I know I'm kind of going against the grain on this review, but I'll explain myself. I was a buyer looking at a Subaru on the lot. We found it online, and came down to check it out. The guys behind the counter seemed just a little weird to me. It's like since I didn't know their system and how exactly they operated that I really wasn't "good enough" for them. I'm not saying they treated me badly, just not nicely. One huge disappointment to me, no CarFax reports. They only have Experian which is not detailed, and really is not a good source for used vehicles. So that was surprising. Literally EVERY used car lot I've ever been to has CarFax, but not this place. You only get a 20 minute car ride, but since there are not salespeople hasseling you, that is really a positive trade off. We took the car to a mechanic to have it checked out, and after paying $95 out of my pocket for my own information, found out the car had a lot of problems. (That's not Buggy Banks fault, I know.) But when we came back to turn in the key, the sleezeball tried to get us to give him a copy of the mechanic report, to which he has NO right. Buggy Bank, nor even the owner of the car are allowed to see that. I'm the one who invested my money and time to get that report, and they just wanted me to hand it over to them for free, which in my mind is VERY sleezy. So I would have given this place a 4, since it's a nice and easy car-shopping experience, but trying to get his hands on the mechanic report knocked them down to 3 in my book. But as with everything, you have to experience it for yourself. read more

A convenient service for when selling your own car doesn't fit in your schedule. Remember is this is a service, Buggy Bank is not a representative on your side of the deal, they will not argue in your favor, they earn a flat rate and their job is to have your car priced attractively to get it off the lot to make space for the next car. What money you earn is what you ask to be set--do your homework if you're trying to make top dollar for your car. Pluses: The car is off your property onto someone else's. Buggy Bank will make sure all your paperwork is in order. You don't have to deal with lookie-loos. My car was sold within hours--rare, but it happens. Minuses: You are paying for service whether your car sells or not--they have a high track record of selling cars, but it's still a risk. Service can be amusingly gruff, roll with it and don't get rolled over. The shop people may not have even looked at the car for sale beyond the office window--descriptive words are meaningless, check the cars out for yourself; I've seen both gems and nightmares on the lot. read more

I bought my car at Buggy Bank today. I'm thrilled with my new baby, so I want to tell everyone how they can do it, too. (Or sell their baby to some loving new parent.) Buggy Bank is a vehicle display service. That means that they hold cars for sellers, and buyers can come in, look at the cars and test drive them without a salesperson breathing down your neck, telling you all kinds of stuff you either already know or really don't care about anyway. When you're ready to have the car inspected, they will help you find a good mechanic and have the car sent over for you. It's really easy. Then when you are buying the car, the seller comes to meet you and BB makes sure everything is above board and smooth. I would highly recommend buying a car this way. I love craigslist, but man, there are a million crazy scams out there just waiting to waste your time and devour your money. read more

A complete waste of time and money.. A cool concept, but poorly executed. The ads they run are BORING. Over a 5 week period, I had two people look at my car which was in excellent condition with low miles. $410 down the drain... I ran a new add in craigslist with more detailed info and better pictures. In two weeks, I sold the car after getting more than 10 inquiries. Don't waste your time and MONEY. read more

I found my dream project - a clean '68 Mustang plain-jane coupe in outstanding cosmetic condition I'll call "Joan" after the character in Mad Men. You see, Carroll Shelby, the racing guru and brains behind the Shelby Mustangs, first scoffed at building a performance Mustang, calling them "just a secretary's car". This car was as close to what Carroll was talking about as any Mustang - 6 cylinder, no power steering, no power brakes, no a/c, but boy was she a knockout. ;-) Jerry and (Donovan?) were a great help through the process - I seem to remember the main guy I communicated had a different name, (he was great) but I find a bunch of people here talking about Donovan, so maybe in my excitement my name skills slipped a little. Both were fair and informative in guiding me through the process, from initial inspection in the lot to test drive in the area to mechanic's inspection to finally making the deal. The car had more mechanical issues underneath than the gorgeous exterior would suggest, and I'll have to spend some money to make it a safe driver, but this beautiful coupe was worth it. The previous owner was going to take BART back to Concord where he lives and I decided to give him a ride back so he could get to work on time and we could talk a little more about the history of the car. Great experience - highly recommended! They take a lot of the hassle out of buying and selling a car at a reasonable price. read more

