Carvana Reviews - How It Works, Warranty, Financing, Returns

I was on the verge of purchasing a VW Golf TDI. They come in 4 trims: Launch, S, SE, SEL (from low to high). I was seeking SELs and found several on the site. The prices and quality of the cars seemed good. Upon further inspection (looking at detailed specs, the window sticker, and VW's VIN Check site), I found that multiple (at least 3) SEL listings were actually for the lesser S trim. Ok, this might not seem like a huge deal. Most people would catch it prior to purchase. However, it led me to wonder if this was a practice of deception or a simple mistake. Hopefully the latter but it's made me leery.

In short, I'd do 3rd party research on their cars whenever possible. I notified Carvana of the error on the vehicle listing I was researching. It was updated within 24 hours. Kudos for that but there are still other incorrect listings with the same issue.

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

The Good: Customer service, before I got the car and during the 7-day trial was great and friendly, gladly answering any questions. It was to easy to finance the car, see rates, find a car I love and get it delivered to my front door. After the hassle of looking and dealing with dodgy salespeople at local dealerships, I found this all a great relief.

The Bad: The system seems kind of glitchy. I had to sign the papers online about six times, including once after I got the car, which I signed before delivery online and in person so that could use a little tweaking. I took the car to a certified mechanic and found the oil was dirty and low (hadn't been changed in a long time) and there was evidence of small fender benders none of which was pointed out. However, the car was super clean and had no structural damage. I expected there would probably be something of the like with mileage as it seemed a dealership car and they often just fix rather than report. It was a good price and had no structural damage, so I was fine with that. My only concern was possibly something they should have pointed out. However, that is why you should take a car to a mechanic for a PPI.

The Ugly: The registration and plates are where things get ugly. On 12/9/2018 my 7-day guarantee ended. On 1/4/19 I received an email stating they needed more info from my insurance. I missed the email so they called me 1/07/19, so I replied right away giving them more info and requesting estimated date I could expect the plate and registration as I am just a bit worried as temp expires soon (expiration 01/17/19). I was told:

"At the moment we do not have an estimated time that your registration will be completed...If you have not received your registration on the date that your temporary tag expires, please give us a call at 800-333-4554 and our team will look into it for you!"

So I waited for a bit and on 01/14/19 I get a bit nervous and contact them again and I am told it's being worked on. I was advised after explaining my worries this by Danielle (1/14/2019, 11:34:50 AM):

"I completely understand, at this point, we are at the mercy of DMV timelines, however, we certainly do not want you to be without transportation. Try and see if the DMV is able to issue you a new temporary plate and if they are not, please contact us and we will work with you to find the best solution, we want to ensure you are taken care of."

So I contact the DMV and explain only to be told my car is not in the system and it's all up to the dealership, sorry. So about 28 minutes later I am back chatting with Carvana. I am then told by Savannah (1/14/2019, 12:14:03 PM):

"The registration has arrived at the DMV for completion and is typically completed in 4 days. It is possible it will get there the day of/after your temporary plates expire."

And then again by Savannah (1/14/2019, 12:14:33 PM):

"I would recommend chatting in day they expire if you have no received them and we can check the status and address the situation from there!"

So the day they expire comes and I am very concerned being my only vehicle. So I stop in chat again, they will check and email me later, and this is what I get:

"I did hear back from our registration team. As of right now the DMV has provided us with an Estimated Completion Date of 1/25/19.

Once completed they will send your permanent plates overnight via FedEx. We apologize for any inconvenience, they stated there was a delay due to proof of insurance missing the required info needed to begin registration process."

So even though I had only delayed them three days I wouldn't be getting my registration until about nine days after my plates expired. And if I don't get them before work, that's me having to drive a car with no plates and no registration, not even a pink slip. So I called, briefed the gentleman on the other end, who told me to try the DMV, though it's up to their discretion on whether they will help me or not. Explained further...He didn't offer any other solutions or ideas. So I said, "So you are pretty much telling me I am on my own right?" He replied "Yeah, sorry pretty much." That was it.

So yeah, I am so happy I paid them to take care of this and this is the help I get. Needless to say, if I get a ticket I do whatever I can legally do to address this issue. So thanks, Carvana.

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

This is a joke. We had everything set up to be delivered. I was also approved but then a few days before delivery, they come across a problem with the car and it was going to take a few extra days

Okay, that's fine but then a few days they tell me that I don't make enough money so the payment is going to double. What kind of BS is that? Don't waste your time with this crap because it looks like another scam company wanting to charge over $31,000.00 for a 2013 Kia Soul.

I love the discrimination of the less fortunate (sarcasm). If I make a boat load of money, I can get better payments and pay a lot less money in the long run than if I had very little money they charge you double the amount. This crap should be illegal. A $12,500.00 car goes to $31,000.00 + is criminal.

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

I was excited to look through the Carvana website and see so many cars are available in the make and model I wanted.

