I had a great experience at carmax. I sold my wifes 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee to them for $1000. I needed new tires, brakes, ac, transmission, rear window motor, and a few other things. I was only expecting $500. We bought a 2003 VW jetta wagon for below blue book. Plus they won't sell a car that has been wrecked (unlike drivers world).

I think anywhere you go to trade in a vehicle they are gonna low ball you. It's the nature of the game. I'm lazy and don't feel like having to try and sell my car outright, so I just traded mine in. I just got lucky though.

 

even so...theres a differance between being offered lower than retail trying to make a good deal, and chopping 5000+ off of the value of the car. If a cars worth 15,000 and someone offers 12-13...then fine. But carmax is the kind of company that will offer 9,000 and think there giving you the best deal out there. Complete joke IMO.

 

So dont sell it to them, its not that difficult of a task. They're out to make as much money as possible, if you dont sell it to them for that price, they'll pick one up from an auction for that price and then sell it for 2x what they paid. Either way, they're in it to make money, not help you out.

I sold my car there for alot less than what it was worth simply because every day I owned it it was depreciating and worth less and less, not to mention I was paying interest on it every month that didnt go to any sort of principal. Either way, someone is going to get your money, it just depends on if you want the money now or you want the money later.

 

patience ftw.

 

Patience was costing me $500/mo. Of that $500/mo, only $380/mo was going towards the principal of the car.

$2000 saved me $500/mo cash, and saved me more than that in depreciation and excess payments over the next 3 years.

I'm happy with my decision.

 

and it took me 3 weeks to sell my car....carmax offered me 2, and i got 4...because i decided not to go with ther bullshit scheme, and had patience, i wound up with double what they were gunna give me. Either way, you got lucky, most dont.

 

I have been thinking about taking my 97 Eclipse GS by there and I would be happy if they gave me $2k but Im worried they wouldnt even give me that? The car has its share of dings and marks plus it has sometimes puffs some smoke.

 

I had my car on the market for 8 months, and one person came and looked at it. It was in MINT shape, nearly 100% stock until I got bored with flakers and decided to mod it, and got great gas mileage. And it had a warranty that lasted another 5 years/50k miles over the time I sold it. I was offering less than KBB, and less than what just about everyone else was offering, and still had no hits. I'm happy with my decision

 

my experience with carmax has always been fun.....go in with a friend....play a bullshit game, test drive some cars. Then leave, giving the salesman a false sense of hope in a car sale. Plus when i went to them to sell my gti 1.8t they offered 12k for a 2004 with only 12k miles on it....i turned around a month later and sold it to some hardcore dubber guy on vortex for 15,400 and considering i only had the car for two years with only 13k miles when i sold it...and getting 15,4 when we bought the car from browns manassas for 17,6 i think i did good.

 

People don't realize. they are not like selling a car to you and me. They buy it off use as a TRADE IN value to sell it and make a profit. Its not a joke, it's a business. Im sure that if EVERY person on here complaining managed one theyd be doing the exact same thing.