May 31, 2008
CarMax is a club of con artists.
Here's what I posted on a website for consumer complaints. I'm adding my experience to a previous commenter's very similar experience:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/carmax-c65956.html
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I absolutely agree with your complaint and share your disgust
and shock at CarMax's brazenly deceitful "appraisals." Almost
exactly the same thing just happened to me! Even the
next-door part!
I was the first and only owner of a 2005 Subaru WRX with
roughly 40k miles, and I never had any accidents in that car.
Except for minor door dings, it was in excellent shape, with
almost-new tires, plenty of brake-pad left, well-maintained
fluids, etc. Trade-in blue-book value for excellent condition
was $14,200, and private party value was $16,790. Blue-book
certified-pre-owned retail price was $19,480.
I first took it to CarMax of Plano, TX, where they said that
there was frame damage that clearly indicated an accident, so
they appraised the car at $10,000. Anticipating my shock
(understandably), the CarMax salesman said, "Now, I'm not
trying to scam you or anything, so let me get the mechanic to
show you what he showed me. Are you sure you've never been in
an accident?" I told him absolutely not. He asked me again,
more sternly, as if willing me to say, "uh, wait, sorry, I was
wrong, I must've forgotten or lied about a frame-bending
accident": "Let me ask you again -- have you ever been in an
accident?" Sheesh! I'm not a little kid who needs to be
taught not to fib. That's certainly no way to treat a
customer, let alone the irony of essentially accusing the
customer of lying to the salesman, who is himself a lying con
artist.
The CarMax mechanic pointed to a golf-ball sized dent/dimple
in the middle of the passenger-side sheet-metal rail that runs
the length of the underbody. It's clearly a dent from either
running over debris or possibly from when I tried jacking the
car up to change a flat. In any case, it's hardly a defect
significant enough to knock $4,000 off the value of the car.
The small dent in that side rail had no impact whatsoever on
the structural rigidity and/or crash-worthiness of the car
(IMO, obviously), and at any rate, it certainly wasn't
noticeable from the interior of the car.
So off I went to the Subaru dealership in Plano, which is
literally next door to CarMax on the same street, W. Plano
Parkway. You'd think that Subaru mechanics should know what
they're looking for in a Subaru, and whaddyaknow -- they
really liked the condition of my WRX. And so they appraised
it at (and I therefore sold it for) $14,000. That's a
whopping 40% more than CarMax's "appraisal," if you can call
it that.
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CarMax
Posted: 2008-05-13 by Harrison [send email]
It's a den of morons
Complaint Rating: 0 % with 0 votes
Company information:
CarMax
United States
www.carmax.com
We took my immaculate 2003 Ford F250 Diesel Crew Cab Pickup truck to get a "fair evaluation and a great price» for it. The pushy Asian kid talked our ears off with all of the "feel good" CarMax BS for a good 15 minutes before he finally took the keys and had his appraisal guy look it over. He drove it for 3 minutes, looked around it, and disappeared for 20 minutes.
Then Asian kid came back. (Keep in mind that this truck Blue Books for trade in value of $21, 000.00 low to $23, 000.00 high!) He held up the appraisal sheet showing $8, 000.00! We laughed and left. Took it across the street to Ken Grody Ford, where they bought it for $21, 500.00!
The cars we saw on the CarMax lot as we were looking around, cost more used that you can buy a new car for. Example, a Hyundai was 2 years old for $16, 788.00, Hyundai of Garden Grove has a new 2008 with all options for $15, 350.00! Avoid this place-rip off!
Posted by will at 12:56 AM | Comments (182)
January 14, 2008
Only To Have Gone Mad By Then
If my mind escapes with its dreams and leaves this world for one of pastel madness,
It will be because I can no longer hear the soothing whispers of gold and orange autumn leaves dancing with the silhouettes of the wind and the trees;
Because I can no longer taste the sunny tingle of sweet pear juice laughing and soothing its way from the tip of my tongue down to the unsatisfied unknown;
Because I can no longer feel goose bumps forming --
Nor stir a worry with eyes dilated and neck-hairs abound --
In the presence of something awesome, fearsome, and mysterious:
A furious symphony of sight and sound;
If, in life, I cannot partake of those basic needs,
Such condition would be madness;
Gone mad, I would rather be.
Posted by will at 11:01 PM | Comments (1)
December 12, 2007
Blade CX2 Helicopter with Minicam and Home-Made Projectile Launcher
Two videos and several pictures of the heli's belly:
Download first video (7.6 megs, WMV)
Download second video, lower quality (8 megs, WMV)
Download second video, higher quality (17 megs, WMV)
Posted by will at 05:38 AM | Comments (6507)
December 09, 2007
Radio Control Helicopter On-board Footage
Two brief videos. Blade CX2. Microcam.
Right-click and Save the 4.5 MB WMV video #1
Right-click and Save the 7.4 MB WVM video #2
Posted by will at 06:00 PM | Comments (382)
October 27, 2007
Discovery! -- Class 117 -- October 2007
Posted by will at 10:43 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2007
Oakley Half Jacket
Returned & Exchanged. Northpark Oakley store -- service: much nicer than Galleria Oakley store. Spread the word, Jack!
Posted by will at 01:08 AM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2007
Oakley FlakJacket?
Yes/No? I like, but I'm not picky.
Posted by will at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
August 02, 2007
No Nonsense Office
Random quote from a friend of a friend:
There will be no nonsense in this office!
Posted by will at 01:39 PM | Comments (1)
July 05, 2006
YouTube music by some girl named Meghan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEPixxM9xFg
Posted by will at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2006
Skipping Spheres Over Water
This dude and I,
We had a bet,
To find the fate
Of a speedy sphere --
Black ball, No. 8,
When shot near straight,
By water would you die
A drowning paperweight,
Or would you skip to the sky?
Want to know more? Watch the video:
Download Skipping2_0003.wmv (1 MB)
Another video, different viewing angle:
Download SkippingSpheresOverWater_small.wmv (3 MB)
Posted by will at 04:01 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2004
If I could sleep forever
Where dreams would take me
Nothing could wake me
Always searching
Ever reaching
Holding on to semi-ecstasy
Chasing, racing
For solace and safety
Eyes still seeking
A sun still sleeping
Destined to run
Forever
Posted by will at 02:55 AM | Comments (1)