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Buying a car online is often seen as a modern, convenient alternative to traditional car shopping. When I made the decision to make a purchase on April 14, 2022, I anticipated a smooth, hassle-free experience, and read several Carvana reviews that gave me the courage to proceed.
Instead, I was plunged into a complex and frustrating saga involving a stolen car, a second faulty vehicle, and a series of disappointing interactions with Carvana that left me disillusioned and financially strained.
Carvana Review: A Simple Purchase Goes Awry
The process began promisingly at their Oak Brook, IL location, with assurances of prompt delivery of registration paperwork. As weeks passed and automated phone calls, texts, and notifications about registration issues started, Carvana’s response was dismissive, claiming the problem was on their end and to simply *ignore it*.
An unsettling phone call from Victoria E. at Carvana soon revealed they could not issue registration due to a mysterious issue with the previous owner’s paperwork. She gave me two options:
1. They’d buy the vehicle back from me, giving me back my money.
2. I can buy another vehicle from them, they’ll give me $750 to put towards it, but I’ll have to have my credit ran again. They do not have the same vehicle I purchased, and now prices are higher for hybrids because of the gas prices.
I’d spent months hunting for the perfect vehicle, then three months driving it all over the country, falling absolutely in love with my Lincoln MKZ hybrid. To have to give it back was a total bummer, and I was hesitant to do so, until after several weeks of back-and-forth when I was told the real reason they couldn’t give me my registration:
the car was stolen.
Yes. The car I’d driven over 12,000 miles across the country was stolen. I’d taken my kids in this car. Heck, even my older teen drove it. What the hell would’ve happened if I’d been pulled over with my son, who has autism, in the car? Or if my teen had been pulled over?
An Unbelievable Revelation and Nightmare Journey
While I had been unwittingly driving a stolen vehicle for three months… My choices were limited, and neither suited my needs or budget, especially considering the rising costs of hybrids.
The logistical nightmare that ensued was both bewildering and financially burdensome. Living five hours from my nearest Carvana, I was made to return the stolen car across state lines at my expense. Financing added more chaos, with additional unexpected payments and an increased interest rate for my new vehicle.
Financing Fiasco: A Sudden Burden of Debt
Financing a car is a significant commitment that requires careful consideration, trust, and transparency. When I initially financed the first vehicle with Carvana through Bridgecrest, my good credit was a reassuring factor. I believed I was making a sound financial decision.
However, the situation quickly unraveled when the stolen car was revealed. Carvana’s decision to claw back the payments I had made on the vehicle created a financial catastrophe. Suddenly, it appeared to Bridgecrest, the finance company, as though I had never made a payment, placing me in a precarious situation where I was forced to make additional payments or face collections within mere hours, despite not yet getting any of my money back.
This clawback not only affected my immediate financial situation but also cast a long shadow over my future financial stability as we need to refinance our house this year. I was now way overburdened with debt, forced to navigate a confusing and stressful path to obtain a second loan for a replacement vehicle.
To make matters even more challenging, the second loan came with an interest rate that jumped two percent, as it still reflected the stolen vehicle’s loan! The sudden and unexpected financial burden, coupled with the mishandling of my financing, could have had devastating long-term effects on my financial health.
A New Purchase, A New Headache
Opting for another vehicle from Carvana, I faced the harsh reality of higher hybrid prices due to soaring gas costs. You might’ve heard in the news how everyone was trying to buy a hybrid back in the summer of ’22. I’d gotten in just before that, and was forced to buy another in the middle of that entire mess.
But, we loved our new vehicle, despite having to pay way, way, way more for it.
My stress came back tenfold as the check engine light came on within days, and they expected me to take my DAYS OLD VEHICLE to an authorized mechanic hours away, all while the car was hemorrhaging gas because of the mechanical issue it was facing.
Carvana Review Conclusion: A Series of Unfortunate Events and Lessons Learned
My Carvana experience was a series of missteps, from a stolen vehicle to finance headaches and a second car in immediate need of repair. What should have been a convenient and transparent process turned into a lesson in frustration, financial strain, and wasted time.
This ordeal offers a stark warning about the potential pitfalls of online car buying, and I really hope you take my harrowing Carvana review as a cautionary tale it’s meant to be. While technology advances and offers us new ways to shop, it also requires us to be more vigilant. Trust and thorough research are paramount in a digital marketplace where face-to-face interactions are replaced with phone calls and automated systems.
I’ll never buy from Carvana again, and I urge others to consider this experience before making similar decisions. The allure of convenience should not overshadow the importance of integrity, honesty, and customer care, all of which were glaringly absent in my interaction with Carvana.
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