Surprisingly good service, Simple, straightforward hassle-free car shopping experience. Fixed prices, no haggling. Buying a used/pre-owned vehicle seems quite the mystery most of the time, and any car purchase almost seems subject to endless hassle until you get the keys.. Enter CarMax.. Backstory: At the recommendation of a good neighbor, we decided to consider CarMax when shopping for an extra car for the family. They have a HUGE selection of vehicles at each of their locations. As with everything these days, we started with searches on all the usual car shopping websites, but CarMax seemed to have the most solid candidates worth considering. There was one car that we liked at a CarMax store located maybe 40 miles away, so we requested to have that car shipped to CarMax's Colma location - at no cost to us. After a test drive of this and another possible candidate, we decided to purchase the car, but they don't take partial deposits! That said, they could reserve a car for you for 24/48 hours, so we returned with the funds to pick it up two days later. The salespersons seem to be non-commissioned, and all were interchangeable in role and well trained to perform pretty much any part of the sales process, everything from tire-kicking mode, to closing out the sales paperwork. Practically zero up-selling during the sales process either.. Just a question about extended warranties, and that was it. Write the check, and the car is ready for you in their inbound/outbound area. SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD, ZERO HASSLE, Professional competent courteous service with a great selection of pre-owned vehicles that seem to be in pretty decent shape. PRO TIP to be aware of: These are used cars, and we found that minor cosmetic damage isn't always ALL listed on their web listings when they tend to just show one imperfect spot. Minor cosmetic damage is stuff such as curb rash or minor scrapes on the body less than 3" long. Remember, these are pre-owned vehicles, so a little bit of wear and tear is to be expected! We are happy with our purchase here, and certainly would keep CarMax on our shopping list in the future! read more

We just weren't using our beautiful yellow Honda FIT. Do we keep it and ship it back to Ohio or do we sell it? I don't want to sell it to a private person because at our age I am concerned with safety as well as making sure I get my money. So I started researching selling and buying prices in the area. CarMax offer was so good that I was afraid they would bait and switch but I had my plan B. I had a shipping quote. I could always ship it back to Ohio where driving is less scary Other companies, for the most part, wanted me to drive it over to them without giving me a tentative price. The companies that did give me a quote were looking to make a huge profit at my expense. Nope CarMax gave me a quote, dependent on whether I was accurate about the mileage and condition. I walked out with a check for the amount they said they'd pay. The entire process took about an hour or so. Timothy was our guy. He clearly explained things. My license plates were put in a nice CarMax tote bag. Timothy then asked how we were getting home, we are seniors. I was going to walk a mile to Colma Bart then grab MUNI once I hit the city. Timothy treated us to a Lyft. Definitely a 5 star experience from start to finish. read more

Hands down the simplest selling experience. Filled out the online application and got an initial offer. Brought the car in, it got appraised (matched the online offer), and within the hour I had a check in my hand. The car had some cosmetic damage and I thought they were going to reduce their offer but they bought the car as is. Definitely recommend CarMax. read more

I'm here on Yelp to leave a review because I previously left one on Google, and they responded telling me to get in touch so they could resolve my issue. However, they only reply to reviews claiming they'll help just to *look* like they're going to help. In reality, they won't do anything they promise. Following that response--which you can see in the photo I posted here--I contacted them countless times, but to no avail. In short: the level of service you receive *before* you buy the car is one thing, but once you've made the purchase, everything changes. read more

CarMax - . - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

See all

I've been after my dream car since 2013, and thanks to Benjamin Barreto at CarMax, it's finally mine. Above and beyond doesn't even begin to cover it. I kept calling and staying in touch, and Benjamin was always ready with updates. When the car finally became available, I made the drive, and he was just as excited as I was. I've never met a salesman that invested and dedicated. The whole experience honestly felt like I was buying a car from a family member. I rarely leave reviews, but Benjamin is the guy to go to. And I'll say this. CarMax executives should seriously consider putting Benjamin in charge of training their sales reps on how to treat customers. I'm not joking. Someone should follow up with his past customers, and I'm confident they'd all say the same thing I am. Give this man a promotion. He's earned it. read more

CarMax - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

Was looking for a used Mazda and had scheduled for a test drive. Showed up early and checked-in. Thiry minutes later, crickets. An hour later, I walked out the door. I saw other people were being serviced, but folks like me wanting a test drive, ignored. So I gave my business to a Mazda dealership and bought a new car instead. If there was an option to give zero stars, this would be it. read more

