Vroom Review: How It Works, Pros and Cons

Stay away from Vroom unless you don't value your time, money, and sanity.

Sales process:

The sales reps pushed submitting my financing application out a day because he wanted to see if I would change my mind about buying their "Vroom Protect" program or whatever it's called for $2500. So, already inconvenienced me in order to try to make a kickback. I asked if the car had paddle shifters because the images of the vehicle were too low res to be able to tell, nor was the feature listed. However, I knew the particular car typically came with it as an option, and just wanted to verify. He simply looked at the images and goes, "well it doesn't look like it does."

Problems with this:

1) The images are too low res to see the shifters in the first place, and sufficient information about the vehicle was lacking.

2) Could the guy not walked out to the vehicle to check? I'm about to spend $15,000+ and you can't answer a simple question about the car? If they're at a different location than the vehicles, at least have a way to contact someone who can get the answer.

Purchase process:

I was given bad information on how to send payment to them. You must send either a Cashier's Check or a Wire Transfer, both of which you must physically be at your bank for, which was an issue for me because my bank is out of state. Because of this, I asked their financial department whether I could send payment through Western Union instead. They said yes, no problem, I sent the payment, and got a call three days (give or take) later and was told that it actually wouldn't go through, even though I've already sent the money. Ended up sending Money Orders instead.

Delivery Process:

Poor explanation of how this works. Even though my vehicle arrived sooner than expected, I was in the dark for most of that time and was stressing like mad not knowing if it would be a week or two or three. The third-party who delivered the vehicle was stellar though.

Cleanliness of Vehicle:

Poor. The delivery driver immediately pointed out the scuffs, scratches, poorly touched up and un-sanded spots on the car. Okay, it's a 4-year-old car, I don't expect it to be absolutely perfect, but now I know why the photos on their website are low-resolution...THEY'RE HIDING IMPERFECTIONS.

Get inside, and what the heck? There's dirt and crumbs in every crevice, including on the seats! Not to mention the stench inside the vehicle from the previous owner...yes, I can still smell the previous owner and could give an accurate description of that person based on smell alone, I feel. That's how prominent the smell is. An hour and a half of wiping everything down with Armor All, and the vehicle actually kind of looks like new if you disregard the color wearing off the red leather driver seat. Febreeze has helped with the smell, but I'm disgusted.

Titling and Registration:

Still have yet to complete this process. You're told this will take 4-6 weeks or maybe longer. Well, I'm moving out of state in less than two weeks, so that ain't gonna work. I've called the title/registration department every single day for almost a week, leaving voicemails and callback numbers with all the information and questions stated. I've sent an email that has yet to be answered as well. I've called customer service (let me note that customer service is always very kind and helpful to the seemingly best of their abilities, however, what they're able to do for me is limited) several times who has tried contacting the title/registration department themselves with no resolution, as well as escalated the issue to their manager in hopes they may get an answer. Nada. Absolutely preposterous that these people are ghosts at such a crucial step in the process.

I will NEVER buy another car online. If for some reason I do, it won't be through Vroom.

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

I was skeptical about purchasing a vehicle through Vroom after reading a bunch of negative reviews about poor communication after the initial sale and long deliver times. After getting a loan pre-approval with USAA I used their car buying service which Vroom is a member of. I started the purchase process for a 2017 Toyota Tacoma on the morning of Saturday, the 17th of August, 2019 when I provide Vroom with a $500 deposit for the truck. Within a few hours, I received the purchase documents on DocuSign and they were completed in the same day. I was putting a $2,000 down payment, $500 from the deposit and then I had to wire the additional $1,500 on Monday, the 19th of August, 2019 to finalize the deal. I wired the money first thing in the morning ($20 fee to wire the money through USAA) and received payment instructions from Vroom within a few hours. By late morning the deal was officially complete. Within 2 hours of finalizing the deal I received an email from Vroom’s Delivery Support Specialist wanting to verify the delivery address. I confirmed the address via email and they said I was good to go and that the truck would arrive within 10 to 14 days.

On the morning of Monday, the 26th of August, 2019 I emailed the Delivery Support Specialist asking for an update on the delivery of the truck. Approximately 3 hours later I received a call from the shipping company stating the truck was in the area and could be delivered at 9 pm that night or 7:30 am the next morning. I scheduled to have it delivered at 9 pm with the expectation that it would be late because I’ve never had good luck with vehicle transport companies. To my surprise, at 8:45 pm the driver called me and said he would be to my house in 15 minutes. The vehicle arrived precisely at 9 pm and the driver was professional and courteous. I was expecting it to come on one of those big 18 wheeler transports where they pile 8 to 10 cars on it, however, it was an independent shipper with a trailer that could hold two vehicles.

