CarMax Experience.........

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Sorry about your trouble. I've had great luck with CM in the past. Bought my Mercedes from them. Liked the experience and would do it again tomorrow in a heartbeat. It beats the heck out of dealing with sleazeball used car dealers and third party scheisters and having to put up with a bunch of sales B.S. and haggle over every little thing. Forget it. Life's too short. I found the simplicity of the model to be well worth it. Got a good deal too.

As with any big company I'm sure there is a spectrum of results and YMMV however. Take it up the chain of command.

[asphaltgambler]

A few follow up notes...................we are looking specifically for a '07 with 40K or less -or- a '08 with 60K or less / in silver with grey interior and NAV. NO mods. As close to showroom condition as could be expected IF you are asking top $$

My view as a potential buyer is this for a specialty vehicle: I don't wake up everyday, look in the mirror and decide to spend $30K+ on a used SUV. If I do then it's going to be exactly what I'm looking for. If not, I'll wait. I've already waited 9 months since the beginning the thought process.

For some of you who see me maybe as a 'unreasonable' - or- 'difficult' customer - substitue an earlier 911 - same scenario and see if those few come back with the same response. Doesn't matter whose dealerships' name on the marque. They failed in EVERY step of the process. As a consumer, if I tell the sales person clearly my criteria when making a major purchase. They either can or can't deliver. If they can't in terms of product or service, that's fine, Next.

As a Euro Technician, I have survived in my trade by under-promissing and over-delivering for years. It's my credo. Most of my customers expect it. I deliver (or try to) EVERY time. It really pisses my off when I rarely ever get this in return, even when I state before hand my expectations.

As far as Carmax, their original guy who appraised it or bought it at auction failed in his eval. Then the service dept in NC failed to notice obvious issues, then the service dept in Dulles Va after a requested re-check, emissions test and state inspection failed.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Eric, this is just not consistent with the facts as presented.

The car had an illegal exhaust on it, they lied and said it would be fine. The car was missing parts, the cargo cover and had non-functioning wipers. They are supposed to check that sort of stuff out, they advertise that they do. They will tell you the vehicle is inspected prior to transferring from store to store, clearly they did not do that. They did not even bother to see if it had enough air in the tires.

Really, they did not do much correctly at all, nothing that I can discern, other than getting the car from point "A" to point "B"

Read the original post very carefully. The exhaust system passed VA state inspection. It passed emissions. The exhaust system was NOT illegal!! No wrongdoing on the part of CarMax.

The WIPERS are what the OP said would 'fail' the state inspection as they were smearing and tearing.

Missing parts!? Do you think the cargo cover would be caught in a general inspection? You do know that ALL Grand Cherokees have the same side panels with indentations for the cargo cover but NOT all Grand Cherokees came with the actual cover, right? So how would anyone know that this particular GC was so equipped?

They forgot to check air in the tires? Really? You know this, how? Tire pressures fluctuate with temperature. It is entirely possible that the tires had adequate pressure upon inspection and under/over inflation later. TPMS are not very smart. They just alert you to pressures outside a +/- range. It might have had a slow leak around a O-ring or bead, or the sensor itself was faulty or needed to be reset. It could have been the spare tire pressure (checked the same as the four on the ground). You can't assume to know! Only checking and correcting ACTUAL pressure would lead you to the answer. None are a big deal. And none point blame at the inspector at the time of inspection. Even if it needed a new sensor, the correct VDO part is less than $40.

The CarMax inspection, at the time it was purchased and offered for sale, may have been 100%, meaning zero issues. I can tell you that wiper blades DO NOT last forever on a dealer's lot in North Carolina in the middle of Summer. A personally owned vehicle is much different than a car sitting stationary in the sun in the same place for days at a time. The wiper blades are the first thing to deteriorate. They will literally melt themselves to the glass. It's called lot rot. Still, wiper blades represent one tenth of one percent of the purchase price. Less than a quarter tank of gas.

Inspections DO happen. They DO check the things they are supposed to. Not just CarMax, but every dealer I've ever worked with or know of. I can expand if anyone cares.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

For some of you who see me maybe as a 'unreasonable' - or- 'difficult' customer - substitue an earlier 911 - same scenario and see if those few come back with the same response.

I have helped enthusiasts purchase cars, even early 911s, and have never had somone NOT buy an otherwise very nice car brought in specifically for them because it had a few simply correctable items like wiper blades, low fluid/air levels, or a missing accessory. Maseratis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis. Never had that type of expectation. And if/when I do, I will simply excuse myself from that prospective sale (and I have done that).

As far as Carmax, their original guy who appraised it or bought it at auction failed in his eval.