I was directed to Carmax (Serramonte) as a place to sell my 2014 Lexus after filling out the details at Edmunds. They sent me an offer that was supposedly good for a week, which seemed to me to be a tremendously good price for my car. I took the car down, assuming that they would haggle a bit, find some dings or something that would lower the price. But no. They looked at it, gave it a quick check and confirmed the price. Then they did all the paperwork and handed me a cashier's check, and paid for me to get a Lyft home (which came very quickly!). It's a very clean, professional and efficient place. If I had another car to sell I would do exactly the same read more

Went in to browse cars. Saw a lovely Porsche Macan that I liked but it was marked down a whole lot -- which is exciting! I asked an associate (older caucasian gentleman with an accent and a reddish flush) why the cost was so low and he responded with: "If you don't like it, don't buy it". I was stunned and didn't know how to immediately react because... HUH!? I stood there outside of the bathroom totally perplexed as to why he would answer that way. With that reasoning, I don't like YOU so I won't buy the car, I guess? I was so shocked I didn't even think to ask him his name. Needless to say, I won't be returning to this store. Now, I'm concerned that this is the experience I'll receive at ANY CarMax. What does this experience mean about the care and integrity that is put into the way customer care is managed? And, does this lack of integrity filter into the the care and concern they put into the acquisition, maintenance and sale of these vehicles, too? Yikes. No Bueno. read more

Why does CarMax insist on covering up body damage with flat black paint instead of actually fixing it? I saw a car I was interested in but immediately got turned off by the random strip of flat black paint. Not only does it make the car look goofy, but if they choose to cover up paint, what other damages are they covering up (mechanical, i.e.) read more

See all

I believe I worked with someone in the business office named Dalu, but that could be a little off. (He's at the Serramonte store in CA, just south of San Francisco.) Anyway, he is fantastic. Very nice, very patient, always willing to try something to help. He talked to me about living in the bay and the holiday season--it was really nice to connect to someone in that way. We both remarked on the fog that day. And how unexpected to do it at a car transaction. But still very welcome. I would be absolutely shocked if Dalu was not a manager by like tomorrow. Keep that guy close, and just hold on to his coattails. I mean, he might never even come down. Not anytime soon, that is. If you go here--and you should--just ask or wait or come back for Dalu, and enjoy the best car buying/selling experience in the west. read more

CarMax - Receipt for my payment. Easy-peasy. - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

Poor service, I called and spoke with them on the phone to confirm everything and received a list of everything I'll need. I came in the next day with everything as requested and they began requesting paperwork they did not mention I'll need despite providing everything else they did request. Complete waste of time and not helpful at all. Waste of your time read more

GREAT experience selling my car to car max. Got the preliminary offer online, took it in to the dealership. They ran an inspection on it quickly and I got the same value I was quoted online. Signed the forms and walked out with the a check. Most importantly, every employee was friendly and took the time to explain the process and various forms. Seemed super well trained! Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Easy, smooth process selling my car. Juan was great- friendly and helpful and well-trained in the process and answered all my questions.

First time coming to CarMax and first time selling a used car in over a decade. From the second we talked in to the second we walked out, we were taken cared of. It was a great experience. I will definitely come back for future vehicle transactions. I will make sure to recommend this CarMax location to all my family and friends. I could not recommend this place enough. Thank you to the CarMax team at Colma. read more

Went to the Serramonte CarMax location 2 weeks ago and let's just say I was unimpressed. Back in 2018 I bought a truck from them and it was a great experience. The truck was totally detailed and looked as good as it day it rolled off the assembly line. This last trip to there lot told a totally different story. Almost every car I sat in had dirty interior. Spills that had not been cleaned, crumbs under consoles. Given the premium price they as for their used vehicles you'd think they'd present them better. read more

I could not recomend CarMax more based on our last visit. My husband had received an appraisal online and made an appointment to get his car sold. CarMax's offer price is valid for 7 days once you get the appraisal. When we arrived, we took a seat in their large and comfortable waiting area and within 10 minutes, someone was out to help us. They inspected the vehicle to make sure it was as we indicated online, then they were able to start our paperwork shortly after. All the paperwork with the DMV was done quickly and efficiently, we signed a couple of forms, and were presented with a check a few minutes later. End to end, we were here for less than an hour. There are vending machines onsite and complimentary coffee to enjoy. Great, hassle-free experience! read more

I had a great experience with Carmax. They were all helpful and professional, and the 10 day window to change my mind worked well for me. I ended up returning my first car for another car that I liked better. I was glad to have that option. I initially got a car through Carvana, but returned it after my mechanic found some issues. I was not happy with my Carvana experience, and unlike Carmax, Carvana took over a week to return my money, which was frustrating. If you have to return a car at Carmax, you will get your refund at the time of the transaction. I love my new car and overall I found the experience to be no pressure and pleasant. I think I paid a little more, but that 10 day window to change your mind is worth it to get a car you love. read more

