Vroom Review: How It Works, Pros and Cons

My husband and I started working with Vroom mid-December and purchased a Lexus GS 350. I was a little skeptical because we have never purchased a car online before, but we decided to try it out to save money and bypass the haggle at the dealership. As most of the reviews indicate, the initial phone call and follow up before the exchange of money was very simple, but as most have indicated, after the purchase everything went downhill. We spoke with the same person before purchasing the car, but after we purchased the car, we talked to multiple reps. None of them communicate with each other and supervisors are non-existent.

Vroom states within their agreement to deliver your car within 14 days. We had hoped to get our car before Christmas but got an e-mail stating that they were "prepping our car." A few days after Christmas we got another email stating that they were still "prepping our car." When we called after the holidays to find out what they were "prepping," no one could tell us.

On December 31st, two days before the end of the 14-day period, we called again to find out when our car would be delivered and no one had a clue. The customer service rep stated that she would ask the inspection department. By the end of the day, she had not gotten a response. At this point, we were told that the office was closed on January 1st but it was possible that our car would be shipped on January 2nd.

On January 2nd we called back and was told that our car was being "buffed." There was still no indication as to when our car was to be shipped. I am no dummy and know that "buffing" does not take a day. We were beyond frustrated at this point by the lack of urgency and no answers. We told the rep we spoke with that we were at our 14th day. We asked if they would pay for our rental and they only offered us $100 and still no indication as to when our car would be sent.

I should mention at this point that this was a CASH purchase, so Vroom was not financing the deal. They had all of the money for the car. We asked for our money back and they did not try to pursue the sale AT ALL! They started prepping an email to facilitate the return of our money offering us nothing in return. We could never escalate to a supervisor. They could care less about the sale. How could any company that wants to be profitable send back CASH when you have a sale with CASH in hand? I could not believe it. They sent the money back within 24 hours and the car has been reposted to this website. It could have been SOLD!

I should mention that if you deal with this company, you may want to be prepared to wait 3-5 weeks to get your car as ours was not delivered as they promised. You should also know that if you ask for your money back, your bank may put a hold on your funds so you will be held up another 2-3 weeks if you want to purchase another vehicle. We went elsewhere and are happy with our purchase. I will encourage all of my friends and family to do the same. This company has a long way to go with their customer service so don’t say you were not warned. This was by far, the worst car buying experience I have ever had!

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

From the beginning, I had so much trouble getting ahold of anyone that could get me straight answers about a vehicle. From vacation time to no one working on the weekend, it took from first contact on 12/17/18 to 1/5/19 JUST to get me the correct paperwork with the correct figures on it. I got a bad feeling about everything once my car was on its way, so I decided to cancel the deal while in transit on 1/6/19 before they took my currently owned car away.

Vroom expected me to sign contracts within 24 hours of getting them and to overnight my signed title to them for trade in. However, once I canceled my deal before they could take ownership of my trade-in, they have taken their time with my title. I still don't know where it is, and customer service gives me the same answer that "buybacks take time." The thing is, I don't have their car, and they don't have mine. So why is it so difficult to locate a title that no longer legally belongs to Vroom, and put it in the mail?

When a company requests you to do things urgently when making money but does not take this same urgency in getting things back to you of importance, like a signed title, it undermines any reliability that they care about customers. The bottom line comes first.

To top it off, after three different discussions with different people, I STILL have not received my $500 refundable car hold back.

So when Vroom says that it makes car buying easy, I would say go down the street to a real person in a dealership and drive away with a car you've seen, versus spending weeks on the phone and email just trying to get your life back straight again because you want to return it.

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

Wholesale cars for retail prices. If it's not hard to find, buy it from a local dealer. I bought a 2017 Wrangler from Vroom that was a special edition and kind of hard to find. Slow to respond or ship. Kept saying the vehicle was still in the inspection process.