Great idea, another "gee, why didn't I think of that first?" It probably works well because this is Berkeley. Sure man, I'll trust you with this dude's car. Just need to see your license, and vaya con Dios for the next 20 minutes, man. Yeah, try THAT in Manhattan. I bet they get a lot of foot traffic from the Berkeley Bowl, and they have the advertising down to a system, as well as a good reputation (of course, they're impartial to the cars, so THEY won't screw you.) I listed my car there and will report back with success or failure, but I think it's a cool concept. UPDATE - my car sold in 18 days, excellent. No real complaints about Buggy Bank except that I think they need to expand their hours. 10am to 6PM are not times when most normal employed people can go car shopping. Granted, they are open Saturday and Sunday, but that's also when the area is busiest because of Berkeley Bowl. read more

This the BEST way to sell a car! Not only do you get a decent price for it...but you don't have to deal with setting times to meet people, wonder if you should risk letting them take the car alone and not come back...or to go with them and worry that YOU won't come back and all that jazz that our modern society has brought about. Jerry and LeRoi are great...totally helpful and a pleasure to deal with...they were helpful with their assessment of my pricing and were happy to let me do a couple of minor repairs to the car on the lot while it was listed. My car sold in just over a month...for $600 under asking price...and I was elated (though sad to see it go). I will recommend them to anyone...and if I have another car to sell...will use them! In fact...I've thought about "borrowing" the idea for another town! ;-) read more

I don't think I can say enough great things about dealing with Jerry, Dana and all the guys at Buggy Bank. Such a simple idea that works. I wish more things were this efficient! I'd tried selling my 2007 convertible on Craigslist (lots of nutcases), tried the "we buy cars" places in SOMA and the Mission (they only sell cars under $4k) and finally got desperate enough to do the Autotrader instant offer thing. As a side note DON'T. I wasted an entire day driving to far corners of the Bay Area to be told my car was worth 1/2 the instant offer and on average about 50% of KBB. Luckily on my way back into the city from a dealership in Concord, I stopped at a little coffee place on Shattuck to regroup and figure out my next move. I am so glad I did, because it was there I discovered Buggy Bank. I got up right then and drove up the street to see the place. Once there I had an encouraging, honest and pleasant chat with Jerry and he patiently answered every one of my moronic questions and just put me at ease. I had planned on spending $500 or so on minor repairs and a detail and he told me it was all unnecessary that my car would sell itself. I was also reassured looking around that there were a bunch of new-ish cars and more than a few BMWs and Mercedes. These guys didn't just sell cheapo cars. So, the next day, I brought my car back and left it in their care. I knew they were the right guys when just while I was filling in all of the paperwork they sold two cars. I had expected and planned to get below KBB for my car. At that point, I just wanted to be rid of it. I credit Jerry with encouraging me to at least start out by pricing it at or just above KBB to leave negotiating room. As for me, two potential owners looked at it and the second one bought it with no fuss or issues. Jerry was right, it sold at the top of its KBB - that $400-500 for them to detail, manage the car and advertise it was worth every cent! I made several thousand dollars more than I expected and I with zero drama or stress. Oh and did I mention, they even gave me ride to BART after I handed over my car? I'd give these guys 10 stars if I could. In an industry full of fake smiles and promises, these guys were straight up and delivered beyond my wildest expectations. Just A+ all around. read more

Love the idea of a community display service, and there was a nice selection of reasonably priced cars on the lot today. The list of vehicles on the website is also very well done, with all relevant information (VIN, etc) and good photos for each vehicle. Minus a star for limited hours 9a-6p -- evening viewing hours would be very welcome for buyers. Even if only 1 weeknight a week, like at the museums! Also note that you can't take a test drive after 5pm, and you can't even open the door to look inside a car after 5:30pm. [2013 Update: this information is now posted on the front page of the website--Thanks Brad!] read more

Why aren't there more Buggy Banks?!? After getting consistently lowballed by dealerships and used car lots, we took our car to Buggy Bank. Guess what? We sold it within a week and half at a fair price for all. AND we didn't have to deal with creeps and robbers visiting our house for test drives. AND we didn't have to fill our limited brain space with useless knowledge about DMV forms and procedures. Fairy-tale ending: the buyer got a great car, and we got a great price without wasting any more time. Excellent service. read more