This place does not care about their customers. Be prepared to wait for a LONG time even you made appointment and confirmed it. They won't care read more

CarMax - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

Take your money elsewhere! I went today and was there for about an hour and literally walked every aisle of the car lot and NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE greeted me, asked if I needed any help or if I wanted to test drive anything. I walked in and out of their main office to go back out to the lot multiple times to show my boyfriend via FaceTime what I was interested in and nobody even asked if I had any questions. So I was like ok, guess they don't want my money and left. It's sad because I would've possibly walked out of that lot with a new car and gave commission to someone because there were a few that caught my eye but oh well. Hope this review helps the workers work on their customer service because isn't that the whole point of their job? To provide service and try and sell? Anyways, off to continue my car search at better dealerships. read more

I went to Carmax online to get a quote for my vehicle that I did not need anymore. I got quotes from various of different places and Carmax had the best one. Once quoted I was able to make an appointment within 7 days. Day of appointment, 30 minutes before my timeslot there was a glitch in the system that rescheduled my appointment. In panic due to driving 25 minutes from home I called Carmax and spoke with a sales agent right away. The sales agent reassured me that I would still be able to come in and not be turned away. I arrived at the store and had one of the best customer service experiences! Was in and out in 15 minutes. read more

DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! VIN# 5TFAY5F16FX434157 STOCK# 24546557 https://www.carmax.com/car/24546557?adcode=EM_XferArrived I have never experienced a dealership try so hard to not sell a vehicle. July 31- Transferred a vehicle from the east coast to CarMax Serramonte. I was given the time frame of Aug 16-22. I paid $2,000 for a non refundable transfer fee hoping the car is in great shape. Aug 24- Called the CarMax call center and spoke to an Annie curious about the status of the vehicle. I tracked the vehicle online and it said the vehicle had arrived finishing up their quality inspection. Annie informed me that the vehicle had a parking brake issue that is being address at the Toyota dealership. Aug 25 - Annie gives me an update that the car is being serviced and will be ready next week. Sep 1- I asked Annie for an update and she said the vehicle arrived back at CarMax and is waiting for final quality check. Sep 5- asked for another updated. I didn't get a reply. Sep 8- I requested a sales manager to call me. A sales manager "calls me and tells me the car is ready and asked if I was available to come pick it up. I told him it may be last minute and I wasn't sure if I could. I ended up going to the store because I wanted to at least check the car out and see if I wanted to actually buy the vehicle. I go with my daughter and her car seat pretty much ready to buy the car. I talk to one of the sales associates Lei who was very patient with me as I express my frustration. I'm waiting for the status of the vehicle for about 1.5 hours and another sales associate Kinzi told me that the car still required a smog and vin verification. I told her the only reason I'm still tied to this car is the $2,000 transfer fee. She offered to return that transfer fee and expedite the process, and offer me a lyft home. Sept 11- Im at a local dealership and I see another car that can replace the one I was planning to get at Carmax. I call CarMax and spoke to a sales associate Juan. I let him know that I would be purchasing another vehicle if the vehicle wasn't ready. He put me on hold to speak to a manager. He came back and told me that they'll have an answer for me within the hour. I was already at another dealership so I told Juan I no longer want the vehicle. Sept 12- Lei called me with an update that the vehicle got a check engine light after the smog and is going out to repairs. I let her know that I no longer want the vehicle because I already went with another dealership. If you didn't bother reading the review, here is the short version. Don't buy with CarMax unless you want the worse headache of your life. You can tell that the departments do not communicate with each other at all. With incompetent managers, everything else trickles downhill from there. First the parking brake was the issue, then the smog, then the check engine light. If there was any type of transparency this would've been avoided. If you choose to ignore my warning, asked for Lei or Kinzi and make sure there's an actual sales associate attached to the vehicle you want to buy. read more

See all

I have wasted a tremendous amount of time at Carmax trying to sell a car in perfect condition. After the getting the online appraisal and submitting the documents online, I came in to seek the car. After a long wait in person, they seemed to look for any excuse - no matter how lame - to lower their offer. When the rep said the manager would come speak to me I waited a while (and wrote this review), and then concluded I will not waste another second with this outfit again. This is the only negative review I have ever written, but it was well earned. Post mortem - I walked into another shop and sold the car easily for $4000 more than Carmax ended up offering. read more

