Vroom Review: How It Works, Pros and Cons

Vroom was the worst online buying service I have ever used. This was the third time I have purchased a car with an online service, first time with Vroom. The customer service team was very friendly but terribly ineffective and unable to help with any request.

The car showed up filthy with more damage than the pictures show. Not to mention how long it took to get delivered from the time I started the deal.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Took about 5 business days to finish the transaction (selling Tesla M3) - from getting/accepting the offer early Monday to loading the car on the trailer late Friday and getting a check early Monday. Great communication and detailed instructions from Vroom vehicle acquisition team after each step.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

I'd recommend Vroom for sure - we got a better price for our car than any other online car-buying company, and while our personal circumstances made the process stressful, it was really pretty smooth and the Vroom team worked hard to get it done fast.

Pros:

- Great price.

- Customer service team very helpful and friendly.

- Easy process and relatively fast.

Cons:

- There are more steps to selling than the basic online rundown states.

- Getting through to customer service took 30 minutes on average (until we got to the pick-up process, then it was really fast).

Our experience:

We were selling our car on a deadline because we were leaving the country. We were also on a road trip and intending to have the car picked up from a hotel. In total, from getting a quote to pick-up took 9 days.

The Vroom team tried their best to get it all sorted before we left, but in the end, we had to leave the car with a friend for a couple of days. He just supervised the pick-up and handed over the keys.

The process was a little more involved than the basic sales-pitch makes it sound. We got the online quote ($1,000 more than their main competitor) and immediately accepted it. Filling in the online paperwork and uploading documents was pretty easy, but they ask for a Lien Release letter, which we didn't have to hand. Don't really know why they need it, the car was fully paid off. Anyway, we couldn't get it from Kia and we wasted a day waiting for it. We uploaded the other documents and went ahead without it. Turns out it made no difference, so we wasted a day of our very tight schedule.

Then we were told that they would FedEx us a package with a form to fill in, and that we would return the Title and spare keys to them by FedEx. We were never informed this was one of the steps and it broke our tight timeline, unfortunately.

The FedEx system was really pretty quick. Their package arrived Sunday and they had ours back by Tuesday. Then we had to arrange pick-up. It only took 3 days to sort out (this was in Los Angeles), but by then we'd left so we had to leave the car with a very helpful friend who handed over the key.

The check was mailed out after 2 days. They won't mail it internationally and while I was initially told a bank transfer was possible, it was never made clear whether that actually could happen. Luckily, a family member helped us with the check so we didn't have to cross that bridge.

Beginning to end it took 9 days to sell the car. That's pretty quick, but not as quick as we were intially told (5-7 days) and I chased them every day to make sure things got done asap. I don't know if it made a difference to the speed, but the customer service reps were really great, once I was able to get through to them.

If you're not doing this on a tight deadline while on a road trip, I think it would be a pretty smooth painless process. As it was for us, every minor delay was stressful, but that's just in our very specific circumstances. I felt like the Vroom team worked hard to get it done in time and work with our complex situation.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Easy to access and choose Vroom car service online.

Great team to deal with and work for appropriate responses, and provided a positive attitude.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Vroom was overall a great experience. After a few questions online, we were on our way to selling our car. Everyone at Vroom was very nice to talk to and essentially held our hand the entire way. The process was seamless.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

I received the vehicle with a crack in the glass roof. The driver noticed and documented this when he picked it up from Vroom. Vroom promised a very good financing rate through Santander. One month later I still have not received any documentation from Santander. I have called Santander. They don't know who I am. This sounds like a financing bait and switch. Who knows how this will end?

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

This was by far the worst car buying experience I have ever had. The amount of energy you put into the process to ensure you get everything done on your end is not reciprocated by Vroom. It is obvious that the system they have in place does not work, and has everything falling through the crack.

For example, I informed Vroom that I would be financing with my local credit union. I advised the representative on 11/10 that I would need a signed Purchase Agreement in order for my bank to finance. The representative advised that once I sign the DocuSign documents on my end, someone on their end will sign it and I will automatically get a copy. I signed the documents on 11/10. Waited for my signed copy, but never received. I called on 11/12 again and the representative said that she expedited my request to a supervisor and that I would be getting a signed copy by COB on 11/12. I ask if she was sure because if so, I am going to book an appointment with my bank the next day to finalize the financing. She confirmed that I will receive the paperwork by COB on 11/12. Went to bend and work up the next morning to furious because I did not receive the documents. I called Vroom back on 11/13 and demanded the signed paperwork like they promised because I had an appointment with my bank in the next 30 minutes. That's when I finally received what I needed.

