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

I purchased a white 2014 Honda CR-V through Carvana on 11/28/16, and had an awful experience throughout the process. When I made the purchase there was an issue with my paperwork. Not one person from Carvana contacted me to correct the error.

After three-four days of no word on the purchase process, I called Carvana. Once that error was corrected, I was told it would take two weeks to receive my car. I was incredibly disappointed, as the website stated I would receive my car in 7 days.

On 12/11/16 I received a call and a series of texts from the delivery driver stating that my car would arrive on 12/12/16 at 6:00am. Around two hours after the scheduled delivery time, the truck arrived at the agreed upon location. The delivery truck had three cars, none of which were the car I purchased.

He told me that Carvana didn't give him the right car, and he didn't double check the paperwork. I then called Carvana to explain the delivery issue. I spoke with three different people to try to correct the error. I was put on hold for 20 minutes before I hung up. I called back asking to speak with someone else, and was told to call back later. Brittnee Penson, a supervisor, then called me back and told me that I “sound like [I’m] done with this” and wanted to know what it was I wanted her to do.

I have never been treated so rudely by a company. Eventually Teresa Aragon contacted me to correct the error. She asked me to give Carvana another chance by taking some of the delivery fees off of the final price. I agree, and my car is delivered two days later, which of course made me wonder why I had to wait 2 weeks the first time around. After signing for the car, the delivery driver tells me they had to jump the battery to get it onto the truck. I asked him if there was something I was supposed to do to make sure the battery wouldn't die again and he told me no, it seemed to be running fine. I agreed to meet the delivery drivers in a parking lot within a 5 minute walking distance to my house. So, I drove the car to my house, went inside to get my fiancé to show him the car, and the battery died again. We immediately called the delivery guys to come jump the car, because we do not have jumper cables. He says he is about 10 minutes down the road, that it's not his problem our car won't start, and that he will not turn around to jump the car.

I then called Carvana back to explain the situation and they offered to pay for a replacement battery and to tow my car to get the replacement battery installed. The car was dirty inside and out, even though I was promised they would go over the car with a fine tooth comb. I would absolutely never recommend this company to anyone. A word of advice, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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

I regret my decision to purchase a car with Caravan.

It was purchased on December 2, 2016, and I followed up on January 3, 2017, when I did not receive my plates in the mail at that point. They assured me there was a small typo in the VIN and advised me to apply for an extension at the DMV within in the next two weeks.

After a week and a half, I went to the DMV and attempted to apply for this but was told the dealer still hadn't even submitted any registration documents at all! When I called the dealer, they apologized and said they would overnight the required documents, and that they were "waiting for a check from another department." I have been told this same excuse several times now.

I was assured the registration would be delivered after Martin Luther King Day when the temporary plates expired. Sadly, when I returned to the DMV to re-apply for the extension, they told me my temporary plate belonged to a completely different car (2013 Ford)!

My temporary tag has now expired. I have requested to speak to a manager several different times with no response from any manager at this point. The employees I do talk to seem confused. I have filed two complaints with different bureaus of the state. Georgia is very particular about car registrations since they receive a proportionally large amount of revenue from this.

In summary, I am terrified to drive because I cannot legally drive the car that I purchased from Carvana. I have to walk or take public transportation to get around. It is extremely disappointing.

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

I was going to buy a car from them in the beginning. I put my home address, and I told them where I wanted the car delivery (to my apartment because I was selling my house), the down payment was $800 down. My house sold, I put the apartment address on. When I got ready to get the car this week, they told me for the same car now the down payment will be $4,000 just because my address changed. That is crazy. They don't care and told me there is nothing that they can do.

Be very careful with this company. If you have one little thing changed, like the address, they will screw you on the down payment. I am going to a dealership.

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

I bought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 42,000 miles on it from Carvana six months ago. The process itself was not a bad experience, but about three weeks ago, while driving my kids to a piano lesson we stopped under a red light on a hill and the vehicle shut off, wouldn’t start and the check engine light and battery light came on.

I had the vehicle towed to my house because it was too late to take it to a garage at the time. At my house, the vehicle started again, so I called Carvana Care (SilverRock) and told them what was happening with the vehicle, and they told me to take it to one of the garages listed on their website to get it looked at, which I did. I took it to Midas in Chapel Hill, Akron, Ohio.

