Carvana Reviews - How It Works, Warranty, Financing, Returns

Carvana has been a nightmare to deal with when it came to being reimbursed for transportation costs. Long story short, I originally purchased a vehicle and wanted to exchange as soon as I received the vehicle. They were helpful with that but due to something happening with their delivery from Georgia, so I had to wait an additional 7 days, which totaled 14 days. I picked up the vehicle on 4/13/19 and asked to exchange it the same day. Had to wait for my vehicle to be delivered as well as exchange the paperwork which took no time. My new vehicle exchange was going to be done on 4/19/19 but due to delivery delay, I had to wait until 4/27/19 to pick up my new vehicle. Now the problem is, when you exchange, you cannot go over a certain amount of miles. So because on 4/23/19 I was scheduled to go to SC, I needed my vehicle. I alerted them about this after calling and speaking to 3 different reps to finally have a rep who was helpful. He stated they will put me into a rental car for my travel days but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to receive the rental. I let them know and they explained I could use Uber/Lyft. I asked for the allowed amount and they stated $150. So on 4/23/19, I used the ride share service 3 times that day and again on 4/27/19. My total cost was $135.40 and I received a confirmation on 4/30/19 from them stating they received my receipts and sending out a check for $160.

I have not received the check yet so I called them up on 5/28/19, spoke to a Justine or Joseline and asked to speak with a manager named Ryan. He was very rude and not sympathetic at all. He explained they sent out a $55 check which I still have not gotten and they rule is $40 a day. I was never explained that over the phone and was told I would receive a $160 check. It's very upsetting and disturbing that do not stand by there customer's as I have given them great reviews as far as getting my vehicle but they must work on better training on their customer advocates. I am out $85.40 because of miscommunication and never went on my trip. I really dislike dealing with UN-empathetic customer service reps and warn anyone who has to deal with them.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Easily the best car buying experience in my life. Purchase, financing, and online paperwork handled in about 30 minutes. Delivery of my one year old SUV and trade in went smoothly and the rep was well versed in the new vehicle. I won't step foot in another dealership again.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I decided to purchase my first vehicle from Carvana and against my better judgment after reading all the bad reviews everywhere except on their site, I still proceeded. My "quoted" approval price was easy to obtain, that was the only good part of my experience. The computer system had glitches in uploading my documents so I had to continuously resubmit them, my bank did not support the ACH system that they use so I had to obtain a cashier's check and send pictures to verify while I work all day mind you and with the constant threat of this "time frame" that they give you before you lose either the car or your delivery slot.

Once I got everything uploaded I was to now sign my documents online. As I read thru them I notice that the car online is a different color than what is stated on my contract. I wanted a black car but the one in my contract is red? So I call in from work and get the customized "we are sorry" speech that I am convinced they have a training class specifically for that, and the advocate tries to convince me to ignore this legal and binding document that I am signing because the car really is black, not red as it states?! With some back and forth I advise him I will not be signing and I chose a different car, which he swapped out causing my delivery timer to "reset".

All of these things were frustrating but not enough to make me back out on the deal so I move forward, get my delivery date set to pick the car up in Atlanta at the vending machine. I take a half a day off of work because it’s a 2-hour drive and I get a call with a voicemail stating that one of the trucks broke down and they can’t get the car to the vending machine in time! An hour before my pick up you just figure that out?!

So again I’m given the standard "I’m sorry we pride ourselves on good service to our customer service" lie and my date is then rescheduled to Saturday. Now I am angry as my sister graduates and her party was Saturday but now I have to go to Atlanta and pick up a car. Well, lo and behold, 2 hours before the Saturday pick up I again get left a voicemail that the car is not ready this time it’s because a new battery was put in that caused the computer to reset and wipe out the readings needed to perform the emissions test required here in Georgia. So the car has to be driven around adding miles until it can be read! At this point, I’m over Carvana and the advocate obviously was not prepared to handle someone who knew facts and how things work. I work in car insurance and you can’t pull the wool over my eyes. After 30 minutes she put me on the phone with a Supervisor who was no more helpful than her but did talk to me as if I was a preschool child she could calm down with a sweet voice.

