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

  This company has claimed this profile, is getting alerted on any new customer reviews entering this page, and may engage in dialogue with its customers to address their matters.

Companies cannot pay money or provide goods in order to remove or alter customer reviews.
Carvana

Overall Rating

2.2

543 Customer Reviews

Summary

Carvana’s all-online used-car purchasing process allows you to choose a car online, get financing and have the car delivered directly to your home.

Write a Review

Customer Reviews

2.2 Stars out of 543 Reviews
5 Star:19% 4 Star:3% 3 Star:6% 2 Star:11% 1 Star:58%
27% Recommend This Company
Start your review of Carvana:
Sort Reviews By
This company is actively collecting reviews from its customers. All reviews submitted are subject to moderation and approval to ensure they meet our Review Guidelines.

Posted on Jul 13, 2016

Either you get it or you don't.

By Erin Samels, Gastonia, NC, Verified Reviewer

I too was excited by how "easy" the Carvana process seemed. The cars seemed lower, not sitting in the dealership, knowing outright what the terms were awesome! But no, they will ask you for piece of paper work after piece of paper work. Photo copies are a no-go, you have to take PICTURES of things they need and then they will want to call your bank with your info and your social to verify your down payment which is odd.

A pay stub request will turn in to a bank statement request and then multiple bank statements. If you don't have your actual social security card, order it before you start. AND if your Drivers License expires within 2 months, you have to renew it first. You will receive multiple emails from multiple people saying different things and your terms will probably change. Do yourself a favor, YES, dealerships suck but you leave with your car, and you have somewhere to go if something goes wrong. You are either approved immediately or you will get the run around. Once they ask you for the first document, just run.

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

Helpful Review? 23 People Have Voted

Posted on Jul 4, 2016

Bait and switch scamvana

By Kevin Griffin, Charlotte, NC, Verified Reviewer

Loved the idea of buying a car online without the hassles of visiting car lots. Plus you have 7 days to return vehicle if unsatisfied. I entered in my personal info so they could give me my APR finance rate and any down payment. There were a lot in my preferred price range with no money down. Score!

So I took about a week, reviewing hundreds of cars and settled on a 2014 Hyundai Sonata 2.0t for 16,500. Added the extended warranty and placed the order. The day before it was to arrive, Carvana contacted me and asked me to send them copies of my social security card front and back, which I did.

Then Danielle, a Carvana rep called me and said I must have mistyped my SS#. The last digit was off, so they ran a credit report on some other lady, and I would now need a down payment of $500. No problem, so I gave her my bank routing and account number for the transaction.

Danielle then congratulated me and told me to have proof of insurance and my license handy when car was delivered. Ok, I said. Then I asked her, "Well, listen Danielle since I am putting a down payment on the car now, what will that make my monthly installments? I'm sure it won't go down by much, but you know, a penny saved is a penny earned" - my exact words.

Danielle says, "Well, with the down payment and the APR of 7.76%, your payments will be $309 a month." That was higher than my original payment schedule. And the APR went up from 6.3% I did the math while on the phone with her, and they were trying to jack me for another $1000.

Two things:

1st. If I hadn't asked what my new monthly payments were going to be I would have never known they had adjusted the APR by one and a half basis points, until and only when I either got my first bill or if I caught it on the paper work when car was delivered.

2nd. And this is the worst. Their claim that I had mistyped my SS# was a downright lie. You see, I went to show my father the car on Carvana website this morning, but it wasn't showing the car as sale pending. So, I clicked on (my account) to see if everything was ok with the sale. It just showed my personal info, name, income, last 4 digits of social, etc. And guess what, the SS# was correct. This occurred before I was notified there was an issue with the SS#. I still have the screen up on my computer at work.

Look elsewhere for a car.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Sep 26, 2016

Kevin,

Thank you so much for your review and feedback about your Carvana experience. We truly apologize for the misstep and lack of communication on our end. We believe in a stress free and transparent process and in this instance we fell short and truly regret that. We are happy to report that we have since been in full contact and were able to resolve the situation. We hope you enjoyed the remainder of your Carvana experience and your vehicle. Please reach out to our Customer Advocate team if there is anything else we can do for you at 800-333-4554.