I landed on one with low miles and at a great price and made arrangements to deliver it to a mechanic before accepting the car. Carvana claimed that no accidents had been reported on the car. Within 10 minutes of having the car up on the lift, my mechanic brought me in to look underneath the chassis. It was clear to anyone (including the average car owner) that the car had been in an accident. There was a clear indication of a bad paint job (in multiple places) and Carvana, which claims to do their own analysis of the car, would have easily been able to see that this car had been repaired from an accident of some kind.

Now, I rented a car for a week while I waited for this car to be delivered, wasted a day waiting for the car to be delivered and examined, and then went to the local Lexus dealership and was put in a position of having to buy a car in desperation. Needless to say, I was both disappointed and seriously inconvenienced by Carvana. While they didn't actually lie about the condition of the car (Car Fax had no accident listed), they certainly omitted the truth and could have saved me a great deal of trouble and money in the process.

Do NOT use this service! It's not a scam, but it's not the way to buy a car.

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

Although they pride themselves on identifying blemishes, dents, and dings as part of a "transparent" car buying process, Carvana does not report "surface" rust because it's not a safety issue. You should go into your purchase wary of any car that comes out of the North (snow/salt) and be fully prepared to have a mechanic put the car on a lift to check for rust on the chassis. I did exactly that and promptly arranged to have the car picked up as a result.

I contacted customer service team, and they told me that there are two types of rust, which is insultingly false.

Direct quote from Carvana:

"There are two types of rust: embedded and surface rust. We do not sell any vehicles with embedded rust as it damages the integrity of the vehicle. Surface rust does not damage the vehicle, and so we do not notate it on our site. Embedded rust occurs when it has advanced beyond the surface level and begins to compromise the strength of the metal."

I have three problems with this.

1. "Surface" rust with time will always become "embedded" rust, even when removed from the conditions that create it (i.e. Carvana is happy to sell you a car with pre-cancer, not cancer). The consumer takes the hit on both the increased cost of future repairs when, for example, a bolt breaks off and the mechanic has to re-thread the component and/or replace the component, and a plummeting resale value.

2. Carvana notates the blemishes that you'll see, even though they aren't a safety issue. But they won't note the rust that you can't readily see, even though isn't an immediate safety issue, either.

3. With the amount of rust on this car, Kelley Blue Book would consider it fair to poor condition. Carvana is charging no-haggle prices that equate with good/excellent condition, which require "little to no rust" or "rust-free" respectively. I was open to keeping the car, but not at the amount I paid for it. Although I asked, Carvana offered no alternative to sending the car back.

I was excited about Carvana and super disappointed when I sent the car back. Since Carvana doesn't notate rust, I did not feel that I could trust them enough to purchase another vehicle from them. I would HIGHLY advise that Carvana start noting rust, just like they do with other blemishes that aren't immediate safety issues.

Regarding their customer service, the car was delivery was rescheduled to a later delivery date because of their error, but picked up in a timely manner, and everyone I dealt with was pleasant.

However, service ultimately can't make up for the fact that they don't live to their own standards by providing a transparent buying experience.

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

I must admit, when I first heard of Carvana I thought it was just like other subprime lenders that leave a bad taste in your mouth. However, I applied not putting much thought in it being a good option and to my surprise, I was approved. Although I was not really ready to purchase because I saw some options I had not considered given being obtainable and would need more time to make it work.

After speaking with them, I discovered my terms would be refreshed and I could reapply when I was ready and I did. But my terms took a turn for the WORST!

They contained higher interest rate that was worst than what I was being offered locally and then I thought, “See I knew this was not different. Now I felt like it was a bait and switch thing.”

I called and asked what happened and they told me that the computer algorithm decides, not a human so it can't be wrong. I was not happy with that answer so I continued to ask and was told to see if my credit score had any changes and I discovered I had a 5 point drop.

WOW, it made my interest rate go up 5+%. I was told to get it back up, let this application expire and the computer should give a better rate.

Very long story short, I got my score not just up 5 points but almost 100 points after discovering errors on my report and reapplied after my application was refreshed and got the lowest interest rate I had seen from Carvana. However, my down payments now for even smaller cars had moved from $700 to $4000 for a 2015 Toyota Corolla and all I was told was that the computer algorithm did it.

Well, I insisted that someone check it out because that didn't make sense to give me better interest rate and a bad down payment for being in a better credit score bracket.

Being very unhappy, I was told they do not keep the history of my previous soft pull application to compare it to see if I am telling the truth about previous offers (i have screen shots I took to compare the prices once it refreshed but that me keeping the history).

So they have to set my expectation that the computer is right. I was hoping this would be a good story tail ending, but they still need to have some human connection on the application side to make sure the computer isn't doing it, causing customers not to choose them.

Like the idea of Carvana but that's all I got, an idea.

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

I was going to buy a car from them. They told me that the down payment would be $800 down on the car that I was looking to buy but in a week. Later they told me that the down payment would be $4000 on the same car. I ask why and the answer that I got was because my address changed. I moved, and can you believe that it wasn't my job or my income, but for an address change? I never heard of a dealership or bank telling anyone that just because you move we are going to charge four times the down payment.