Life saver. Bought a used car 2 months ago and still very happy with it. Here's how it worked for me: Tested 5 cars the same morning and found one that appeared reasonable. Called the owner and asked him if other buyers were on the deal and to ask permission to bring the car to a mechanic. I then took an appointment at Motor City Automotive in the same street for the following day. Brought the car to the mechanic, drank a coffee nearby and based on the detailed report of the mechanic, I could discuss the price with the owner on a rational basis. He came to Buggybank shortly after where I handed him a cashier's check, we both signed the documents with the help of the guys at Buggybank and I returned home with the car. Here's how I see it: Cold blooded, rational, safe and smooth car buying. Awesome! read more

Okay, you know those arguments you have with friends and family over picking up the check after a fab meal? You both insist on paying. "You've done so much for me. Let me get it this time" you say. This is the conversation I've been having with The Buggy Bank. Over the years I sold two cars there - a Mini Cooper and a VW. Both cars sold immediately for more than we expected. When I got stuck in a bad lease situation with my current car, I turned to The Buggy Bank. I knew it was a long-shot when I called and they confirmed. Armed with all the info I decided to list my car anyway. I didn't think it would sell but what did I have to lose? It has now been a long time and, predictably, it didn't sell. So how does this lead to such a glowing review? First, my other cars sold immediately at The Buggy Bank. Second, they were completely upfront with me about the unlikely prospect of selling this one. Third, they allowed me to keep my car on the lot and offered to comp me for costs that were not their responsibility. The Buggy Bank makes it easy and convenient to buy or sell a car without any of the manipulation that can be so integral to the process. They provide clear honest information and help navigate the transfer of ownership. I own a business too and I really love seeing a successful business that fills a need and is run with such a high level of expertise and integrity. read more

I just bought my second car at Buggy Bank! I hate going to dealerships and being pestered by salespeople, and I tried for a few weeks to find an exact replacement for my dearly departed car at Carmax, craigslist, etc but it's all either too much work, or overpriced. Buggy Bank is a great way to shop for a used car if you're not hung up on a specific make/model. The lot isn't huge, but they usually have a great diversity of cars there---when I was there a few weeks ago there were Minis, BMWs, sedans, minivans, and a vintage karmann ghia. I was really happy with the first car I bought here (drove it for years), and I'm loving my new (used) little car. I've always found everyone I've dealt with at BB to be friendly, courteous, and helpful. I talk them up to anyone who is looking for a used car. read more

First time customer and boy am I glad I sold with Buggy Bank. Jerry was a tremendous resource and put me at ease as a first-time Buggy Bank seller. If I could give this company/service 6 stars, I would! Worth. Every. Penny. read more

Jerry and Donovan are princes among men. Yes, this is the best way to sell a car. Yes, the service is friendly and professional. But let me also add, I sold a car through the Buggy Bank while at the same time moving to New York City. My registration and smog cert both expired after I left the state, and while the actual State of California told me there was nothing they could do, Jerry and Donovan had it ironed out in a couple of hours. It isn't just service, it is service above and beyond what I thought was even possible. Truly a five star organization. read more

I am a happy repeat customer! Jerry and staff have this all down to a science. Buggy Bank made this transaction a breeze! From expert advice on setting a good selling price to helping you close the deal at their front counter! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ===================================== I took my '96 Honda to them yesterday because I have a full time job and no interest in being my own car broker! Jerry was very nice and very patient about explaining how they work and helping me set a fair starting price. When we were all done with the paperwork he even gave me a ride to BART while Dana "held down the fort"! I was treated with courtesy and respect. Three days later I had a buyer! Whohoooo! Again, Jerry was patient about guiding the buyer and I through the sale paperwork. Check out their website for details and just drive down there! read more

One stop shop removes hassle of selling a car. Owner Jerry is cordial and professional. He did a great job for me, overcoming some hiccups to get a sale at a fair price. Car is listed on BB site with description and photos (reasonable listing fee). You can list other places like Craigslist with a link to BB. Jerry handles test drives, inspections, Smog (your cost), detailing (your cost), and puts interested buyer in touch with you. After you reach a deal, you meet at BB and Jerry does all the paperwork. Great business plan! Even better execution. read more

