CarMax

Reviews 3

ST

Steve Moran

I have had a harder time buying groceries at Walmart than I did purchasing a car from Carmax. I knew the car I wanted, found it on the Carmax web site, called the store to let them know I was interested in the car and wanted to test drive it the next day. They held the car, I took the test drive, liked the car, did the financing, and drove it off the lot in less than 2 hours. At no time did I feel pressured to purchase something like extended warranties and the like. The options on different products were explained to me and I was asked if I was interested in purchasing them. If I said no, then we moved on. Zero, repeat zero effort to push a product I didnt want to buy. This was the complete opposite experience with the last car I purchased. On that occasion, picking out the car, a new one, was easy enough but then I was lead into the Finance Managers Office. There I was asked repeatedly to purchase all sorts of "extras" and told that really the extras were actually cheap because they would only raise the monthly payment X dollars. Im not an idiot. It doesnt take a mathematician to understand an extra $15.00 a month translates to over $900.00 on a 60 month loan not figuring in the interest. And several other products I was offered were much more than just $15.00 more a month. I dont take exception with someone trying to make some money, that is the American way. However, after I said no, we moved on to another product and played the same "it only adds this much a month" game. After Id said no to all the products offered, the Finance Manager just started over telling me what sorts of risks I was taking and how I needed to be sure saying no was a good idea. He rephrased all the previous questions and hammered me again and again until I was thoroughly pissed off. My wife whose car we were attempting to purchase, knows the signs when Im about to lose my cool, so she asked the manager if we could have a moment alone. I told my wife I was done talking with this idiot and that I was going to walk out the door. She wanted the car so I told her I was done talking to the snake behind the desk but if she could get him to write the contract as we had initially agreed, Id sign it. And that just one more word from him about another product he wanted to sell me and I was done. The contract was finally signed as agreed 4 hours earlier. On a miserable experiencing scale of 1 being no big deal to a 10 as an eternity in Hell these guys scored a 9.5. And I have served in the army, done legal depositions, had heart surgery, cancer, 2 divorces and none of them came close to how much buying that car sucked. ( In case you are wondering, the dealer was Huffines Chrysler when they had a Denton location) My Carmax sales consultant Carlos Paez was straightforward when answering my questions, very informative and pleasant to work with getting the car. I purchased the car back in June and waited to write this review until I had driven the car for a while and see if Id bought a good car or a money pit. About 2 weeks after buying the car I noticed a whining noise which I thought was a power steering pump though it turn out to be the alternator was failing. The car was under the Carmax 30 day warranty so we made a arrangements to bring in the car for service and it was fixed, at no cost to me. Ive put 6,000 miles on the car since I bought it and other than the alternator being replaced by Carmax, the car has been flawless. Which proves at least in the case of the car I bought, Carmax doesnt crap cars or what a friend of mine in the car business calls shiny turds. So to summarize, Carmax did everything the way they advertise they do and I cant think of how buying a car could be made any easier and with less hassle. I will be buying my next car from Carmax.

