Did someone here sell a car to Carmax?

[Doc_Lobster]

I thought I read a post from a while ago about having a good experience selling a car to carmax and I was just hoping I could get some details.

We are considering either selling or trading in our car and I wanted to consider all possible options.

[Mushe]

We got a quote from them, and used it as leverage from the dealer to trade my car in. It was super easy! Maybe 10 min to get the quote, and if we'd accepted we would have been cut a check then.

[ChiKate]

I'm a lurker on here but I've sold two cars to CarMax. Both were simple, easy transactions and I'd do it again. We sold 2000 Honda Accord in Jan '09 and then a 1998 Civic in Nov '11. We could've likely gotten more money if we sold privately but both needed some repairs (the Civic needed a new transmission) and this saved us a lot of time and effort. For both sales we were simply selling, not looking to purchase another car either with CarMax or elsewhere.

[snakeoiltanker]

Im not the poster you're talking about but here is my experience. We bought our new car from Carmax but sold our old car person to person because Carmax offered us below KBB on it. If your car fits Carmax's criteria for resell at their lot they will offer a fair price. If not, they sell your car at auction so they don't really offer anything. My car had high mileage at 75,000 miles. The guy really tried to talk me down about how much effort it is for them to unload a car they can't sell on premises. They offered me $2000. I declined and was easily able to sell it for $4000. My buying experience was great though. Sorry if that's not any help.

[Deleted]

It's easy to get a quote, so I don't see any harm in checking.

[hokiegirl82]

We sold our 2005 Nissan Pathfinder to Carmax in October 2010. I bought a new Subaru outback, so we got a quote at Carmax, then got a quote from the subaru dealer. the carmax quote was a couple thousand more, so we sold it to carmax. it was very easy.

[marylou]

We sold to them a few years ago. It was painless, and they offered us a very fair number, so we went with it.

[dietdrpepper]

We have sold twice, bought once from CarMax and love them. My first car I sold to them about 6 years ago had a value of about $4k and they offered me $2k, which I took bc we had 3 cars, I was paying insurance on it but not driving it, and was 8.5 months pregnant and didnt want to deal with a private sale.

We bought from them this summer and found a GREAT deal on a good car. Afterwards we took in our 99 Camry to them, which had about 188K miles on it, multiple repair and paint jobs, leaking oil, stained upholstery in the backseat (kids) and a cracked windshield. I was expecting about $200. They offered us $1200. I was shocked but took it! Easy process.

[rubytue]

I'm guessing I was the one you are thinking about (mid-December-ish?).

We took H's truck to Carmax and they offered us the exact same figure as "private party sale" at Edmunds.com. That was the highest, and $2k more than H was thinking they would offer based on the "dealer trade-in" value on Edmunds.

It was really easy. We went in without an appointment, they put a number on the car and asked us to wait. We looked around at their trucks while we were waiting. About 45 minutes later they called our cell phone and said they were ready. We walked back in and they gave us the offer. We took it and ran!

Ok, not really. We forgot a couple paperwork things (we had the title, but they needed the loan release paper. We thought we got a new title when we paid it off, but apparently not), so we had to run back home. We would have been in and out in about an hour if it weren't for that.

The offer was valid for 7 days or 150 miles (I think, don't quote me on the mileage). So you can have them appraise it and not buy it.

Oh, and FWIW, I checked carmax's website several times over the next few weeks, and they never listed our truck. I thought it was too old for them (2003 w/ 85k miles).

[moolarkey]

DD sold her car to them. I was amazed at how easy and quick it was. I don't think we were there more than about 20-25 minutes and she walked out with a check in hand. She knew what she wanted for it and what they offered her was the what she'd been thinking so it was very easy. Like Ruby said, they took the car in to inspect it and we waited in their lobby. It didn't take long at all. DD had all her paperwork (Car was paid off so no loan to deal with). It was so easy. I don't remember the time period she was offered to decide, she knew she wanted to sell it as she'd already found another car to buy elsewhere (pre-owned, buying from the original owner). We went on a weeknight about 5:30 or 6:30 I think. We did not have an appointment either. We were at the one in Columbus, Sawmil Rd area which is sort of betwee Worthington & Dublin along the outbelt (270).

They only buy so many years back, I think it may be 5 years or 6? Anything older than whatever that number is, they won't buy. Many that they do buy go straight to auction and are never put on their lot.

[Kore]

I sold my Honda Insight to them last year. It was super easy. I took it in & got a quote. They fully inspected it, & gave me no pressure. I had a window (a week, maybe) to decide. When I was ready, I went in, filled out a little paperwork, & walked out with a check.

[rubytue]

Wow, after seeing the other times on here, I should add we showed up without an appointment on a Saturday morning in a densely populated area.

[carolinagirl831]

We got a quote for an older car we just sold, it was 1999 Toyota corrolla with 230k, they quoted us 1k. We sold it a week later on Craigslist for $1600. You'll always get more if you sell it yourself!

[Deleted]

We sold my car that was 11 years old and needed work. I was thrilled to get the $ for it. Anything older than 5 years (I think) gets sold at auction, usually for parts.

[mccallister84]

SO got a quote from them. He sold it for three times as much privately. It doesn't hurt to get the quote though. It took us less than half an hour and was good for a week.

[Doc_Lobster]

Wow, thanks everyone! This is really helpful. I always see their ads and kind of assumed that it would be an obnoxious experience, but it doesn't sound that way at all.

I am going to check it out!

[Doc_Lobster]

The car in question is a 2009 Mazda 3 with reasonable miles, so it might be worthwhile.

We share a car these days and H absolutely hates the Mazda. I am neutral on it, but we both loved out old civic (drove it for 11 years, RIP old civic) and I thought it might be nice to get another one.

[Willis Jackson]

We got a quote and it was a very pleasant experience.

[rubytue]

FWIW, H spent about 4 hours the day before we sold the truck giving it a full detail. Washed, waxed, buffed, vacuumed, etc. This was a work truck that has been on many a construction site, so it was pretty dirty and dinged up. I think that 4 hours was worth about $1k.

[CloudBee]

We did, and it was SO easy.

After having no luck selling it privately and getting "meh" offers from local dealers, we drove to Carmax. They offered us more than anyone, and had a much more seamless process. We will definitely price them out again in the future.

[OG Jo]

I agree with the poster who said they offer more if the car fits into their resale criteria. I took our high milage, but in great shape, Jeep Grand Cherokee in and was told that they would sell it at auction and offered me only $2k. KBB resale was over $5k.

[angeldcf]

We did. Dealer offered us $600, Carmax offered $1700. Found out it sold at auction for $500. I was surprised at how quick and painless it was even though I didn't buy a car from Carmax. KBB was $1900 so I was ok with this. Yes, I could have probably sold privately for $1900ish, but it wasn't worth my time at that point.

[imojoebunny]

We have sold a car to carmax. It was a newer model, only 3 years old, and a lemon. We did not feel like we could honestly sell it to someone ourselves because it had so many problems. We have gotten quotes for selling other cars, but they were never near as much as we could get on our own. That might change with the new tax laws in our state at give dealers the advantage rather than private sellers. My last car I took there, they offered me $15k. I got $18.9k from a private purchaser, the first and only person who came to look. Easiest 3.9k I ever made.

[housegeek]

I sold my first car to carmax, they even paid more than I owed so I got some cash back