So we've been having quite the experience with Carmax of late. My wife has blogged about it, but I'm going to weigh in because I have a different perspective. I've got a deeper well of experience when it comes to automotive services. This is just a situational post based on our experiences with Carmax over the past few weeks so that anyone considering dealing with them can take it under advisement.
The abridged version: Carmax screwed up and initially "lost" the car after we had it towed up there. Carmax then didn't admit their mistake and delayed it getting in for service for another day. They referred the car to the local VW dealership which couldn't even look at it for another 4 business days - and thus pushing it into the next week. When VW disagreed with the initial diagnosis of bad head gasket, they replaced the thermostat which Carmax had already replaced just a few thousand miles ago. They bickered for at least a day about what the diagnosis was. All this while they wouldn't approve a rental car which her extended warranty grants until yesterday, 13 days after Carmax took delivery of it.
Sure, I could go into an insane amount of detail of exchanges, but it doesn't change where we are right now. So far it seems like they give us too much contact and their supposed customer service when it's unnecessary (like calling multiple times to tell us there's no news or that there's disagreement between mechanics with no details of the disagreement). But then there's the complete absence of customer service when it involves things like losing a car that your company took delivery of... Or delaying the approval a rental car earlier because as a customer you'd paid for an extended warranty that grants one in such circumstances. Someone from the corporate level got involved and basically did nothing but convey a little inconsequential information (no apology for losing the car, the time wasted and no granting of a rental despite evidence to the contrary).
Carmax blames AAA for the car misplacement (despite someone behind the fence at Carmax taking delivery of with the a signature). The slow service at VW is the only thing everyone agrees is beyond fault. But the bickering between Carmax / VW or the level of relevant contact to us (the end consumer) has been without consideration of our time or frustration at the situation.
A month ago, we'd have given Carmax decent marks with a good probability of earning our repeat business. We're going to be very glad that we have that extended warranty (the head gasket is the culprit - yeah, ouch) - but it's just such a bad taste in our mouths from all the bumbling around. I'm unsure how this will change our overall opinion of Carmax when we're done with this car. A lot of it will depend on how this winds up in the next few days.
