Selling a Car Through CarMax

There’s a crossroads in every car relationship to part ways. Whether it’s because the car is in the shop too much, or there’s a new baby on the way, or you’re just plain bored and shopping for something better. When that cross arrives, there’s always the problem of selling your car. You have several options to get rid of your car, and today I’m going to cover the fastest and most convenient way of selling your car. Follow the jump to find out.

I bought my 2006 Scion xB, nicknamed Chuck, in early 2008. It’s served as a trusty and reliable ride, but since I work from home and travel a good deal, my car hasn’t seen much use in the last year and probably won’t see much use in the forseeable future. Just like Toy Story 3, I thought that Chuck would be happier with another family rather than sitting in the garage collecting dust. My options included selling it myself, or selling it to a dealership. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of either, so I turned to a company called Carmax.

Carmax is a company that buys and sells used cars. I drove over to their lot, and an hour later, I had a check in hand for my car. During that hour, a Carmax associate took my car for a test drive and general inspection. I told them the number of keys I had, and that there was no lien on the car. The inspection report came out clear, with notes like “paint fading” for specific panels of the car. After the explanation, I was offered a non-negotiable $6,300 for my car. The KBB value for private seller was $9,000, and for trade in was $7,100. I ended up taking the offer to skip the hassle of showing the car myself. It’s a steep price for convenience, but looking at my schedule, one that was worth taking. If you’re in a rush to sell your car, it’s hard to beat Carmax for simplicity and convenience. Just be warned that you’re likely to pay dearly for that convenience.