CarMax, Dulles VA Totally Being Screwed RIPOFF Sterling Virginia

First. Kirsten, great work! I soon hope to be on the ground in Florida picketing a Timeshare resort that ripped me off last year. ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff176148.htm

Just for anyone who is curious, in the 2005 case of Tory vs Cochrane, Tory was picketing Johhny Cochrane's office to get his money back. During the case which eventually overturned a California Supreme court ruling, Cochrane's lawyer argued that "Tory's picketing was part of an extortion scheme in which Tory said he would stop picketing if Cochran paid him money."

Chief Justice William Rehnquist said that what Tory had done was "a far cry" from the classic kind of extortion threat: "Give me $5 million, or I'll shoot you."

So the next time anyone decides to picket to protest a rip-off and anyone accuses you of blackmail, quote this case and justice Rehnquist's statement.

The way I see it you are protesting a ripoff and when you ask for your money back to not picket, what you are really saying is should I get my money back, it is no longer a rip-off. If I no longer remain ripped-off then how can I credibly put that on a sign or in a picket leaflet?

Secondly, picketing is your way of protesting a rip-off, and by letting them know that you are going to picket and telling them why you are picketing is just being honorable and courtious. You are giving them a chance to fix the problem before you publicly expose them. How is giving the company fair warning a bad thing for them? The should be thanking you for giving them the opportunity to privately solve the problem before you take it public.

The problem is that rip-off companies are predators and they don't know what to do when they become the hunted. They still think that they are in the "Drivers Seat" and don't realize that they do not control the situation anymore. They don't know how to cope with this. That is why their one dimensional thinking will always come out with lame defenses such as blackmail or extortion.

Knowing great background knowledge will immunize you against such threats!! I can't wait to read about more successful picketing stories in the future!

One day after my picketing was covered on the front page of the local newspaper, CarMax called me up to arrange for me to come in for a refund!! They paid me a check for the amount I had already paid on the loan, and am paying Capital One directly the balance due.
It worked!! :)

Thanks Mark!

I appreciate your comments/warnings, as I am sure others will too!

That's awesome about the Nissan dealer treating you well!!

When I gave up on the car I got from CarMax, I went straight to the Saturn of Woodbridge dealer to get another one. The way they have treated me has been in huge contrast to CarMax. The day I purchased the car, there was a minor thing they could not take care of because it was a Saturday, so when I came back during the week they gave me a $20 gas card "for my troubles!"- I thought, WOW!! Now THAT'S service!! Plus, their extended 3 year warranty was only $20 more/month as opposed to what CarMax wanted- $130/month! I thought ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? That's almost as much as my freakin' car payments!!

So, based on your experiences with Nissan as well we can see that CarMax has a LOT to learn about treating their customers right.....

I am going to be picketing again this Saturday if you want to swing by for amusement! You could even then get a chance to say hi to your buddies at Nissan!

Lauren, a reporter whom I am working with, would like to collect the names and interview some of other folks with similar issues against CarMax. She is trying to get a camera crew to come out Saturday though she says it's a maybe because they are very booked as it is. However, she is still covering the story regardless-would you like to contribute to the story?

You can email EDitor@ripoffreport.com and he can give you my contact info if you are interested.

Thanks!

Thanks Mark!

I appreciate your comments/warnings, as I am sure others will too!

That's awesome about the Nissan dealer treating you well!!

When I gave up on the car I got from CarMax, I went straight to the Saturn of Woodbridge dealer to get another one. The way they have treated me has been in huge contrast to CarMax. The day I purchased the car, there was a minor thing they could not take care of because it was a Saturday, so when I came back during the week they gave me a $20 gas card "for my troubles!"- I thought, WOW!! Now THAT'S service!! Plus, their extended 3 year warranty was only $20 more/month as opposed to what CarMax wanted- $130/month! I thought ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? That's almost as much as my freakin' car payments!!

So, based on your experiences with Nissan as well we can see that CarMax has a LOT to learn about treating their customers right.....

I am going to be picketing again this Saturday if you want to swing by for amusement! You could even then get a chance to say hi to your buddies at Nissan!

Lauren, a reporter whom I am working with, would like to collect the names and interview some of other folks with similar issues against CarMax. She is trying to get a camera crew to come out Saturday though she says it's a maybe because they are very booked as it is. However, she is still covering the story regardless-would you like to contribute to the story?

You can email EDitor@ripoffreport.com and he can give you my contact info if you are interested.

Thanks!

I just want to start by saying THANK YOU! I gave up trying to plea with CarMax Customer Service (joke) group for help resolving some issues on the car so I applaud you for your efforts and persistence and have vowed to never buy a car from them again and have swayed at least 4 or 5 people from doing the same.

I saw a vision of things to come from CarMax after having a car shipped from another location. The car arrived in Dulles and as I was told "was unfit for retail sale and should never have been put on the lot". My confidence in their 125 point inspection wasn't too high at this point. So they made points for not selling me a junker but lost points for allowing a junker to get through the initial CarMax scrutiny.

I ended up buying a Nissan from the VA Beach store and was a fairly pleasant experience until after the sale. I can go on with the experiences but they would mirror some of the stories on Rip Off Report so no sense in regurgitating same stories. I have the vehicle serviced by the dealer that treated you to the pizza. Those guys are the best and they treated me like I bought the car from them and even worked with me getting the warranty to cover the repairs. They have a customer for life!

After reading so many of the posts I just wanted to offer a point of advice to those using CarMax for vehicle problems and for repairs. DON'T! TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. It's only $25 more under the warranty and they know the product. I used to work for a dealer and know the training and education the technicians are required to undergo and I am sure CarMax does not have that strict of a program.

Just my .02

Picketed again yesterday (Sat 4/29)



Had numerous folks tell me they are having customer service/repair issues as well. One guy said this was his fourth time back for the same issue.



CarMax telling people who are inquiring about my picketing that I did not bring the issue to their attention until now (5 months later) and expected them to honor 30 day warranty. I have here the proof of purchase (see date of Dec 10 2005 in upper left hand corner of page 1), and the repair orders (see date of 12/27/05 in upper right hand corner of page 2 and 3, showing my first repair was well inside the 30 day warranty), and see date of 02/07/06 in middle right of page 3 and date of 02/14/06 in upper right of page 4 to show that this has been an ongoing problem.) I showed this to most of the people that said something so they knew I was not a liar.



So get THIS- one customer came up to me and said that CarMax was telling him and other people who inquired about my picketing, that I got the car in December and am only NOW brining to their attention the problems with the car and expecting them to cover it under the 30 day warranty. A FLAT OUT LIE!! I have some of the repair orders that I got upon picking the car up, PLUS the ones they faxed to me the other day that clearly show I informed them of this within the time frame I am describing. I am going to see if I can pdf them and post them here in a few days.



