Category: | Used Car Dealer |
Address: | 10315 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322, USA |
Phone: | +1 515-276-4267 |
Site: | carmax.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 9AM–9PM Closed |
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Julie Woessner
This is actually the second time Ive purchased a car at CarMax, the first time being many years ago in Raleigh, NC. The experience in NC was so positive that when it came time to buy another "new-to-me" car, I decided to visit CarMax in Des Moines, IA (where we now live). Im a huge believer in the business model. I dont enjoy haggling, and I dont like pressure. I like the idea of "This is the price of the car, and if it doesnt work for you, well find you something else thats more in your price range." I told our salesman, Del, upfront that I wasnt going to buy a car that night, that we were simply looking. Plus, the weather was bad, and I didnt feel comfortable test driving the car I was interested in that night. Rather than the high pressure "Well, you know, that car might be gone tomorrow," Del said, "No problem. Well put a hold on the car until you can get back in to make a decision. If you need more than a day or two, let me know and well work with you." I came back the next day, fell in love with the car all over again, and we bought it. I opted to have leather seats and seat warmers installed as part of our purchase. It took a few days for the work to be done, and they arranged for me to have a loaner car during that time (something they offer for work that takes more than a day). When they discovered that seat warmers could only be installed on the drivers seat, they immediately contacted me to find out if I wanted to cancel the install or proceed at a discounted cost. Good communication and customer service all the way around. If you enjoy haggling (and I know some people do), CarMax isnt the right place. But if you want a stress-free, low-pressure buying experience, CarMax gets two thumbs up.
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Clark Arteaga
I am being generous with 1 star. This was by far the worst experience I ever had. I found a car through Car Max that was originally located in Denver Colorado. Yes, we had to transfer the vehicle to Des Moines and that took 3 weeks to complete. By the time the car arrived, my wife and I were told that we couldnt have the vehicle because Car Max lost the title and that could take 2 additional weeks in addition to a couple of extra days once the paperwork was finalized. I could have driven to Denver in 10 hours and get it right the first time, how do you lose the most important piece of information on a vehicle? Sounds fishy to me! Not to mention that Car Max takes a while to answer their phone or NO ONE knows about the car being transferred. So did I just get fake Car Max updates on my phone? I must have! 5+ weeks waiting on a car? Thats a bit much for a used car. Not even the actual VW dealer takes that long to LOCATE a car. At least they dont lose titles. I bought a car through VW on my first visit and the same model. I am just glad I didnt buy through Car Max, you would think they take this stuff serious but what is 1 car sale to them? clearly nothing! I heard from at least 2 people that something similar happened to them, to big of a coincidence for this to happen to more people rather than just me, my only piece of advise to the customer out there is... DO NOT BUY FROM CAR MAX, they are a joke and also I am $450.00 bucks out that I payed for the car to get transferred, If I asked for them back, they will probably tell me that they also lost the money!
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Ben Tiefenthaler
Great experience buying a car through CarMax in Des Moines! I worked with Ted and he was very knowledgeable and incredibly helpful through the whole process. We probably took a lot more time than most, over a month, to find the exact car we were looking for, and they were very patient with us through the whole process. We ended up transferring a car up from a CarMax in Florida, and the team in Des Moines were extremely helpful in making sure everything went smoothly including the car we were paying to move was of the quality/condition we expected. We did have a minor thing go wrong with the car (shut trunk sensor) a few weeks after purchase, however they were very quick to get us in and service it for free with the 30 day guarantee. The Service Department was also top notch and a great experience as well. Way better than taking it to a dealership or independent shop. Overall I love how they genuinely were there just to assist you in the buying process. Having no hassle pricing made the experience great as I didnt feel I was ever getting pushed into a vehicle, or felt the need to try to talk them down to a reasonable price. They were truly concerned to getting us into a quality car that fit our needs and budget. We also got way more than expected for our trade in which was a huge bonus as well! They dont low ball you on a trade in and truly give you a fair value of around what they think they can get back out of it to help secure your business. A+ work all around!
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DougMichele Hanson
My husband and I chose CarMax initially so we could test drive several makes/models of cars in a single location and fine tune what we were looking for. We worked with two different salespeople (Lora and Kevin). Both were very pleasant. We asked to have a vehicle transferred in from another location, which was extremely easy and faster than I expected. We ended up purchasing this vehicle. We also took advantage of their offer to purchase my old vehicle for what we considered a fair price. This process was also extremely easy and faster than expected. After purchasing my "new" vehicle from CarMax, I had it inspected by my long time mechanic who noticed some kind of fluid leak in the engine compartment. The service department got me an appointment within 3 days, noted it was from a power steering pump replacement prior to my purchase and cleaned all fluid as requested. This experience was also very easy and pleasant. All personnel associated with CarMax were great to deal with--knowledgeable, professional, and very low pressure. I was allowed to do private test drives with just my husband and myself so we could talk freely about the various vehicles without having to worry about what we said in front of the sales person. Having personally experienced most of the services CarMax offers, I would confidently recommend it to others looking for quality used vehicles.
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Mark Clodi
Buying a car always makes made me feel like I am dicing with the devil; the dealers and salesmen Ive dealt with before (many within a short drive of the Des Moines Carmax location) were sub-par, pushy and just did not listen to what I wanted or needed in a vehicle. This has led to never using the same place twice for new vehicles, until I bought from CarMax. A year ago the family needed a dependable vehicle for the youngest child and we ran into Ivan Esquivel and he made sure we got exactly what we wanted in a price we could afford. This experience turned me around about buying a car and when I needed to trade the old Jeep in I knew right where to go. Ivan listened to what I needed and figured out a great make and model that he thought would be a good fit for my daily commute. He was right. I went in looking for specific makes and models, but I test drove the vehicle he suggested too and loved it! Not only was it below what I expected to spend, it was a newer model with lower miles and better trim. Score one more for Ivan! Overall the experiences Ive had with the Des Moines CarMax location have been great and I will go there again. At the very least, when shopping for the next family vehicle, I will be able to test drive all the makes/models I am curious about and get an offer for my old vehicle too. Go see Ivan, you wont regret it!