CarMax haggle and shopping experience

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You pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Nice facility, decent vehicles, friendly (but not knowledgeable) staff and almost every vehicle is $1-2K overpriced.

Almost every vehicle.... My wife and I paid a fair market price on our Chryslers there. ($15K PT Cruiser GT with every single option and 4K mi - $18K 200S with every option and 2K mi) I don't know how much she paid on her Mitsubishi. We had only been dating a couple of months when she got that so I didn't make it my business.

My wife loves it and won't buy cars anywhere else.

They haven't ever had anything that I wanted for a fair price. I shop elsewhere.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I would avoid CarMax since they have set pricing, non negotiable.


My guy has non-negotiable pricing also... What he paid for the car (receipts for purchase, brakes, tires, detailing, and other are shown...) plus $800 for his time. I would buy a car from him sight-unseen from half way across the country no questions asked. He would call me and say "I have your car ready." and I would say "How much do I owe you? I'll have a cashier's check in the mail tomorrow."
 
How are they in rip off financing and trickery? Many dealers discount to lure you in but then when it comes to payments/trade/rate/extra warranty etc you can get burned hard. People get duped pretty easily in the process. I wonder if CarMax is more upfront about this.

My only trick with non-fixed price is baiting them with thinking I am getting extras(financing/extra warranty) only to pull them out at final sale.

My brother in law is a professional and relatively successful car saleman, manager, and finance manager in various roles. They make money typically somewhere and on every sale. You just have to work harder to get a better price that is all.
 
CarMax has, obviously, hit on something here. They give consumers who either don't want to negotiate or who feel they are unskilled at it a pretty convincing assurance that their vehicles aren't wrecked badly or reconstructed, they offer a non-threatening atmosphere, and offer servicing on-site for issues that pop up after the sale. Some family friends shop exclusively at CarMax, and their service after the sale, according to them, is quite good. Their "warranty" really does work, and if they can't fix the issue in-house, they'll pay for the dealer to fix it.

CarMax seems to be highly successful at what they do. Their cars may be priced higher than what's at the corner buy-here-finance-here lot or on Autotrader, but I don't agree that they're "overpriced". You do indeed get something in return for that extra $1,500 you paid. What you get isn't important to me, but it is to some people, and they're happy to pay the price of admission to avoid the hassles of a dealer with a more traditional sales strategy.
 
I looked on our local CarMax lot in Salt Lake City. I was quite surprised at the amount of low miles clean cars they had. They had everything from Suburbans to minivans, nice sedans, and CUVs and pickups. The average buyer could do a lot worse in regards to price at a "regular" type dealer. At most Chevy, Honda, Toyota dealerships I have been to there is no rhyme or reason on how they price their used cars. They are often priced, very, very high.
 
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My favorite was a time when I kept LOWERING my offer.

The salesman was stunned. He asked why, I said my time is valuable and the more of it you take, the less I'm willing to pay for the car, how low do you want to go?

It was a busy Saturday morning, he could do the mini deal and get it out the door or keep trying to grind me for another few hundred, or not sell the car at all.

Eventually, he and the sales desk saw it my way.

Originally Posted By: dja4260
Haggling isn't a skill or talent.

I just walked into a dealer with my father inlaw. I said I would pay X amount for this used car, cash, right now. He said "no way, that's below invoice". I said, "it's used, what invoice?"
I continued to sit there as he dropped the price, over and over. Got the manager etc.

Guess what I paid for the car?

X amount.

It was reasonable. No haggling.
 
I bought our 2013 GC in June 2013 from carmax. I paid cash. It was an off lease vehicle with 20,600 miles. Was a little over $21k otd. List new was $28,900 + taxes and fees, about $29,500.

Carmax had several available. No one else within 100 miles had a low miles van equipped like I wanted. The only one was located somewhere in Tenn. They trucked it in no charge.

I read somewhere that carmax has their own auto auction so have the pick of used cars.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
a pretty convincing assurance that their vehicles aren't wrecked badly or reconstructed, they offer a non-threatening atmosphere, and offer servicing on-site for issues that pop up after the sale.


Yeah, I think you hit it on the head.

Whether there is a place for their business model or not isnt really my say. The masses speak, and CarMax has done well.

End of the day, they advertise a no hassle, no haggle car buying experience. That doesnt mean that it is absolute, or that anything advertised should be taken at face value. Here they are sticking to it, and it is what it is. I can get a brand new van within $3k of their used one, so its a no brainer to me to skip the lousy deals at CarMax (at least lousy for minivans that were looking at).

I went in wondering if their advertised no haggle business model was very absolute. It is. So be it. Ill buy new and be happy with a new van when the time comes.

Like shopping anything, due diligence is always prudent. I cant see a value proposition here.
 
We here at BITOG have rules and policies. We like to think that you don't make exceptions for some participants versus others.

Why should Carmax bend their policies for you?
 
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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
a pretty convincing assurance that their vehicles aren't wrecked badly or reconstructed, they offer a non-threatening atmosphere, and offer servicing on-site for issues that pop up after the sale.


Yeah, I think you hit it on the head.

Whether there is a place for their business model or not isnt really my say. The masses speak, and CarMax has done well.

End of the day, they advertise a no hassle, no haggle car buying experience. That doesnt mean that it is absolute, or that anything advertised should be taken at face value. Here they are sticking to it, and it is what it is. I can get a brand new van within $3k of their used one, so its a no brainer to me to skip the lousy deals at CarMax (at least lousy for minivans that were looking at).