Sold my stepdad's car here last year. It was an high-end vehicle and I was leery of meeting up with random people who wanted to test drive it. I discovered Buggy Bank and I'm glad I did. I sold the car under two weeks, for a price I (and my stepdad) was very happy with, with minimal effort. The folks over there are friendly and helpful. They charge a flat rate (around $300) to keep your car, and potential buyers can come check it out without you having to take time out of your day. They ask for driver's license and hold on to a credit card before anyone can take your car out. These days, lots of people on Craigslist are asking outrageous prices for their cars -- I mean, KBB price for a salvaged vehicle? Come ON! At Buggy Bank, the prices are mostly more reasonable, even for the nicer cars. Of course, always do your research and have a mechanic check out the car before buying. I learned that the hard way, but that's another review. read more

I recently sold my car through Buggy Bank and the experience was fantastic and virtually stress-free from start to finish. For women out there that don't feel comfortable meeting strangers off Craigslist, this is the best alternative I can imagine. The employees who helped me patiently explained every detail of the process and really made sure I felt comfortable at every step. It was great because I'd never sold a car before and was super nervous! They helped me price it appropriately and even organized the detailing of the car (it cost an extra $100 or so, but the car came out looking like new). The best part? My car sold for close to my asking price in LESS than 24 hours!! read more

I've had two 5-star experiences with Buggy Bank and am in the middle of a 1-star experience, so my 3-star review represents the average (rounding down for recency). My first two cars sold quickly and seamlessly some years ago, but now the level of service has diminished quite a bit. It's not that my car hasn't sold yet (tough economy and we're holding pretty firm on price, so fair enough)...it's that I can't get them to answer the phone or return voicemails. They advertise that you can consult with them on activity and interest in the car (which influences pricing), but I literally can't get them on the phone and am faced with driving a 1-hour round trip to manage my listing (which is what I paid them for, right?). In my last voicemail I explicitly said I needed to speak with them because I had a buyer interested in the car (which I did, but they were low-balling), and received no response. If I hear that there was some family tragedy that prevented them from answering the phone, I'll amend my review upwards. Otherwise, this will be my last interaction with Buggy Bank. read more

I loved selling my car with the help of guys behind the desk at the Buggy Bank. Jerry and Dana I believe. They were wonderful. I could not have done it without them. As a sales person I really appreciate having the assistance of others who do their jobs well. The guys guided me through the process and took the worry of the sale. I got a great price and my car went to a nice family. Who could ask for anything more? read more

I can't say enough good things about the Buggy Bank. As a buyer, after dealing with scammers and gougers on Craig's List (as someone else said, some of them set prices above Blue Book value on salvaged cars!) I was so relieved to find this place. It has all the advantages of a dealership - you don't have to travel long distances to meet up with total strangers, putting yourself at risk and inconveniencing yourself, and they take your credit card and give you the keys so you can test-drive the car - and none of the disadvantages. Nobody tries to sell you anything. These guys totally went the extra mile for me, helping me work with sellers and encouraging me. I ended up with the car of my dreams, a Toyota Corolla, one owner, low miles. The guys' friendly attitudes (I interacted with Jerry and I believe the other gentleman is Donovan?) and helpful guidance made all the difference. read more

I sold my high-end vehicle here in two days thanks to the BuggyBank! Jerry is the man! Customer Service is alive and well at this venerable Berkeley institution. SIX stars all around!!! Here's the deal, though, cars are "for sale by owner" so know what you are getting into. You pay a very nominal fee to display your car on their lot in a killer location...that's worth the price right there. But, the BB handles the test drives too, so it's pretty painless and convenient...go ahead and see how much time you'll spend on flakes using Craigslist IF you get any responses at all. If you are buying a car, remember the BB is just a display service. They don't maintain or otherwise handle the cars at all...they aren't selling the cars, just letting them sit on their lot and coordinating key handouts to qualified buyers for test drives (BB ensure the driver is licensed and is a real person, etc.), and handling a little bit of marketing via Craigslist, but at the end of the day it's For Sale BY OWNER. Whether you are buying or selling, you can't go wrong. www.buggybank.com read more