Luckily, this same customer told them that is he not going to buy from them until they take care of me!! THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR!! Please, I don't remember your name, if you are reading this could you please send a rebuttal here identifying yourself so I may refer you as a witness- or, send your info to this website asking them to forward your contact info to me, thanks!!



Yesterday did go well in that many people were receptive to what I had to say, and some were also just as digusted based on their own experiences with the company. EVERYONE who heard me out has been APPALLED that they are not offering me a full refund. PLUS, the Nissan dealer came out with a pizza pie for me and my friends!!!!! THANK YOU NISSAN for all your support and encouragement!!! :)



I am going to go back and picket for the majority of the day next Saturday May 6- if anyone reading this would like to join me just send a rebuttal here (you won't have to post your contact info to this website and ask them to forward your contact info to me.



CONSUMERS MUST KNOW WHAT CARMAX DID TO ME SO CARMAX WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH DOING THE SAME TO OTHER UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS!!!

Picketed yesterday. I had already notified police ahead of time. Nonetheless they showed as CarMax called them. The officer was very nice and cooperative. I told him that based on my research, any sidewalk is considered public property and he confirmed that for me. He told me I had every right to be where I was standing and just came by to ask me if there had been any confrontations he needed to know about, and if I did have a problem, to let him know.



About a half hour after he left, a rep from Lerner Corp came by and told me I had to leave as I was on private property, and if I did not leave he would call the police. I told them the police had already come and told me I had every right to be where I was as the sidewalk was public property. He told me the police don't know that Lerner doesn't just own CarMax, but the entire block. Then the camera man with the Loudoun Times told me that they may own the whole block, but the streets are owned by the state of VA.



Upon returning from picketing, I made a few phone calls. After being passed around to various folks with Loudon County, I was referred to call VDOT. I spoke with VDOT and when I described the area to them, and told them the street signs were blue with white lettering, they confirmed for me that those streets are VDOT property, as only VDOT issues those colored signs. Furthermore, they own 13 feet on either side of those streets to accomodate power lines, etc, so I am not breaking any laws by standing on the sidewalk.



I went straight from work to babysitting last nite so got home at midnight. There was a FedEx from Carmax, with a letter stating the following in summary:



That I have faxed documents with accusations, and threats to them should they not meet my demands.



(That is correct. My accusations and threats have been nothing more than what I have exposed on this website, as that's what I have been faxing them, is my RipOff Report!!) I also want to remind them that I have had every right under the first amendment- it is just the same as if I had said "If you don't settle with me, I will sue you." And that is perfectly legal. Other consumers need to know how I was treated, that is why I am picketing!



They stated they have spent considerable time, energy and money in an effort to correct the problem, and that as a good will gesture, allowed me to seek diagnosis with another repair facility, even though that is not an option normally provided under their warranty.



(That is correct. However, they never let the other repair facility, my mechanic Frank, finish what he wanted to start. Not to mention, I still don't have my reimbursement from CarMax for the work he did do. Furthermore, who's fault is it that the car needed all that attention to begin with? It is not my fault that their "thorough 125 point inspection" did not catch the problems the car has. So all the inconvenience they have had to go through is all on them.)



They stated they have done all this without witnessing the stalling. Personally, I can't say whether that's true or not, but I can say that I don't trust them one iota and also based on how many times it's stalled for me, I have a hard time beleiving it. Even Javier in repairs told me he had a hard time beleiving it wouldn't stall based on what I had been telling him. Not to mention, Rick had said to me previously that "based on his records, he understood it stalled on a test drive?" (see above documentation covering 4/5). So do they have a record of it stalling and are just not admitting it, or was he trying to bait me into saying that it stalled on MY test drive the day I bought the vehicle? Just what exactly did he mean when he said that??



If they really are being honest in that it hasn't stalled, then my question to them is, did you always test drive it under the conditions I stated, in that it happens frequently when the tank reads 1/4 or lower? One time upon picking it up from repairs I noticed the tank was more than half full, so less likely to stall during a test drive.



I guess they think that I am making all this up and making all this effort because I have nothing better to do. I am thinking that, as much as I loathe the idea of getting back into this car, I will have to risk it and start video taping while I am driving around for proof to them that it is a problem.



They stated that they only ceased to make efforts to repair the vehicle when I indicated a desire to return it for a refund. (Correction, I have been telling them all along that I'd prefer to keep the car if it got fixed, but that if it didn't get fixed, THEN I would want a refund.) I was willing to have my mechanic Frank continue to work on it, but it was at that point they told me they no longer wanted to make the effort. So, I was forced at that point, to the choices I have listed in the previous update above- since I opted not to put my trust in them anymore and purchase a car from elsewhere, I no longer have use for their vehicle whether fixed or not.)



They stated that I only had the right to return the vechicle under the 5 day Return Policy during that 5 days, but that "as a commitment to our customer service we would offer you an exchange of your vehicle for a new CarMax vehicle- in addition, we were willing to provide you a $500 discount on your new purchase. You decided not to take advantage of this offer...Still demanding a refund from CarMax we explained that even though you declined our offer we could still help in resolving your issue.........we would be happy to buy back your vehicle through our appraisal process offering you a generous amount above normal wholesale market value, as a good will gesture."



(This is all true, as I have been documenting on this site. They are now offering me $1000 less than what I paid for the car. But again, how is it fair for me to have to LOSE MONEY for ALL the inconvenience, risk of accidents, time, and frustration this has caused me?? I will still be making payments on the debt for a FULL YEAR if I accept their current offer, and on my salary it is not an amount that I can comfortably pay off. YET, with all the financial stress I am going through in making two car payments, I would still rather do that then trust another one of their vehicles. And they still have not answered my question as to giving me one reason WHY I should trust another one of their cars based on my experiences which I have documented here.)



They approach this from the angle that I have been inconveniencing them, when THEY were the ones who sold me a no good vehicle!!



Not to mention, what is $8500 to them? It's a very minor transaction, but for me- my financial livleyhood.



CarMax, I will not be your doormat. I will not be your scapegoat.



Also, a revision/correction:



On 4/26 I typed the following:

"Since Dec 10 purchase of the car to Apr 1 (the last day that I drove the vehicle), the car was in repairs a total of 105 days."



I meant to type since Dec 10 purchase to Apr 1 IS 105 days, not that the car was in repairs 105 days.

(In any case, one can see on previous daily documentation the discrepancy.)



However, something is not right. I have already established that my daily records don't match up with the repair orders I asked CarMax to fax me the other day.



I have documentation of the day I purchased the car, obviously, (12/10) and I know the car stalled on 12/14 because I remember thinking I had not even had the car a week and was already experiencing problems, plus I remember saying to myself I always did hate Wednesdays.



However, I did not start recording daily my interactions with CarMax until Feb 10. You will notice I have a question mark next to the dates between the first drop off for repair and second. I had to guess because I had written the mileage down on the first original repair order and brought it back and gave it to them as a reference when I dropped the car off a second time.



