased two cars from Carmax. Both experiences were good. They really do honor their warranty. After my purchase, the brakes made a little noise, and they did a complete brake job for free. They fixed every minor thing I could find, including just one broken strand on the rear window defroster. I would buy there again.
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BigFoot48
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by BigFoot48 »

We've been trading in our cars to the dealer in recent years, rather than trying to sell it to an individual, and I always feel like I'm leaving some money on the table in the new car - trade-in net price. So next time I think I will go to Carmax and get a price from them before I do the new car negotiating, as people seem to be having a positive selling and buying experience with them.
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BigD53
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by BigD53 »

My friend also had a very positive experience with Carmax. I've been checking their website, and they certainly have a lot to offer... most all major makes and models. I will definitely consider doing business with them in the future. I see nothing wrong with saving some money, and buying a 1 or 2 year old model.
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Midpack
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Midpack »

I have sold two cars to CarMax instead of trading them at dealers, got quite a bit more from CarMax and their process was easy and fair IMO. They were late model cars though, CarMax does not want older cars and will give you a very low offer on an older car. Not that I blame them, they want an inventory of newer, more desirable cars in good condition - not older clunkers. So they're probably a good place to buy a car.

And they thoroughly check records on any car brought in, so I doubt they get caught buying cars that have been in accidents, also good for the eventual buyer.

I'd be willing to buy from CarMax, just haven't yet (haven't bought used for decades, and like to negotiate price).
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DRiP Guy
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by DRiP Guy »

I've sold them all of my used cars for a decade or so now:
A Corvette, a Porsche, and a Challenger.

They are absolutely true to their promises, in that they provide a pleasant, no-hassle, low pressure experience, and rapidly evaluate the car to offer you a figure that you can take or leave. They provide the money for a well-maintained vehicle right on the spot, or you can take that offer and sit on it for up to 48 hours.

I think you could generally do at least 10 to 15 percent better in making a private party transaction on the sales side. Their purchase prices per se are not open market competitive, nor are their sales prices; however, what I am getting for that premium is 100% safety for both my person and payment funding, as well as lack of hassle and uncertainty.

Unlike even the largest of companies these days, I consider them to be relatively transparent and a 'fair trader.'

Anyone who has both tried to use the newspaper, Auto Trader, Craigslist, a sign on the car window, etc and dealt with the issues that spew forth from that experience would likely be a glad convert to Carmax for their next sale.

And if you are like most people these days, looking for a two-part auto transaction -- You need to both get rid of Ol' Betsy, and also buy a New Shiny, I think taking the old war horse to Carmax (assuming it is in good shape and relatively newish) is likely to give you a much lower 'round trip' cost of the combined transaction than bundling your old car into a trade-in, and yes, I mean even given the not-unconsiderable tax difference.

I haven't bought from them (yet) just because I can usually get a better deal elsewhere, on my own. That said, based on my experiences on the other side of the deal, I have no doubt it would be a satisfactory experience if I ever did find a car I wanted to purchase through them.
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Tex
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Tex »

I used Carmax to see how much they'd offer on my last two trade-ins. They did not offer a reasonable price on a Honda Civic, so we sold it private party for $1,500 more. Just sold an old Tundra to them and they offered above KBB and what other dealers offered. Have been happy with the customer service in both situations. No high pressure tactics.
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Sheepdog
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Sheepdog »

My wife and I bought one in 2008, a model which my wife wanted. We found it on-line at the Carmax dealer 70 miles from here. He held it, we liked it, the price was reasonable....no haggling. (No trade-in was involved.) They had a 5 day return money back if not satisfied. I would use them again, if the price is right. Last year, I was looking for a car for me this time, but the price wasn't right, so I bought if from a regular dealer.
(My son bought one from another Carmax dealer in another state last year. He liked the experience and price.)
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Woodshark
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Woodshark »

Two thumbs way up for Carmax.
I purchased a new minivan from them many years ago. I will always remember it because I still cannot believe what happened.
The prices are non-negotiable and I was ready to buy it. The salesman tried to print out the paperwork but the system would not let him. After not getting anywhere I was getting hungry. So I told him we would go grab a quick bite to eat and come back in about 45 minutes. When I came back he had everything printed out but the price had changed.......it was $500 lower!

