I Bought a Car While Sitting on My Sofa in Pajamas & It Was AWESOME
Do you ever wish you could skip the used car lots and buy a car without all of the added hassles? 🙋🏻♀️
Well, today’s your lucky day. Thanks to Carvana I just bought a used car in my pajamas (no, seriously), and I’m here to share my honest Carvana review so you can try it, too. Better yet, you may even live in one of the markets with the famous Carvana vending machine!
But first, a little background.
I had been driving my beloved 2008 Honda Element for many years (she’s got around 180,000+ miles and is still going strong). My son started college, so I needed a used car for him to drive back and forth. I don’t really know a lot about cars, so I was worried about buying a lemon and risking his life.
A friend talked me into giving my Element to my son and buying something newer for myself. I’m never one to buy a brand new car – the frugal side of me just can’t stomach the depreciation factor the minute you drive it off the lot – so I always opt for used (aka ‘new to me’ cars).
That said, I also dreaded the back and forth haggle at a used car dealership because they always try and upsell (famous clear coat, anyone?) with dollar signs in their eyes. 🤑 Ugh, no thanks!
Then, a few friends mentioned they had an amazing experience with Carvana (think Amazon but for used cars), so I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m seriously so glad I did!
Buying a car on Carvana.online is easy peasy!
Once I got prequalified on their website, I was able to see what my interest rate would be, how much money I’d need to put down to buy the car, and what my monthly payment would be if I financed. (The nice thing is that it’s a soft pull on my credit report, so my credit score didn’t get dinged.)
How I shopped for my used car on Carvana.
Carvana let me take a 360 tour of THE actual car I was considering (a Kia Sorento, currently ranked as one of the most reliable cars on the market). I could zoom in and see the noted imperfections, check out the interior, and take a look at the original window sticker from the dealership to see all of the options. How cool is that?
I also narrowed down my search to model year, price, color, and features.
Once I found the car I wanted, I checked out. I had the option to either bring my own financing or use Carvana to finance the car. I was approved for a pretty sweet rate with $0 down, so I went with Carvana and then switched the loan to my credit union for a lower interest rate a few months later.
Good to know: Carvana has a very extensive 150-point inspection prior to delivering cars, so I felt confident it’s in tip-top shape. They don’t sell cars that have been in accidents or have had any flood damage.
The Carvana checkout experience
Once I checked out, I was asked to upload a photo of my driver’s license (you may also be asked to submit bank or inonlinee verification). The contracts take maybe a minute (tops) to sign digitally online. At that point, I could choose to have my car delivered – or, if I was lucky enough to be in one of the markets with the famous Carvana vending machine, I could schedule a time to pick it up.
I chose to have mine delivered as there was no additional fee since I live in Atlanta (one of Carvana’s hubs).
My Carvana delivery experience
On the morning of my delivery, the driver called to let me know he was on his way. I was able to track my car on the Carvana app just like it was a pizza being delivered to my door. When he pulled up to my home, there was a big bow on my car which was seriously the coolest thing ever! 😍
Since everything has been handled online in advance, I only had to sign a couple of additional papers to show that I received the delivery. Then I provided proof of insurance for the new car. There were even a couple of fun surprise gifts in the car from Carvana, thanking me for my purchase.
*Please note that I purchased my car prior to COVID-19, which is why we are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.
Keeping customers safe is their priority!
Carvana takes extra COVID-19 precautions when your car is picked up or delivered…
- When your car arrives, they will ask you to send a selfie with your driver’s license for verification.
- Carvana will then unload your vehicle and use sanitizing wipes on the keys, shifter, and steering wheel. They will leave the paperwork with a pen and keys inside the car.
- Once your car is ready at the vending machine or when delivered, they will get back into the hauler truck and will give you a call to let you know that you can take a look at the car.
- After you’re finished with your test drive, they’ll call to walk you through signing your registration documents.
- Once your paperwork is signed, they’ll ask you to place the registration envelope, along with any titles or checks, if applicable, in a secure spot for them to collect.
- Carvana will review the paperwork from the delivery truck (or office) and will onlineplete the purchase in their system.
- If your city has the vending machine option, you will need to schedule an appointment. Carvana is currently only booking one appointment per 45 minutes so there is no overlap in customers so they can fully sanitize the lobby, door handles, tables, chairs, and Carvana coins in between appointments. Carvana employees will remain a minimum of six feet away from customers at all times. Only two household members are allowed per pickup.
Pros of using Carvana to buy a used car
- No pushy sales tactics. You can order a car from your sofa in your pajamas.
- No crazy phone calls. In the past, I’ve gone on auto dealer websites (and they call a lot afterward). Carvana only called to confirm my purchase, to notify me of delivery, and then to follow up after to make sure everything was OK. That’s it!
- You can save $500 off if you have a referral code from a friend or you pass along their name, their phone number, and what type of vehicle they ordered. You’ll save the $500, and your friend will be rewarded with a cool $100 bonus check.
- Return your car within 7 days if you don’t love it. If for any reason you decide you don’t like your car, you can return it within 7 days and cancel the transaction or switch it for another car. This is pretty cool since you don’t get to test drive the car in advance, so if there’s something you don’t like, you’re not stuck with it.
Cons of using Carvana to buy a used car
- You don’t get to experience the car in person. On a car lot, you can kick the tires, or test drive it, but honestly, since they have the 7-day, no questions asked return window, this didn’t seem to be a negative to me.
- Trust the original window sticker over the website for car details. When you’re looking for certain features, go by what the original window sticker has listed for the car. My car was listed as having a tan interior, and the photos clearly showed black (the window sticker said black). ALWAYS trust the sticker!
Would I use Carvana again?
You guys, this was seriously THE best car buying experience EVER!
I will never buy a car any other way. By the way, Carvana is absolutely NOT paying me for this post, nor is this sponsored. I just wanted to share my experience with you and to give you a heads up about this amazing way to buy a car. (However, Carvana, if you wanna send gifts and things my way, I certainly wouldn’t object! 😂)