My first write up on this site was April 3. At that time, I had to pull out the repair orders I DID have to figure out dates of drop off prior to Feb 10. The 2nd repair order I got after picking the car up the 2nd time said I had dropped it off on Feb 7, and I trusted the dates of their documentation. However, when I add up the days they had the car based on their documentation, it's not adding up.



I know when I came to pick the car up on Feb 10 they had already had it a couple weeks. I know because I remember thinking it was not until week 3 that they offered me a loaner vehicle, and that was on 2/14. I had gone to pick it up on Feb 10 (a Friday nite after repairs was closed) only to have to turn right around and return it Tues because it stalled coming out of their parking lot.



In any case, to make a long story short, I know I was two consecutive weeks without a car before they offered a loaner, and with the exception of me having the vehicle the weekend of Feb 10, my car was in repairs 6 consecutive weeks. They had my car a few days prior to that in late Dec as well. When I add up the days they had the car based on their documentation, it is showing they only had my car, in total for all repairs, for less than a month.



I've already established though, based on documentation of my daily phone calls with them, that their records are not accurate.

I read your complaints and I feel for you! Especially having to deal with corporate! I read where they wanted you to pay for the service to the vehicle...Keep in mind they pay their employees flat rate, so if they do something to your car and it is in the books that it "should" take 4 hours, and the mechanic gets it done in an hour he gets paid for the 4 hours! Not to mention some employees add time to their jobs to get paid more. Corporate knows of this, but they don't care!

Quick note for the kind soul who responded regarding the Lemon Law. I appreciate your support and willingess to help! Unfortunately, I already looked at that angle. VA Lemon Law only covers cars still under factory warranty, as well as cars no older than 2002 (?). My car is not applicable. :(

You can help though by spreading the word! :)



In the meantime, more interesting findings with CarMax:



Firstly, I forgot to mention that the other day when I spoke with John, he did re-offer to fix the vehicle. (A month ago I was told they were no longer going to make that effort�). I told him I didn't have another 4 months for his mechanics to MAYBE be able to fix the car like last time. He said that he'd be happy to let me take it to another mechanic.� (The last time I did that I had to pay for that up front as they weren't set up to pay the mechanic directly�, and I was told that I would get a refund. I paid for that service on 03/27 and still don't have my money back). So, WHY would I set myself up for that again?? Not to mention, since I WAS told a month ago that they weren't going to fix the car, I was left with only the following options- to either:



a) do an exchange, which would involve me to first, TRUST them again, trust their CARS again, and trust their mechanics and service again, (all that trust is GONE) PLUS, get a car I didn't like as their selection was limited in my price range, OR, pay them MORE money to get a car I DID like as they were not willing to discount me on ones in a higher price range that allowed for a larger selection, OR wait around for a car of my choosing in my price range that MAY or may NOT show in God knows how long of a time frame, OR:



b) buy another car from somewhere else that I trusted and have reliable transportation again.



Hmmm- that's a no brainer!! I'd have to be a complete IDIOT to trust them again and further my business with them.



So, I told John even if the car was miraculously fixed at this point, I no longer wanted it nor had use for it.



So today, I asked for repairs to fax me over a copy of their vehicle repair order history for the car.



Interesting that, their dates read as follows:



RO Open: 12/27/05

RO Closed: 12/27/05



RO Open: 02/07/06

RO Closed: 02/07/06



RO Open: 02/14/06

RO Closed: 02/28/06



According to MY records, here's the dates they had my car, or at least INFORMED me of when the vehicle was ready for pickup:



RO Open: 12/27/05

RO Closed: 12/30/05 (3 days difference)



RO Open: 02/07/06

RO Closed: 02/10/06 (3 days difference)



RO Open: 02/14/06

RO Closed: 03/09/06 (9 days difference)



They are either very bad at keeping their records, bad at follow up, or something else is going on that they are not informing me about. All reasons are disconcerting.



No word from John or anyone since Monday, even though I have sent him faxes and updates of findings. Not a PEEP from anyone in corporate. I am preparing to picket.





I am working with Lauren Green of Fox 5 news. She is interested in covering my story and thinks there are enough legitimate complaints against CarMax that this is serious. She is going to try to have a camera crew cover my picketing though she is not yet certain of their schedule or availability. Passed out flyers to other businesses in the area yesterday warning them of CarMax's record.

If you search virginia lemon law on the internet you will find several sites that may help you. The fact that Carmax sold you a car they knew was stalling prior to the sale should help you. You did a great job keeping track of everything and who you talked to use it to your advantage.

Good luck!

If you search virginia lemon law on the internet you will find several sites that may help you. The fact that Carmax sold you a car they knew was stalling prior to the sale should help you. You did a great job keeping track of everything and who you talked to use it to your advantage.

Good luck!

If you search virginia lemon law on the internet you will find several sites that may help you. The fact that Carmax sold you a car they knew was stalling prior to the sale should help you. You did a great job keeping track of everything and who you talked to use it to your advantage.

Good luck!

If you search virginia lemon law on the internet you will find several sites that may help you. The fact that Carmax sold you a car they knew was stalling prior to the sale should help you. You did a great job keeping track of everything and who you talked to use it to your advantage.

Good luck!

04/27- Had the privilege of finally getting a call from the store manager, John Robinson. It was more of the same of what I've been hearing. They would be willing to give me $6600 as an "appraisal" price of the vehicle. Translation-



I will still be in debt $1400 plus interest (a year and a half of payments) for a car I haven't been able to drive more than half the time I've owned it, and the other half risking an accident when I did. How is this OK?

I told him nothing but a full refund would satisfy me at this point.



He mumbled something about how I DID pay $400 in taxes for purchase of the car- not my problem. If CarMax had sold me a reliable car in the first place, they wouldn't have to be concerned about the cost of their "overhead."



When I told him he left me with no choice but to follow through with my plan to distribute flyers and picket, he said, Well, if that's what you feel you need to do.� I told it was what I was GOING to do.



John also mentioned that I had put 2000mi on the car, and that's what accounts for the depreciation value.� Again, compared to the 80K that's already on it, the mileage is negligible, plus it pales in comparison to the main issue of them selling me an unreliable car. AND, I might add, the car is actually in BETTER shape than when I purchased it in that the low fuel light is NOW working, thanks to MY mechanic, as CarMax was unable to fix that issue, AND the correct coolant is now in the vehicle, thanks to Saturn!!



But, since John and Monica are so fixated on this whole "mileage" thing and how much it's "devalued" the vehicle, let's explore this further.



While my car was in repairs, I had given them permission to test drive the car. I did not think to note the mileage before dropping the car off because (silly me) I trusted them.

But 2000mi did seem awfully high to me considering how many miles I cover in my daily routine.



Since Dec 10 purchase of the car to Apr 1 (the last day that I drove the vehicle), the car was in repairs a total of 105 days. That leaves 70 days (10 weeks) the vehicle was in my possession and 70 days maximum that I was driving it, as I wasn't driving it everyday.



