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The Appraisal itself was easy and harmless, and they came back with an offer $2,500 better than the next best one I had received (from the only interested private buyer).
I slept on the offer but am heavily considering taking it, as all other avenues have been fruitless.
That means you over-priced your car so all you attracted was a lowballer. It doesn't necessarily mean CarMax's offer is all that great.
I suspect that there are variations as to what is offered at the various CarMax franchises. I went there (this is a CarMax in Tucson AZ) for my 2011 Jeep Shara. Very comfortable dealing with those folks. They really do look over the vehicle carefully before releasing it to the customer. Got a call shortly after making the deal. CarMax changed the front window because of a crack they found when doing their final inspection.
I don't buy cars often. So, if not having any aggravation when buying a car has some value, then CarMax can be a good deal.
I sold a Prius with 160k miles on it to CarMax. Their price was about $1000 under blue book for the vehicle in 'good' condition, but the seats in the back of the car were very stained from the kids--melted red crayon stains I could never get out. And I did not want to deal with a private buyer.
I did not want to trust someone taking the vehicle for a test drive and not returning or taking off with me in the vehicle and not returning me I am in an area where both have happened before, and the not returning with the vehicle seems to be coming more popular. Folks think that the person is leaving their car when they test drive your car, but actually it is just the vehicle they stole the week before that is now dented up and running low on gas.
So, scaredie that I am, I sold to CarMax and am glad that I did: worth losing some money to not pay for ads, deal with calls, deal with folks showing up, or not, folks wanting the car for less, etc. CarMax was easy.
Just wanted to mention to those asking if I am fishing here for the value of the vehicle I am trying to sell. I am not. I have bought and sold TONS of vehicles over the years, done my research, and am confident in my valuations, asking prices, options, and choices.
I was just posting about my impressions having never dealt with them before. I came away positive. They may be overpriced on some of the cars (or all of the cars) they are selling. I honestly could not say since I am not buying anything from them and have not been comparing their asking prices to other resources.
In my experience, there is not a dealer around who does not try and "mark up" a vehicle on their lot to maximize their profit, or try to offer as little as possible in trade. Although some tough haggling can certainly improve those deals at traditional dealers, it is not the norm for a customer to come in, and be able to stand firm enough to move a dealer thousands of dollars on a deal to net that difference. Essentially, there are many customers who are going to take less on trade than they should, and pay more on the retail side than they should.
Carmax is just removing the haggling from the equation, which can be a big selling point to those customers who hate the haggling aspect of it, and/or do not make out well with that end. I can see that as an attraction for many.
and they don't hire real car salesmen.....more like soccer moms and former appliance salesmen!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian Slums
And this is another huge positive for most buyers.
Darn, you beat me to it...but after a while even these folks may also become 'real car salesman'.
(New) car shopping today should include an option like buying on Amazon....if you are a 'Prime' customer free delivery in two days included. In a few more years when self driving cars are a reality, they will deliver themselves.
Isn't this what Tesla is moving to?
(Admittedly used cars are different...at least now)
We found a car "broker" in the Atlanta area who dealt with CarMax and others. He told us to see if they had anything we liked and he could get it for us for much less. That's something to consider.
Just wanted to mention to those asking if I am fishing here for the value of the vehicle I am trying to sell. I am not. I have bought and sold TONS of vehicles over the years, done my research, and am confident in my valuations, asking prices, options, and choices.
I was just posting about my impressions having never dealt with them before. I came away positive. They may be overpriced on some of the cars (or all of the cars) they are selling. I honestly could not say since I am not buying anything from them and have not been comparing their asking prices to other resources.
In my experience, there is not a dealer around who does not try and "mark up" a vehicle on their lot to maximize their profit, or try to offer as little as possible in trade. Although some tough haggling can certainly improve those deals at traditional dealers, it is not the norm for a customer to come in, and be able to stand firm enough to move a dealer thousands of dollars on a deal to net that difference. Essentially, there are many customers who are going to take less on trade than they should, and pay more on the retail side than they should.
Carmax is just removing the haggling from the equation, which can be a big selling point to those customers who hate the haggling aspect of it, and/or do not make out well with that end. I can see that as an attraction for many.
There is a Nissan dealer in town who has a fairly decent selection of used cars at any given time (all makes). He charges $1000 "Loyalty Fee" in the fine print.
I'll just let everyone chew on that one for a minute.
Best car buying experience at dealers like this! In the past when I lived in NJ I used Carsense which is the same as CarMax but you are in and out. No negotiating, better interest rate than USAA, 2k more for my trade than any other dealer and the truck I bought was about $500 under blue book. These places are definitely laid back, and the best part is there isn't any stress. Theres no going back and forth, what you see is what you get. If you don't like the price, find a price you do like. I hear a lot of people giving these places a bad name but I have always had amazing experiences and the thought of going to a normal car dealership makes my skin crawl.
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I am in an area where both have happened before, and the not returning with the vehicle seems to be coming more popular. Folks think that the person is leaving their car when they test drive your car, but actually it is just the vehicle they stole the week before that is now dented up and running low on gas.
