Complaint Review: CarMax

READ before you respond. Its no wonder there are so many complaints against the GA Carmax if this is how you react to customer complaints. The car was NOT purchased "AS IS", it was purchased with a 30 day Carmax warranty, a Carmax inspection guarentee, and an additional purchase of a 3 yr warranty.

If Carmax had performed the inspection as "guarenteed", the first 30 days of problems could have been avoided all together. Since my warranty specified that Carmax was responsible for repairs, then it was Carmax's responsibility to insure that the repairs were performed correctly.

IF this had been done, it wouldn't have taken four tries to get the axle replaced, thus avoiding the damage it created to the transmission. Given that I had everything in writing, plus detailed documentation of each event, Carmax had no choice but to provide some type of relief.

The fact that they went all out is a credit to this particular Carmax, not to the Carmax franchise entity. I would also like to point out that it took weeks of filing complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General's office, involving the Carmax district manager, and threatening to picket, for Carmax to resolve this to my satisfaction. SOOOO, Miss GA Carmax employee, I wouldn't be so flippant about who was in the wrong here. This report should stay on file as a warning to those who are considering purchasing a car from Carmax and as a guide for those who have been ripped off and are seeking justice! Besides, just because a rip-off is legally supported, doesn't make it morally right.

A rip-off is a rip-off. And sometimes the little guy wins.

READ before you respond. Its no wonder there are so many complaints against the GA Carmax if this is how you react to customer complaints. The car was NOT purchased "AS IS", it was purchased with a 30 day Carmax warranty, a Carmax inspection guarentee, and an additional purchase of a 3 yr warranty.

If Carmax had performed the inspection as "guarenteed", the first 30 days of problems could have been avoided all together. Since my warranty specified that Carmax was responsible for repairs, then it was Carmax's responsibility to insure that the repairs were performed correctly.

IF this had been done, it wouldn't have taken four tries to get the axle replaced, thus avoiding the damage it created to the transmission. Given that I had everything in writing, plus detailed documentation of each event, Carmax had no choice but to provide some type of relief.

The fact that they went all out is a credit to this particular Carmax, not to the Carmax franchise entity. I would also like to point out that it took weeks of filing complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General's office, involving the Carmax district manager, and threatening to picket, for Carmax to resolve this to my satisfaction. SOOOO, Miss GA Carmax employee, I wouldn't be so flippant about who was in the wrong here. This report should stay on file as a warning to those who are considering purchasing a car from Carmax and as a guide for those who have been ripped off and are seeking justice! Besides, just because a rip-off is legally supported, doesn't make it morally right.

A rip-off is a rip-off. And sometimes the little guy wins.

READ before you respond. Its no wonder there are so many complaints against the GA Carmax if this is how you react to customer complaints. The car was NOT purchased "AS IS", it was purchased with a 30 day Carmax warranty, a Carmax inspection guarentee, and an additional purchase of a 3 yr warranty.

If Carmax had performed the inspection as "guarenteed", the first 30 days of problems could have been avoided all together. Since my warranty specified that Carmax was responsible for repairs, then it was Carmax's responsibility to insure that the repairs were performed correctly.

IF this had been done, it wouldn't have taken four tries to get the axle replaced, thus avoiding the damage it created to the transmission. Given that I had everything in writing, plus detailed documentation of each event, Carmax had no choice but to provide some type of relief.

The fact that they went all out is a credit to this particular Carmax, not to the Carmax franchise entity. I would also like to point out that it took weeks of filing complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General's office, involving the Carmax district manager, and threatening to picket, for Carmax to resolve this to my satisfaction. SOOOO, Miss GA Carmax employee, I wouldn't be so flippant about who was in the wrong here. This report should stay on file as a warning to those who are considering purchasing a car from Carmax and as a guide for those who have been ripped off and are seeking justice! Besides, just because a rip-off is legally supported, doesn't make it morally right.

A rip-off is a rip-off. And sometimes the little guy wins.

READ before you respond. Its no wonder there are so many complaints against the GA Carmax if this is how you react to customer complaints. The car was NOT purchased "AS IS", it was purchased with a 30 day Carmax warranty, a Carmax inspection guarentee, and an additional purchase of a 3 yr warranty.

