Which is Better for Selling the Car?
Selling your car to CarMax is the better option due to many reasons. First, the company offers certainty since you can easily check on their website if your vehicle is one of the cars they accept.
Moreover, the online application quickly shows you how much you can sell your car for and how long the offer is valid. Selling to CarMax also gives you the option to get cash or trade in your car. Finally, CarMax customer service is available in several channels.
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
CarMax vs. Dealer Comparison
| CarMax | Dealer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars accepted | Cars in most type conditions, with exceptions | Cars in sellable condition |
| Fees | 0 | 0 |
| Requesting quotes | Online application | Usually in-store or by phone |
| Offer validity | 7 days | Depends on the dealer |
| Payments offered | Cash, Trade-in value | Cash |
| Payout | Bank draft | Cash or check |
| Car pick-up | Drop off | Drop off |
| Physical locations | 235 CarMax stores nationwide | Depends on the dealer |
| Turnaround time | Up to 48 hours | Up to 48 hours |
| Customer service | Chat, phone, email | Phone |
| Reviews | 1.7 | N/A |
Cars Accepted
Although CarMax mostly buys cars in different kinds of conditions, the company typically doesn’t buy a vehicle due to the following:
- Flood damage
- Salvage history
- Frame damage
As dealers, you can pretty much assume that these typically buy vehicles in generally good and sellable conditions. You can also visit a dealer near your location to confirm if they can still purchase your vehicle.
Fees
Selling vehicles, whether to CarMax or a dealer typically won’t incur any charges. Fees and taxes are usually paid by the buyer.
Requesting Quotes
You can request a quote from CarMax through an online process. From its website, you’ll need to fill out a form, requiring your car’s VIN or license plate number. Once it identifies your vehicle’s make, model, and year, you’ll need to provide the following:
- Vehicle condition
- Vehicle history
- Your contact details
Right on the online application page, CarMax will generate an instant offer for your vehicle. After that, you can visit one of their stores to claim the offer.
Besides the online application, you can also sell your car by directly setting up an appointment at a CarMax store near you. This process is similar to how it works with most dealers. Dealers will request to check your vehicle first before making an offer.
Offer Validity
Offers from CarMax are good for 7 days. Meanwhile, dealers’ offers may vary when it comes to validity. In that case, you might want to talk about your dealer and what best fits your current circumstance.
Payments Offered
CarMax pays cash through bank drafts. Unlike checks that you can cash out, bank drafts only allow you to deposit them into your bank account. Besides cash, you can also use your vehicle’s selling value to purchase your next car at CarMax.
Dealers, meanwhile, hand out payment through cash or check, whichever is available at the moment.
Payout
CarMax hands the payment within the same day you sell your vehicle to them. Most dealers also pay out within the same day, although it may vary across different dealers. Make sure to get your payment before leaving your car with the dealer.
Car Pick-up
CarMax has more than 230 stores nationwide, thus, doesn’t offer any pick-up service. You’ll need to bring your car to them to finalize the sale.
Dealers, on the other hand, may offer a pick-up service. Make sure to check with your local dealer if they have this option.
Physical Locations
With CarMax, you can locate one of their 235 stores and set up an appointment to bring your car there for selling. Similarly, you can locate physical stores of car dealers near you. To do that, just head on to Google and use the keywords “car dealers near me.”
Most of these dealers also provide contact details online. With those, you can call them before bringing your vehicle and confirm the information you might need before selling your car.
Turnaround Time
Whether you’re selling your car to CarMax or dealers, you can expect a 48-hour turnaround time. This timeframe assumes that you have all required documents ready when you bring your vehicle to CarMax or to a car dealer. These typically include
- Title
- Service records
- Owner’s manual
- Warranty documents
Customer Service
You can reach the CarMax customer service team through the chat icon on their website, typically located in the lower right corner. It also has an online form where you can fill out details of your concern and its customer service team will reply to you via email.
Finally, you can call their customer service team at 913-384-6697. Besides these options to contact their customer support team, you can contact each CarMax store near you. Searching them on the store locator also shows their email and phone numbers.
As for dealers, you can find information about their customer service typically when you search for them online. On Google, searching the keywords “car dealers near me” generates results that include the:
- Name of the dealer
- Rating
- Address
- Phone number
- Store opening and closing times
Reviews
CarMax received a 1.7 rating at Trustpilot and a 1.16 rating at BBB or the Better Business Bureau. Customers on these review platforms mentioned having issues with some CarMax stores not paying them for the instant offers they received online.
| CarMax | Dealer | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.7 | N/A |
| BBB | 1.14 | N/A |
| Consumer Affairs | 3.6 | N/A |
Also, others felt that instant offers were low for the vehicles they were selling. Despite these complaints, CarMax received some positive reviews from other happy customers.
For example, many of them liked that they could sell their vehicles fast and with minimum hassle. Some also were happy with the value they received from their cars.
Considering how the reviews polarized, it’s safe to assume that selling to CarMax may depend on various factors, such as the turnaround time and the instant offer.
Your experience may also depend on setting expectations, which rely on the information you provide when you apply for the instant offer.
As for dealers, looking for customer reviews might be challenging, especially as not all of them are listed on trusted review platforms.