Auto Auction Mall > Knowledge Base > Buyer Tips

A Guide to Finding Used Cars for Sale On CarMax

By Mike Richards Updated: 07/05/2019 Posted: 07/02/2019

Buying a used car can be a hassle no matter how, where, and from whom you buy the vehicle. However, there are businesses that work to minimize that hassle. One of the ways they do it is by facilitating the searching process and streamlining the buying phase so that they become less stressful. One such business is CarMax. So let’s look at the business, and how to buy cars for sale on CarMax

What is CarMax

Founded in 1993, CarMax is the largest used car retailer in the USA with over 195 stores in the country and growing at a rate of 10-15 stores per years, according to statistics of past years. What differentiates CarMax from other dealerships are two factors: the availability and the no-hassle sales process. Throughout this guide, we will see why those two points are valid.

How Does Buying Cars on CarMax Work

As with any car dealership, you can buy the vehicle you like by paying cash, with financing, or with a trade in, provided that the vehicle is accepted for a trade in. Also, like with many dealerships, you can buy the vehicle with a guarantee, which is either included in the price or has to be paid for separately.

Some Unique Details to Point Out about CarMax:

Their Own Inspection System.

The system they have in place evaluates the condition of a used car on the basis of a 125 point scale. CarMax inspects the vehicles far above state and national resale requirements. This means that they thoroughly review the vehicle before putting it up for sale.

Refunds and Guarantees.

The buyer gets a 7-day full refundable return period on the vehicle they choose to buy as well as a 90 day and 4,000-mile guarantee on the condition of the car.

The Cars Being Sold

CarMax has over 3 million cars in stock and sell over half a million units per year. It is also known for only selling recently used vehicles meaning that they only sell vehicles between 1 to 6 years old, so there is no worry of being sold an old heap of metal.

How CarMax Stands Out

The Purchasing Process

CarMax is famous for the no hassle transaction process. This entails that you can research the prices for a certain vehicle beforehand and compare the offered sale values with the values you find on the internet. This makes the process much less stressful and much more enjoyable for consumers both young and old.

The Availability

Sometimes, your local CarMax may not have the car you want. If we were talking about a local dealership, this would mean you would have to go back and forth several times between locations to find the car you want.

But with CarMax this is a totally different scenario. Thanks to the many stores and vehicles that CarMax has, you can search for the vehicle online with the salesman and have the vehicle you want to be shipped to that very store within a few days, provided you pay for the small shipping fee. Once the car has arrived, you can go on a test ride and confirm whether you want to buy the car.

The Benefits of CarMax

No Haggling

Known for its easy purchasing experience, the salesmen at CarMax will not try to squeeze as much money as they can from you and there is no need to try and haggle for a better deal.

Guarantees and Refunds

Upon buying a used car, you are offered guarantees and refunds including a 7-day full refund and a 90 guarantee on the car

Access to a wide Variety of Cars

The business being as large as it is allows customers to browse through their whole inventory both on-site and online and order a vehicle to be delivered to the dealership should the dealership not have that specific vehicle.

Fair Market Pricing

According to various reviews, the pricing of vehicles on the CarMax platform is fair and not much higher than the market value. Of course, we should keep in mind that this is a dealership we are talking about, and, as any business, they have to make money.

The Disadvantages of CarMax

The Experience Will Vary From Dealership to Dealership

According to some reviews, sometimes the purchasing experience can be rough or unpleasant because of a rush to buy or a bad salesman. To avoid these issues, the recommendation is to look for reviews on your local CarMax dealership before going there. Even so, the fact that buyer experience can vary widely from dealership to dealership is a disadvantage.

No Firm Guarantee that the Vehicles Have No Problems

Some reviews have mentioned cases of cars having issues not resolved by the dealership beforehand. Even cases of issues covered by the CarMax dealership have been mentioned. This seems to be connected with the previous point about buyer experience being dependent on the dealership.

The Prices are not the Cheapest

As mentioned before, the prices are not cheapest. However, they are fair, as many buyers may attest to. Even so, for someone looking to really save money on the purchase of a vehicle, CarMax does not deliver as well as other businesses do.

A Great Alternative to CarMax

However, if your priority is to save money on your next car purchase, there are some good alternatives to CarMax. One of these alternatives is AutoAuctionMall.com, a car auction website. Auto Auction Mall offers hundreds of thousands of vehicles in different conditions, at very low prices. Besides, you are sure to get excellent support from a team of dedicated auction specialists.

Among other advantages, Auto Auction Mall allows you to access the auctions where dealers source their vehicles. You will skip the middleman and save up to 70% of the market value. So, check out an online auction site today to save a lot of money in your next car purchase.

Why Choose Auto Auction Mall?

Many of the vehicles available at Auto Auction Mall have salvage titles, and that’s one of the reasons why they are so cheap. But don’t let that scare you. Not all salvage vehicles are piles of scrap. Many have only suffered some damage and are perfectly repairable.

In fact, salvage is a generic designation given to vehicles the insurance companies are not willing to spend money to repair. This may be because they have suffered extensive damage, to be sure, but often that’s just a matter of comparing the repair costs against the value of the car. Sometimes, it’s just not worth it for the insurers. In those cases, they will pay the owner and take over the vehicles to then sell them at auctions for a fraction of the price.

This means that salvage cars come in a variety of conditions. Many of them can be repaired and put back on the road. At Auto Auction Mall you can bid on these vehicles and take advantage of the savings. Even after taking into account other costs, such as repairs, parts and paperwork for registering the vehicle, you will save a lot of money, when compared to what you will pay by using CarMax.

Example Auctions Currently Live

[auctions]

Precautions

Of course, as with any other large purchase, you need to take some precautions before you jump in. But you can rest assured that Auto Auction Mall will give you all the information you need to make your decisions. This includes checking the vehicle’s history by using the car’s VIN. Make sure especially to check how many previous owners the car had and if there is a history of accidents and structural damage.

However, you need to be aware that insurance for a repaired salvage car may be harder to get. Some insurance companies are reluctant to give coverage to rebuilt and repaired salvage cars. But with some research you will find insurers willing to do so. You should, nevertheless, keep in mind that you may need to submit your vehicle to another inspection to make sure everything is up to scratch.

As with CarMax, you should set you budget carefully when buying at Auto Auction Mall. Don’t forget to factor in repair costs, the price of parts and fees and administrative costs related to having the car registered again. Insurance premiums may also be higher.

How Auto Auction Mall Can Help

With Auto Auction Mall, buying a car becomes a lot easier. You will easily find the car you want by using the powerful search function at the website. Furthermore, you will get access to auctions that are otherwise inaccessible to ordinary buyers. Auto Auction Mall will act as a proxy bidder and use its dealer’s license to bid on your behalf. You will be the one setting the budget, of course, and you will have a much better chance to get the car you want with Auto Auction Mall’s expert advice.

If you are interested in our help in finding repairable or salvage vehicles, you only need to contact us for more information. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Comments

[auctions count="1"]