Which is Better for Selling the Car?
Overall, Kelley Blue Book is better for selling your car because it gives you seven days or an additional 50 miles to consider the offer. Next, it offers cash or a trade-in value for your new car. What’s more, the turnaround time for Kelley Blue Book is 48 hours, while it may take up to 72 hours to sell your car to CARFAX.
What sets Kelley Blue Book apart from CARFAX is that it also enables you to sell your car yourself by listing it on the Kelley Blue Book platform. Since this is a private sale, you can expect to get a higher value for your car.
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. Kelley Blue Book Comparison
| CARFAX | Kelley Blue Book | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars accepted | In good condition | In good condition, subject to specific requirements |
| Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Requesting quotes | Online application | Online application |
| Offer validity | 3 days | 7 days, or additional 50 miles |
| Payments offered | Cash | Cash, trade-in |
| Payout | Check, direct deposit | Check |
| Car pick-up | Drop off | Drop off |
| Physical locations | Partner dealerships in the US | Participating dealerships in the US |
| Turnaround time | Up to 72 hours | Up to 48 hours |
| Customer service | Online form | Online form |
| Reviews | 2 | 1.6 |
Cars Accepted
Cars accepted at CARFAX are generally in fair, good, and excellent conditions. The company considers your car’s cosmetic flaws and any mechanical issues. However, the easiest way to find out if you can sell your car to them is by requesting an instant offer using the VIN.
At Kelley Blue Book, you can sell your car as long as it doesn’t meet any of the conditions for restrictions, such as:
- Vehicles older than 24 years old
- Vehicles with more than 300,000 miles on the odometer
- Vehicles registered for auction within the last 45 days
- Commercial vehicles
- Vehicles subject to recall
Fees
Selling your to either CARFAX or Kelley Blue Book is free. You also don’t need to pay for anything when you bring your car in for inspection.
Requesting Quotes
To get an online quote with CARFAX, you’ll need to go through their website and provide any of the following:
- License plate number
- VIN
- Make, model, year, and zip code
After that, you’ll need to confirm your car’s condition by selecting options that best describe it. You’ll also need to provide details on your vehicle’s trim and options.
Finally, CARFAX will ask for your contact details to refer you to nearby car dealerships. You’ll receive the instant offer via email, with instructions on how to claim it at your selected dealership.
For Kelley Blue Book, you can request an instant cash offer through an online form on their website. You’ll need to enter your car’s license plate number or VIN. After that, click on the Go button and provide your car’s mileage.
Kelley Blue Book will direct you to another page where you can provide details on the following:
- The vehicle color, features, and equipment
- Modifications
- Condition
Like CARFAX, you’ll also need to enter your contact details, like email and phone number, so they can reach you with the offer. You can also set up an account to track the instant offer.
If you’re interested in buying a new car, you can also provide details on your preference.
Offer Validity
Your offer at CARFAX is only valid for three days. Beyond that, you’ll need to go through the online application to get a new instant offer. As for Kelley Blue Book, offers are good for up to 7 days or an additional 50 miles. It means that if you claim the offer within seven days, but the odometer reading is 51 or more miles higher, you’ll need to apply for a new instant offer again.
While you can take advantage of the free quote request on CARFAX or Kelley Blue Book’s websites, note that instant offers may change. For the most part, offers tend to go lower on your next instant cash request.
Payments Offered
For payments, both CARFAX and Kelley Blue Book offer check payments. However, only CARFAX allows sellers to choose the direct deposit payment option.
Payout
CARFAX sends payments within 3 days of accepting your car at their participating dealerships. For direct deposits, payment posting on your account depends on your bank, but it can take up to 5 business days. Check payments tend to take a long time, as it depends on postal services.
On the other hand, Kelley Blue Book hands out check payments within the same day you sell your car to them. That way, you can leave their partner dealership with cash on hand. Or, you can use the amount to purchase your next vehicle from the same dealership.
Car Pick-up
Both CARFAX and Kelley Blue Book only allow sellers to drop off their vehicles at a nearby partner dealership for inspection. Unfortunately, there are no options for sellers to request a vehicle pickup from their location.
Physical Locations
Since both companies work with partner dealerships, they have physical locations in all US states. You can use their online tool to locate the dealership near you. In most cases, you’ll also receive a list of the dealerships you can sell your car to.
Turnaround Time
CARFAX tends to have a longer turnaround time since you may need to wait up to three days or more to receive your payment.
whereas with Kelley Blue Book, you can leave the dealership with cash or a new car within 48 hours of requesting the instant offer.
Customer Service
CARFAX provides customer support through an online form. According to their website, the company doesn’t offer phone or chat support to allow them to send out attachments when helping customers.
In addition to the online form, you can also contact them through their social media accounts, such as Twitter or Facebook.
On the contrary, you can contact Kelley Blue Book in several ways. The first is through an online form on their website. Another is through email at instantcashoffer@kbb.com. Finally, you can call them at (866) 559-5268, available every Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 9 PM.
Reviews
At the BBB or the Better Business Bureau, CARFAX received a 1.06 rating from over 80 customer reviews. Meanwhile, Kelley Blue Book received a 1.0 average rating from less than 10 reviews.
Customers at Trustpilot gave CARFAX an average rating of 2.0, with more than 200 reviews. Kelley Blue Book, on the other hand, received a 1.6 rating from over 100 reviews.
| CARFAX | Kelley Blue Book | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| BBB | 1.06 | 1 |
| Consumer Affairs | 2.8 | – |
On both platforms, customers liked that CARFAX connected them with local dealerships and got them the best price for their cars. Others, meanwhile, find that the company can improve its payment schedule.
Customers praised Kelley Blue Book, particularly for its customer service and offers based on reliable market data. One customer even claimed that a representative from a Kelley Blue Book partner dealership went to their home to give them an offer.
The negative reviews show that customers find Kelley Blue Book lowballing them. Some even mentioned participating dealers not honoring the instant offers they received online.