Really? You think he noticed that the wipers were smearing? Or the exhaust would be a huge issue? Or cared that the cargo cover wasn't there? Come on! I've bought thousands of cars, and I wouldn't care because 99.9% of my customers wouldn't care, or would understand that they're correctable. No fail. It sounds like it was a very nice vehicle otherwise. And that's what counts.

Then the service dept in NC failed to notice obvious issues....

Maybe, but probably not. As I noted in the post above, the wiper blades may have been fine, and the TPMS light may not have been on at the time of inspection The exhaust would have passed inspection, although it may have been noted. No mechanical inspection would have uncovered a missing accessory like a cargo cover

..... then the service dept in Dulles Va after a requested re-check, emissions test and state inspection failed.

Doubt they were worried about the wiper blades like you were. But you may have nit picked a point. And it must have been a good one, as they agreed to eat a couple hundred bucks in real transportation costs and a few days of lost sale potential over your completetly reasonable rant.

[asphaltgambler]

More clues..............When my wife asked the sales guy what light was on, he immediately knew about it and said as much. That the light was on previous and the service dept "attempted" to repair and failed. If he would have told me that BEFORE getting in and driving off, I would have a slightly less salty view on that matter.

The tires for this thing are @$500+ each / staggered / run flats. If one is leaking who's gonna pay for that? Who's patching a Z-rated run flat? There is some valid reason why it's on. Air doesn't just disappear, there is cause.

The aftermarket exhaust does pass state, but the tone/drone is soooooooo obnoxious at 40-50mph even the sales guy said it bothered him. My cost to replace OE Cat/back exhaust is $1K plus my time

My point is this. I gave the two sales people heads up, paid up front for the transfer. It was misrepresented for the price. Mean while I have ignored other possible buys waiting on this

[asphaltgambler]

Just to be clear the drivers blade rubber was completly seperated the entire length. was just attached at the ends. When the wiper was moving the contact blade rubber was lagging 2" behind.
It would not pass va State.

Again to clearify, it's not just about $25 wiper blades...........................it's the cumulative experience from the very beginning. If they were 'careless' with my business and then the actual Jeep what other conclusion should I have??

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

More clues..............When my wife asked the sales guy what light was on, he immediately knew about it and said as much. That the light was on previous and the service dept "attempted" to repair and failed. If he would have told me that BEFORE getting in and driving off, I would have a slightly less salty view on that matter. The tires for this thing are @$500+ each / staggered / run flats. If one is leaking who's gonna pay for that? Who's patching a Z-rated run flat? There is some valid reason why it's on. Air doesn't just disappear, there is cause.

Yes, that changes things. Might need a new sensor or two or all five. Or it might have a leak around the O-ring (REALLY common on that style VDO sensor). Or it might have a BEAD leak (not a punctured or cut tire) that would require re-seating the bead after cleaning and gooping the rims. But you're a tech, you knew that.

The aftermarket exhaust does pass state, but the tone/drone is soooooooo obnoxious at 40-50mph even the sales guy said it bothered him. My cost to replace OE Cat/back exhaust is $1K plus my time

Right, but that's not their fault. Not the original salesperson's fault. Not the buyer's fault. Not the inspection tech's fault. No one's fault. Some may prefer it. Most wouldn't even know.

And two or three of us suggested that it would be possible to hook up with a fellow GC SRT8 owner/enthusiast for a stock swap. You'd make that guy's day if you offered to swap for free and pay you the labor.

My point is this. I gave the two sales people heads up, paid up front for the transfer. It was misrepresented for the price. Mean while I have ignored other possible buys waiting on this

I'm sure they would have bought you wiper blades and fixed the TPMS issue. The cargo cover should be understandable. I hope you understand that they didn't 'miss' the exhaust or try to screw you. But it had an aftermarket exhaust and they weren't going to change it. Okay, move on. But don't badmouth them.

The ONLY real gross dis-service done was the idiot salesperson in VA. He dropped the ball handling your requests. Everyone else did their job.

And hopefully you understand that they are out more real cost ($$$) and opportunity cost than you are. They didn't have to refund your transport fee. They did. You shouldn't badmouth CarMax. Feel free to badmouth the idiot salesperson at Dulles CarMax. He's probably working at the Toyota dealer next door by now anyway.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Just to be clear the drivers blade rubber was completly seperated the entire length. was just attached at the ends. When the wiper was moving the contact blade rubber was lagging 2" behind.
It would not pass va State.

Blasphemy!

BTW, that is the clear pattern of 'lot rot' melting to the glass then being pulled apart the first time someone tried the wipers.

Again to clearify, it's not just about $25 wiper blades...........................it's the cumulative experience from the very beginning. If they were 'careless' with my business and then the actual Jeep what other conclusion should I have??

You are buying a vehicle, not a saleperson. Judge the truck on its merits. You're a tech. You should know what you're looking at. Who cares where it came from or where you bought it. You turned away a good vehicle out of principle. Okay, maybe the exhaust is legit. But you get my point.