If Carmax had performed the inspection as "guarenteed", the first 30 days of problems could have been avoided all together. Since my warranty specified that Carmax was responsible for repairs, then it was Carmax's responsibility to insure that the repairs were performed correctly.

IF this had been done, it wouldn't have taken four tries to get the axle replaced, thus avoiding the damage it created to the transmission. Given that I had everything in writing, plus detailed documentation of each event, Carmax had no choice but to provide some type of relief.

The fact that they went all out is a credit to this particular Carmax, not to the Carmax franchise entity. I would also like to point out that it took weeks of filing complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General's office, involving the Carmax district manager, and threatening to picket, for Carmax to resolve this to my satisfaction. SOOOO, Miss GA Carmax employee, I wouldn't be so flippant about who was in the wrong here. This report should stay on file as a warning to those who are considering purchasing a car from Carmax and as a guide for those who have been ripped off and are seeking justice! Besides, just because a rip-off is legally supported, doesn't make it morally right.

A rip-off is a rip-off. And sometimes the little guy wins.

You should retract this account. CarMax did what they said they would do. You can't ask for any more. There is no other used car dealership out there that would do this.

In fact, CarMax wasn't even liable for it. Once you bought the car, it was yours. The sale was "AS IS" and CarMax is not required to do what they did.

You should retract this account. CarMax did what they said they would do. You can't ask for any more. There is no other used car dealership out there that would do this.

In fact, CarMax wasn't even liable for it. Once you bought the car, it was yours. The sale was "AS IS" and CarMax is not required to do what they did.

You should retract this account. CarMax did what they said they would do. You can't ask for any more. There is no other used car dealership out there that would do this.

In fact, CarMax wasn't even liable for it. Once you bought the car, it was yours. The sale was "AS IS" and CarMax is not required to do what they did.

You should retract this account. CarMax did what they said they would do. You can't ask for any more. There is no other used car dealership out there that would do this.

In fact, CarMax wasn't even liable for it. Once you bought the car, it was yours. The sale was "AS IS" and CarMax is not required to do what they did.

I had purchased the Rip Off Revenge manual. The instructions are actually too simple to be believed but MUST be adhered to for the best results. First, I made a spreadsheet documenting each visit I had made to Carmax; the date, the complaint and the resulting repair. I had kept copies of all paperwork from Carmax so I had that info readily available. I had also kept a journal detailing the personal impact all of this was having on me, my family, and our finances. I faxed this data with a letter to the Steve, the general manager at the Carmax I had been dealing with.


I advised Steve that I had already filed complaints with the BBB (who I never heard from), the Missouri Attorney General's office (which is currently investigating the business for fraud), and Ripoffreport.com. I explained that if this situation could not be remedied to my satisfaction, I would pursue further action by picketing and handing out flyers detailing my experience with Carmax. When I went in to pick up my car from having the axle replaced for the FOURTH TIME in six weeks (July 14), I had a sit down with Steve. He offered to pay me $500 cash or credit towards another car but only offered me $8000 as a trade-in on my vehicle. Now, the trade-in offered was very generous, given the miles I had put on it, and was almost twice the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value. I told him I would consider the offer and let him know.


On Monday, I called and accepted the $500 cash offer but told him the trade-in amount was not acceptable given all of the problem I have had with the car. I asked that they grant me trade-in value for the entire amount still due on the car. Steve said he was not authorized to offer me that so I got the name and phone number of the district manager and faxed him all the info. Two days later I got a call from the district manager, Tom. We talked for 30 minutes. He was very understanding and considerate of my situation. He said he would authorize Steve to do whatever was necessary to make me happy. Steve called me back an hour later and offered to buy back my car at the same price I paid for it, refund the remainder of my warranty, and give me credit for taxes paid. The only thing was, the offer was only good if I purchased my next car from Carmax so they could have the opportunity to "make things right". During all of this, I was never anything but polite, but firm, in my demands. I never had to raise my voice or become vulgar in order to get what I wanted, I only had to be persistent. I am going today to look at cars. I feel pretty confident that, given this experience, Carmax is going to do everything possible to ensure that my next car is reliable!