Helpful Review? 25 People Have Voted

Posted on May 21, 2016

The place is a joke.

By Stephanie Scolpini, Florida, Verified Reviewer

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

Company Response from Carvana

Sep 30, 2016

Hello Stephanie,

Thank you for providing us your feedback regarding your experience with Carvana. We are truly sorry to hear that we did not meet your expectations. It is never our intent to have our customers go through inconsistencies during the purchase process. As you mentioned, the vehicle was delayed due to exterior cosmetic damage. We pride ourselves on our delivery process and the condition of the vehicle inside and out. Our number one goal is to ensure our vehicles are in the best condition possible before delivery.

As a part of our Underwriting guidelines, our underwriters are required to review all income documents that are submitted to ensure the amount of income verified matches the amount submitted on our website. If for any reason we are not able to verify the annual income listed, our underwriting team will reach out to our customer to determine if there is any additional income that can be used in order to verify the amount provided. During this process, if our customer is unable to provide us with additional income, we must update our system to reflect the annual amount we were able to verify. Many times this can cause our customer’s terms to change. As a result, our customer may have a higher down and monthly payment, which is what happened in this case. It is never our intent to have our customers feel as if they have been discriminated against. If you are still in the market for a new vehicle, we would love to have you revisit our website at www.carvana.com. We would like to thank you again for taking the time to write-in and provide us with your feedback. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-333-4554.

Sincerely,

The Carvana Team

Helpful Review? 17 People Have Voted

Posted on May 21, 2016

Believe it

By Carole Scott, Houston, Texas, Verified Reviewer

If I didn't do it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. When I found the car I liked, I purchased it in less than 20 minutes. My car was scheduled and delivered 30 minutes early. I signed a delivery slip, and was literally handed the keys to my car. I will never buy a car another way again!

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

Helpful Review? 11 People Have Voted

Posted on Apr 17, 2016

Unethical business practices

By Cameron, Nashville, TN, Verified Reviewer

First, the website and purchasing process was mostly simple and painless. I actually enjoyed it! However, after completely filling out the purchase form I was called and told that I needed to give my banking information over the phone (even though I already provided it on the purchase order form). I assumed it was a scam call so I called Carvana back and learned that it was indeed them. They explained that they needed it to verify my account balance, which I understand, but the level of risk associated with doing so is extremely high as a consumer. I called my bank to explain the situation (Bank of America) and the bank told me that what was being asked of me was unethical and risky.

They advised me not to do this. So I called to cancel my order and was told that I couldn't receive any written confirmation as to the cancellation of my order!!! So, now I have to go on faith that a 5-figure sum doesn't accidentally disappear out of my bank account. None of this "extra" info is specified in writing anywhere. It is only brought up after you have given them your bank account info on the website to purchase the car. It's like, “Oh hey, all of a sudden we need you do provide this”.

I can't say that the company isn't legitimate, because there are a lot of written articles about how they are legit, but how can they treat a customer this way BEFORE a purchase and how can I to have good faith in them after the purchase (during the trial period) that they will follow through on their promises? Have you ever purchased something online using a secure, encrypted payment system only to have the store call you and say “Please read me your banking routing number”. Anyone who goes through with this is just asking for your identity to be stolen. A company who doesn't have the foresight to see how unethical this is probably doesn't have enough ethics to provide a quality product anyway. I'd advise against purchasing a vehicle from Carvana based on my experience.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Sep 8, 2016

Cameron,

Thank you for providing this feedback to us. We take our customer’s complaints very seriously and are very sorry to hear that you felt uneasy during the funds verification portion of our process. In order to verify customer’s down payments, we typically perform a conference call with our customers and their bank to verbally that the payment amount is available for withdrawal. We feel that it is important to note that this step can be bypassed by providing a copy of a certified check for the full payment balance, should customers feel uncomfortable. Additionally, have made every attempt to ensure that the expectations for the funds verification process are clearly stated on our website, which our customers will find on the funds verification screen: “For your security, we do not store your account information and will request it again during our verification process”. Carvana aims to be as transparent as possible with every purchase we regret to hear that your experience with us was less than ideal, and truly apologize that no written confirmation of your cancelation was not sent. It is our practice to always send a personalized email to our customers when cancelations take place, and we’re truly sorry to hear that we missed this opportunity. We have provided feedback to our team to avoid this from happening in the future, and would love to invite you back to our website in the future. If you have any questions that we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to call us at 800-333-4554.