Pretty nice dealership. Some reasonable prices especially for hybrids. Professional service and very responsive. Bathrooms were very clean and I was pleased they had a kid's corner where my daughter could play while we did our business :) We ended up testing 2 cars here. Cars seem all well-maintained and in good condition. read more

See all

Had a 4:30 appt to sell my car. Was told 30 mins to look at it and confirm on line offer I received. At 5:19 I received message the offer was confirmed. Then told it would be another 20 mins to finalize because there was 2 people in front of me??? Finally at 6:30 I was seen and it took maybe 5 mins to finish. The person that helped was very nice and VERY surprised it took that long. I later learned I was pushed because the other 2 were buying cars w/trade in. I understand the sale is important, making me wait 2 hours is a lot. We are planning to purchase a car at a later date and will probably look elsewhere because of this. read more

Dealing with car transactions are a P.I.T.A. However, going online to CarMax, getting a quote, scheduling an appointment, selling your car and out in 45 minutes is a Y.A.Y.! Enormous building filled with friendly, helpful CarMax people. We were greeted warmly, had organized interactions with the staff and left feeling satisfied. Check it out! read more

Sold my Tesla Model 3 2020 here recently. Overall a very smooth and easy process. Everyone I encountered was quite friendly and I did not feel any pressure or receive negative attitude. Miriam was very approachable and assisted me with receiving my first appraisal offer. Aaron was respectful and efficiently worked on closing the deal and finalizing my sale in less than 45 minutes of arriving to CarMax with an appraisal offer in hand already. The only potential downside is to make sure to allocate time (~1 hour) for the any car appraisals. It will take almost an hour of waiting in the lobby while someone inspects your vehicle and finally presents you with a finalized paper offer after they do some office research too. I did decline the option of leaving early and having the offer emailed to me. Interestingly enough, my car was actually appraised twice, roughly a month apart, with a higher appraisal offer the second time around. Regardless, both appraisal offers were the highest among other dealerships. The bank draft I received cleared within a business day. Overall, I recommend CarMax Colma for selling your used car. As long as you're patient and prepared with all your documents, I don't anticipate any problems. I walked over to Tesla after my sale and picked up a new Tesla Model 2022 the same day. read more

CarMax - Model 3 2020 (Sold to Carmax) - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

We had an overall great experience with CarMax Serramonte. The car we test drove wound up having an issue they needed to repair before selling it. It took over a week, but the communication was always clear, responsive, and helpful from Kel, sales manager, and Lua, our main salesperson. The express pickup was less than "expressy," taking almost 2 hrs due to long wait times and computer system issues with e-signing -- but everyone was helpful and responsive. There was zero sales pressure or manipulation, with a fair and transparent out-the-door price. Having the money back guarantee gave a lot of peace of mind vs. private sale or a dealership. I'd recommend CarMax to others. read more

Very professional location. I came in for an appraisal. They estimated that it would take 40mins. I was in and out within 15mins. The process was simple and easy. This was on a Saturday too. read more

First carmax I have been to where most (if not all) of the vehicles were locked. It defeats the whole concept of carmax.

I purchased a car here and was not that satisfied after. Honestly, it was kind of a last resort situation. I'd definitely not purchase their max care. Also expect any used car you purchase and inquire on whether or not they can fix minor damages before confirming your interest. The customer service was okay.I felt like they were trying their best, but their internal communication could use improvement. The car I purchased wasn't the best deal, but it also wasn't the worst. read more

I guess there is always a first time. I ordered a car to be transferred and it arrives. Appointment was easy. Apparently, the manager in charge today doesnot understand evidence of insurance documents. He requested a card and the printout from the car isn't enough proof. Well it was valid last week when i test drove another car but this week it's not valid because of this manager. the app shows the same information as it was printed from the app. Just bonkers. read more

Very efficient professional business. Streamlined and easy to sell your car. Hendy helped me. Great and very helpful worker. The quote I received online for the price they'd buy my car for was the price they gave me in the end. In and out with a check and all the paperwork for proof of sale in a few hours. Highly recommend. read more

I took my car in for an appraisal. Before they confirmed the value, they took my title and signed it so I was unable to take it anywhere else to sell. Extremely scammy behavior. Beware. read more

My first time selling a car to a dealer. I knew the offer would be lower than a private buyer but I wanted a hassle-free experience and I did get what I wanted at CarMax. So I took my car there, told them I needed an appraisal. They asked me several simple questions and told me it would take 40 min. They got the inspection done and came back with a quote after exactly 40 min. I decided to move forward, and I think with all the paperwork it took another 40 min or so. Quick and easy! FYI they give you an appraisal and it's good for 7 days, after that you will need to re-do it and the price may change. 5 stars because I walked out with a check in less than 2 hours! read more