None of the new delivery options they had worked for me. I already missed work, I wasn’t doing so again, and there was no way I was driving to Atlanta in the evening after work. So her solution was they will deliver the car on Monday morning. I am writing this review on Sunday and I will be back to update because I told her if it is not delivered they can keep the car and I will go to a dealer!

This change in dates yet again requires you to go back and re-sign your documents and upon doing so what do I find they have added an extra $500 to the sale price of the car. Carvana is worse than the shadiest of car dealers and they should be ashamed of the practices and tactics they use to scam people!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I haven't bought a car with Carvana, but have used their website and spoke with their customer reps twice. First the good!

Pros:

1. Friendly staff.

2. Great way to buy a car if you are moving from another state since they deliver to you for free (well it's added in the sales prices).

3. Easy website to navigate and view, even with original window sticker, if available.

Cons:

1. MISLEADING CAR DESCRIPTION! Drives me nuts, told them on several occasions and still doing it. For my example, I was looking at a VW Tiguan R-Line and they have it listed, but the pictures and description are for a regular Tiguan. The other is Lexus NX F-Sport, they label it as F-Sport and but it's a regular NX. This lack of basic knowledge or carelessness leaves little confidence in buying from them.

2. Their price is alright, nothing spectacular if you compare to local dealerships and sales. You can find and haggle for lower prices locally, plus look and touch the actual car in person. Like I said, this is great if you moving to another state and had no means to drive around to look at cars.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I purchased a car through Carvana a Range Rover Evoque. After a few weeks, I started experiencing problems with the car. The car had hesitation issues which meant it would stop moving and go into neutral mode while making a very loud noise for a minute or 2 then start moving again. This issue happened 5 times over the first 3 months of me owning the car. I took the car to Land Rover garage 3 times and they changed sensors but it did not help. As I write this the car has been at the dealership for the past two weeks. The dealership is saying they cannot fix the car till they experience the problem but they do not have the manpower to drive the car for a long period of time. The car has stopped moving on the highway a few times and it could have ended with me and my children losing my life. Carvana has refused to swap the car for me saying it's a Land Rover problem. Land Rover has refused to take responsibility and asked me to take it back to Carvana. I am now terrified of driving the vehicle. Carvana has refused for me to return a vehicle that has serious safety issues. I will now be seeking legal help. This $30000 purchase has brought me so much pain. Do not use Carvana.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Worst experience ever! Bought this 2016 Lincoln MKS, on the day of delivery, there I was waiting for the car at 1 pm, but unfortunately, it did not happen, I end up getting it a week later after long phone calls and lots of waiting, and the only thing that they told me was that they had problems in the system. A week later finally got the car, so now I’ll have to wait for the permanent plates which I'm still waiting to happen. I’m really disappointed because I called them to see what was going on and they said that there was nothing they could do, that I would have to just wait for DMV to get my permanent plates. The problem is that the temp plates have already expired and I won't be able to drive the car anymore and that is a big negative hit on my business. Worst ever. Buy some place else. Not worth the headache...Looking for my legal rights.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Since I wrote this review Carvana has provided me with a link to the Volkswagen owners portal where I am able to view the owners manual (download not available). Carvana also sent me a set of standard floormats.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I recently bought a car from Carvana and while I was very apprehensive through the entire process; buying a car online is scary your first time. The customer service representatives were amazing and very patient, kind and explained everything in detail no matter how many times I asked the same questions. Then came the first hiccup in the process, I had my car scheduled for delivery on Saturday afternoon; on Friday afternoon customer care called and said they had to let a delivery driver go and could no longer deliver the car on requested date they did offer to give me a uber code to go and pick up the car. Luckily my boyfriend was available to drive me to their location to retrieve the car. I was understanding to this situation being a manager myself and knowing the struggles of turn over rates. At the pick-up everything went smooth and everyone was very pleasant and helpful; again great employees.

Once I got in my new car I noticed it had not been cleaned at all. I couldn't see out the front window due to smudgy steaks all over, the floorboard was covered in dirt and just normal dirty for a used car, the outside could have used a car wash as well. For a dealership, one would think you would receive a nice clean car used or not, so this was disappointing, to say the least. All somewhat small things that I just took note of and I didn't let it bother me or turn me off that much due to the wonderful service I received along the way. The car looked great and was exactly what they said. So I decided to take it for the 7-day test drive. Of course, my first plan of action was to take it to my trusted mechanic and have everything looked at to ensure it was a good car. Well, seeing as I bought the car on a Saturday night I had to wait until Monday to take it in to get looked at.