Helpful Review? 29 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 28, 2016

Buyer Beware: Carvana DOES NOT disclose RUST.

By Mike Martelle, Tucson, AZ, Verified Reviewer

Purchased a used 2013 Dodge Dart from Carvana in December of 2015. The more I look for rust the more I find it. The service manager at local dealership took pictures while it was just on the lift and emailed them to Carvana without me even asking. Under the dashboard all metal linkages in footwell are rusted, inside the TRUNK AND UNDERNEATH TRIM (I pulled it back). The rear seat brace is rusted as well as the cross bar. I noticed the first bit of rust when car was delivered and a wire was dangling out from under the dash on the clutch (it's manual). Guy says "it was like this when I picked it up". The trim under the dash is being held up by a rusty binder clip. At first a rep on the phone said they don't sell cars with rust and that it would and could be replaced. This week it seems they've changed their minds. And I'm stuck with a vehicle that has rust EVERYWHERE. So disappointed. If I test drove a car and spotted rust - NO BRAINER, plenty of cars to choose from. I would not have purchased this vehicle if I knew it was rusted from the inside out.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Sep 30, 2016

Hello Michael,

We would like to thank you for taking the time to provide feedback about your experience with Carvana. As part of our 150-point inspection, we always check our vehicles for rust and can assure you that we do not sell any vehicles with embedded rust. Many vehicles from the Northeast do have some traces of surface rust present. Since surface rust does not impact the operation of the vehicle, we certified your vehicle as part of our inspection process. We are truly sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your purchase. As a good faith gesture and to resolve your concerns regarding the rust on the vehicle, we made arrangements to pick up the car and paid off your remaining loan balance with GO Financial. It is never our intent to mislead our customers during the purchase process. Our number one goal is customer satisfaction and we are extremely happy that we were able to resolve this situation. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-333-4554.

Sincerely,

The Carvana Team

Helpful Review? 22 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 22, 2016

Misleading telephone calls, unanswered questions, unexpected delays

By Doug, Atlanta, GA, Verified Reviewer

After delivery was delayed due to a part needing replacement, I got different answers when I was able to speak to a representative. They would not communicate via email, and despite three different CSRs promising to answer whether or not the repair would be covered under the manufacturer warranty, I never received a follow up call or email to answer the problem.

The website never updated the delivery date, so while the website said the car would be available three weeks ago, I just got a call saying the car is now ready to be picked up.

Still no answer on if repairs are covered, website still out of date. Canceled my order with them in disgust.

Bonus nitpick. In my account page, it shows all the credit check info at the top of your page, including income, date of birth, address, etc. Very insecure to have that in plain text, and why? What purpose is there in having that on your page? You already know all that and might not want it in plain text cached in your browser history.

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

Helpful Review? 21 People Have Voted

Posted on Mar 9, 2016

Good price. Crappy customer service.

By Measy, Dallas, Verified Reviewer

Got a good used vehicle for a good price. Once they got my money, the customer service started to suck. Still don't have the license plate. Worse than a traditional car dealership. Would not purchase from them again.

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

Helpful Review? 21 People Have Voted

Posted on Feb 21, 2016

Too easy to be true

By Danny Roberts, Atlanta, GA , Verified Reviewer

The online shopping experience was so easy and convenient. I enjoyed browsing through their stock, and the way the vehicles are presented on their site is clear and concise. The best part of the process was the ease of financing. You enter in your basic information on their site, and can play around with numbers to see your payment right up front. Nothing is hidden. That's where the easy process ended.