We bought our third car from CarMax yesterday; all three from different locations. This one was, by far, the best. We had an appointment at 1230 but showed up early, so our vehicle wasn't ready for express pick up, that's completely our fault for showing up early. Jonathan helped us. He was very fast and had someone get it ready quick. I think we were out of there before our original appointment time and he still ran out to us l, as we were leaving and gave us 75$ vouchers for "waiting". Whaaaaattt? So nice! The last CarMax we were at, near L.A, took 8 hours!!!!! And we had done everything before we even showed up to the facility! So, good job CarMax serramonte. read more

My 2010 Jaguar XFR was starting to feel a bit long in the tooth, and I had been considering swapping it out for an F-Type when I noticed a 2016 F-Type R show up in the listings at one of the SoCal CarMax's. I put in for the transfer on the website and was contacted within the hour by Grace at the Serramonte CarMax to cover the details and process the $150 fee to have the car transferred. It took about a week and a half for the car to make it to the dealer, with Grace constantly being proactive on when the car shipped, when it was expected to arrive, and so on. About a week and a half later the car had arrived and I scheduled a test drive for the following Saturday. When I arrived, the place was a madhouse. If you're coming here on a weekend, I would definitely make an appointment as I saw walk-ins essentially being turned away. Anyway, Grace was right on time, took my insurance info, I gave her the keys to my XFR for evaluation, and I was on my test drive in no time. The offer they gave me was right where I expected it to be given that the car most likely would end up going to auction (the low end of the trade-in value). I opted for their 5-year MaxCare warranty on the F-Type which is a no-brainer on luxury vehicles which can be extremely expensive to maintain out of warranty. From walking in the door to the test drive, going over the trade-in, cutting a check for the difference, and signing all the final paperwork it was right at 3 hours. If you did this when it was less busy, like on a weekday, I suspect that time would be a little over 2 hours given how spread thin they were when I was there. Either way, if you're looking for something unique and want to get a best in class bumper-to-bumper warranty on it, CarMax is a great option. Ask for Grace and you'll be in good hands throughout the purchasing process. read more

CarMax - 2016 Jaguar F-Type R - Car Buyers Near Me - Colma, California

Now (11/2021) is a great time to sell your car since you will get a much better value out of it. And I had a good experience selling my minivan to Carmax. We drive a lot less since pandemic started therefore, there is no reason for us to keep the minivan. I looked around the websites like Carmax, Vroom and Carvana, looks like Carmax offered the best price for my minivan. Write down my offer code and scheduled an appt at their Daly City location. Showed up on time and was helped right away. Whole process took a bit longer than I expected but overall Arron was very friendly and helpful. Once he started the process, we were out of there in less than 30min. Keep in mind that if you are currently leasing your car, there are number of companies Carmax will not work with and I have attached a picture below. Overall a good experience selling to Carmax. Here are the selling process: You show up at front and check in, filled out a form and head to business off and give them your key A person will go to your car and check it out, possibly take it out for a test drive Then a sales rep will come over with an offer, the offer they have should be the same or similar with the offer you received online as long as you filled out and answers each question correctly After you agree with the price, you can sell it to them right away or you have 7 days to think about the offer Once you agree to sell on the spot, it should take about 30-60min for the process to be completed. They will need to all your loan or leasing company with you to get the correct payoff amount. read more

See all

I wanted a seamless experience and per the ads and my expectations; I got just that. I had a Nissan that I was using as a commuter car, but due to Covid restrictions I haven't driven the the office in more than a year. The first time I went to CarMax they walked around my car and gave me a print out with their offer. It took less than half an hour. They deduct for any dents or scuff marks to the leather seats etc, but all in all it was a fair price. The second visit (you have a time limit to sell your car before you have to have your offer reassessed) you just bring your car with all the papwrwork and they literally cut you a check. Way easier than dealing with a dealership and way more money. I know because I tried to sell my car at Nissan and Honda and they offered way less of course. I would definitely sell to CarMax again. read more

I sold my Toyota Camry 2019 here. I did some research with shift and Cavana. Carvana give me higher $900 but they need me to renew registration first ( I have 75 days left which more than $300 ) and it will take time. I choose Carmax cause location so convenience and I don't have much time to wait Carvana. I did all process in 2 hours got my check and everything done. Love it sell car with Carmax is my choice. read more

My recently purchased car was inspected at another store and some issues are missed. It was still within limited warranty and the service department was very generous in repairing the various issues, namely an engine head replacement and lower control arm replacement. They even cleaned the car and filled up gas before returning it to me. read more