My friends, boyfriend, and family can attest to the fact that I don't drive excessively. Most times I see them at my house, or my boyfriend comes over or does all the driving. Let's tally this up: My commute to work is less than 3 mi, and sometimes I walk. I visit my dad on average once a month, and lately it's been less than that, but we'll say 2 times a month, just to be generous. My grocery store is a 1/4 mi away, and again, sometimes I walk. My church is 4 mi away, and I go once a week. I go to my boyfriend's once a week, and I visit my friend Linda once a month. I took 4 trips to CarMax for each repair�. I drove folks to the airport 3 times. I drove to Baltimore Harbor once. The most driving I did in one day was on Apr 1, when I went to Marlow Heights and Woodbridge to look for another, RELIABLE vehicle. (That was the last day I drove the stalling vehicle, which did, by the way, again stall on me on the ramps entering and exiting the highways- fun fun!!)



It took me 40 days to go thru 1.75 tanks of gas during the time I was to record my mileage of the car for CarMax's mechanics (this occurred between 12/30 and 2/7). I needed the last tank to get to CarMax to drop the car off the second time. That averages 16.5 mi/day, which bring us to 660 mi over the 40 day period. According to my calculations on the chart below, that sounds about right as the total # of (generous) miles I put on the car over the 70 days I drove it was about 940mi. 940-660=280mi (the other 30 days I drove the vehicle, averaging at 9.3 mi/day).



256 miles was put into trips to and from CarMax, and to other dealers for me to get a non-stalling vehicle.



My speedometer, however, says that I have put 2180 more miles on the car since date of purchase. 2180-940=1240. Take away the 256 miles for all the driving BECAUSE the car stalls, that leaves us with 984 miles I CAN'T account for, and that's with me being very generous about the miles I covered on my car during the 70 days I had it.



I have seen other complaints online of folks getting their cars back from CarMax's repairs� with exorbitant amounts of miles added since they dropped it off. I also remember my car being covered in dirt and dust inside and out the last time I picked it up from CarMax having it 5 weeks for repairs. This is all such a curiosity, to say the least.



Destination, Total miles, Distance one way, # Trips



Baltimore Harbor 100.96 50.48 1

Dads 42.96 5.37 Ave 2/mo for 2.5months (10 weeks)

Church 75.80 3.79 1/week for 10 weeks

Work 103.60 2.96 5 days/week for 10 weeks (assuming no days off)

Greg's 285.60 14.28 1/week for 10 weeks

National Airport 33.98 16.99 1

Dulles Airport 64.72 16.18 2

Springfield 51.82 25.91 1

Linda's 52.85 10.57 Ave 1/mo for 2.5 months

Trip to Fairfax for work 27.04 13.52

Extra miles for generosity sake 100.00

Total 939.33



Miles I've had to drive due to car stalling

Carmax for "repairs" 143.68 17.96 4

Sheehy Ford to look for a new vehicle 52.34 26.17 1

Saturn Woodbridge to look for a new vehicle 60.40 30.2 1

Total for inconvenience of car stalling 256.42





Not to mention, I still have yet to receive an answer for the following questions:



Give me ONE good reason why I should trust ANY of your vehicles, your mechanics, or your customer service based on my experiences (and the numerous other similar complaints I have found online);

Give me an account for the fact that I have spent my time and SPENT MY MONEY to be inconvenienced, stressed, and put at risk of an accident every time this car has stalled on me;

Give me one reason why, when I have offered to present my documentation of the lack of customer service, no one, not even the managers, have wanted to see it. (This tells me you don't want to face, so therefore resolve, the problems customer service issues your company has.)

Give me ONE reason why I should be motivated to continue to do business with you;

Give me a reason why Monica in corporate is telling me you can't� give a refund when your warranty states that you are fully capable of doing so.



(Before you answer, keep in mind that you DO advertise the reassurance of a reliable car,� a 125 point inspection� to give the buyer confidence,� certified, capable mechanics,� a 5 day money back guarantee� and a 30 day limited warranty� which states: Company may, however, at its sole discretion, elect to accept return of the vehicle and provide customer with a refund.�)



A full refund is the ONLY appropriate response any company with integrity, who states what you advertise, would do. (see compensation breakdown at bottom of this documentation- figures are based on what was generally legally advised to me by numerous sources.) To you it is just a transaction. To me it has been my physical, and continues to be my financial livelihood.

BUYER BEWARE: CarMax sold me unsafe vehicle that stalled within first week, car was in repairs� more than two months, car still not fixed, company will not make any more effort to fix vehicle�, yet will not honor warranty and give a refund. Customer service unreliable and unprofessional. Corporate unresponsive. Full documentation below:



CarMax, my questions to you are:



Give me ONE good reason why I should trust ANY of your vehicles, your mechanics, or your customer service based on my experiences (and the numerous other similar complaints I have found online);

Give me an account for the fact that I have spent my time and SPENT MY MONEY to be inconvenienced, stressed, and put at risk of an accident every time this car has stalled on me;

Give me one reason why, when I have offered to present my documentation of the lack of customer service, no one, not even the managers, have wanted to see it. (This tells me you don't want to face, so therefore resolve, the problems customer service issues your company has.)

Give me ONE reason why I should be motivated to continue to do business with you;

Give me a reason why Monica in corporate is telling me you can't� give a refund when your warranty states that you are fully capable of doing so.



(Before you answer, keep in mind that you DO advertise the reassurance of a reliable car,� a 125 point inspection� to give the buyer confidence,� certified, capable mechanics,� a 5 day money back guarantee� and a 30 day limited warranty� which states: Company may, however, at its sole discretion, elect to accept return of the vehicle and provide customer with a refund.�)



A full refund is the ONLY appropriate response any company with integrity, who states what you advertise, would do. (see compensation breakdown at bottom of this documentation- figures are based on what was generally legally advised to me by numerous sources.) To you it is just a transaction. To me it has been my physical, and continues to be my financial livelihood.





12/10- purchased car.



12/14- first occurrence of car stalling. Had every right at that point to take advantage of their 5-day, money back guarantee� but did not because I trusted they could fix vehicle. Made appointment to bring car in, they said first available appointment not until 12/27.



12/14-12/27 car stalled regularly. Stalled when slowing, stopping, accelerating from a stop, and in mid-turn. Also noticed low fuel light not coming on appropriately.



Note: Many times car stalled in flow of traffic, or when attempting to cross traffic- I have been honked at numerous times and nearly rear ended on a few occasions.



12/27- CarMax had car a few days, could not diagnose problem.



Taylor asked me to fill gas tank twice and record mileage at a full, , , and E each time, then bring car back.



12/30-02/07(?) Recorded mileage as instructed. Car continued to stall. Then also coolant light started blinking checked manual which said to check coolant level- it was fine. Manual also said to only use specific type of coolant, which I assumed was already in coolant reservoir.



