Online Car Buying Services Are In, but Some Customers Aren't Satisfied

Jane Lu
· 4 min read
Most of us are familiar with the traditional
car-buying
process. Prospective buyers go to a dealership to shop for new or used cars, take a test drive, and negotiate the price if they’re interested. Modern technology has revolutionized this process with services like Vroom and Carvana.
However, these new services have not been completely perfect. According to
WCVB
, drivers in
Massachusetts
have had major issues with Vroom. This includes Vroom selling cars that haven’t passed inspection and customer service problems.
The online car buying process is convenient but can still be improved.

How does Vroom work?

Vroom allows drivers to go through the entire car-buying process from their computer or phone. This service was launched before the pandemic and has thrived since 2020. Vroom, and services like it, allow buyers to purchase vehicles in a completely contact-free process.
According to
Vroom
, new vehicles are added to their website daily. Vroom essentially serves as a digital car dealership, and they claim that each vehicle listed has passed inspection and has a
CARFAX
report. You place deposits and are approved for loans just like you would at a dealership, but buyers must pay a vehicle delivery fee.
This is a major difference between going to a dealership and using a service like Vroom. When you purchase a car from a dealership, you can drive it off the lot then and there. With Vroom, you have to wait for a delivery, and some buyers have had issues with this.
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Massachusetts drivers have problems with Vroom

A Vroom customer in Massachusetts had purchased a 2015
Honda
CR-V. He had an approved loan from the bank and was given an estimated delivery date for the vehicle. But the Honda didn’t arrive on the date it was supposed to.
Instead, a few days later, Vroom emailed him to say that the vehicle had failed an inspection. This seems like an odd problem for Vroom to have, considering their website says that the cars they sell are all inspected. When Vroom told this to the customer, he had already paid for the vehicle and the delivery fee.
Vroom said they would pay off the loan for the vehicle, but it took a lot of back-and-forth for this to happen. The company also wasn’t going to refund the delivery fee initially. After the story received news coverage, the driver was contacted by Vroom and had his loan paid off and the delivery fee refunded.

Vroom vs. Carvana vs. CarMax

MORE: OneRequest Startup Helps Make It Easier to Buy a Car
The Vroom customer’s experience shows why it may be beneficial to buy cars in person rather than online. But buying a car online can be convenient, and you can choose between several major online car sellers if you’re not happy with one of them. Vroom, Carvana, and CarMax are three of the most well-known platforms.
According to
Consumer Affairs
, Vroom has the easiest car-buying process compared to other websites. However, some buyers, like the Massachusetts driver, had issues with customer service. This is where Carvana shines. Users say that the company is easy to communicate with, which makes the process of buying a car much easier.
CarMax is known for having good deals. Out of the three options listed, user reviews tend to be more positive for CarMax than the others. Before you buy a car online, it’s a good idea to browse through a few different websites to see which one you trust the most.
Whether you buy your car through Vroom or a dealership, you’ll need insurance for your new vehicle.
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