Carvana - Buying a used car completely (or mostly) online... would you?

[LeeH]

Is this the future of buying a used car? What do you think?

[MBAtarga]

That's whom/how/where I bought my 2011 328 daily driver. I was mildly disappointed in a few things that weren't disclosed in the on-line description of the car, but it worked out after some negotiation. They offered my a matching trade-in value from Carmax for my Tacoma, so I saved the sales tax difference on my purchase. I would do it again.

[Steve Carlton]

I'm in!

[porsche4life]

I honestly think this is they way it will be in the near future. It just makes too much sense. If I was in the market for a nearly new car I'd give it a try.

[dennis in se pa]

1. A clean CarFax does not mean no accidents.
2. Kelly Blue Book prices are high.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by dennis in se pa

A clean CarFax does not mean no accidents.

So true.

Looked at an SUV for the wife a couple years back.

Sales guy kept touting the clean carfax.

I asked why the gaps on the hood were off, and why there was overspray on the front right headlight and inside the wheel well, why the paint on the right fender and front door did not match the rest of the car?

Said to him, this car has been hit and repaired.

His only response was, "yeah but the carfax is clean"

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Absolutely love it. It incorporates many aspects of the CarMax method (which I've used and love) like no-haggle, no sales pressure, all-in-one, return policy, no accident vehicles, etc. I'll seriously give these guys a look - anything that cuts sleazy sales schlockers out of the process is 100% awesome in my book.

[Tervuren]

It really depends on how much I trust a particular make and model of car.

I feel reasonably comfortable in buying a Jagaur XK completely online. I trust that model ALOT.

I would NOT buy a 944 online.

[Steve Carlton]

Do they check leakdown?

[Mark Howard]

I bought a '13 Panamera from Vroom.com recently. 21K miles, heavily optioned. Several very minor body issues disclosed and repaired before shipped to me for free. I was pleasantly surprised the car was better than advertised. 7 day, 250 mile return guarantee, free return shipping if you don't want it. Took my trade for same as $$ dealer offere, I paid about $6k below Kelly BB for it. Staff was great to deal with, even helped me out when I lost the stupid title during a house move before I registered it. Couldn't be happier with the car.

I'll definitely do it again with them.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

It really depends on how much I trust a particular make and model of car.

I feel reasonably comfortable in buying a Jagaur XK completely online. I trust that model ALOT.

I would NOT buy a 944 online.

Their model is less than 5 year old cars. High volume stuff. Highly doubt you'll see any 944s on there.


Btw, I bought my 944 sight unseen on ebay... Was mostly ok.

[aigel]

May be great if you know nothing about cars. But being a gearhead, I can do much better on a local private sale. I like to meet the PO at their house and see what's up. Much better than a car without records from a reseller. Living in a large populated area, I can find any car I'd like in a private sale.

G

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by aigel

May be great if you know nothing about cars. But being a gearhead, I can do much better on a local private sale. I like to meet the PO at their house and see what's up. Much better than a car without records from a reseller. Living in a large populated area, I can find any car I'd like in a private sale.

G

Don't think you are the target market.... Lets face it, a large portion of Americans view car shopping as tedious. This is the amazon model for cars...

[sc_rufctr]

Like it or not things are going this way. In fact at some levels it's already happened.

IMO... The internet is a great way to get people onto your yard and looking at your cars.
And yet most of the local independent dealers complain that they are struggling "Because of the Internet".

However the major dealerships seem to be doing fine because they have an internet presence.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Dealerships (particularly private) still cling tenaciously to the archaic model of luring people into their lot, holding them hostage and subjecting them to all kinds of head games / sales tactics. That nonsense pisses me off to no end. Ads that don't post a price and instead just say "call" get skipped automatically. I want salespeople out of the process to the maximum extent possible. I never have and never will trust one and I don't see what value they bring to my experience as a buyer or why I ought to pay for it. What exactly is the "value add" to me? Simply put there is none. It's pure overhead expense that can be cut out and possibly result in my getting a better car (my same dollars go further). I'd rather see a few hundred extra bucks go towards a better model than into some schlocker's pocket for doing / contributing nothing.