Jerry at Buggy Bank made selling my car a pleasure. After a brief initial visit where he appraised the car, he told me I needed to get a recall fixed and a smog test done. After doing these, I brought the car in, paid $450 for the five-week viewing (you get one extra week of viewing if you pay upfront), and $175 to have the car detailed (paid an extra $25 to get the dog hair out). The car was listed the following day that I brought it in. Six days later, it was sold! A motivated buyer called me, made me an offer $200 less than I was asking (exactly as Jerry had predicted), and the deal was done. Although I spent $625 to sell it, I easily got about $200-300 more than I was hoping for. Plus I didn't have to mess with arranging test drives and it was reassuring to have Jerry help with filling out the paperwork to transfer the car. One last note, I met a woman there that said she'd been coming to Buggy Bank for years and loved it. Definitely a Berkeley institution. read more

my fiancee has been looking for a used car for a really long time, been on craigslist and all that. But he found the buggy bank on craigslist recently and noticed the good reviews on yelp. he saw a car there, got to drive it around for quite a while on his own, and just got the contact information for the owner. It was pretty simple, all he had to do was call the owner and he also got to negotiate the price. Maybe we got lucky, the owner of the car was really easy to deal with. They just set up a date and time to meet at the Buggy Bank and that was it! They exchanged everything at location, the Buggy Bank let the previous owner and us the new owners know the next steps of things we have to do with the DMV etc. and we were on our way. Overall, easy and good experience. The guys at the Buggy Bank were really down to earth nice people too! read more

Clean cut work place... Make sure Dana Garrett is there to help you, very knowledgeable and helpful. He did all the paperwork for us super professional. If you are like myself and do not want to be available for test drives they do all that for you. Mr. Garrett 5 stars... read more

Jerry is really helpful and friendly, and every time I called, he picked up the phone immediately. This service makes buying or selling one's car super convenient. Even though I am a lawyer, there are just a lot of papers that I don't normally see, but someone who buys and sells cars regularly knows these really well. Jerry had all of the necessary papers lined up and ready to be executed, which made the whole process seamless. It's also right next to Berkeley Bowl, so you can also do some grocery shopping. Can't beat that. read more

Agree with Harris B about the COVID safety protocols. I stood outside the office most of the time with the door open to mitigate. Other than that, everything was great. Just sold our VW through their service. Glen and Jerry were very responsive and competent, they have a quasi-low-tech but very tight/clean process, made the sale of our car easy (guided me through all the steps, I didn't have to deal with test drives), including negotiating price and signing over the title and the DMV release at the end. Buyers were nice people, and it was an easy going situation all around at time of sale. There was a hiccup at the end (car-related, unrelated to BuggyBank) that Jerry stayed late for and he figured out a solution to so everyone drove away happy; I really appreciate that extra effort at the end. read more

My car sold in under 24 hours. The Concierge service posted the car on-line the same day, they detailed the car and got it smogged (at my expense) on site, same day. Great service. All the papers and disclosures and releases were ready and completely prepared. BB is worth using because the business gets quite a lot of foot traffic, is well known in the community and has a large and varied inventory of vehicles. Their business model is complete, transparent and compliant with all laws and regulations. Consider this business when you want to buy or sell a car but don't want to get to handle all the details. read more

I've sold two vehicles through the Buggy Bank, and had two very good experiences. If you are shy about advertising a car for sale privately, BB is the place to go. The staff gave me a sense of protection and security, something I would never have had if I'd used craigslist. One small bit of advice -- on my first car sale through BB I thought I'd negotiated a firm price, and when the time came to fill in the CA sales tax document the buyer -- at the VERY last minute -- asked me to under-represent the sale amount by several thousand dollars so he could save some $$ with the State of California. At this point the sale nearly fell through because I was not comfortable being coerced without notice at the last minute. The buyer tried to convince me he'd assumed I'd "help him out" when he structured his offer amount. As this part of the transaction is up to you (the seller), I suggest that if you are not comfortable cooking the books -- make your position clear up front. Again, this is not a criticism of Buggy Bank, but rather honest advice for novice sellers such as myself! read more