One thing I wish I knew was that the truck would arrive with a Texas temporary registration tag that was good into October. I spent some time and money getting a temp tag in Florida where I live when I didn’t need to. As of today, Monday, the 2nd of September, 2019 I am waiting for the documentation to take to my local registry to get plates. They do state this process could take up to 6 weeks but I don’t really care because I can drive it with the Texas temp tag until the. Overall I am very satisfied with the experience I had using Vroom and I’m glad I took a chance despite the negative reviews I read.

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

I specifically asked sales staff, Morgan I think, to have the tech shop measure tire tread for the car tires and report back. She called and told me the tires measured in the 8 range...like the car has almost new tires. So I bought the car and my inspection after delivery finds the car has 3 measuring 7s and one barely 3. Can't drive a 4wd vehicle with varying tread without risking damage to the car. So I cannot even drive the car I just gave Vroom $25k for. My first customer service rep, Chris, left much to be desired. I'm told by new rep Zaidmy that Vroom is going to make me sign a release before they'll replace tires that never should have left their lot! It is as if the customer is the bad guy! I get very vague answers and info from Vroom customer service reps, but when Vroom sales are on the phone, I heard how Vroom won't even sell cars with defects or sub-standard cars and that any car Vroom is selling is high quality. I'm waiting now to know how Vroom handles this and a damage door trim from shipment. All I want is the "high quality" driveable car that I paid my hard-earned money to buy from Vroom. I'll review again when I know the end result.

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

I would never do this again. Took three weeks. No updates. No ETAs. Couldn’t make any plans. Emailed twice with no response. Customer service couldn’t connect me with anyone with answers. Website lied when it said that I would get an ETA in 5 days. Representatives lied when they said I’d get my vehicle in 10 to 14 days. The vehicle was shipped with worn tires. AND THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY! Never again.

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

The process of buying was simple and easy, delivery was decent. That is where the fairy tale ends, was told they would do everything they could to make sure I was satisfied!

1. Paint damage in spots or missing, was told they would have it detailed! Detailing is nice but will not replace missing paint.

2. Window tint damaged in places, was told they would pay to have it "removed" not replaced!

Not at all what I expected, future purchases will be made at a dealership the old fashioned way, unfortunately.

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

I wanted a Ford truck with a specific motor. I searched everywhere in town and could not find the one I wanted. Finally, I found it online and Vroom said they would ship it to me. It was $500 to deliver but I thought what the heck since it’s the exact truck I was looking for with the motor that can pull my trailer. I signed the papers and sent them back, then a few days later I get an email at noon saying your truck will be delivered today and before this I had not received a call or email saying it was going to be delivered today. I had to call out of work and go home and after a few hours I called in and they said the truck won’t actually be there till the next day between 9 am and 7 pm. I called out of work for the next day and waited for the truck, which arrived at 8 pm after dark. The next day I went out and looked at it and it does not have the advertised motor in it. The one it has, the base 6 cylinder. I sent an email in to the support team and waited 24 hours. I didn’t receive a call or email, so I called in and they were closed so I left a voicemail and waited another 24 hours in which I did not hear anything again. So, for the third time I call in and explain the situation and the person simply says the fault was not on their end and he will send it to his buy back department but the $500 is nonrefundable. Lesson learned. If you cannot see or touch what you are buying don’t send money or sign anything trusting they will hold up their side of the deal. Now I am waiting to hear from the buy back dept which may take 48 hours. So far I am missing a day and a half of work and $500. If I had to do it over I would just stay local that way you can see it with your own eyes and know exactly what you are getting. Too much stuff gets lost online or explained over the phone and they wont take ownership of anything.

Update - Absolutely the worst company I have ever had to work with. So the representative calls me up just to tell me I am wrong. The had since taken all the ads and he says if you don’t have any written proof I can’t help you and then sends me a pdf that has nothing to do with the website or the phone call where the person on the phone told me the incorrect info. I decided just to do the refund process and told them that I only drove the truck half a mile to fill up the truck with gas so I would like to get the money back for that and I can supply the receipt and if that was going to be a problem let me know before the truck gets picked up. A few days later the truck gets picked up and within the hour I get a response asking if I have written proof about getting a refund from vroom. I told him he should have let me know before the truck got picked up and had days to do it. He said there was nothing he can do. Vroom has now stolen $563.65 with no remorse, empathy, or decorum. Take it from me. Do not do business with Vroom. They are only worried about being right and actively looking to turn the screws to the hard-working customer.