02/07(?)- Brought car back with recorded mileage. CarMax unable to duplicate stalling. Car was brought to Saturn. Saturn replaced fuel gauge sending unit to attempt fixing low fuel light issue. Saturn also said wrong coolant was in tank, and asked me what I had put in. Told them I had not touched/added any coolant, coolant type was what was in car when I purchased it. They said the wrong coolant can damage the car, so had to flush the whole system out and add appropriate coolant.



02/10-Picked up car in evening. At second stop coming out of CarMax lot, car stalled. My ride there (a witness) had to leave, plus I needed car over weekend, so kept it until Monday. Car stalled twice Saturday, both within a couple miles.

Car stalled three times on Sunday, all within one block.

Car stalled twice on Monday on way to work, within less than 3 miles.

Called Taylor, he said to drop car off Tuesday morning, there would be a loaner waiting for me.



02/14- Dropped car off to repair first am. Had to wait an hour for loaner car. Taylor told me car was going to be brought to Saturn dealer again.



02/16- Received call from Taylor - Saturn suspected fuel pump, but no part replacement would be made until further tests. Gave OK for mechanics to test drive car.



02/17- Received call from Kathryn of Saturn. She and two others had test driven car and not been able to make it stall, and therefore no work had been done. She agreed to keep car over weekend to check for stalling. Was told I would hear from her on Saturday or Taylor on Monday.



02/18- 02/20- no calls received from either



02/21- 10AM - Called and spoke with Taylor- said he would contact a manager and get back to me within the hour. 3:00PM- still no word from anyone so called back and asked to speak to a manager. Javier told me he had a hard time believing car would not stall for mechanics, offered to get car back from Saturn and look into it himself. Asked him what he would do if car would not stall for him, as that seems to be only basis for anyone to take action, regardless of my experience. He said he would look into the car more thoroughly. Told him I would not accept car back as it is. Told him I like car and would prefer to keep it if it got fixed, but if not, would be returning car for full refund. Said he would call me in the morning.



02/22- no call received in morning. Took initiative to call at 3:00PM- spoke with Javier- was told car had not returned from Saturn yet, but didn't know why as had not spoken with Taylor about details. Was told I would hear from Greg tomorrow.



02/23- no call from Greg, Taylor lm @ 6:45PM telling me he would coordinate with Greg tomorrow.



02/24- 3:00PM no word from anyone, so again took initiative to call and asked to speak to a manager. Spoke with Javier. He apologized for me not hearing anything, said he test drove car, that it still did not stall for him, but he noticed low fuel light still not coming on even with needle at empty. Would keep it through the weekend.



02/27- 4:15PM received message from Taylor telling me Javier not in so nothing was done today. Called back and left message for Greg to please call me.



02/28- no word from Greg by 4:00 PM, so called and left message for Gene (manager)-received call back from Javier, who again apologized that no one had followed up with me, and that he found a mechanic familiar with problem so would be looking into it.



03/01- received message from Taylor around 3:45PM that idler air control valve was on order, and throttle body service would be done.



03/03- received call from Taylor that parts are now in car, but Javier needs to test drive it before I pick it up. Javier was not in, however, so I had to wait until Monday.



03/06- 4:30PM- received call from Taylor asking if Javier called earlier, which he had not. Told me Javier test drove my car and heard it making a strange noise that he did not notice prior to work being done. Was going to discuss with mechanic. I mentioned also a reminder about the low fuel indicator light not coming on as it should, which Javier confirmed on a prior test drive.



03/07- 6:30PM Taylor left message that car still being looked at.



03/08- 3:30PM- Taylor left message saying they are going to put yet another fuel sending unit into car.



03/09- 11:00AM- called and spoke with Javier- asked him some questions regarding the parts and why this whole process was taking so long. He recognized that it was taking a long time but wanted to be sure the car was totally right before I picked it up so that I wouldn't have to return it again.



03/09- 3:00PM- Javier called to tell me car was ready, and stated that if I have any related problems in the future to call him directly.



3/10- Picked up car- was told it would be in J3, it was not. After walking around parking lot 15 minutes finally found it in L12. The car was clean when I dropped it off, but now dusty filthy, inside and out.



3/15 Car stalled.



3/16- Tank read E- low fuel light never came on. Called Javier and asked if I could arrange to bring car to another mechanic early next week. He offered for CarMax to cover cost of diagnostic but to please inform him before any work is done.



3/17- 10:00AM- called and spoke with Tim. Told him I was considering returning the car for a refund. He said he needed to pull my files and would call me back today. 3:00PM still no call. Left message for Javier after researching and finding online a possible culprit/cause for the stalling.



3:30PM- Javier returned call, said he was embarrassed that I was able to find this info online but that his mechanics couldn't, and would look into what options I had regarding possibly returning car and/or repairing it through another mechanic, and would call me around 10am Monday.



03/20- Once again, no word from anyone. Dropped car off in evening at my mechanic for a diagnostic.



03/21- 1:00PM still no word from anyone, called corporate customer relations, could not get a person, left a message.





03/21- 3:30 Spoke with Joe from Corporate at x4225- he said he would call senior management at Dulles and have them call me tomorrow.



03/22- 11:30 Spoke with Rick Dempster, OM from Dulles- he said he would be getting with Javier and to have my mechanic call him with an estimate.



03/22- 11:45- called my mechanic Frank- he asked about car's history as he has noticed salt water damage. Also he wouldn't be able to do a proper diagnostic unless he took more of the car apart. Told him to call Javier with assessment.



03/22- Javier gave Frank go ahead to do work. Javier also told Frank if he could figure out what was wrong with the vehicle, he would be indebted to him.�



03/24- Javier clarified that work would be an out of pocket expense for me but I would get a reimbursement from CarMax within 2-3 weeks of faxing over receipt/invoice of work done. Frank finished work, but we agreed to leave ticket open to let me test drive car over weekend, as he thought there might be one more thing that needs fixing.



03/25- Car almost stalls/lurches on turns/entry ramps to highway. However, low fuel light is now working.



03/27- Spoke with Frank- he recommended replacing tank unit, including pumps. I left a message w/Javier to call Frank for details and to discuss options. Javier left me message saying he'd call Frank tomorrow and look into options for me.



03/28- Javier said company no longer wanted to make any more effort to repair vehicle� - that I would be allowed to do an exchange- told him the selection for my price range was pretty slim at Dulles- he said if I didn't find anything he would get me with someone in sales to see what could be arranged. I was hesitant to go with any other cars of theirs, but nonetheless looked to see what was available.



03/30- set up appointment to meet with Jason Friday at 7:00 to test drive some cars and discuss options.



03/31- arrived at 7:00. Was told to have a seat in waiting area as Jason would be only a few minutes. Waited a half hour before was finally passed on to another sales associate as Jason was too busy.� Went to test drive what was available. Did not like but one vehicle which was $1000 above my price range, but even so, the brakes were scraping. When my boyfriend and I pointed out the sound to the sales rep, he insisted all the cars go thru an inspection. I told him about my car and the problems I had with it. He reiterated that all cars go through an inspection. Sales associate also told me they could not reduce price of any car, despite all the inconvenience I had gone through. I would have to speak to a manager- no manager was available so I would have to come back Saturday.



04/01- car still stalling/lurching. No longer trust company. Don't want to do an exchange as I don't trust their cars, mechanics, or service. Called and spoke with Rick Dempster- told him I wanted a full refund, not an exchange. He said he would have to talk to Bill Meyer and get back to me Tuesday.



04/03- got message from Wes and another from Rick.



04/04-10:45-ish- left message for Rick. 4:00- still no return call received from Rick. Called Wes- told me they would be willing to cut a deal� for me on the Saturn I had test driven Friday night but I interrupted him and told him the only thing that would satisfy me was a full refund for the car plus reimbursement for the work my mechanic did as I had already bought another car from somewhere else since I did not feel safe driving the car I bought from them, nor did I trust of any their other cars or mechanics abilities to repair them. Wes said he understood, but now that the plan has changed� he needed to talk to his guys and would get back to me later that night or the next morning.



04/05- 4:00PM no word from anyone.



04/05 5:00-ish Called and spoke with Wes- he said CarMax would let me bring the car in to get an appraisal�- so in other words, as he quoted you would unlikely get the whole amount back, but compared to ANY OTHER place, that is more than what THEY would give.� Then I said Why should more money come out of MY pocket for all the inconvenience I've had to put up with?� He started to give me the same answer. I told him my standard did not start with anyone else's services, but with their OWN standards that THEY advertise and their OWN warranty. Told him I wanted to talk to his boss- his boss was not available� so when I told him I had contacted a lawyer he said he could no longer talk to me, that it now had to be handled by the legal dept, but he didn't have the phone number, he was getting ready to go into a meeting, and someone would call me back.� I told him I did not believe him, and he said that's fine.�



Called corporate- I had to leave a message- there was no option to speak to a human being.



6:00-ish Spoke with Rick- said he spoke to Wes and than said that according to his records, I understand your car stalled on a test drive?� I told him I was told nothing about that, that all I had heard up to date was that no one was able to get the car to stall on a test drive. He also told me Wes had offered for me to do an exchange on my car and offered to give me $500 towards the purchase of another car but I knew nothing of it. Asked Rick how CarMax has honored warranty and he told me that they have done all the repairs on the car at no expense to me- that would be valid- IF THE CAR WAS FIXED. I reminded him that car was still not fixed, 4 months later, thus why I didn't trust their mechanics. He told me even Saturn couldn't fix car,� but I informed him that based on what Saturn told me, they weren't given the chance to explore problem further because CarMax did not give them permission to do further exploration due to lack of them being able to duplicate stalling. He reminded me that CarMax offered to cover cost of my mechanic to look at it- told him my mechanic never got to finish what he wanted to try because Javier said CarMax was no longer going to make any more effort in repairing car.� Again, I asked him how they were honoring the warranty. He said they offered to do an exchange and I didn't take it and it's not their fault that I went out and bought another vehicle.� Told him based on the lack of customer service and fact that I don't trust their mechanics or any cars on their lot is why I went somewhere else.



04/06- Spoke with Jamie from corporate. Explained situation and told him I expected a full refund. He said I was entitled to that.� Jamie said he needed to call Dulles store and get back to me. Called me back and said Rick's offer was the most he could do as decisions like that are only made at store level.� Told him he went back on his word and he denied ever saying I was entitled to refund. Then asked him why he wasted my time and if decisions like that are only made at store level why didn't he just tell me that in the first place? He said he understood� and I told him that no, he didn't understand because he's not the one who's had to deal with it and if he truly DID understand, he would be working at getting me a refund. Asked to speak to his manager.



Spoke with Monica. She said they CAN'T offer a refund, (though their warranty states that they are perfectly capable of doing so). She said they can only offer an exchange or appraisal. I asked her how is it fair that money will come out of my pocket for all the inconvenience and a car that is not safe to drive? How can the company account for the fact that the car has been stalling since within the first 5 days of purchase, yet won't honor the 5 day money back guarantee,� that it has been in repairs for more than 2 months,(first time within the 30 day warranty period) the car is still not fixed, they no longer are going to MAKE the effort to fix it, and that based on those experiences, where would be my motivation to trust and purchase another car from them? She said they cannot honor the 5 day money back guarantee because even though the car stalled within the 5 days, to date it is past the 5 days of purchase. She also said she can't give a refund because the problems my car had were not something they would've caught in the 125 point inspection� and that basically with it being a used vehicle it is the risk I took and the issues are the fault of the previous owner. OK- HOW is this MY problem when you advertise the assurance of a reliable car?�



She also said the reason I would not get a full amount back on the appraisal is because of the wear and mileage you have put on the vehicle since owning it.� (Since the car has been in repairs half the time of me owning it, and since I have not driven it in a month because I don't feel safe driving it, only 2180 mi more have been put on it since it's Dec 10 purchase, and that includes the miles it was being test driven by the mechanics.

Monica, it's not that the company can't� give a refund, it's that they won't.



That was my last attempt of contact with the company. They are a waste of my time. You would think a company who is so customer service oriented� would've followed up with me since I am such an unhappy customer, but they obviously can't be bothered.



$8,039.11 Purchase of car



$37.50 (plus ongoing)Amount of interest paid on loan to date (plus ongoing if applicable)



$397.88 Insurance payments since Dec



$143.68 Gas/mileage for trips multiple trips to CarMax (17.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$303.68 Gas/mileage for my rides to/from CarMax (37.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$218.24 Cost of repairs at Mobil (low fuel indicator light was finally fixed)



$54.00 Cost for legal advice to date



$300.00(plus future costs) Possible cost of further legal action ($150/hr for consultation plus any future costs)



$1,000.00 Hours making phone calls to CarMax store and corporate (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$8,000.00 Hours spent researching, documenting, seeking advice/help (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$90.00 (per month) Any further insurance payments I'll have to make if this continues



$125.00 Collection costs (printing, materials)



$55,400.00 Aggravation and stress the past 5 months (legally advised should be 3x current total)



$74,109.09 Total (plus unknowns listed above)

BUYER BEWARE: CarMax sold me unsafe vehicle that stalled within first week, car was in repairs� more than two months, car still not fixed, company will not make any more effort to fix vehicle�, yet will not honor warranty and give a refund. Customer service unreliable and unprofessional. Corporate unresponsive. Full documentation below:



CarMax, my questions to you are:



Give me ONE good reason why I should trust ANY of your vehicles, your mechanics, or your customer service based on my experiences (and the numerous other similar complaints I have found online);

Give me an account for the fact that I have spent my time and SPENT MY MONEY to be inconvenienced, stressed, and put at risk of an accident every time this car has stalled on me;

Give me one reason why, when I have offered to present my documentation of the lack of customer service, no one, not even the managers, have wanted to see it. (This tells me you don't want to face, so therefore resolve, the problems customer service issues your company has.)