What a terrific experience. Selling my 2014 Prius, I didn't want to deal with craigslist and having strangers come to my house (or worse, get in a car with a stranger for a test drive). Found Buggy Bank here on Yelp, and very glad I did. My local Toyota dealer had offered me $11,000 for the car. At Buggy Bank, the manager Jerry (a friendly and very helpful guy), recommended I list it for $14,950, a little under bluebook, and it sold it 10 days later for $14,500. For a flat rate, Buggy Bank displays your car, promotes it on their website, organizes test drives, then refers serious buyers to you directly to negotiate the price on the phone. Once you've agreed on an offer, you come back to the lot and Jerry helps with all the paperwork. They get no commission so they have no incentive to play games with the buyer or the seller. Plus, everything is 100 percent transparent. You can even look at all the history of cars they've sold, what price they were listed at, what they finally sold for, and the number of days they were on the lot. Bottom line: All I had to do was bring the car in, then go home and take a couple of phone calls to negotiate prices directly with buyers, then show up to sign the papers and pick up my check. Could not have been a better experience, and I'm $3500 richer as a result. I'm telling everyone I know about this place. read more

The Buggy Bank made it possible for me to sell my car. I don't know what I would have done without them. I felt safe selling it through them. Strangers were able to test-drive it without me being there. At the end, I just had to negotiate the price with the buyer over the phone. As inept at haggling as we both were, it was over within three calls in the space of an hour. In between calls I telephoned the staff at the Buggy Bank to keep them apprised and for advice. They were supportive and helpful. At the actual sale, they handled the paperwork. They authenticated the cash when the buyer paid in $100 bills. They smoothed the way from start to finish. I'm not the social type, but the people who work there (Jerry, Dana, and Bennie) are easy to be around. They were nice to me. It was pleasant to go there and check on my car (take it out to get a leak fixed, buy it new floor mats, etc). It took about three weeks to sell. Because they were relaxed about it, I felt relaxed. read more

I needed help selling my Honda Element, but didn't have the time or inclination to post an ad on Craigslist and wait for strangers to call me up and [perhaps] test drive my car. So I decided to list it on Buggy Bank, and my car sold in 5 days!! It was easy and no hassle - I only had to to go to the car lot two times - once to drop the car off and pay the flat fee; and again to sign over the Title and pick up my cashiers check. I'd recommend this service for buyers and sellers alike - the staff were straight forward and helpful - this place definitely doesn't give you the runaround. A refreshing change from some of the shady salespeople you often meet at car lots. A great community resource! read more

I was already very happy with Buggy Bank and Auto Presentation when I sold my old car. Then, someone threw up in my current car. They spent over half an hour cleaning up the smelly spot - and wouldn't take any payment!!! Just give us a good review on Yelp, they said. Wow! Heck, yes!!!! read more

Buggy Bank was recommended to me by a good friend six years ago and I have since sold two cars there with their help. The service they offer is truly unique, the way they deliver it is awesome and Jerry is a very knowledgeable and friendly guy. I can only recommend them, if I ever need to sell my car the first thing I will do is visit them again! read more

yay! i am a fan because i can go over there and test out a vehicle for 20 minutes! WITHOUT the hassel of some guy or dealer sitting beside me telling me how this ride is or how people love the car. i can drive the vehicle in peace and be one with the car.... PRO: leave your info and drive off for a few min CON: people who dont clean their car before they drop it off! then maybe you should use something better to get rid of dog hair. thats just gross read more

Thank you to Jerry and the entire team. I highly recommend selling your used car here. They make it as easy as possible and you don't have to go to the DMV. Thanks guys! read more

Just the best experience! I sold my car there in exactly one day. Jerry was great, and patiently answered all my questions. Helped me price the car accurately. He has a side detail business, and my car looked great inside and out. They take care of advertising. showing the car, and all the paper work. I highly recommend them if you have a good used car to sell... read more

Imagine buying a used car and not stressing....that is what Buggy Bank did for us. We had done all the research, all our homework, but finding the car and feeling confident in the purchase was still nagging. Then we found Buggy Bank and the pieces fell into place with ease. Very helpful staff, honest with information and advice. When it came time to actually make the deal, they were able to process alot of the paperwork thereby making both parties to the transaction feel assured. We are grateful for the confidence they added to a process that is infamous for stress. Great car and we are thrilled. read more

Wouldn't sell a car without these guys! Just sold my 2nd car through them. They do everything except take calls from buyers: car detailing, smogging, arranging test drives and mechanic inspections. All you have to do is talk to interested buyers and negotiate a price. They even do the sale paperwork! I couldn't/wouldn't have done it without them. Jerry is great and knows his stuff. Will sell all my future cars with them. Period. read more