Great experience Selling To, Not great Buying From
TLDR: I highly recommend selling a vehicle to Carvana. It's quick and easy. I would avoid buying from Carvana, however.
### Selling experience
I've sold to Carvana about half a dozen times. The first time is definitely scary (they picked up the car, where's my money?!). But I've gladly done it several times since. Carvana usually beats dealerships by at least $1,500 in my experience. The first time was closer to a $4,500! So it's well worth hitching a ride or using an Uber a few times. I've even talked family into it and they've all been very happy to sell to Carvana.
###Buying experience
I've only purchased from Carvana once and am currently in the middle of returning it... It's a 2013 Porsche Boxster S. This was supposed to be the "special car" for fun weekends.
Here's the timeline:
* Last week I picked out a car and paid the shipping transportation costs (which are clearly stated as non-refundable). I got a good interest rate with our credit union which was better than what Carvana's lending partner offered but honestly not by as much as I thought. I ended up just going with Carvana's rate with intent to pay off the vehicle over the next year (or else I'd refi it with my credit union).
* As expected, a couple days later the vehicle was delivered to a facility about an hour away from my home (home delivery would have been another $500).
* Monday evening: I picked up the car from the "vending machine" at my scheduled time and immediately took it to an independent mechanic for a PPI (pre purchase inspection). I also took pictures of two dings on the vehicle that were not disclosed in the listing. Otherwise the car was in mostly great shape, with some signs of wear from the age and mileage on it.
* Tuesday morning: PPI results came in. Vehicle dangerously needed tires, alignment, wipers, trunk struts, air cleaner, etc. Total bill approximately $3,000. Note that the extended warranty covers "non-wearable" items (things that aren't often replaced like tires, brakes, wipers, struts, etc.).
* Tuesday afternoon: After considering overall health of the vehicle, purchase price, and additional investment we'd have to make to make the vehicle "tip-top shape" my wife and I decided a return would be better. We agreed that if Carvana offered to cover the majority of these repairs we would've kept it. Using the website I was able to have a Carvana rep call me (only took a few minutes). I stated that due to the necessary repairs that we've decided to return the vehicle. I also noted the undisclosed dings. The representative documented these for their mechanics but there was no effort to try and "meet us in the middle" on any of the necessary repairs. There was also no pressure to try and keep us in the vehicle that we decided to return. So good and bad, I suppose. The representative asked if I wanted to exchange the vehicle for another. I verified that I would have to pay another transportation fee should my chosen vehicle have any associated shipping costs. This meant there was absolutely no incentive to choosing another vehicle. So I declined an exchange. I could return the car to the place I picked it up (an hour away, then need an hour drive home from someone or a $100 Uber) or they could pick it up from my home on Thursday morning without any additional cost. Now the Porsche sits in the garage waiting to be retrieved.
* Wednesday: I'm back to poking around the internet to fill that soon-to-be vacant spot. Only this time my savings account is down about $1,300 from the transportation costs plus another $255 for the inspection. I knew this was a risk. I took it, and I lost.
* Thursday (tomorrow): Appointment scheduled between 8AM - 11AM for pickup of the vehicle. Hopefully that all goes as smoothly as when selling a vehicle to Carvana.
I don't have any disdain for Carvana though I am greatly disappointed in the purchasing experience. They claim to do 130 point inspections beforehand but I think that's hogwash. The buying experience should be better. I shouldn't have had to pay to transport a car with undisclosed dings and dangerously little tread left on the tires. As for now, I think I'll return to looking for CPOs (certified pre-owned vehicles).