It seems that sometime during the test drive the sales manager decided to lower the prices on them because they had several in stock. The reason the sales guy could not print out the paperwork was they had pulled the units from inventory (in the system) to make the price change.

They could have easily made $500 more because I had already agreed to buy it at the old price. In a business not known for it, there honesty was very refreshing.
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Sheepdog
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Sheepdog »

Woodshark wrote:Two thumbs way up for Carmax.
I purchased a new minivan from them many years ago. I will always remember it because I still cannot believe what happened.
The prices are non-negotiable and I was ready to buy it. The salesman tried to print out the paperwork but the system would not let him. After not getting anywhere I was getting hungry. So I told him we would go grab a quick bite to eat and come back in about 45 minutes. When I came back he had everything printed out but the price had changed.......it was $500 lower!

It seems that sometime during the test drive the sales manager decided to lower the prices on them because they had several in stock. The reason the sales guy could not print out the paperwork was they had pulled the units from inventory (in the system) to make the price change.

They could have easily made $500 more because I had already agreed to buy it at the old price. In a business not known for it, there honesty was very refreshing.
There's another point about Carmax which a sales person told me. They don't like to keep a car in inventory over 30 days so they usually will reduce the price after 30 days and again later if not sold. He said they will wholesale (at an auction house) the car if not sold within 60 days.
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scubacat
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by scubacat »

I would be careful selling them an older car.

I looked into sellling my car to Carmax when I was moving overseas in Dec 2009. I had posted it with autotrader and wasn't sure it was going to sell before I had to leave. The car was a 2003 VW Jetta with very low mileage. The price that they offered me was 3000 below the blue book value. At that point, they became my last resort option and fortunately I was able to sell it at a higher price privately. :)

That being said, the experience (other than the price offered) was pleasant; truly no hassle, no pressure and we were in and out quickly. I would consider shopping there when it is time to buy my next car.
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wintermute
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by wintermute »

I like them - used them several years ago. Wide selection, decent prices, honor their warranty. Their buy offer helped me negotiate a trade in (dealer matched). I've always had a good experience with them.
LynnC
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by LynnC »

stan1 wrote:I sold them my previous car. They offered me $500 more than the dealer did for a trade-in. Everything seemed professional and even though they were very busy everything moved along reasonably fast (about 90 minutes until the time I drove up with my old car until they handed me a check).
I have also sold a car to them. The offer was $1,500 more than the dealer. No haggling. I wouldn't hesitate to buy through them either. They seemed very thorough to me.

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TheEternalVortex
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by TheEternalVortex »

Sadly there isn't really one very close to here, or else I'd have used them already.
tibbitts
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by tibbitts »

My experience selling an older truck (12 years old; 85k miles; excellent condition per Carmax) was that they offered about $2k below kbb trade-in value. However getting the quote was a pleasant experience. The cars on the lot seemed similar to the used cars at most new car dealers.

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Qtman
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Qtman »

Bought my truck there several years ago, no complaints.
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englishgirl
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by englishgirl »

They offered me less for my old car than the dealer did. And in my state when you trade in a car and buy another in one transaction, you only pay sales tax on the difference between the price of the new car and the trade in. So not only would I have got less for the car through Carmax, I'd have paid quite a bit more tax because I wasn't buying from them as well.

At least Carmax gives you an offer that is good for 7 days, so it doesn't hurt to ask what they'll give you.
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DRiP Guy
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by DRiP Guy »

englishgirl wrote:They offered me less for my old car than the dealer did. And in my state when you trade in a car and buy another in one transaction, you only pay sales tax on the difference between the price of the new car and the trade in. So not only would I have got less for the car through Carmax, I'd have paid quite a bit more tax because I wasn't buying from them as well.

At least Carmax gives you an offer that is good for 7 days, so it doesn't hurt to ask what they'll give you.
Depending on whether you first negotiated a sales price on the new car on it's own without the trade in, and then carefully checked the paperwork when you signed, it is (I'm sorry to report) arguable as to whether you actually saved money.
Redfive
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Redfive »

I didn't end up buying a car through them, but found the experience to be positive (read:Hassle free) . The one thing I did find is that most of the cars were overpriced by about 1.5k compared to other deals I had found for a comparable car. YMMV.
dandan14
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by dandan14 »