The vehicle was delivered 15 days after I wired the money, so not too bad, but I went and met the driver after dark on the side of the road and the driver wanted me to try and inspect that it had no damage. It was covered in road grime (okay I get it was trailered), and leftover wax where it looks like a 5-year-old waxed it. It did have a large ding in the paint on the hood that I would have never seen in the dark. The gas light was on and on E, so I had to find a gas station before I could even take home. Lights on the dash for all the tires were way low on pressure. An inspection was the last thing that was done. Sticky cup holders, etc., 7,993 miles on it and the tires had never been taken off to rotate, nor do we think the oil had even been changed from the factory.

With the one key and no floor mats, it was about $560 at the dealership to get it right and driveable. Buying from a regular dealer, you can assure to pay the same price and have a vehicle ready to go. If it was not hard to find I would for sure send it back! Oh, I also left a message for customer support and never returned calls!

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

I'm posting the same review on numerous sites because I know buyers might look in different places for info on a company. I find Vroom would only be appropriate for a person who has done all the research and knows exactly what they want and can handle a sight unseen, limited info car. They also must be patient enough to wait for delivery. My delivery was quick, it arrived within ten days of sending all the final paperwork, I have no complaints in that area.

I bought my car through them because they happened to have the exact car I was looking for. I could only find two others nationwide, and Vroom was the lowest price even with paying for shipping. The only info I had on the car was the listing, and what I found through a VIN search on Google, I couldn't get any more info despite sending emails with questions. My car had no spare key, a missing navigation card, and a missing wheel lock key. I have to replace all those myself.

The car arrived with a very dirty exterior. There was a sticker on the back window that left two huge adhesive/paper lines, it took Goo Gone, time, and a razor blade to remove it all. I couldn't even see out of the windows and had to wash before driving. The interior was fine though. I understand this is what you get with this type of buying and it was shipped from Texas to California, but finding a way to get the car delivered at least a bit clean would make a better impression.

My one real complaint was that the car arrived with a missing nav card, all the packaging was there, but it was empty. When I requested information, I received a curt reply with the original listing stating navigation was not listed. I knew it wasn't listed, but it's standard on the car trim level and every feature is not listed, I thought it might have been misplaced or something. The reply was lacking in tact, it irked me a great deal and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. A better response would have made a huge difference in how I feel about this company.

There is also no inspection paperwork. They state they do a 126-point inspection, but I have no paperwork that it was inspected at all. Ultimately, I got the car I wanted at a very good price. It worked for me because I knew exactly what I wanted. If someone finds the car they want and doesn't need help, the prices are good.

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

I took a chance with Vroom after reading all the reviews online. It wasn’t an easy decision, but simple and quick once I decided to go for it. I was skeptical, and bought a truck that could have been a complete mess. The process was quick, easy, and very convenient. I am in the DFW area, the truck showed up four days after receiving the inspection email. The truck was immaculate on the inside and out, very clean with a full tank of gas. I traded in my Honda Civic, which they gave me a higher price on than anyone else would offer.

So far the truck has been great, and the service was great as well. Anthony helped me complete the deal, and Audrey the hub manager called multiple times to verify everything was going well with my purchase. I’m not sure if it will work out the same for you, but give them a chance. I’m glad I did, and some of the older reviews seem like it could have been from older management.

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

I really wanted to like this process of avoiding a dealership. Zero communication after initial purchase communication. Pickup was listed as 4wd, but then after delivery was discovered it wasn’t (Silverado 2500HD Duramax with lift, one would assume it’s 4wd). I called to return, after that phone call I received no responses to emails or calls. I just happened to look out my window one morning before going to the office and saw a car hauler pull up. No heads up at all, if I hadn’t been home, I’m sure this process would be taking even longer. So now 30 days from the start of the process I still don’t have a truck and also don’t have my $10,000 down payment. I received notice mid last week from the lender that the loan was canceled. Every time I’ve called about the return status the two people that handle returns aren’t working. They don’t work weekends and don’t even work some weekdays according to one customer service rep. So if you get lucky and get the vehicle you thought you were buying and don’t have to do a return, it might be ok.