This is one of many examples of how Vroom does not communicate internally. This compounded into more headaches and unnecessary stress during these already stressful times.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Complaint to Vroom:

See the below picture of the 2018 Acura MDX 5J8YD4H57JL013795. I contacted you immediately after it was delivered yesterday to return this vehicle due to the following reasons:

All tires bad below 4/32 and balding on the side of tires due to either low tire pressure or bad alignment.

All wheels curb scuffed.

The vehicle arrived dirty both inside and out with stains on seats, headliner, etc.

Dog hairs present on carpet and seats.

Dog bites and/or toenails indentations on top of doors where dogs would hang out.

Check engine light on.

Low tire pressure and/or sensor warning on.

Scratches on several locations of the vehicle.

Dent in the back quarter panel behind the rear right side wheel.

Loren, my salesperson, told me he read the notes and this vehicle comes with a spare key, which it did not, only one key fob delivered. Key fob costs $500.00 to replace.

The vehicle has a continuous amount of smoke from the exhaust while running.

This vehicle came from Manheim Auction, 145 Auction Lane, Stateville, NC. I called and talked to a lady there and she told me it was delivered from another auction house and all they did was change the oil and basic wash to take pictures.

My wife and I are so disappointed in Vroom. I read all the bad reviews but was assured that we would receive a great vehicle with no issues. We were misled and this wasted our time and money to purchase and trade ours in.

We are hereby requesting the money wired back to our bank that we took out a loan immediately! A stop and desist be placed on our trade, 2017 Mazda CX5 since it has not been picked up yet.

I want all delivery fees and down payment returned to me ASAP since the vehicle was misrepresented.

I am requesting an additional $250.00 from Vroom for wasting our time, traveling back and forth to the bank, FedEx, Bank Wire Fees, etc. This is a fair request since Vroom was not honest with us and not in good faith.

Update:

We were finally reimbursed a week after the vehicle was picked up minus my $250.00 request for wasted time. Vroom has been revoked from the BBB so beware this company continues to fail, stocks are decreasing because of poor service and faulty vehicles.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Beware! There are many things about buying from Vroom that were frustrating, costly, and could have been handled much better. They have a complete lack of communication between their main office and their HUB facilities and "carriers" that deliver the car to you. My vehicle took over 2 weeks to deliver after I paid in full. This, I found out later, was supposedly due to an issue with the battery. The "carrier" missed my first delivery and did not even have the courtesy of calling me to tell me what was happening. I called Vroom for several days afterwards, and they could not tell me what the issue was. All they would do was blame the carrier. They kept trying to call, text, and email the carrier, but they could not reach them or tell me what had happened.

Another thing to consider is that the registration process in your state might be affected by their policy of temporarily registering all vehicles in Texas. Even though my vehicle has always been in CA and remained here, running everything through Texas really messes up things. It was going to cause me to have to take the extra steps and fees of a VIN verification and smog check. Rather than do that, I just paid the penalty fees for the expired CA registration and paid for about 5 months of past registration on a vehicle I didn't even own yet. It was about the same cost, but without the extra steps or another trip to a COVID impacted DMV with long lines.

The car was finally delivered and it was as advertised. I feel it was a pretty good price, but definitely not good enough to have dealt with all the stress and lack of communication on what was happening. The Vroom employees I dealt with on the phone were nice and understanding of my frustration, but they really could not give me any answers. I have asked for a refund of the $599 delivery fee, but I haven't heard anything back from Vroom. Vroom really needs to improve their delivery process and communication with the HUB facilities and carriers.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Quickly searched, via a filter, for the car I was interested in. Confirmed it and began the process of concluding the deal with a very professional, personable, and extremely knowledgeable customer service agent by the name of Breanna.

From start to finish, she afforded an experience that was filled with trust, regard, and notable pride in her work.

Overall, this was the epitome of what one deems favorable when purchasing an automobile.

She, without question, is a true credit to her company.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

Vroom made everything right after escalating.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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