Which is Better for Selling the Car?
Overall, Carvana is a better company to sell your used car. First, Carvana’s offer is valid for seven days or an additional 1,000 miles while CARFAX offer is valid for three days only. Next, Carvana offers cash or trade-in value for your next car while CARFAX offers only cash.
Finally, Carvana offers a free pickup or lets you drop off your car to its location yourself. Meanwhile, CARFAX doesn’t offer pickups.
Best for Older & Damaged Cars
Buys used, damaged or junk cars
Free tow and no hidden fees
Pays by ACH trasfer or check
Top Pick for Junk Cars
Free, no-obligation cash offers
Offers free paperwork service
Pays on the spot upon pick up
Highly Rated by Customers
Excellent customer service ratings
Honors guaranteed offer for 7 days
Can pick up a car within 48 hours
Great for Low-Mileage Cars
Gives a real offer in 2 minutes
100% hassle-free online process
Free car’s Value Tracker available
CARFAX vs. Carvana Comparison
| CARFAX | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars accepted | In good condition | In good condition, 1992+ |
| Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Requesting quotes | Online application | Online application |
| Offer validity | 3 days | 7 days or an additional 1,000 miles |
| Payments offered | Cash | Cash or trade-in value |
| Payout | Check, direct deposit | Check, direct deposit, direct debit |
| Car pick-up | Drop off | Free pickup or drop off |
| Physical locations | Partner dealerships in the US | 33 Car Vending Machines |
| Turnaround time | Up to 72 hours | Up to 72 hours |
| Customer service | Online form | Phone, email, online form |
| Reviews | 2 | 2.7 |
Cars Accepted
CARFAX accepts cars that are in either of its three acceptable conditions since their partner dealerships only buy for their inventory. These include:
- Fair, which has mechanical issues and/or cosmetic flaws that are in need of repair or replacement
- Good, meaning there are no major mechanical problems and only minor cosmetic flaws
- Excellent, or vehicles that are good as new and have no cosmetic flaws or * mechanical problems
Similarly, Carvana only accepts cars in good condition. In addition, you can only sell your car to them if it’s a 1992 or newer model.
Fees
Both CARFAX and Carvana don’t charge anything when you sell your car to them. You can get your free instant quote online and appraisal when you bring your vehicle to them.
Requesting Quotes
To sell with CARFAX and Carvana, you’ll need to go to their website and provide details about your car. On the CARFAX homepage, locate the option to sell your car and click on the blue Get Cash Offers button.
This will take you to another page where you can enter:
- Your license plate number, VIN, or car’s make, model, and year
- Your car’s condition
- Trim and options
Then, CARFAX will prompt you to provide contact details. Their partner car dealerships will contact you for the instant offer, and you can schedule to bring your car for inspection.
Alternatively, you can locate nearby CARFAX dealerships and contact them to claim your instant offer.
As for Carvana, requesting an online offer also requires you to provide details about your car. You can start with the VIN so the website can determine your car’s make, model, and year. From there, you only need to provide the following details:
- Trim
- Mileage
- Color
- Premium features
- Accessory packages
- Wheels and tires
- Instrumentation
- Seats
Carvana will also ask for your vehicle’s history you can provide through an online questionnaire. If you’re opting for the pickup option, you’ll also need to provide proof of ownership and identity by uploading your
- Photo of your car’s title
- Photo ID
- Odometer reading
Offer Validity
CARFAX offers are good for 3 days, while Carvana lets you claim an instant quote for up to 7 days or an additional 1,000 miles.
Payments Offered
CARFAX and Carvana let you sell your car for cash. However, only Carvana has the option to credit your car’s value towards your next car. Through its trade-in option, you can get your new car within the same day you sell your car.
Payout
CARFAX will send you a check or process the payment through direct deposit within 3 days of accepting their offer. Carvana, in contrast, hands out the payment through check before they tow your car away.
Car Pick-up
CARFAX requires sellers to bring their vehicles for inspection at one of their partner dealerships. Meanwhile, Carvana has the free pickup option, letting the sellers select the pickup schedule.
You can also drop off your car at any of their 33 car vending machines.
Physical Locations
CARFAX works with car dealerships across the country. You can locate the ones near you through their website, and bring your vehicle there to sell. Carvana, on the other hand, has physical locations through their car vending machines.
Turnaround Time
Although getting an instant offer online can take only several minutes, both CARFAX and Carvana need to inspect your car before finalizing the sale.
For the entire process of selling your car, you can expect a turnaround time of up to 72 hours for both companies.
Customer Service
You can contact CARFAX customer service through an online form on their Help Center web page. It also has Facebook and Twitter accounts where you can send a direct message about concerns about selling your car.
Carvana, on the other hand, has a chat support option on their website. You can also call them at 1-800-333-4554. This hotline is available between 8 AM to 10 PM EDT only.
In case you need to contact them beyond their operating hours, you can use an online form and they’ll reply to you through email.
Reviews
CARFAX has a 2.0 rating at Trustpilot, while Carvana received a 2.7 rating. At the Better Business Bureau (BBB), CARFAX received an A+ accreditation rating and a 1.06 average customer rating. Carvana, on the other hand, has no rating at BBB.
| CARFAX | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 2.0 | 2.7 |
| BBB | 1.06 | – |
| Consumer Affairs | 2.8 | 2.6 |
When it comes to customer reviews, CARFAX received compliments from car and vehicle report buyers. In contrast, some customers felt that the reports they received from CARFAX were inaccurate, resulting in problems when selling their cars.
As for Carvana, sellers are quite happy with the offers they received for their cars. Some also liked that their cars were picked up the next day after requesting an instant offer online.
Still, Carvana went unscathed from negative reviews. One even claimed receiving a check for the wrong amount, plus a promise to receive the difference. Other not-so-good reviews are from buyers and those who believe their cars are worth more.