The auto buying process at Carmax went quite well, it's what followed that has made me bitter towards them.
It all started when my purchased vehicle stranded me while making sales calls for the company I work for. It just wouldn't start. It is embarrassing when you get stranded at a company you were just trying to sell your services to. So I called for a tow...
I later met up with the tow fellow and he tried starting it. It started right up, this was strange to me, when I had tried over and over again with failure. So we took it to Carmax where my extended warranty was active. They told me the tow would be taken off my bill when they figured out it wasn't "maintenance related".
They claimed it was the battery, and that it was my responsibility since it was "maintenance related". So I agreed to buy another battery. I was charged for the battery, the service, and also a hose that had melted.
There was plenty of oil in the vehicle, and my coolant levels were great. So, other than the battery, I couldn't think of anything that would cause the vehicle to just up and strand me somewhere. But I'm no mechanic, so who knows.
Anyway, The vehicle stranded my wife at the store the very next evening, and myself again the next day. This was quite irritating, since they totally convinced me it was the battery. I called and told the service manager about the situation.
All he said was that they had tested the battery there and it showed that it needed replaced. So, I didn't get an apology or credit or anything. He wanted me to bring it in for additional testing. Testing I was to pay for... They have to prove it isn't "maintenance related" before they cover anything.
All the basic maintenance situations I could think of that might lend itself to a vehicle stranding you somewhere didn't apply.
I couldn't afford these tests at this time, We had just gotten a pay cut at work and I couldn't pay hundreds of dollars for all these tests they wanted to perform. All I got was it could be this, or that, or possibly this, or possibly that, or even this, or even that. I got a lot of educated mechanic guesses, but no answers.
I took it to a trusted local mechanic down the street from where I work, and wanted their opinion. They took a look at it, and picked each others brain trying to figure it out. They must have spent a good 40 minutes with me over it, and didn't even charge me for their time... Awesome guys at Allen's Alley in Largo Florida... The most honest mechanics ever...
He was telling me there have been a lot of complaints about those extended car warranties...
Anyway, I got stranded again and again, and again, and again... I'd say at least 12 more times. I made calls to Carmax and again it was about more testing. I gave up!
I'm convinced the warranty is worthless. I think if the the thing just locked up, burst into flames and killed 20 people... That they would say it was the battery.
I don't know how much extra I paid for the additional 5 years worth of extended warranty from the Carmax, but that was most definitely a bad purchase.
I'll just have to take care of this problem myself. Maybe Allen's Alley will be a place to start. Probably when I get my yearly income return. Pathetic!!!
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