When we started selling cars online nine years ago, you can imagine we were met with some skepticism. Food, books, clothing, sure. But an entire car? Understandably, the public might have been hesitant at first. But fast forward to today, and Carvana has sold over a million cars online.
Those that are still skeptical often ask questions about quality. How do they know the vehicle is in good condition? How do they know everything has been properly inspected? And if a problem arises after they drive off the lot, are they taken care of?
We know the used car buying process can come with a lot of unknowns. How do you know the last owner took care of it? Well, that’s where our assurance of vehicle quality begins.
When someone sells their car to Carvana, they fill out a questionnaire on the website disclosing the car’s condition. They answer questions about the trim level, any extra features, mechanical issues, and cosmetic damage. If the questionnaire does not match the vehicle’s actual condition at the time of the appointment, we don’t take it.
Let’s say a seller lists a vehicle in great condition with no mechanical defects, but the check engine light comes on when one of our Advocates is looking it over. Carvana would not be able to accept the car, and the seller would need to have this issue taken care of if they still wanted to sell it.
The same rules apply for any undisclosed exterior damage or an incorrect trim level. If the owner listed the car with heated seats, a moon roof, and GPS, but the car didn’t actually have any of those features, we would reject it. This ensures that the cars listed on our website have accurate information.
Once Carvana buys the vehicle, it is sent to one of our inspection centers for reconditioning and a 150-point inspection. This vehicle quality inspection includes everything from a brake check to an oil change, as well as checking for any damage that may have occurred during transport. Our ASE certified technicians make sure there is no flood damage, that all the features are working properly, and test the car for any drivability issues. If repairs are needed, they will be completed by the inspection team before the car is listed for sale online.
The details from the 150-point inspection are listed for every car on the website, as well as the Carfax. We also provide a hard copy of the Carfax upon pickup or delivery of the vehicle for customers’ peace of mind.
Most of the cars we purchase do have minor imperfections, which allows us to sell them for a lesser price. Damage such as small dents or dings is listed for each car on the website, and visible in 360 degrees. Any interior or exterior wear-and-tear has to fall within certain standards (for example, a scratch has to be under a certain size and not easily visible) for us to sell the vehicle. We don’t sell cars that have any damage outside of our standards.
After the vehicle travels from the inspection center to a local hub, it is once again inspected for quality by our customer advocates. If it arrives with any issues that were not addressed during the initial 150-point inspection, the customer has some options. They can reject the vehicle entirely at no charge, opt to have Carvana fix the issues before delivery, or accept the car as-is and then use Carvana’s after-sale repair option at no extra cost.
If for any reason the customer is unhappy with their purchase, we offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as the vehicle has not been in an accident, smoked in, or driven over 400 miles, we will take it back no questions asked. All of our cars come with a limited warranty (100 days or 4,189 miles, whichever comes first), but customers have options to purchase extended warranties from Carvana as well for a worry-free driving experience.
Online car buying has grown tenfold in popularity. As more people buy online, others are hearing about their experiences and feeling more comfortable doing the same. Getting a car delivered might not be quite as popular as getting a pizza delivered, but we’d like to think it’s getting pretty close.