I had purchased the Rip Off Revenge manual. The instructions are actually too simple to be believed but MUST be adhered to for the best results. First, I made a spreadsheet documenting each visit I had made to Carmax; the date, the complaint and the resulting repair. I had kept copies of all paperwork from Carmax so I had that info readily available. I had also kept a journal detailing the personal impact all of this was having on me, my family, and our finances. I faxed this data with a letter to the Steve, the general manager at the Carmax I had been dealing with.


I advised Steve that I had already filed complaints with the BBB (who I never heard from), the Missouri Attorney General's office (which is currently investigating the business for fraud), and Ripoffreport.com. I explained that if this situation could not be remedied to my satisfaction, I would pursue further action by picketing and handing out flyers detailing my experience with Carmax. When I went in to pick up my car from having the axle replaced for the FOURTH TIME in six weeks (July 14), I had a sit down with Steve. He offered to pay me $500 cash or credit towards another car but only offered me $8000 as a trade-in on my vehicle. Now, the trade-in offered was very generous, given the miles I had put on it, and was almost twice the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value. I told him I would consider the offer and let him know.


On Monday, I called and accepted the $500 cash offer but told him the trade-in amount was not acceptable given all of the problem I have had with the car. I asked that they grant me trade-in value for the entire amount still due on the car. Steve said he was not authorized to offer me that so I got the name and phone number of the district manager and faxed him all the info. Two days later I got a call from the district manager, Tom. We talked for 30 minutes. He was very understanding and considerate of my situation. He said he would authorize Steve to do whatever was necessary to make me happy. Steve called me back an hour later and offered to buy back my car at the same price I paid for it, refund the remainder of my warranty, and give me credit for taxes paid. The only thing was, the offer was only good if I purchased my next car from Carmax so they could have the opportunity to "make things right". During all of this, I was never anything but polite, but firm, in my demands. I never had to raise my voice or become vulgar in order to get what I wanted, I only had to be persistent. I am going today to look at cars. I feel pretty confident that, given this experience, Carmax is going to do everything possible to ensure that my next car is reliable!

I had purchased the Rip Off Revenge manual. The instructions are actually too simple to be believed but MUST be adhered to for the best results. First, I made a spreadsheet documenting each visit I had made to Carmax; the date, the complaint and the resulting repair. I had kept copies of all paperwork from Carmax so I had that info readily available. I had also kept a journal detailing the personal impact all of this was having on me, my family, and our finances. I faxed this data with a letter to the Steve, the general manager at the Carmax I had been dealing with.


I advised Steve that I had already filed complaints with the BBB (who I never heard from), the Missouri Attorney General's office (which is currently investigating the business for fraud), and Ripoffreport.com. I explained that if this situation could not be remedied to my satisfaction, I would pursue further action by picketing and handing out flyers detailing my experience with Carmax. When I went in to pick up my car from having the axle replaced for the FOURTH TIME in six weeks (July 14), I had a sit down with Steve. He offered to pay me $500 cash or credit towards another car but only offered me $8000 as a trade-in on my vehicle. Now, the trade-in offered was very generous, given the miles I had put on it, and was almost twice the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value. I told him I would consider the offer and let him know.


On Monday, I called and accepted the $500 cash offer but told him the trade-in amount was not acceptable given all of the problem I have had with the car. I asked that they grant me trade-in value for the entire amount still due on the car. Steve said he was not authorized to offer me that so I got the name and phone number of the district manager and faxed him all the info. Two days later I got a call from the district manager, Tom. We talked for 30 minutes. He was very understanding and considerate of my situation. He said he would authorize Steve to do whatever was necessary to make me happy. Steve called me back an hour later and offered to buy back my car at the same price I paid for it, refund the remainder of my warranty, and give me credit for taxes paid. The only thing was, the offer was only good if I purchased my next car from Carmax so they could have the opportunity to "make things right". During all of this, I was never anything but polite, but firm, in my demands. I never had to raise my voice or become vulgar in order to get what I wanted, I only had to be persistent. I am going today to look at cars. I feel pretty confident that, given this experience, Carmax is going to do everything possible to ensure that my next car is reliable!