MA

Mary Madrigal

I BOUGHT MY FIRST CAR @ THE ANDERSON LOCATION. IT WAS ALL WELL, UNTIL 2 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR, I NOTICED A VIBRATION. SINCE I BOUGHT THE "BEST WARRANTY AVAILABLE", I FOUND IT EASY TO TAKE IT INTO THE SERVICE DEPT. AND HAVE IT FIXED, EASY RIGHT? NOPE. I TOOK IT IN AND GOT IT BACK A WEEK LATER WITH ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING DONE TO IT. I DID, WHATSOEVER GET A RECEIPT 3PAGES LONG EXPLAINING WHAT ALL WAS "DONE TO THE MOTOR" SO, I FIGURED, DRIVE IT AROUND, HOPEFULLY ITLL GO AWAY. SADLY, IT ONLY GOT WORSE. I ENDED UP TAKING MY CAR UP THERE 3 TIMES TOTAL. THE LAST TWO TIMES, I GOT MY CAR BACK, AND THE INTERIOR LOOKED HORRID. THE SEATS ARE TAN FABRIC, AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE MECHANIC DROVE IT AROUND THE WHOLE TWO WEEKS IT WAS THERE. EVEN THE PASSANGER SIDE WAS DIRTY! THERE WAS BLACK OIL STAIN HANDPRINTS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND DOOR PANELS, AND EVEN THE SEATBELT STRAPS WHERE BLACK AND STAINED AT THE CHEST AREA. NOT TO MENTION, THE ODOR OF GREASY MECHANIC! I LITERALLY CRIED WHEN I SAW MY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. I TOLD THEM TO CLEAN IT AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK...IT WASNT BLACK STAINS ANYMORE, MORE LIKE GREY FADED STAINS THAT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE GRABBED A MOIST RAG AND TRIED TO RUB OF THE STAINS?! NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE FABRIC ON THE 2 FRONT SEATS THAT WERE IN MINT CONDITION WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, WERE NOW, OLD, WORN OUT LOOKING WITH WHAT LOOKED LIKE LITTLE COTTON BALLS FROM ALL THE RUBBING THEY DID. I AM DEBASTED. LOOKING BACK, I FEEL IT WOULDVE BEEN EASIER TAKING IT TO PROFFESSIONAL MECHANICS AND PAY WHATEVER, THAN TO HAVE RUINED MY "NEW" CAR. STILL, A YEAR AND 2 SEAT COVERS LATER, THE HARMONIC VIBRATION I TOOK IT IN FOR THE FIRST TIME, IS STILL THERE BUT 100 TIMES WORSE, THE TIRE FEELS LIKE ITS GOING TO FLY OFF ON THE HWY AND NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND I AM TERRIFIED TO TAKE IT BACK, SINCE I STILL HAVE "THE BEST WARRANTY" (THAT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE) FOR ANOTHER 15,000 MILES. I M LITERALLY LIVING A NIGHTMARE. SAVE YOURSELF THE STRESS AND SKIP THIS DEALERSHIP. NOT ONLY ARE THEIR SERVICES POOR, BUT WHEN YOU CALL AND TO TRY AND MAKE A COMPLAIN, YOU GET TRANSFERRED TO THIS OLDER COUNTRY SOUNDING LADY THAT ACTS LIKE IM LYING TO HER ABOUT HOW THINGS WENT, GIVING YOU ATTITUDE THE WHOLE TIME YOUR ON THE PHONE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, GOING TO CARMAX WAS THE WORST INVESTMENT I HAVE EVER MADE. DARN YOU CARMAX!!!

T.

T. Hagerman

I have purchased four cars from Dwayne Jackson at the CarMax in Arlington Texas. He is a truly nice man with unwavering integrity. I cannot think of anything I would improve on when doing business with him. I had to pay to ship three of the cars in from other states. I was never worried about having one arrive that I would be dissatisfied with because he communicated with the stores in other states to make sure we wouldnt get any surprises. On two separate occasions, he helped me decide against paying to ship a certain car because he knew I wouldnt be happy with it due to smoke smell or minor cosmetic damage. His help allowed me to ensure that all four cars purchased from him exceeded my expectations. This particular CarMax also does a really good job hiring service people. My contact is Jon Molino and he is just plain great. I have gone in and asked to have something done on my car and he told me I didnt need to spend the money right then and told me how many miles I could wait until I needed to come back. I took one of my cars to the dealer for a maintenance service because we lived closer and the dealer quoted a ridiculous amount plus they encouraged me to drop it off rather than wait. I made an appointment with Jon and they fixed it for less plus he checked my warranty and found part of the cost was covered. The dealer didnt even suggest doing that. I also take my other car I didnt buy from them for service and Jon gives it the same kind of treatment. He tells me when my next car services should be which allows me to plan and save. These two men dont want to take advantage of their customers rather they want to make sure you are a satisfied long term customer. I trust them both and take their advice every time. I feel they are always looking out for the best interest of my family. I know you may pay a bit more for a car there, but the experience is such a positive one and the care and after purchase service are unbeatable. I dont know how it is at other CarMax locations but if you need to buy or service a car, you cant go wrong with Dwayne or Jon in Arlington. I feel like I have two people in my corner that know a lot more about cars then I do looking out for me.