First, the Midas Mechanic told me after diagnosing the vehicle that it was the head; that was when my nightmare started. After that, they told me it was the head gasket, and then it was air conditioning, and the then there something wrong with the vehicle computer, and now there is a problem with one of the valves. I have requested they give my vehicle back to me, and they have refused to do so because they took out the head again.

During all this time I have been calling Carvana and letting them know what these guys are telling me and wondering aloud if they sold me a lemon. I even asked them if they would allow me to exchange this vehicle with all the problems it has and how much I am paying for it. Carvana refused to do that, but they want me to trade it in for far less for what I bought the vehicle for and buy another vehicle from them.

I have already missed a few days of work, and I can’t take my kids to their events because I currently don’t have a vehicle. I drive about 40 miles to and from work every day, which is why I need a reliable vehicle but Carvana doesn’t care about that. They got their money and that's all that matters to them. What kind of mess have I got myself into?

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

I'm so upset I want to cry.

I've had my car for exactly three months and I've been experiencing so many different issues. I had to get an oil change one month after I got the car. I had to replace my battery 2 and 1/2 months after I bought the car. My headlight needed to be changed five days after I bought the car, along with putting air into my tires because I had low tire pressure. Now I need to buy new brakes and rotors.

All of these things were supposed to be checked before the vehicle was delivered and clearly wasn't. I've written to Carvana's repair department, left a message on the corporate phone and emailed the president of the company and haven't heard back from any of them.

Do not purchase a vehicle from here, I am warning you. I've already informed Carvana that I would be writing reviews and contacting the media due to this issue. It's not fair how I have to come out of my pocket to pay for the things that should've been inspected. This is an additional $2000 added. I also have the receipts for all of my services that I sent to Carvana just in case they didn't believe me, but clearly they do, and that's why I haven't heard back from anyone. As a new company, they should be concerned how they treat their customers. Sooner or later this company will no longer exist.

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

This company has some process flaws. I bought a 2016 Chevy Silverado, advertised with 5300 miles. The 7-day trial gave me the confidence to buy unseen.

The first problem was in the financing. Carvana's website says that a high number of buyers use their financing. My credit union would not finance the truck, saying that Carvana is a brokerage, not a dealership. So I was forced (if I wanted the truck) to use their financing. Ok, not a deal breaker.

Then the car arrived. When it was unloaded at about a 45-degree angle, the parking brake was not used, and when she put it into gear at that angle, the clanking noise was very loud. Sounded like it was going to be broke before it was even unloaded. Once unloaded, the truck looked like someone wiped it down with a dirty rag. Ok, still not a deal breaker.

Then I found the five other scratches that were not mentioned in the 360-degree photo tour on their site. Two I thought could be buffed out. The other three were down to the metal, and one was dented. Clearly the two that were mentioned on their site were the smallest, most unnoticeable of the seven.

Then I got in and found out that my truck with 5300 miles actually had 6700 miles. The delivery driver told me that "Carvana is good about taking care of these issues, just email them before the 7 days is up."

Day 2 (yes, even though the truck was delivered at 7 PM, that counted as day 1). Day 2, I took it to my mechanic and he liked it for the price and could not find anything wrong, other then the tires looked like there was a lot more than 6700 miles on them. So I took it to a tire shop where the inflation was found to be 41, 44, 45 and 51, in tires that are supposed to be filled to 30 PSI.

I emailed their repair team with photos of the scratched and dent and they said it's normal wear and tear and I still have the option of giving the truck back! Well, I do like the truck! But I would not deal with these dishonest, untrained, uncaring people again.

By the way, before your 7-day trial is up, Carvana removes your info (order number, pictures, access to papers that you have e-signed, all gone), AND there is no way to leave a review on their site or on their Facebook page!

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

My initial purchasing experience with Carvana was wonderful. Financing was right and fair, delivery was on time, and the total process went very well.