I had purchased the Rip Off Revenge manual. The instructions are actually too simple to be believed but MUST be adhered to for the best results. First, I made a spreadsheet documenting each visit I had made to Carmax; the date, the complaint and the resulting repair. I had kept copies of all paperwork from Carmax so I had that info readily available. I had also kept a journal detailing the personal impact all of this was having on me, my family, and our finances. I faxed this data with a letter to the Steve, the general manager at the Carmax I had been dealing with.


I advised Steve that I had already filed complaints with the BBB (who I never heard from), the Missouri Attorney General's office (which is currently investigating the business for fraud), and Ripoffreport.com. I explained that if this situation could not be remedied to my satisfaction, I would pursue further action by picketing and handing out flyers detailing my experience with Carmax. When I went in to pick up my car from having the axle replaced for the FOURTH TIME in six weeks (July 14), I had a sit down with Steve. He offered to pay me $500 cash or credit towards another car but only offered me $8000 as a trade-in on my vehicle. Now, the trade-in offered was very generous, given the miles I had put on it, and was almost twice the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value. I told him I would consider the offer and let him know.


On Monday, I called and accepted the $500 cash offer but told him the trade-in amount was not acceptable given all of the problem I have had with the car. I asked that they grant me trade-in value for the entire amount still due on the car. Steve said he was not authorized to offer me that so I got the name and phone number of the district manager and faxed him all the info. Two days later I got a call from the district manager, Tom. We talked for 30 minutes. He was very understanding and considerate of my situation. He said he would authorize Steve to do whatever was necessary to make me happy. Steve called me back an hour later and offered to buy back my car at the same price I paid for it, refund the remainder of my warranty, and give me credit for taxes paid. The only thing was, the offer was only good if I purchased my next car from Carmax so they could have the opportunity to "make things right". During all of this, I was never anything but polite, but firm, in my demands. I never had to raise my voice or become vulgar in order to get what I wanted, I only had to be persistent. I am going today to look at cars. I feel pretty confident that, given this experience, Carmax is going to do everything possible to ensure that my next car is reliable!

I took my car in to Carmax this morning and explained about the mechanical problems STILL plaguing it. They gave me a loaner so I could get to work. When no one had called me by 5:00, I called them but didn't get to talk to a human. Terri, the service rep called my home, even tho she had my work number, and left a message at 5:15 saying that they determined that the problem was AGAIN the transmission and they were sending the car to a different Aamco to be worked on. No mention was made about the check engine light or front end problems.

So, I picked up my car June 30 after Carmax had it for a week. Aamco had to rebuild the transmission and replace the axle AGAIN. I started driving it home, and SURPRISE! it starts having the same problem. I called Carmax, who called Aamco. I'm supposed to leave for CA the next morning.

Carmax has known this for weeks. I am assured by Aamco sales mgr and Terri at Carmax that I will be given a rental if Aamco can't fix the problem within a couple of hours, but OF COURSE I have to return the car to Aamco the next morning.

After five 1/2 hours and multiple screw ups, Aamco again replaces the axle and declares the car fixed. Both Aamco and Carmax refused to pay for a rental, making me many hours late for beginning my trip. BUT, the car IS NOT FIXED! On the way home from Aamco, the same problem, only worse! I call Aamco and they're gone, and no one at Carmax will take responsibility because the manager has gone home for the weekend.

So I drove the car to CA and back, WITH the problems and say to hell with them all! I am demanding a full refund on the car and using Rip OFf Revenge! I will use every vacation day I have, every sick leave, every personal day off, every weekend picketing until Carmax takes responsibility and provides me with satisfaction!

Update 6/27/06. Took my car in for third time for same problem: It was making a clunking noise when I put it into gear. It took them 3 tries and replacing the transaxle, struts, trans mounts, and wheel hub to finally figure out it was the transmission.

I had purchased the extended warranty, but I've only had the car eight months! And, because of the lengthy time it took for them to figure out the REAL problem, the transaxle was damaged again by the transmission and has to be replaced again! Carmax sent the car to AAMCO to be inspected/repaired.

IF you'll check RIPOFF REPORT you'll find AAMCO listed. Terri, at Carmax, told me AAMCO told her when they opened the transmission, pieces of metal fell out. Supposedly they only needed to replace the bushings and the damaged transaxle. I have no confidence that this will end well. I'm supposed to get the car back in two more days, which will make it a full week they've had it this time.

THis is not over!