Sunday morning I get in my car to run some errands and that's when I hear it. A clunking rattling sound from the left tire well area. Knowing a little about cars I figured this was my struts. So I call Carvana and the warranty to see what to do. They suggested getting it to a mechanic and see what exactly is going on. So I took to my mechanic first thing Monday morning. Where they did confirm that my left strut was shot. Seeing how I still have 5 days left on the test drive I tell them to get it fixed with the warranty. It takes until WEDNESDAY to get the approval from warranty to cover the cost of repairs leaving me now with two days left on the 7-day test drive.

While it has been a true struggle to fight with warranty, everything else has been great. The car is fixed and no further issues seen. My mechanic did say it appears that in transferring the vehicle it was dropped on its left side destroying the struts completely on that side. This goes to back the story from Carvana on letting go a delivery driver I'm assuming the one who dropped my car; however, the fact that after a vehicle was dropped they failed to re-inspect vehicle is quite unprofessional and very upsetting. If the warranty would not have covered repair 100% I would have returned the car immediately and asked for a full refund. However, I spent 5 months looking at cars and deals and I fell in love with the one I picked and couldn't find a better deal at another dealership.

So overall, the idea is amazing and the employees (that are still there) are without a doubt wonderful, I do feel there are quite a few things that can be fixed and looked into a little deeper and some policies need to put in place about how to present a new car to customer, it should be cleaned, detailed and told if anything happened in transit with the offer to repair any issues 100% upfront. This is the best way to build rapport. At this time I'm keeping my new car; however, I do not feel I will buy from them again unless these things are addressed and fixed.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

After being approved for my car and scheduling a delivery date, as a small business owner I was asked for documentation. I sent for 4 days documentation proving I owned the business from the federal government and also from the state if Ohio. Some documentation sent but not limited to included my EIN assignment, correspondence from the federal govt, my filing extension for taxes, bank documentation, 941 for quarterly taxes, yet after receiving all listed plus more, they kept saying they couldn’t prove I was a business. Then I was told they need a copy of a business license so I told him I was applying now for that and he said that wouldn’t be good enough. After having my heart set on a vehicle they continually gave me the runaround and in the end, said none of my documentation would be good enough, even though it’s what they requested.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Such games! We had the original title in hand. They came out and asked us to sign a DMV form saying it was "LOST" when it was in front of them. That would be false and it's under penalty of perjury that we would be signing. They didn't even want us to fill in the dollar amount on the DMV form (presumably so they can list whatever they want for what they paid and not pay taxes on the purchase). So shady. I can't believe it. I've sold lots of cars and can't believe how dishonest they are. She didn't even have a business card or anything with her name on it.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I would have to say the purchase and process was a really great experience, but it wasn't until after my seven-day test buy that I started having problems. I was under the impression that all maintenance was up to par until I started getting readings of my purchased car to schedule for maintenance, so that is what I did. Upon doing so, I was told by Reputable BMW dealership that the car was past due for maintenance so I proceeded to have it done. My oil was changed, oil filter, and one other microfilter that was pretty costly. In all, I was out a couple of hundred dollars before my first payment. After completion of this, I had the car back about a day and a half before the check engine light came on. At this point, I'm thinking I made a bad ideal with buying this car. I called the dealership back to get the car back in to check it out again. About a day later the mechanic calls back and asks has anyone ever worked on the car before outside of a BMW dealership? I respond no, I have only had the car a little under two weeks. He says he has found the reason for the maintenance notifications and says this would have never been done by a BMW certified mechanic. Someone re-wired the connecting wire to the oil maintenance sensor very poorly and the wires were touching, They sent me pics of the wiring before the repair and unfortunately, although they worked with me on the cost of labor it was an additional $95.00 to fix it correctly and professionally.

The moral of my story, take your car to a certified mechanic and reputable dealership for your brand purchase within the seven-day test buy. I'm currently awaiting response for my inconvenience.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend