has changed a lot in recent years, especially with the current global situation. Nowadays, you can locate a car at a local dealership and fill out all the necessary purchasing paperwork almost completely online. Online dealership Carvana also has a unique claim to fame: a massive car vending machine.

After you buy the car online, you get a token to place inside this machine and have it dispense your vehicle. There are currently 24 Carvana vending machines in the U.S., and two are even in the same city. It's a great gadget, but how do customers feel?

What is Carvana?

Carvana is exclusively an online dealership and has experienced massive growth since being founded in 2012. Its first car vending machine prototype was built in 2013. A fully-operational vending machine debuted at the Nashville, Tennessee location in 2015.

The size of Carvana vending machines varies by location, but the largest one is in Georgia. It houses 43 full-size vehicles and stands 12 stories high. Even the smaller vending machines are still quite massive, usually between six and seven stories.

Car buyers will be given a personalized coin once they arrive at the car vending machine. Once the token is inserted into the coin slot, drivers can watch as their car is transferred to the delivery bay. When they have their car, drivers have seven days to test-drive the vehicle before returning it.

However, you can only use the vending machine if there's one in your area. In 2020, Carvana introduced no-contact pickup and free deliveries due to the pandemic. Drivers located outside of Carvana's delivery range still have to pay a fee.

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What do customers say about buying from a car vending machine?

MORE: Used Car Values Are Skyrocketing For a Frustrating Reason

Business Wire

says that Carvana was so popular it needed two vending machines for Los Angeles customers. Most customers are able to buy a car online in under ten minutes, which can be preferable to visiting a regular dealership. Customers also appreciate the generous vehicle photos provided by Carvana, as well as its 150-point inspection.

While the vending machines themselves seem to be popular, Carvana's customer service definitely is not. According to

Carbuzz

, several drivers wait upwards of a month for their license plates to be delivered.

A lot of drivers also encounter difficulties because of Carvana's 100-Day Worry-Free Guarantee. This supplemental warranty only lasts for 100 days, after which you are responsible for all repairs.

Additionally, returning a car for any reason is notoriously difficult. There are also reports of vehicles being delivered to the wrong buyers.

Where can you find a Carvana car vending machine?

MORE: Is Buying a Car Online Safe?

Texas, Florida, and North Carolina each have three Carvana vending machines. Other East Coast locations include Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In the South, there are Carvana vending machines in Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

Midwest buyers can visit a Carvana vending machine in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. The West Coast has one vending machine each in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.

Of course, there's usually only one vending machine in every state. Still, if you can find one, it's definitely a one-of-a-kind experience.

Should these cars have special auto insurance?

It can be nerve-wracking to watch a several-ton vehicle descend from several stories on a hydraulic lift. If the lift fails, your car would almost certainly be declared a total loss. Fortunately, Carvana has probably tested the system rigorously to make sure that this wouldn't happen.

Buying an insurance plan for everyday driving should be your biggest priority after using Carvana's vending machine. Did you know that you can also shop for insurance completely online with Jerry? Just sign up with the

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