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My firm has represented consumers in a number of cases where CarMax has sold them vehicles that were previouly wrecked and had significant concealed accident damage.
CarMax maintains lobby displays in many of their Florida stores where they a have clean, full sized vehicle with a sticker on the windshield stating REJECT. Next to the car is a large billboard stating 'we would never sell you this vehicle because it used to look like this' 'only the best cars make our lot' and there is a large picture showing the vehicle in a wrecked condition. The conclusion that most people seem to draw is that CarMax does not sell wrecked vehicles.
CarMax then provides a 125 point inspection that further cements that they make a rigerous inspection to determine if there is accident damage on a vehicle.
Most consumers are shocked to learn that not only does CarMax sell wrecked vehicles that have been repaired or repainted but that CarMax actually purchases wrecked vehicles and repairs and repaints them for resale on its lot.
It goes without saying that wrecked vehicles have a lower resale value and often develop problems down the road. Such practices are contrary to Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Federal legislation. If you have purchased such a vehicle do not hesitate to seek legal advice.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
How is CarMax still in business. I see all this bad press. Also--don't trust CarFax. I bought a car that came to me via dealer who bought car from Carmax. The Carfax absolutely clean. But--Carfax showed no maintenance records. After getting car, I found out that Carfax clean because No Maintenance was done on car---maybe ever, save a couple oil changes. Car a mess. Oil leaks everywhere. Cracked boots. Poor suspension. Blown head gasket, lost antifreeze 2 times, completely, in two months. So--no, I don't hold much stock in Carfax.
I bought a 2007 Audi A4 in june 2012 from Carmax on glenwood avenue in raleigh nc. I wqs getting what I thought was a pretty fair deal. Before completing the sale I asked Ginger Hale, my sales associated if she would provide me with the carfaxs report. She outright refused me and continued to refer back t ok their 125 point inspection which she declared was just as good if not better than the carfax data. I should not have signed any papers until my request for the carfax was honored. I have had limited problems with the car aside from a little scratching noise on the front right sidw when I first accelerate. Fast forward to July 2013 and because of life situations I am ready to trade in the A4 for a ridwwith more interior room, better trunk space and gas mileage. So I take the audi to the Honda dealership to get a quote on a trade in and was quickly told thay the car was involved in an accident in 2007 up north. PISSED! I just called the carmax dealership and qas told to expect a call back after they have had an opportunity to reaearch the matter.
EaleySolutions@gmail.com. I really hope they do the right thing because now I'm in a tough spot due to their dishonesty and my softness. While ill take the blame for being a gullible consumer ill never buy another car without demanding the carfax and I cannot with any good conscience continue to recommend carmax to my friends.
Well they didnt sell me a wrecked car, they did one better. Took my car to knoxville tn location to sell them my car. They took it out for a test drive. 45 Minutes later was brought back on a roll back as the driver crashed it into a curb bending the front left tire all the way back against the fender. Went to scene with the police (carmax refused to call police), could see 40 foot skid mark starting where he turned off the straight road and started aright around the circle and then another 100 foot skid mark after hit the curb. The skid marks were not from locking brakes but where front left tire outer edge was actually going sideways (could see it very clearly on the concrete right before hit curb). He was never on the brakes and was trying to drive through it. I have a 2008 mazdaspeed 3 that has very sticky tires and can take corner at high speeds. But the was circle and once leave straight road going on to circle was down hill. How fast was he going? If they do not buy it for full value i am going to have mazda pull the computer record which will show speed, which gear, if brakes were applied everything.
I agree with the lawyer. People purchase cars from CARMAX because we feel they do not sell wrecked cars. I just purchased a wrecked car from carmax, i paid 325 dollers to have the car shiped to spotsylvannia VA, when the car arrived i was informed the car was in the lot but I could not look at the car till the next day((for reasons unknown to me still)). The picture of the wrecked car in there building looks like it was in a minor collision, nothing that could bend the frame. When i purchased the car it snowed the first five days after, so i couldnt drive it during the time that i could have return the car, but after i noticed the front turn signals stoped working and it had a bad vibration. While investigating the vibration i noticed all the parts from the rear back where put on in 06, the car is a 02, the under skirting was falling off, the front inside finder well had huge bolts put in it and cut off with some sort of power tool, the inside rigth speaker didnt work, and at the right angel i could see body puddy in the right front fender. I returned the car, and thats when i was informed that CARMAX will sell u a wrecked car. Ive owned the car for 17 days, 5 days it snowed and couldnt drive it, and its been in there shop for 7 days, 19 thousand dollers later and ive drove the car maybe 3 days. The reason people shop at CARMAX is because they make us feel like there a legitament company, but there no diff then most other car dealers. I forgot to mention the change oil light blinks on and off and the transmission seems to not know what gear it needs to be in. If they will sell me a car with this much damage what diff does a bent frame mean.
Aldo's the equivalent of a consumer ambulance chaser, plying his craft to help people who can't be bothered to read the literature handed to them when they walk into the store - I used to see dozens of these abandoned all over tables and inside cars, because customers were so anxious to complete a transaction. Carmax's brochures and their web site explain the company will not sell frame or flood damaged vehicles and will purchase the vehicle back at full value if they do so in error.
The literature also states they will not sell retail vehicles (60k miles) were more lenient, and were marketed to the demographic that could not afford a newer model car. Regardless, the vmax cars endured the same inspection and reconditioning process, and have the same 30 day limited warranty and 5 day money back guarantee.
It is laughable that people who can not take personal responsibility for their own ineptitude are quick to litigate. They can't take the time (five minutes or less) to verify any claims made in-store by visiting a corporate web site, but will spend an average of 40 minutes a day at work on a social networking site (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc). Laziness and lack of priorities pretty much helped create the market for lawyers like Aldo.
As pointed out in the original post, the CarMax lobby display is deceptive in that it creates an expectation that CarMax does not sell wrecked vehicles. This certainly leads to an expectation that CarMax does not sell wrecked vehicles or at the very least to confusion. The onus is on CarMax to make accurate representations regarding its vehicles and to refrain from deceiving the public. For CarMax to create the expectations that is does not sell wrecked vehicles then claim a consumer assumed wrong or should have asked additional questions to clarify CarMax's affirmative representations is a poor excuse.
Moreover, vehicle history reports are helpful but they are often incomplete and don't always list all instances of accident damage. These reports are generated by companies that rely on public and insurance reports and records which may or may not list all of the times a vehicle was wrecked. Please see the disclaimer on these reports which make this perfectly clear. CarMax claims that they conduct a rigorous inspection on all of their vehicles and if they were fair should disclose when they find tell tale signs of accident damages on these vehicles that they claim have not been wrecked. Moreover, in many instances CarMax purchases wrecked vehicles then repairs them and sells them. Unless CarMax then reports that it conducted these repairs there is often no record that the vehicle was wrecked.
If you have been sold a wrecked vehicle when you expected that CarMax would not sell you such a vehicle you now have a vehicle that is probably worth thousands of dollars less than you expected or bargained for. Do not hesitate to seek legal advice. My firm has successfully represented a number of consumers that suffered from this same deceptive practice.
Aldo Bolliger, Esq., Mitchell & Bolliger, PLLC, Tampa, [protected]
I also notice that the majority of cars Carmax sells here in Colorado, on their lot, there is very little history showing the odometer reading. There will be many years in between readings showing no documentation. This worries me because the car's odometer could have easily been rolled back. So, for example, it might show the car new in 2009 with 145 miles, and then the next odometer reading does not show again until 2018, which will be very low, around 25K miles. It is super easy these days to roll back digital odometers. And car dealers will make a lot more money on cars with lower mileage.
Carmax never claims that they will not sell you a wrecked car. They claim they will not sell you a frame damaged car. They also supply a vehicle history report with every car they sell and if the vehicle has any reported fender benders and/or wrecks, this report will have them recorded. It is not Carmax's fault that you assumed wrong. When you don't completely understand something, you should ask questions.