Give me ONE reason why I should be motivated to continue to do business with you;

Give me a reason why Monica in corporate is telling me you can't� give a refund when your warranty states that you are fully capable of doing so.



(Before you answer, keep in mind that you DO advertise the reassurance of a reliable car,� a 125 point inspection� to give the buyer confidence,� certified, capable mechanics,� a 5 day money back guarantee� and a 30 day limited warranty� which states: Company may, however, at its sole discretion, elect to accept return of the vehicle and provide customer with a refund.�)



A full refund is the ONLY appropriate response any company with integrity, who states what you advertise, would do. (see compensation breakdown at bottom of this documentation- figures are based on what was generally legally advised to me by numerous sources.) To you it is just a transaction. To me it has been my physical, and continues to be my financial livelihood.





12/10- purchased car.



12/14- first occurrence of car stalling. Had every right at that point to take advantage of their 5-day, money back guarantee� but did not because I trusted they could fix vehicle. Made appointment to bring car in, they said first available appointment not until 12/27.



12/14-12/27 car stalled regularly. Stalled when slowing, stopping, accelerating from a stop, and in mid-turn. Also noticed low fuel light not coming on appropriately.



Note: Many times car stalled in flow of traffic, or when attempting to cross traffic- I have been honked at numerous times and nearly rear ended on a few occasions.



12/27- CarMax had car a few days, could not diagnose problem.



Taylor asked me to fill gas tank twice and record mileage at a full, , , and E each time, then bring car back.



12/30-02/07(?) Recorded mileage as instructed. Car continued to stall. Then also coolant light started blinking checked manual which said to check coolant level- it was fine. Manual also said to only use specific type of coolant, which I assumed was already in coolant reservoir.



02/07(?)- Brought car back with recorded mileage. CarMax unable to duplicate stalling. Car was brought to Saturn. Saturn replaced fuel gauge sending unit to attempt fixing low fuel light issue. Saturn also said wrong coolant was in tank, and asked me what I had put in. Told them I had not touched/added any coolant, coolant type was what was in car when I purchased it. They said the wrong coolant can damage the car, so had to flush the whole system out and add appropriate coolant.



02/10-Picked up car in evening. At second stop coming out of CarMax lot, car stalled. My ride there (a witness) had to leave, plus I needed car over weekend, so kept it until Monday. Car stalled twice Saturday, both within a couple miles.

Car stalled three times on Sunday, all within one block.

Car stalled twice on Monday on way to work, within less than 3 miles.

Called Taylor, he said to drop car off Tuesday morning, there would be a loaner waiting for me.



02/14- Dropped car off to repair first am. Had to wait an hour for loaner car. Taylor told me car was going to be brought to Saturn dealer again.



02/16- Received call from Taylor - Saturn suspected fuel pump, but no part replacement would be made until further tests. Gave OK for mechanics to test drive car.



02/17- Received call from Kathryn of Saturn. She and two others had test driven car and not been able to make it stall, and therefore no work had been done. She agreed to keep car over weekend to check for stalling. Was told I would hear from her on Saturday or Taylor on Monday.



02/18- 02/20- no calls received from either



02/21- 10AM - Called and spoke with Taylor- said he would contact a manager and get back to me within the hour. 3:00PM- still no word from anyone so called back and asked to speak to a manager. Javier told me he had a hard time believing car would not stall for mechanics, offered to get car back from Saturn and look into it himself. Asked him what he would do if car would not stall for him, as that seems to be only basis for anyone to take action, regardless of my experience. He said he would look into the car more thoroughly. Told him I would not accept car back as it is. Told him I like car and would prefer to keep it if it got fixed, but if not, would be returning car for full refund. Said he would call me in the morning.



02/22- no call received in morning. Took initiative to call at 3:00PM- spoke with Javier- was told car had not returned from Saturn yet, but didn't know why as had not spoken with Taylor about details. Was told I would hear from Greg tomorrow.



02/23- no call from Greg, Taylor lm @ 6:45PM telling me he would coordinate with Greg tomorrow.



02/24- 3:00PM no word from anyone, so again took initiative to call and asked to speak to a manager. Spoke with Javier. He apologized for me not hearing anything, said he test drove car, that it still did not stall for him, but he noticed low fuel light still not coming on even with needle at empty. Would keep it through the weekend.



02/27- 4:15PM received message from Taylor telling me Javier not in so nothing was done today. Called back and left message for Greg to please call me.



02/28- no word from Greg by 4:00 PM, so called and left message for Gene (manager)-received call back from Javier, who again apologized that no one had followed up with me, and that he found a mechanic familiar with problem so would be looking into it.



03/01- received message from Taylor around 3:45PM that idler air control valve was on order, and throttle body service would be done.



03/03- received call from Taylor that parts are now in car, but Javier needs to test drive it before I pick it up. Javier was not in, however, so I had to wait until Monday.



03/06- 4:30PM- received call from Taylor asking if Javier called earlier, which he had not. Told me Javier test drove my car and heard it making a strange noise that he did not notice prior to work being done. Was going to discuss with mechanic. I mentioned also a reminder about the low fuel indicator light not coming on as it should, which Javier confirmed on a prior test drive.



03/07- 6:30PM Taylor left message that car still being looked at.



03/08- 3:30PM- Taylor left message saying they are going to put yet another fuel sending unit into car.



03/09- 11:00AM- called and spoke with Javier- asked him some questions regarding the parts and why this whole process was taking so long. He recognized that it was taking a long time but wanted to be sure the car was totally right before I picked it up so that I wouldn't have to return it again.



03/09- 3:00PM- Javier called to tell me car was ready, and stated that if I have any related problems in the future to call him directly.



3/10- Picked up car- was told it would be in J3, it was not. After walking around parking lot 15 minutes finally found it in L12. The car was clean when I dropped it off, but now dusty filthy, inside and out.



3/15 Car stalled.



3/16- Tank read E- low fuel light never came on. Called Javier and asked if I could arrange to bring car to another mechanic early next week. He offered for CarMax to cover cost of diagnostic but to please inform him before any work is done.



3/17- 10:00AM- called and spoke with Tim. Told him I was considering returning the car for a refund. He said he needed to pull my files and would call me back today. 3:00PM still no call. Left message for Javier after researching and finding online a possible culprit/cause for the stalling.



3:30PM- Javier returned call, said he was embarrassed that I was able to find this info online but that his mechanics couldn't, and would look into what options I had regarding possibly returning car and/or repairing it through another mechanic, and would call me around 10am Monday.



03/20- Once again, no word from anyone. Dropped car off in evening at my mechanic for a diagnostic.



03/21- 1:00PM still no word from anyone, called corporate customer relations, could not get a person, left a message.





03/21- 3:30 Spoke with Joe from Corporate at x4225- he said he would call senior management at Dulles and have them call me tomorrow.