Timeline:

11/26 - initiated purchase.

11/28 - received initial documents.

11/30 - received additional documents.

11/30 - wired funds.

12/10 - vehicle delivered.

12/12 - requested return vehicle was improperly listed as 4wd.

12/18 - vehicle was picked up by the driver with no prior notice I just happened to be home.

12/26 -still no refund.

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

Buying a car from Vroom was the worst retail experience of my life. They over promised and under delivered every step of the way. It took me almost a month to get my car as they delayed everything from paperwork to delivery.

Now, I'm trying to get the car titled and registered in my state and Vroom has also proven to be unknowledgeable on how to even do that. They said they'd handle everything, but in actuality, I have to figure all that out and do it.

Oh, and hey Don at Vroom, I'm still waiting for you to send me my missing parts and check you said you would weeks ago.

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

I must disclose how disappointed I am as I begin to realize all the negative reviews I have read about Vroom are slowly becoming my own experience. It will be a month long, if not longer, process to get a vehicle. This was a Christmas gift. Now clearly after New Year's. Yesterday all paperwork declared complete and I would get a call. Nothing as of today (same as complaints from others, often three days late). Then I see that when the vehicle has been inspected (a 7-10 day process? For real? No dealer would take two hours for this). I will get another call that will provide a delivery date (7-14 days or more...and many have said more was their experience). Unless buried somewhere in the paperwork, this 10-day wait and leisurely relaxed contact approach gives this process a month. I would NEVER have started this process knowing that. And the salesperson never indicated anything like that.

You say you record your calls? Read the transcripts. I was led to believe in just a week or little more I would have my vehicle. I've yet to receive my call telling me the process I face. Probably a few more days for that? Allowing Vroom all the cushion to manage sales and delivery at a comfortable pace after the sale is done, and the buyer has no recourse but to type this Customer Service and to provide a review to the various services that do such reviews. Which I fully intend to do once I hit send here. I hope the car is worth the stress of this. These folks are not transparent and forthwith about their business processes.

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

I purchased a used vehicle from Vroom right about 30 days ago. The process was seamless, and the vehicle was delivered on time and as described. I was thoroughly impressed by this aspect of the business.

I have one major problem with Vroom and will not recommend the service to anyone. When you find a vehicle you like and want to purchase the vehicle, you are required to put down a $500 hold deposit to make the vehicle unavailable for purchase by someone else. If you are not using the $500 as a down payment, they claim they will return the money after purchase. I received my vehicle three weeks ago and still have not received my refund. I have talked with customer service two times in the last 21 days. Both times I have been told that they would ensure accounting would put the money back in my card and I would receive an email letting me know the transaction was complete. They are lying, and I’m thinking this is how they are paying their expenses.

Vroom is not ethical and will not return your funds even when they say they will. Do not purchase from Vroom and avoid at all costs.

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

Vroom Customer Support STINKS. You never get a response to your email or phone calls. If you do, they provide you with a scripted response so vague that leaves you with a feeling you've just been SCAMMED. Save yourself the headaches, don't buy from Vroom.

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

I give 2 stars because if you like a car, you pick it out, they see if you qualify, and they give you the terms as far as monthly payments, and how much down you have to give...

But here is the bad part: If you don't agree with those terms with that car, then you pick another car, but then they run your credit again for another car, when they have already run your credit for the first car. I mean, come on guys, you keep running my credit, messing up my credit, to see what car is suitable for me. Which means they don't pre-approve! That is not fair, especially if you're trading in your current car and you still owe on it, how do I know if I'm approved or not? I won't know until they run my credit 1000 times to see what I'm approved for...WOW! Not cool for someone who is trying to rebuild credit!

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