[techweenie]

In researching the '85 Carrera I bought a year ago, I discovered that the estate of the owner sold the car to Car Max. It was subsequently bought by a dealer and put on eBay where I spotted it. Would love to know what Car Max paid. I suspect $6-6.5K or so. In the few times I went to the local Car Max (looking for Jeeps) I found the prices a bit higher than I could get from private parties, and the quality of salespeople was slightly above the DMV clerk level. I got the impression they were on a moderate base salary or draw with very small commissions, because they had little emotional investment in making a sale. In a few cases, I practically had to pry their business cards out of their hands. Very odd.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I love the salespeople at CarMax - they leave you the hell alone and no stupid sales pitches, no haggling and no B.S.!

(no affiliation, just very happy with their business model).

I'll very likely buy my next car from them too. YMMV

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by motion

So, if I want to unload a newer Mercedes, is Carmax worth a shot? Will they give me wholesale trade-in, or even close?

Yes. They typically pay pretty good premiums. YMMV

[asphaltgambler]

...........................so just received a call from the carmax sales guy 5 mins ago. Says that they have fixed the TPMS issue, replaced the wiper blades and will either cut me a (small) check OR take same amount off of the sticker towards the replacement exhaust if I am still interested??

I say yes, I will come back this Sat for one more try.

[McLovin]

Are there any Jeep ricer sites you can go to to trade or sell the aftermarket exhaust?

You might make money on it!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I love the salespeople at CarMax - they leave you the hell alone and no stupid sales pitches, no haggling and no B.S.!

(no affiliation, just very happy with their business model).

I'll very likely buy my next car from them too. YMMV

I don't have any problem with car sales people at dealerships. They know pretty quickly I know what I'm talking about and am also in sales. Maybe it's a professional courtesy thing.

[asphaltgambler]

yes have found new, unused part of exhaust system on ebay. We'll see how this Sat goes

[kaisen]

Best wishes this Saturday. It sounds like they are doing their best to meet your expectations.

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I don't have any problem with car sales people at dealerships. They know pretty quickly I know what I'm talking about and am also in sales. Maybe it's a professional courtesy thing.

Exactly.

However now and then you get the idiot who still tries to treat you like a regular Up despite what you tell them- obviously not good or smart enough to know when to drop the games and just take the money.

Then I walk...

rjp

[Tobra]

I don't know that I would buy a car from someone who told me something passed smog and inspection when I knew it would not and when they reinspected it, it failed.

Certainly gives the appearance that they are not being forthcoming with you.

I would take my refund on the transfer fee and walk away, your time wasted was the price of the education.

[motion]

My CarMax experience today was fairly positive. Took my car there this morning. Wholesale trade-in is about $19K. Car is immaculate with low miles. Needs nothing. The CarMax people were very friendly and casual. No pretention. Waited 20 minutes and had a price of $16K. I wanted to go by the MBZ dealer, so drove to Fletcher Jones Newport Beach MBZ. They were very friendly and professional. Offered me $15K. I thought I might try one more MBZ dealer, so drove north to House of Imports in Buena Park. This place was a complete dump. I couldn't understand anything the various staff said to me, due to extremely heavy accents (I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea). Without even looking at the car, they offered me $13K. Amazing.

I'm going to try to sell it on Craigslist during the next 2 days, and if no bites, will unload it at CarMax.

I will add that while waiting at CarMax, I had a chance to peruse the lot. They have a huge selection of high end cars at the lot in Irvine, and they are all very clean with low miles and have some type of CarMax warranty. The prices, however, were high. A buyer could easily save several thousand by shopping private party, but then there is the financing aspect. I guess cash is king here. For a car like mine, they are offering $16K and will put it on the lot for $23K. I feel its an unreasonable profit margin, but what do I know.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

............we stop, I get out in the rain and look under the rear, someone has installed aftermarket rear straight exhaust.

I tell him lets go back to his office I want to talk to the sales manager. SM comes in and straight away starts making excuses. I tell him if I buy it I want the OE exhaust installed. He refuses. Says that passed Va inspection. I said no it shouldn't - your guy completely missed the wipers. I say I know what's required because I'm a state inspector (show him my license). Not bugding.

Originally Posted by Tobra

The car had an illegal exhaust on it, they lied and said it would be fine.

Originally Posted by Tobra

I don't know that I would buy a car from someone who told me something passed smog and inspection when I knew it would not and when they reinspected it, it failed.

Certainly gives the appearance that they are not being forthcoming with you.

My interpretation was that the car was inspected and passed. Maybe it should not have passed, but it passed. Was it inspected by a third party? And did the salesman lie to him? You imply that the salesman knew it either did not pass or should not have passed. I don't read the original post that way....maybe I missed it somewhere?