And no one would try to help me, everyone told me the same thing, "your address changed, nothing that we can do." So I will be going to other dealerships and will not buy a car from this place.

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

I found a Toyota 4Runner 4x4 with a third-row seat online through Carvana. Well, basically you have to buy the car before you even see or test drive the vehicle. You cannot see the vehicle first; you have to buy and then they will deliver it. You have to give them a copy of your driver's license, bank account, you have to give them the money for the vehicle, get insurance on the car, and sign the buyer agreement before you even see the car.

This has been a horrible experience. I promise if they keep this business model they will be out of business very soon.

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

Think of every single thing you hate about a car dealership. Now take away the accountability of being able to physically visit the dealer and you've got Carvana. They are pushy, they lie, and they steal. That is the gist of this company. They will scam you. You will lose money. You will not get a quality car.

I bought a car from Carvana, and it was a total disaster and guess what? I don't have the car I paid for! They refunded me part of the money I paid for the car but not all of it - yet. That's how they operate. Avoid at ALL cost.

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

Oh my goodness, where in the heck do I even start with Carvana? Basically sounds like a lot of other people went and got close to the entire experience of buying a car and getting financed with Carvana.

Yesterday, after I did the agreement of the down payment that would be taken from my account on the day I was to receive the car and signed the paperwork for the car itself as well, I was told to call Carvana for finalizing verification of the bank deposit and deposit information. The bank told the guy that yes, the funds were available for ACH payments, and yes, I got deposits that come in each month, and yes, I am who I am as the bank required, with this man from Carvana listening to everything, including my social security number and birthday, to confirm that I am the owner of the bank account and as to verified who I am!

Hello, there is already your verification in itself, but the bank confirmed all this and the man said "great, you're all set and verified." He said the next thing was I needed to have my bank statements uploaded showing my deposits. I am thinking well, the bank already verified a lot of what you are wanting, but ok, this is understandable. Mind you, I already got verified and green check marked for that already.

Now as I continue, keep in mind again that I was already completed and verified on the phone with my bank and with Carvana asking them the necessary questions. Now since this morning, I've been jacking around with Carvana about the verification of my bank statements in their crazy format.

First they said my uploads were not verifiable because I didn't show three consecutive months for deposits. So I had to upload October, November, and December and they came back when I called to see if they got it, and then they tell me they have to have my name on them. Well instead of uploading all the same three again, I uploaded just one (the middle one), which was November, and made sure it showed the bank logo as well as my name on it, and then the same deposit information on it again. Well, lo and behold, Carvana didn't disappoint me with their crazy verification ways. She then tells me "now we need all three of them showing your name and bank logo as well as the entire statement." What the heck!

Why would you need the full statement, which is two more pages or so on each month showing transactions of where I spent my money at ranging from gas stations to restaurants, to Walmart, to utilities? I mean, why does Carvana think that this is a guarantee of verification any more than the bank statements that I sent where the first page showing you what you need to be concerned with, and that is the deposit along with my name and bank name.

Then she adds that after I do this, she will need to call my bank and verify my bank deposits and available funds! What, wait, what the heck?! I said I already did this yesterday and I am not going to call my bank again and go through all that again when I did this with you already, and it was to your satisfaction yesterday, but now you feel you want to redo other processes and can't get this one completed correctly.

This company is full of crap folks. They are nosey as heck and want just about everything you can think of just shy of a blood sample and urine test. I refused at that point to go any further with them and to tell you the truth, I never had this many problems and way less verification with a dealership, and the finance companies are all virtual because they are not in-house financing to begin with. Carvana is crazy, and I am very angry that they treated me this way.

I also should be relieved because the finance company they use is called GO Financial and these folks seem like criminals considering the reviews on them, and is owned and part of Carvana, and it makes sense why they want so much information and verification to your bank information because they are known for taking unauthorized money from people. Go read it for yourself.

So in my opinion, I will not deal with them, and they lost a really good customer that has always paid his vehicles off on time and paid a lot of cars off in my lifetime, and they bombed this one for their stupidity and crap they pulled on me. I already sent in everything they wanted and more and should have gotten nothing, but ok, your day to pick up your car is ect., etc. I will make it my lifelong quest to tell everyone, and I mean everyone everywhere I go about Carvana and how to stay away from them. They costed me time and headaches and stress so I will cost them bad experience as everyone will be asking me soon "what happened, I thought you were getting your car from Carvana?"

And I feel like an idiot for even talking so highly about them, up until now, so I will look like an idiot. And sure, there will be jokes about this and I will eat crow having to tell everyone how Carvana played games and screwed me over, but hey, they lost a good-paying customer! They will never last long in the future with people like me and how they treat us! Period!

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

At first I though Carvana was the answer to all my problems. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I love my car, but if I use the A/C or heat, my car smells like cigarettes, something I was very specific about not wanting. The windshield broke the first week, which they fixed, but I already need to replace my breaks at 30k miles. What bothers me most is I found rotted food under the upholstery of the front seats of my car. I bought a Jeep Wrangler and the bolts to keep the top on weren’t even there. I will probably sell the car in a year or two, unfortunately.

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