I'm surprised to see so many positives from a group of bogleheads. I always view "no-haggle" prices as a negative. I *want* to haggle.
I've never bought a car there, but I've looked quite a bit. It looks to me like their prices are pretty much in the middle -- not the highest, not the lowest.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by hicabob »

dandan14 wrote:I'm surprised to see so many positives from a group of bogleheads. I always view "no-haggle" prices as a negative. I *want* to haggle.
I've never bought a car there, but I've looked quite a bit. It looks to me like their prices are pretty much in the middle -- not the highest, not the lowest.
I too like to let my inner " Persian Rug Trader" emerge occasionally. It's fun and good practice for the small biz world!
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Boglenaut
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Boglenaut »

dandan14 wrote:I'm surprised to see so many positives from a group of bogleheads. I always view "no-haggle" prices as a negative. I *want* to haggle.
I've never bought a car there, but I've looked quite a bit. It looks to me like their prices are pretty much in the middle -- not the highest, not the lowest.
I am also surprised to see so many Boglehead positive comments. I never heard of Carmax before, but will keep them in mind in a few years when we change cars. Unfortunately, there webpage says they are not in my area (yet).

I find no haggle a positive, as long as it truly is no-haggle.
Sulvar
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Sulvar »

I didn't end up buying my latest car from carmax, but one advantage I found is that they have so many different vehicle makes and models on their lot that it is a good place to go if you want to sit in and look at a bunch of different cars without driving all over town.
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englishgirl
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by englishgirl »

DRiP Guy wrote:
englishgirl wrote:They offered me less for my old car than the dealer did. And in my state when you trade in a car and buy another in one transaction, you only pay sales tax on the difference between the price of the new car and the trade in. So not only would I have got less for the car through Carmax, I'd have paid quite a bit more tax because I wasn't buying from them as well.

At least Carmax gives you an offer that is good for 7 days, so it doesn't hurt to ask what they'll give you.
Depending on whether you first negotiated a sales price on the new car on it's own without the trade in, and then carefully checked the paperwork when you signed, it is (I'm sorry to report) arguable as to whether you actually saved money.
I did negotiate a sales price on the new car in advance (via the internet sales dept.) without reference to any trade in. And of course I carefully checked the paperwork - I'm a Boglehead! :roll: The sales price did not change when the trade in was added in, and they correctly calculated the sales tax. I am capable of doing math, thanks, and I paid cash for the car so there was no fudging going on with any financing. If you mean to suggest that I'd have been better off buying the new car through Carmax, they did not have the car I wanted at the price I wanted.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by BikeFan »

dandan14 wrote:I'm surprised to see so many positives from a group of bogleheads. I always view "no-haggle" prices as a negative. I *want* to haggle.
I don't mind haggling either, but many do. Obviously, many people are taking "value" from the transaction being straightforward and pleasant at Carmax, and I have no problem with that.
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DRiP Guy
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by DRiP Guy »

englishgirl wrote:I did negotiate a sales price on the new car in advance (via the internet sales dept.) without reference to any trade in. And of course I carefully checked the paperwork - I'm a Boglehead! :roll: The sales price did not change when the trade in was added in, and they correctly calculated the sales tax. I am capable of doing math, thanks, and I paid cash for the car so there was no fudging going on with any financing.
Awesome! Just exactly what a smart consumer would have done!
If you mean to suggest that I'd have been better off buying the new car through Carmax, they did not have the car I wanted at the price I wanted.
Not at all -- I am no shill for Carmax or anyone -- you need to go where you can wrangle your best overall deal, and as you say, it has to be on the car you want to buy!

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carolinaman
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by carolinaman »

I have shopped Carmax a couple of times and would not hesitate to buy from them. I used their website last year to determine market price for cars I was interested in and then searched Autotrader for my area and wound up with a better deal from another dealer. That approach was better than Edmunds and Kelly BB as there is too much variability with them. It simplified figuring out what price I should be paying because Carmax basically charges market price.

Also, they will give wholesale quote for your car. That way you know the floor price for your car in negotiating trade.