The car arrived without a license plate, even though over the phone, I was told it would arrive with a plate. I figured it would be as seamless as the dealer issuing plates. I called and then had to wait weeks to be issued a temporary plate that expired shortly. The temp plate expired, and I have been unable to drive my care that I bought in DECEMBER since JANUARY 15th.

They provided me a MOUNTAIN of paperwork that had to be all notarized. I got it all together after having to go to many different places including standing in line at the DMV for three hours, sent it back, and was told that processing takes 4-8 weeks and THEN I'd have to wait 30-40 days for the plates to arrive after processing.

After all is said and done, I have been PAYING for a car that I have not been able to drive AT ALL as it is sitting in my driveway collecting dust. The 100-day warranty has expired before I even got to drive the car for an extended time. I paid extra for that and the registration fees and I nothing to even show for it.

So, be careful. They will give you the runaround, you will deal with horrible customer service after they make their sale, and you likely won't be on the road as soon as promised.

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

The only word to explain this experience is "unbelievable." I went through the process of finding and purchasing a car. Initially, the customer service was very friendly and upbeat, and it WAS a very easy selection process. After reviewing my credit, they told me to pick a date for drop off. A day later they called and said "we need proof of income," that wasn't a problem, and I emailed them the info, and then they called back and said, "sorry, there was a computer glitch, you don't need to send proof of income." When you're dealing with finances, in this area you need to be exact, there shouldn't be such a miscommunication when dealing with money. I thought this was a random human error; I didn't realize this was foreshadowing of things to come.

I read a few reviews and realized they're not too competent when it comes to their deliveries, so I thought it would be beneficial to fly down and pick it up from their vending machine and make a vacation out of it. So I set a pick-up date about a month out, from their Nashville, Tennesse location, waited for it to be confirmed, and then purchased an airline ticket from Michigan to Tennessee, took a week vacation off work, and RSVP'd hotel rooms to plan on visiting North Carolina on my drive back to Michigan.

Three days before my pickup date, I got a text saying "you're a car buying genius! Your Audi A3 will be ready for you on 5/3 at 10:00 am" and I felt great. Later that day at 7:01 pm (they close at 7:00 pm), I get an email saying "we have to reschedule your delivery date." Thinking it was another computer glitch (since I was picking it up, not getting it delivered), I didn't worry much but still called the company that was now closed.

The next day I get a voicemail from Madison saying they needed to reschedule. I call back almost immediately and I explain to Matt the situation, that I've already purchased an airline ticket and planned a vacation around this pickup (since it was obvious my home address is in a different state than the pickup location) and wanted to verify the voicemail wasn't a miscommunication, and he said he would see what he could do and get back to me.

About three hours later I call back to get an update and Mark says "Matt's really good at returning calls, even if he doesn't figure out a solution, he will still call you back," and I emphasized reservations are non refundable 24/48 hours for some ancillary RSVP's I've made, so don't leave me hanging. After 5 pm that day, I called back again and the result of an entire day of "figuring it out" was, "sorry." There was nothing they could do, they couldn't even give me an explanation. They just said they could deliver it to my house a week later. They wouldn't refund my airline ticket, wouldn't provide a loaner car and could offer absolutely NOTHING except saying "we're sorry." I was so aggravated with their inability to alleviate ANY type of frustration or offer any compensation whatsoever except a ridiculous apology without an explanation.

I don't blame the call center, they seemed like a bunch of children pretending to be adults, I blame the fact that this company obviously needs to develop their communication infrastructure, and adhere to the same deadlines as any company does, when if that's not possible, offer SOME type of compensation when they make a mistake. It is unacceptable to tell a customer two days before they are flying out to pick up a car from the company's location that it's not available, and then offer nothing except an apology?

So obviously I called and cancelled the purchase today, if this is the type of haphazard business practice followed, to a potentially new customer, what type of person would want to get into any type of long term contract with a company that doesn't understand deadlines or obligations? I should have used the dealership like any normal person.

Now I'm going to cancel my insurance, throw away this non-refundable one-way ticket to Nashville, and try to scrape together some impromptu vacation with my days off. This will go down as one of the worst experiences with any business ever.

These aren't impulse buys or frivolous purchases, they're CARS! Carvana treats it like you're buying a book from Amazon, lol. Actually, I wish they would treat customers the way Amazon does because Amazon will get you a book better than Carvana can get you a car.

