Nothing about my experience was easy or uncomplicated and was far from "100% online" as advertised.
2/22 – found the car I wanted and started the process, when I added my trade-in it opened another tab and the trade-in didn't link to the purchase so it didn't reduce the amount on the new vehicle. I called and spoke with a Carvana rep who was able to merge the two items to show me the new amount owed. Since it was now after 5pm, I had to wait until the next day to work out financing with my bank. Carvana wanted over 5% APR despite my credit score. I was able to get a rate less than half that.
2/23 – I started uploading the needed docs for the process. Within about an hour I got a call from Carvana indicating they would not accept the e-Title on my car (I thought they were an online company). I was lucky enough to get an actual title for $10, from my local tax collector's office within an hour. There they told me I have to sign it as the "Seller". I did so and uploaded that to Carvana. I then got another call from Carvana indicating, oh I'm so sorry, I should have told you not to sign it. Now it's too late in the day to go back to the Tax Collector's office. I made an appointment to shorten my wait time but I couldn't get in until 2:30 the next day.
On another note, Carvana wants proof of coverage on the vehicle I've not purchased yet – I got it added, now I'm paying for coverage on a car I do not possess. More on this later
2/24 – now pushed back yet another day due to Carvana not accepting an e-Title, at the tax collector's office they now charged me $88 for the second copy. They were in disbelief Carvana wouldn't accept the signed copy. Finally, I've gotten what I need from Carvana and could provide the purchase order to my bank. This next part is not Carvana's fault but my bank then took two more business days to "put my name on a list" as the Carvana folks called it, saying I was approved for funding. This could have been avoided if Carvana had more competitive loan rates for folks with good credit. Also we lost at least one day and almost $100 with the title issue.
2/25 – finally got confirmation at 7pm my vehicle would be delivered on 3/2, had things moved quicker, it was originally scheduled to arrive on 2/28. A matter of a few days but when you buy a car, you want it ASAP, right?
3/2 – the vehicle was delivered and the driver was great and super friendly.
A few final notes on the process:
-Everyone on the phone was very friendly and professional. Also apologetic, rather than apologizing, perhaps they should make things easier. (e.g. accepting e-Titles)
-Because I insured the vehicle for several days, I paid an extra $55 in car insurance, as my old car had to stay on the policy as well. Now we're up to an additional $155.
-During the purchase process, I added my desired down payment which reduced the needed loan amount. However, the additional warranties were not offered until after that step which meant I had to pay the entire warranty amount also, an extra $1364 I was not expecting! This should have been offered sooner so it could be added to the loan amount.
-Because the vehicle was already running when I took my first test drive, I didn't see the warning upon starting the vehicle up that it was almost 2,000 miles beyond the need for an oil change. Apparently that's not part of a 150 point inspection. Also the steering wheel is a bit off center, didn't notice it at first. Unfortunately these two items are not covered under warranty. Buyer beware.
I do love the vehicle and I'm very happy with it!
I can't say for certain if I'll ever buy from them again but if I'm asked about them I'll share my story.
Read More