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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by JDCPAEsq »

One very importand aspect of Carmax that hasn't been mentioned is the reconditioning they do to the cars. The one I was involved with for a friend had less than 20,000 miles and yet they had replaced the hoses, tires, flushed the radiator and numerous other service items you normally wouldn't expect to find on a low mileage car. Yes, their price seems a bit higher than what might be available elsewhere but I feel you can be confident you are getting a car with no hidden problems and all maintenance completely current.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by MidnightX »

I bought a used Jaguar S type from Carmax and also purchased their extended warranty. I figured one trip to the mechanic on this vehicle and the extended warranty would pay for itself. A water leak eventually occurred and Carmax allowed me to take my vehicle to a Jaguar dealership for the repair. The dealer noticed something else that should probably be replaced and Carmax (actually MaxCare is the insurer) paid for everything. The dealership provided me with a loaner car that was also paid for by Carmax. I eventually sold the car while it was still under the extended warranty and the new owner was able to (and did) use the warranty.

I would only buy from Carmax in the future unless it was for a beater car since I do not believe Carmax sells cars priced under ~$9,000.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by HueyLD »

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Sam I Am
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

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MultipleExpansion
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by MultipleExpansion »

Like most others, I have had a very positive experience with CarMax. The salespersons make the same flat commission regardless of what car you buy, so they aren't trying to steer you towards certain cars; and the few locations in my area have larger inventories than almost everyone. The price is a little higher than what you could find elsewhere - in my case I only decided to buy there because it was the only place that had the exact car with the exact specs I was looking for - but they make up for that price by adding value elsewhere.

The only thing I would warn you about is the trade in of a new car - because my offer was very, very, low. CarMax only offered me $10k for a very nice truck I was getting rid of, while a "regular" dealer estimated $13,000, and I ended up selling it on AutoTrader for $16,500.
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gotherelate
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by gotherelate »

I just bought a used truck from Carmax. I researched prices on Kelly Blue Book, NADA and several other web sites. Carmax had a very competitive price. They transferred it free of charge from another store nearly 200 miles away so I could check it out and test drive it. I still have a few days to decide if I want to keep it or return it no questions asked. Also, I bought the extended coverage, which I have 90 days to decide whether to keep or cancel for a full refund.

A couple of years ago, I shopped Carmax for a used car and got them to make an offer on a possible trade. It turned out that their offer was a little lower than I liked, and I ended up getting a new car for not much more than the one-year-old we looked at (it was a Honda). I used Carmax's offer to negotiate the trade with the dealer.

Both times dealing with Carmax, I found their people to be very professional, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. They really seem to go out of their way to make you happy with the experience. I would recommend checking them out.
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DRiP Guy
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by DRiP Guy »

Just got back from Carmax (again!)

They gave me a decent price for my truck (probably 85% of what I could get going private party) and I got exactly the replacement I need (ten years newer than my old vehicle, though! Yay!) and the price was... reasonable -- probably similar to other car dealers would have offered on a one or two year old vehicle, but not as low as I could have gotten with a cash offer to a motivated private party.

I probably sound like a broken record, but the terrific thing is that I did not have to deal with the crazies, the advertising on Craigslist or Ebay or the newspaper, OR the new car dealers that drove me crazy with the bait-n-switch lately (See "Truecar" pricing thread) , and as is usual with Carmax, I was in and out with both transactions done in a couple of hours.

I am a VERY happy camper.
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milestogo
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by milestogo »

OK. I finally took action. I got a price on a car listed on carmax and took it to the dealer via email. I ended up going with the dealer at a slightly lower price (about $200) because they offer a loaner car when I need service. Carmax was very helpful and professional but the service situation was the tie breaker. By using email with the dealer I arrived at a total cost in about 2 hours; this was a big improvement over negotiating in person.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by natureexplorer »

I once walked into a CarMax trying to sell a car. They offered me $7,500. I sold the car over craigslist for $10,500 very quickly.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Ruprecht »

I sold a car to Carmax 6 or 7 years ago. My experience with them was mediocre. They low-balled me on the price, and the whole process was more time-consuming than I expected. Not a terrible experience, but considerably less rosy than some of the above posters'.
carolinaman
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by carolinaman »