And Carvana, if you are reading this, don't even put up a response, because all it will say is "sorry [but we're not going to do anything about it]." You need to allocate more resources for problem-solving instead of damage control.

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

Yes, I read all the bad reviews.

However, the only reason I still applied for a car from Carvana was because they had a car on their website that I had leased previously from another company. In fact I still have the registration in my name from when I leased it. So I knew that this particular car had low miles on it and was mechanically sound. I didn't have any issues with it when I drove it.

However, according to the records I pulled on the car it had not had an oil change for almost 5000 miles. So I don't believe that they do any inspection. In addition, I believe Carvana is deceptive in that it doesn't list everything cosmetically that is wrong with the car.

On their website, It only showed a small picture of one scratch on the bumper. However, this car has many scratches on the back bumper. In addition there are scratches on the hood and in other places on the car. There is a dent in the passenger side door and the windshield has a chip in it that is very visible. Of course there are only a few pictures on Carvana's website and none of them conveniently show that information.

In addition, the car had OEM car mats and tires that were in excellent condition. Both of these have been removed completely from the car and replaced with cheap mats and cheap tires. Also, be very careful with your financing because they wanted to charge me $9000 extra for financing through them. In the end, I could have purchased two brand new cars for the price Carvana was charging me for a used car.

In addition, a lot of other cars on their website that I researched were cars from flood-prone areas. There are even reviews from people who got cars from them and took them to their mechanics only to be told the car was in a flood, so please do your research on the cars and be careful.

I do not recommend anyone to go through this company due to their deceptive business practices, and I believe it will eventually catch up with them. The fact that they do not fully inspect these cars, some of which have serious mechanical issues. They buy these cars cheap at auction, then pass them on to the consumers and then put the burden on you the consumer to get these cars inspected by mechanics and to get them fixed.

When that is what they should be doing anyway prior to offering these cars for sale. Even if you return the car during the 7-day period, they charge you a transit fee $299-$500, and this is non refundable regardless of if the car had serious mechanical issues or not. Why should you pay them for delivering a car to you with serious mechanical issues or not as described on the website?

Finally, if after reading all these horror stories online, if you still want to give your hard earned money to Carvana, please do yourself a favor and opt out of their one sided arbitration agreement that they make you sign saying that you will not sue them or participate in a class action lawsuit against them. Even Carvana knows that what they are doing will eventually catch up with them and they want to keep as many people from going after them as they can.

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

So apparently someone dropped the ball and had me sign the incorrect paperwork and my registration never finalized. Now I am miles away from home as an Irma evacuee with an expired tag and Carvana reps telling me there is nothing they can do. Not even speaking with a freaking desire to try and do anything or attempt to sound empathetic. Honestly, the rep sounded more annoyed than anything, like it was my fault they put the wrong VIN on the paperwork they had me sign. I did everything I was supposed to. I have a car with the tag and taxes paid for but no freaking tag on it to be able to safely drive anywhere. I am practically stranded hundreds of miles away from home and not even just because of Irma anymore. Thanks to Carvana.

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

Well first I must say the staff over the phone are nice. However, the delivery was hell and back.

I started the process on June 19, 2017, and received amazing news on June 29, 2017, from the delivery driver that they are ready to deliver my BMW 3 series at 4 pm at my home in Las Vegas, Nevada. But guess what? The driver was delivering the car in the state of Maryland 2,500 + miles away! The car originated from their Texas location in Frisco, Texas and somehow the car ended on the opposite side of the country on the east coast. Now, how dumb of a mistake can that be? Get it together Carvana.

It is July 4th, and I received an update that the car was now at their Washington DC location and is not even scheduled to be picked up until July 7! And then go cross country from an estimated delivery date of July 12-13! What a screw-up and now the whole process realistically is taking almost a whole month. Not cool.

They apologized and apologized and gave me a whopping refund of $199 delivery fee (discounted the price of vehicle) and a new key since it had only one. Overall not cool and not convenient, as they state with the process of buying a vehicle online. I hope the car gets to the west coast safe and sound. And no, I will not recommend this service. Just go to Carmax.

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