I went in wondering if their advertised no haggle business model was very absolute. It is. So be it. Ill buy new and be happy with a new van when the time comes.

Like shopping anything, due diligence is always prudent. I cant see a value proposition here.


Good post. The value proposition is the "no haggle" experience to many people. Their success is apparently proving that.
 
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Originally Posted By: Vikas
We here at BITOG have rules and policies. We like to think that you don't make exceptions for some participants versus others.

Why should Carmax bend their policies for you?


One of these does not equal the other unless you're baiting or trolling.

Retail sales have a spread, a margin, and in the auto business, working between retail and cost is indeed the norm. It may not be so in every single type of retail, or every retailer in a specific product area, but for cars, it absolutely is the norm.

This isn't difficult to understand. I tested carmax's no haggle policy. They said no. I walked. A new van is so close in price to these 30k mile used ones that buying new is a good choice. Done.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
This isn't difficult to understand. I tested carmax's no haggle policy. They said no. I walked. A new van is so close in price to these 30k mile used ones that buying new is a good choice. Done.

You already knew that Honda and Toyota 1-2 year old is not a good buy compares with new.

Many owners paid MSRP for new Honda and Toyota or little below, some even paid more with dealer add-on junks. Therefore 1-2 year used Honda and Toyota are some time at or above the new one(for people who know how to bargain).

Carmax has many choices for used cars, but their prices are way more than market value, and they seem to be very firm about non-negotiate policy.

You did alright walk away with not getting the cars at the price you think is fair, that is their lost.
 
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I don't quite understand why you got upset when Carmax did not budge from their stated policy. For all you know, the manager might have got fired for the policy infraction.

What is the difference when it comes to application of rules and policies whether is a retail establishment or a place to meet on the internet? The owner of the place determines to the rules and if one does not like, one stops visiting or gets booted out. Given that you are one of the enforcer in one case, you should understand the other case.

You would not allow somebody to test BITOG policy and you should not.

If somebody else had complained about Carmax policy, I would have not tried to point out this inconsistency. I hope you are not accusing me of trolling here. That is very serious charge.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I don't quite understand why you got upset when Carmax did not budge from their stated policy.


Dude, he didn't get upset! He simply reported his experience. He didn't say he wanted to hurt any of the CarMax folks. He didn't make plans to burn the place down. He didn't say that he felt they should have changed their policy to suit him. He went in to see if they'd negotiate. They didn't. He left. That's really all there is to it!
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I don't quite understand why you got upset when Carmax did not budge from their stated policy.


Dude, he didn't get upset! He simply reported his experience. He didn't say he wanted to hurt any of the CarMax folks. He didn't make plans to burn the place down. He didn't say that he felt they should have changed their policy to suit him. He went in to see if they'd negotiate. They didn't. He left. That's really all there is to it!


Thank you. I couldn't have said it better.

I suspect that it's an attempt to instigate me stemming from over at the BITOG hate board.

Quote:

Kangaroo Avatar Kangaroo
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Apr 12, 2015 at 6:03pm
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Vikas just sent a zinger across JHZR2D2's bow. Ouch!

Vikas said:
If Carmax had been aware of BITOG and your reputation, they could have broken their policy of no haggling just for you.


I wonder if Vikas is posting here. Maybe not because he seems to get away with things over there that many others wouldn't.
Kangaroo Avatar
Kangaroo
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Apr 13, 2015 at 4:03pm
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Funny how R2D2 get's called out for slamming Carmax for not negotiating and then he pretends that he didn't know it was a fixed price place.

He always has to find a way to save face. Very much like wallpaper hanging boy.
 
What are you talking about? What is BITOG hate board? Can you elaborate on? Is this something I should know about? Where is that quote coming from? I just don't remember reading it! Can somebody else clue me in please!! PM if you do not want get in to middle of this. I am being accused of doing sneaky things and I do not like that. I am pretty transparent; heck I am even using my real name here.

You have known me to call you out many times. This is not the first time. We had our battles when you purchased HF item. You purchased it because it was the most cost effective tool for your need and budget. When other people do similar things, you always take issue with that.

I am pointing out the inconsistencies in your argument. If you really believe I have any malice towards you, then you are simply wrong.
 
I think part that sticks out is the assertion that:
"The no haggle pricing really just equates to a worse price for the buyer."

If he didn't say that, then there's no argument. he's just describing his experience. BUt throw that out and then it's time for debate.

The traditional "haggle pricing" also equates to a worse price for consumers as a whole. There are also issues of fairness where not everyone gets the same deal, and people get a worse deal because they aren't as adept at haggling.
He's only feeling good because he feels he's in the good-haggler group. But if he learned that a different group actually a better deal, and he's only "average" at best, then he'd be all for the same-price-for-everyone model.

It also has the hidden time and emotional cost which is just an overall inefficiency.
 
I think one reason they sell so many cars is because they have their own in house financing. Plus they will negotiate their prices.

Originally Posted By: ;547557
I was offered 9500, low KBB as a trade in. I could've waited & sold it private party for 14K reasonably. I went with Carmax due to both price & speed. They gave me 12K & now they plan to sell it for 1K above retail. They do their own financing, so they might get it. I took the cash & found the MDX for 8300. Most were 12K in the same basic condition. Up to 15K for an '03/'04. Some were dreaming about getting 17K.


http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/16-other-honda-talk/39802-my-new-baby-ariel-3.html#post547557

Right now they have over 47k cars in inventory nationwide with a small amount(888) of those brand new ones.
 
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