Carmax has very good used cars and a firm price which seems to be pretty close to a true market price. They also will give you wholesale price for your vehicle. Once you know those two prices, it can enable you to look for what you want through local Carmax dealer or their website or Autotrader or equivalent. You may find best deal in any one of those sites. If you buy from another dealer you know the floor price for your vehicle and if necessary can sell it to Carmax even you do not purchase a car from them.
Interestingly, you will find some price variances on the Carmax website which were inexplicable to me, as much as 10%. They will transfer car from another location sometimes for no charge and usually a small charge for more distant locations.
I used this process last year. I found what I was looking for on Autotrader. I immediately went to the dealership. They had not even cleaned the car yet. After a test drive and brief negotiation I traded my used car for a Toyota Avalon. The salesman claimed there were several other people who also were very interested in it. Who knows, but I do know from the price, it was priced 15% below what I could have got from Carmax, which would have been a fair price. It was also a Toyota certified used car which gave me a 12 month bumper to bumper warranty. That certification usually increases the car’s price.
My wife was amazed we did this so quickly. There is so much info on the web today that it enables one to efficiently shop for a car without the typical hassle. KBB, NADA and Edmunds pricing for the Avalon and my car were all over the map and never seemed to compare well with Carmax or other dealers. Carmax does not play games and gives you confidence in what the market price is for the car you are looking for and what you want to trade in.

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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Radnog »

I bought a 3 year old 2005 Pathfinder there and the experience was pleasant. I did a lot of online research and felt the price of the car was very fair. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't very boglehead about my financing... but in the long run that will be a valuable lesson for me.
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by S&L1940 »

BigFoot48 wrote:We've been trading in our cars to the dealer in recent years, rather than trying to sell it to an individual, and I always feel like I'm leaving some money on the table in the new car - trade-in net price. So next time I think I will go to Carmax and get a price from them before I do the new car negotiating, as people seem to be having a positive selling and buying experience with them.
when buying a new car from a dealer, I went to Carmax after getting a quote on my six year old Camry. Carmax came up with the same dollar figure. I wonder if they would have offered more if I was buying one of their cars? they would not budge on their offer even when I showed I was serious by pulling my title out and asking for a ride home.

they were very professional and the lack of pressure was a unique experience for an auto dealer. if the occasion ever came up I would not hesitate to go back - sometimes the no hassle experience and confidence in who you are dealing with is worth the extra dollars.
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
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topper1296
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by topper1296 »

Another positive experience with Carmax here. I originally bought a Saab and decided I didn't like it after a couple weeks. I returned it with no hassle or cost and bought an Acura instead. I've been driving my TL for about 7 years now. Carmax will be at the top of my list when I decide to trade cars again.
Barefootgirl
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Barefootgirl »

I don't think I've ever seen such positive consensus for an auto-related business before.

The Bogleheads have convinced me to make the trip to CarMax today.

Thanks, BFG
How many retired people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one, but he takes all day.
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dratkinson
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by dratkinson »

Barefootgirl wrote:I don't think I've ever seen such positive consensus for an auto-related business before.

The Bogleheads have convinced me to make the trip to CarMax today.

Thanks, BFG
+1.

Filed for future reference.
d.r.a., not dr.a. | I'm a novice investor; you are forewarned.
Equitius
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by Equitius »

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Last edited by Equitius on Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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JMacDonald
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by JMacDonald »

I just had my first experience with Carmax. I was considering buying a new truck to replace my 2003 GMC Sierra. I had two trade in offers that turned out to be lower than Carmax. The whole experience was fast and easy. After getting my car appraise, I took a look at what Carmax had in the way of trucks. I was surprised at the quality of what Carmax had in stock. I have decided to wait until Carmax gets the truck in stock that I really want. You can sign up for alerts for the vehicle you are looking for. Since I have never dealt with Carmax before it is certainly a different way to sell and buy a car.
Best Wishes, | Joe
StaTiK
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Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

Post by StaTiK »

Barefootgirl wrote:I don't think I've ever seen such positive consensus for an auto-related business before.

The Bogleheads have convinced me to make the trip to CarMax today.

Thanks, BFG
Ok, I'll add my mediocre experience then too. When we first showed up we were asked to give a phone number to the receptionist so that we could then browse the lot and the next available salesman would call and meet us wherever we were. The salesman was nice and we drove two vehicles but didn't find exactly what we wanted. Well the salesman kept calling our phone for two weeks with offers to help us find the right car (how convenient) despite us telling him to stop.

I think the best idea for buying a used car is probably to use the CarMax price as a ceiling for negotiations at a different dealership. If they can beat the CarMax price, great. If not CarMax gets my business. This is essentially what we're doing with our online research anyway so just bring a printout and let the sales guy work for your business.
-StaTiK-
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