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

I was skeptical. My co-workers thought I was crazy. But I took a leap of faith and bought a car online. In the end, I LOVE my "new" 2015 Honda Fit. For several months, I was continually searching my local dealer's inventories. One used FIT came on the market. It wasn't the color I wanted but by the time I realized I needed to settle, it was gone. Then VROOM! Several to choose from, all with year and color options that made my list. They worked easily with me and with several financing options - to include working with my bank (they definitely do not make you feel pushed to use one of theirs). When the car arrived it did, unfortunately, have a dead battery...yup! On my first day, I had to go buy a new one. When I called Vroom their response to complain their response was considerate - hitting just the right tone (after all these things do happen). I had a check for my costs within 5 days. Amazing. I would encourage you to see if they have the car for you.

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

So easy to buy a car. The staff was knowledgable. They were quick to respond. I got my beautiful car earlier than the estimated date. The company they contracted with to deliver the car was amazing. On time. Courteous. Professional. So the front end of buying a car was fantastic. Now to the backend of the deal.

Vroom purchased my vehicle as a trade-in. Fair price. However, they didn't contact the delivery person until the day of my delivery, to tell him they needed him to pick up the car they purchased from me. He didn't have room on his truck. I called every day to figure out what was going to happen. Every day there was an apology and a "Someone will be calling you." Nope. No phone calls. I emailed. No response. I had to store "their" car for two weeks. It was so frustrating to just be ignored over and over again with broken promises of calling. I did get my vehicle picked up today and again, the carrier was so polite, professional, and on time. So under impressed with the back end of this deal and to this day they have not responded to me. I am now awaiting the title and papers to my new car. I surely hope it goes easier than the past two weeks.

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

I was initially very excited about this vehicle and eagerly put down a $500 hold based on the online pictures and the repeated assurances from the sales person that the $500 would be added back in once the purchase was completed. The car was shipped very quickly, which is an anomaly according to the other reviews I read. The delivery driver was great about communicating with me during the transit from Texas and I was able to meet him a parking lot near my house for easy offloading. As soon as I saw the vehicle, I was not at all excited about the color as it didn't look much like the candy apple red vehicle that I saw on the website (it was more of a maroon red). The car arrived dirty but that was to be expected as it was on the back of a transport trailer and it was raining. During my initial inspection I discovered that repairs had been done at some point to the rear bumper and the repair paint job was easily detectable to someone familiar with auto body repair work. There was no mention of an accident in the Carfax report, but that doesn't mean anything either. Overall though, the exterior was not too bad.

However, upon opening the doors and observing the interior, I was both surprised and disappointed by the lack of detailing and basic cleaning that went into this car. The interior was an off white color and it showed all kinds of stains and damage that I wouldn't have expected in a four year old car at that price. The deal breaker, however, was the black rubber tape (more like tar) that surrounded the inside of the top of the drivers door. Clearly, someone was trying to minimize the road noise that was coming through the top of the drivers door (right by your left ear) with horrible looking putty tape. A test drive confirmed the noise issue and I decided let my wife be the deciding vote (it was to be her car after all). She drove the car for about 25-30 miles and could not stand the road noise coming from the window.

We decided to have the car picked up and discovered that we would not get our $500 hold money back (I can't be too mad about that because it's in the darn contract, in spite of what I was initially told). The pickup was scheduled and within a couple of days, the driver contacted me for directions and pick up date. The driver missed his initial window by about 12 hours, but he was there before noon the next day. As soon as I sent a copy of the bill of lading, Vroom began to process my check. The check arrived within a couple of days, much to my surprise.

All in all, I would have to say that, other than the huge disappointment with the car they sent me and the loss of $500 for the privilege of test-driving their vehicle, the process was as promised. I wanted to be really mad about the $500, but that was my own stupid fault for not researching the contract more thoroughly. From what I read, the nightmare of purchasing an online vehicle may have been narrowly avoided by sending it back right away. I do NOT feel comfortable trying to buy a car on-line again...I want to SEE it and drive it without having to pay someone $500 for the privilege of looking. Anyway, I cannot say anything negative about the speed of delivery, pickup, or the reimbursement process, much to my relief, but it did cost me $500 for nothing but two weeks of anxiety and disappointment.

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

What an awful business. I wanted to trade in my current vehicle and purchase one from them. They kept sending me trade-in offers via email that I could not open. Their tech support was absolutely useless. I never did get to see what they offered me. I started the purchase process on one particular vehicle 3 separate times because I never heard back from anyone about completing the purchase. Did they hire the customer service dept from Sears? I predict Vroom will be going the way of Sears very soon. Stay away from these people. I would give negative stars if they let me.

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

We had a great experience with Tyrone. The people in post-sales/delivery were very nice and helpful. Car was delivered without any issues. All good. Would recommend Vroom to future buyers.

Thank you.

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