With the used car market going wild because of the pandemic I decided to see how much my car would go for. We have 2 cars but we have been working from home since the start of covid so could definitely get by with just one.
I tried the online tools offered by KBB, Vroom and Carvana to get a sense of what’s the current value of my 2016 VW GTI. Vroom offered $21,617, KBB $18,820 and Carvana came in at $22,519.
I got numerous calls from dealers since KBB sends your car’s information to dealers in your area. I responded to all of them that I already had an offer from Carvana and would only go if they could match or beat that offer. AutoNation Honda Dulles assured me over email that they would at least match that offer and asked me to bring the car. I did, they inspected it, drove it, then conversed amongst themselves for 30 minutes and finally offered 21000 (neither beating nor matching Carvana). I took my car back and was certain that Carvana was the way to go.
I ran another Carvana offer when I got home and this time they offered $22,986 (Tuesday November 9th). I was sold. I signed up for an account and uploaded the necessary documents (driver’s license photo, picture of the title and picture of the odometer). They said I’ll hear back within 24-48 hours on next steps. Within 12 hours someone had reached out asking me to re-upload the photos of title so all four corers were visible (Wednesday November 10th). A couple of hours after completing that I got an email to schedule my appointment for my car to be picked up. I scheduled a pick for Wednesday November 17th.
On the 17th I received a call from a Carvana rep. They asked if I was available earlier and if they could come at 12:30PM instead of the scheduled time of 4:30pm. The representative came over, did a very cursory inspection of the car both inside and outside and made sure the car started. He gave me 5-6 documents to sign and then handed me a check for the full value of the offer ($22,986). He put the keys in a lock box and told me that tow truck will come pick up the vehicle. A few hours later I got a notification of movement on my security camera and I saw someone driving away in my car.
Overall, the Carvana experience was wonderful. Everything was simple, fast and haggle free. They paid exactly what they said they would and their offer was higher than any other offer I had received. There was waiting around dealerships or being lied to by dealer salespeople just to get you in the door so they can swindle you. (Shoutout to Brown’s Dulles Nissan who admitted they can’t match the offer in an email and did not waste our time)
