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

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 had a number of problems with Carvana, trying to make a purchase.

First, I reserved a vehicle that was in the process of being loaded into their system with the promise that the photos of the vehicle would be online in three days. Almost a week later, it still said the photos would be available in three days. I canceled that reservation and resumed my search.

I found a vehicle that was available for pickup on January 2, which was later than convenient for me but was workable. I went through their purchase with multiple delays (it would have been quicker in a stand alone dealer than these folks took), and finally thought I had everything resolved. Then I was told that the earliest pickup date would be January 3rd. I canceled the order because I have to be out of town on that date, and they reported no way to accommodate my request.

This seemed like a simple transaction, I was trading a car and placing a down payment of $10,000 with only a very small financed amount. The thing to remember with Carvana is that despite their ads on the simplicity of their product delivery, it will take you as long or more than it will at the neighborhood dealer. I wouldn't recommend these guys to anyone.

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

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

Complete scam. I shopped, they ran my credit, offered me terms, I accepted, they called me and congratulated me on my purchase, confirmed my delivery time and place, instructed me to get insurance.

I signed all the contracts, started an insurance policy on the vehicle, and was eagerly awaiting delivery.

Then boom, less than 24 hours prior to delivery they called and said oh yeah, we can't do this unless you give us another 7K down payment. Mind you this is after I've already signed all the contracts and received a call from them telling me everything was good to go. They are no different than any other, "bait and switch" used car lot. Do not waste your time on these dishonest unethical people.

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

So far my experience has been great. Bought a car on Cyber Monday for $1k off an already low price. Car was delivered to my house (for free) and 20 minutes early by a nice delivery driver Matt. He gave me a $25 gift card.

The car I found was exactly what I was looking for. Great deal.

But judging from other reviews, Carvana is bad because they won't just give you a car for free if you have crappy credit. Those reviewers have no idea how the world works (and hence their bad credit I assume).

For the rest of the world with enough credit to buy a used car, Carvana is a potentially disruptive force in an industry that needs some disruption.

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

I felt I had to write a review because some of the information I read was incorrect. When I purchased my car, my credit was below 550. My down payment option were (based on the cars I saw), $1500 for cars $20,000 and under, and $2000 for cars from $20,000-$29,000. I saw a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2014, for $2000 down because it was above the $20k threshold. So the person who posted that he was over 6K for a 14K car must have had very low income. That is another factor they look at. Think about it, if your income is below 50k a year (less than 33 after taxes, of course, the company will have you pay 6k for a down payment. However, low credit score would put you at around 1500 for a 20k and under vehicle, with at least 50k income.

I am beyond happy with my purchase. 2014 GMC Terrain SLE-2. I got it for under 20, so only $1500 down payment. The process was smoother than going to some of the dealerships that I've been to. To the person who wrote about the delay, I would be upset too but I would not want a vehicle that does not pass the 150 point inspection.

I recommend everyone in my situation to buy from Carvana. I am a real customer and not associated with Carvana.

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

Carvana lets you choose and buy a car online and have it available for pickup or delivered to your door. After choosing a car and completing the forms, the online process stops and every step after takes place over the phone. You will have to conference call the bank to confirm funding, phone calls for the delivery and phone calls for any mistakes made on their end.

All the forms are post-dated, so that can slow down state registration after you take delivery. For example, my bill of sale was post-dated by 6 days after the funds were withdrawn from my account. I was erroneously billed MA sales tax and had to be refunded. There was no tracking or email updates so I had to call back repeatedly to check the status of that payment.

After taking delivery of my car I was repeatedly called by Carvana and delivery people for a car I didn't buy, they mixed up my number with another client. The car itself is great and was what I was looking for, but expect a few headaches during the process.

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

I really wanted Carvana to work out, because the shopping and buying experience is clearly superior.

However, they are clearly failing to adhere to their 150 point inspections on vehicles. I ordered one car, and was later informed they couldn't deliver on time because they would need to replace the climate control system. I swapped out for another car, and they then AGAIN informed me they would need to push the delivery back by 2 weeks so they could replace brake pads and rear tires. This is completely absurd.

At this point, I really don't have any faith in Carvana's capabilities as a dealer.

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

I'm going through some life changes and just started a new job, however, I still needed a vehicle. All I can say is the down payments are horrendous. For a 14900 car, u need a 6500 down payment. This a company that caters to higher credit scores. I'm sure they're a great fit for those that have pretty great credit but for the ones like me it's not for us. Will deal with the local dealerships that seem to be a little more flexible with the down payments.

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

I will give you a detailed post from my personal experience with Carvana. I called Carvana about a 2013 Chevy Silverado that they had for sale. I saw on CarFax that it had came from New York. Red flag right there. The first thing I asked is if this truck had rust. They told me no over the phone and assured me they only purchase outstanding vehicles for their inventory. I saw some very minor scratches from their report also which was fine. So, the truck was supposed to be delivered to my house 3 weeks later. 2 weeks I receive a call saying they found a rust spot in the bed (red flag number 2) and said they were 'meticulously repairing it'. So, it was another week late.

Eventually, the truck arrives at my house and the first thing that catches my eye is the rust on the frame. I lift the hood and see nothing but rust on the engine. I told them to take it back and was angry that they wasted my time since the first thing I did was ask a out rust. I threatened to ream them with bad review and instead the person who dropped it off promised me they would scrounge the market to find me a replacement truck. That they would either give me a rental until they find a truck or they will pay me $50.00 a day until they find me a truck. That person lied to me and could not back up their promise.

After going through three levels of management they said they would check their inventory and get back to me. They found a more expensive truck ($5,000 more) and they only offered me a $250 discount. Their salesmen are extremely nice but this company has major issues and I would not recommend them to anyone looking for a new car.

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

I have been waiting to replace my Civic forever, and with a growing family it was time. I saw a Carvana commercial on TV, and imagined a picture in my mind of what an Amazon for cars would be. Then I went to Carvana's website, and I experienced it first hand. Ridiculously good price, great customer service at every step, then delivery to my door. I had 7 days to return, but didn't need to, I was a happy customer!

No idea what the other reviewers experienced, but I browsed the 2500+ reviews on Carvana's website and other places and it's quite different from here, so I wanted to share my great experience. Thanks Carvana!

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