I would absolutely buy a car online - I've done it a few times already actually (two on eBay, three on CL and another from CarMax) and it's always ended up working out okay. If I forget to ask a specific question then it's on me for not being thorough; obviously that's different from someone deliberately not disclosing a known / obvious problem or lying / evasively responding to a question about something.

I like Tesla's model too (which this also is similar to in some respects) - heavily online-based, NOT sales focused, straight-to-home delivery, fixed pricing, etc. the fact that the mafioso dealership consortium pitched such a snit about it (particularly in places like NJ) tells me what I already knew - they're pissed off that their gravy train model of robbing people blind is starting to come to an end. they remind me of Blockbuster Video, the MPAA or RIAA - clinging to their outdated old models of raping other people to line their own pockets, contributing little or no value, then feigning indignation when reality catches up to them as customers start leaving them in droves, enabled by new technologies.

I can't wait for this sort of reality to start happening with housing/real estate sales as well (and insurance, which it already has to some extent - agents are going the way of the dodo in many states that don't require them by law). It bothers me that governments have succumbed to lobbying efforts by various industries like these over the year to create these protected enclaves of outdated institutions. Our tax money props up entire populations of people who really contribute very little to society and yet feel entitled to huge commissions which end up costing buyers a lot of money. As an architect I'm lucky to get an 8% commission on the design of a new house. For that I assume responsibility (and liability) for safety, compliance with codes, civil rights statutes / ADA, etc. My education and training is very expensive and specialized and I need to understand everything from engineering principles to history to art to psychology to hydrology and apply it successfully on a daily basis. it can take many hours of my time to get a design finalized and executed. Why should someone with no special skills are training be entitled to almost the same fee for doing absolutely nothing other then walking perspective buyers through the thing when it's done?

[onewhippedpuppy]

I do quite a bit of online car buying for people, on a late model used car the auctions are very low risk. I buy cars with 3rd party inspection reports, and they have an arbitration policy for anything major mechanical that is not disclosed. It is NOT the right approach for buying the G50 Carrera of your dreams, but late model Porsches are well represented.

Really the only big challenge with buying a car 100% online is that you have to know exactly what you want. It's pretty tough to really understand the pros/cons, features, and driving experience without an in person inspection. I typically tell people to find the nearest Carmax, narrow down their selection, then get back to me.

[stealthn]

To me it looks like their startup costs would be extremely high, so I'm not sure if they would be profitable long term. I understand their carrying costs may be lower but it depends on how many locations and photo booths.

I have more issues with the contact after the sale from the dealership than when I was there, every month another letter or email abou how they want my truck back (for a discount on another one)

I like the model, just don't see it being profitable.

[tcar]

I was looking at a car in California (I'm in CO).

Apparently if you fly out to CA and drive it home, you have to pay the CA tax (i.e. drive it in CA.).

If you have it shipped, you do not have to pay the CA tax.

True?

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Really the only big challenge with buying a car 100% online is that you have to know exactly what you want. It's pretty tough to really understand the pros/cons, features, and driving experience without an in person inspection. I typically tell people to find the nearest Carmax, narrow down their selection, then get back to me.

They have a 7 day no hassle return that they say is intended to be a test drive, they say if you don't like it they will swap you into something different or reverse the transaction, no questions asked.

[MMiller]

Originally Posted by tcar

I was looking at a car in California (I'm in CO).

Apparently if you fly out to CA and drive it home, you have to pay the CA tax (i.e. drive it in CA.).

If you have it shipped, you do not have to pay the CA tax.

True?

Probably if you take ownership of it in CA. .... I think you just need to find a dealer who will work with you. I bought a Jeep from an awesome dealer in Carlsbad CA 2 years ago. Hoehn family of dealerships. Vehicle perfectly represented and very easy to work with... Picked the Jeep up on Sat, left town on Sunday and drove to the first town I came to in NV where a Rep from the dealer met me to "take" ownership of the vehicle. I filled out the rest of the paper work and drove back to NM....no CA taxes paid.