Like so many other online service providers, at the point were it involves a human on the other end of the transaction, I didn't feel like anyone really owned my transaction. I was passed around to multiple people throughout the process, and hence, the level of customer service felt very disconnected, and too casual for a purchase like this. The car's engine light came on immediately, so after returning it (and going without a car for two inconvenient days), it was returned to me, and it turned out to be a minor issue. I also realized at signing, that at least half of the cars they sell are used rental cars. Run away! Mine turned out to be one of those as well, after digging up records. This became obvious after the cleaning fluids dried on the interior many weeks later, and all the stains one would expect in a rental came showing through. Right away, I also noticed that when it rains, the car ends up with an inordinate amount of moisture on the inside. I didn't realize it was a major problem until many months later, when I discovered that water is somehow entering the frame of the car, and pooling during heavy rains. When I called to try to resolve that issue, I was sent in circles, and finally promised a follow up by a manager, who then never called back. The spare key was also missing at purchase, so I had to take it to a dealership to have one made (even though they paid for it, it was still inconvenient). Finally, the manual was missing at purchase, and they told me they'd send one, but it never came. I made several calls to customer service, and every time was told that one would be on its way, but I never received it, or any follow up.

Clearly, Carvana has customer service issues. I wouldn't tell someone to NOT use them, but I wouldn't recommend them either. One should approach them with extreme caution. This has been a poor experience.

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

Helpful Review? 24 People Have Voted

Posted on Feb 10, 2016

Misleading and not informative!

By Ebony Jenkins , Fayetteville, TN

I knew it was to good to be true. I got financed through Carvana. I picked the vehicle that I thought would work for me, and sent in all the information that Carvana would need to purchase the vehicle. Then, since no one had reached out to me, I decided to reach out them, but only to find out that I would have to have insurance on the vehicle that I'm test driving, and need have my down payment within 24 hours of delivery! I knew right then that it's a scam. Nowhere does it say this on their website, even when it congratulates you on purchasing the vehicle.

So now I'm going to have to change my bank account number first thing in the morning, it was a good thing I didn't request to take a day off from work. Oh and there was another thing that made me wonder, which was that they have an underwriter that will review my purchase. So that mean the down payment, monthly payment, and finance charges may not be what it says on the website! I am very disappointed, and told my friends and co worker about this website. It's a scam.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Sep 26, 2016

Thank you for your feedback. We take our customer’s complaints very seriously and are very sorry to hear that you felt uneasy about the underwriting process. As a part of our underwriting process, we require that our customer’s send us their current proof of insurance so we can confirm they are covered. In the event that our customer does not have insurance, we do require they reach out to an insurance company to obtain a quote for the vehicle they are interested in purchasing. Our customers are then required to show valid proof of insurance at the time of delivery showing our vehicle has been added. The reason for this is to ensure our collateral is protected during the 7-day test drive period.

We process the down payment through an automatic clearing house (ACH) withdrawal. Because this is a part of our purchase process, we confirm funds by doing a three way call with the customer and their bank to ensure the funds are available prior to delivery. Additionally, we have made every attempt to ensure that the expectations for the funds verification process are clearly stated on our website, which our customers will find on the funds verification screen: “For your security, we do not store your account information and will request it again during our verification process”. Once the vehicle is delivered to the customer and they choose to accept the vehicle, the funds are then submitted. We do not withdraw any money from our customer’s account until the vehicle delivers.

Carvana aims to be as transparent as possible with every purchase. We regret to hear that your experience with us was less than ideal. We would love to invite you back to our website in the future. If you have any questions that we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-333-4554.

Sincerely,

The Carvana Team

Helpful Review? 27 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 20, 2016

Best experience ever

By Anita , Glasgow, KY

This is by far the easiest, most hassle free way I have ever purchased a car! From just browsing to find the right one all the way through bringing it home, was so easy I kept thinking there has to be a catch! Everyone that I spoke to was very helpful and friendly and got back to me immediately if I had questions, even on a holiday weekend. I made the choice to pick mine up from the "vending machine" and am so glad that I did! They told me I was just number 5 to ever do it as it had only opened up for business the day before (Nashville location). I am so excited to be driving my dream vehicle, Cadillac SRX, I have been looking for over 2 years! Thank you to everyone (especially Beth) at Carvana for making it such a great experience!

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

Helpful Review? 11 People Have Voted
Showing 529-539 of 543

Our Promise to You

In order to safeguard you and ensure helpfulness and relevance, our compliance team manually assess every customer review before it goes live.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews, and companies cannot control or alter any reviews at any time.