03/22- 11:30 Spoke with Rick Dempster, OM from Dulles- he said he would be getting with Javier and to have my mechanic call him with an estimate.



03/22- 11:45- called my mechanic Frank- he asked about car's history as he has noticed salt water damage. Also he wouldn't be able to do a proper diagnostic unless he took more of the car apart. Told him to call Javier with assessment.



03/22- Javier gave Frank go ahead to do work. Javier also told Frank if he could figure out what was wrong with the vehicle, he would be indebted to him.�



03/24- Javier clarified that work would be an out of pocket expense for me but I would get a reimbursement from CarMax within 2-3 weeks of faxing over receipt/invoice of work done. Frank finished work, but we agreed to leave ticket open to let me test drive car over weekend, as he thought there might be one more thing that needs fixing.



03/25- Car almost stalls/lurches on turns/entry ramps to highway. However, low fuel light is now working.



03/27- Spoke with Frank- he recommended replacing tank unit, including pumps. I left a message w/Javier to call Frank for details and to discuss options. Javier left me message saying he'd call Frank tomorrow and look into options for me.



03/28- Javier said company no longer wanted to make any more effort to repair vehicle� - that I would be allowed to do an exchange- told him the selection for my price range was pretty slim at Dulles- he said if I didn't find anything he would get me with someone in sales to see what could be arranged. I was hesitant to go with any other cars of theirs, but nonetheless looked to see what was available.



03/30- set up appointment to meet with Jason Friday at 7:00 to test drive some cars and discuss options.



03/31- arrived at 7:00. Was told to have a seat in waiting area as Jason would be only a few minutes. Waited a half hour before was finally passed on to another sales associate as Jason was too busy.� Went to test drive what was available. Did not like but one vehicle which was $1000 above my price range, but even so, the brakes were scraping. When my boyfriend and I pointed out the sound to the sales rep, he insisted all the cars go thru an inspection. I told him about my car and the problems I had with it. He reiterated that all cars go through an inspection. Sales associate also told me they could not reduce price of any car, despite all the inconvenience I had gone through. I would have to speak to a manager- no manager was available so I would have to come back Saturday.



04/01- car still stalling/lurching. No longer trust company. Don't want to do an exchange as I don't trust their cars, mechanics, or service. Called and spoke with Rick Dempster- told him I wanted a full refund, not an exchange. He said he would have to talk to Bill Meyer and get back to me Tuesday.



04/03- got message from Wes and another from Rick.



04/04-10:45-ish- left message for Rick. 4:00- still no return call received from Rick. Called Wes- told me they would be willing to cut a deal� for me on the Saturn I had test driven Friday night but I interrupted him and told him the only thing that would satisfy me was a full refund for the car plus reimbursement for the work my mechanic did as I had already bought another car from somewhere else since I did not feel safe driving the car I bought from them, nor did I trust of any their other cars or mechanics abilities to repair them. Wes said he understood, but now that the plan has changed� he needed to talk to his guys and would get back to me later that night or the next morning.



04/05- 4:00PM no word from anyone.



04/05 5:00-ish Called and spoke with Wes- he said CarMax would let me bring the car in to get an appraisal�- so in other words, as he quoted you would unlikely get the whole amount back, but compared to ANY OTHER place, that is more than what THEY would give.� Then I said Why should more money come out of MY pocket for all the inconvenience I've had to put up with?� He started to give me the same answer. I told him my standard did not start with anyone else's services, but with their OWN standards that THEY advertise and their OWN warranty. Told him I wanted to talk to his boss- his boss was not available� so when I told him I had contacted a lawyer he said he could no longer talk to me, that it now had to be handled by the legal dept, but he didn't have the phone number, he was getting ready to go into a meeting, and someone would call me back.� I told him I did not believe him, and he said that's fine.�



Called corporate- I had to leave a message- there was no option to speak to a human being.



6:00-ish Spoke with Rick- said he spoke to Wes and than said that according to his records, I understand your car stalled on a test drive?� I told him I was told nothing about that, that all I had heard up to date was that no one was able to get the car to stall on a test drive. He also told me Wes had offered for me to do an exchange on my car and offered to give me $500 towards the purchase of another car but I knew nothing of it. Asked Rick how CarMax has honored warranty and he told me that they have done all the repairs on the car at no expense to me- that would be valid- IF THE CAR WAS FIXED. I reminded him that car was still not fixed, 4 months later, thus why I didn't trust their mechanics. He told me even Saturn couldn't fix car,� but I informed him that based on what Saturn told me, they weren't given the chance to explore problem further because CarMax did not give them permission to do further exploration due to lack of them being able to duplicate stalling. He reminded me that CarMax offered to cover cost of my mechanic to look at it- told him my mechanic never got to finish what he wanted to try because Javier said CarMax was no longer going to make any more effort in repairing car.� Again, I asked him how they were honoring the warranty. He said they offered to do an exchange and I didn't take it and it's not their fault that I went out and bought another vehicle.� Told him based on the lack of customer service and fact that I don't trust their mechanics or any cars on their lot is why I went somewhere else.



04/06- Spoke with Jamie from corporate. Explained situation and told him I expected a full refund. He said I was entitled to that.� Jamie said he needed to call Dulles store and get back to me. Called me back and said Rick's offer was the most he could do as decisions like that are only made at store level.� Told him he went back on his word and he denied ever saying I was entitled to refund. Then asked him why he wasted my time and if decisions like that are only made at store level why didn't he just tell me that in the first place? He said he understood� and I told him that no, he didn't understand because he's not the one who's had to deal with it and if he truly DID understand, he would be working at getting me a refund. Asked to speak to his manager.



Spoke with Monica. She said they CAN'T offer a refund, (though their warranty states that they are perfectly capable of doing so). She said they can only offer an exchange or appraisal. I asked her how is it fair that money will come out of my pocket for all the inconvenience and a car that is not safe to drive? How can the company account for the fact that the car has been stalling since within the first 5 days of purchase, yet won't honor the 5 day money back guarantee,� that it has been in repairs for more than 2 months,(first time within the 30 day warranty period) the car is still not fixed, they no longer are going to MAKE the effort to fix it, and that based on those experiences, where would be my motivation to trust and purchase another car from them? She said they cannot honor the 5 day money back guarantee because even though the car stalled within the 5 days, to date it is past the 5 days of purchase. She also said she can't give a refund because the problems my car had were not something they would've caught in the 125 point inspection� and that basically with it being a used vehicle it is the risk I took and the issues are the fault of the previous owner. OK- HOW is this MY problem when you advertise the assurance of a reliable car?�



She also said the reason I would not get a full amount back on the appraisal is because of the wear and mileage you have put on the vehicle since owning it.� (Since the car has been in repairs half the time of me owning it, and since I have not driven it in a month because I don't feel safe driving it, only 2180 mi more have been put on it since it's Dec 10 purchase, and that includes the miles it was being test driven by the mechanics.

Monica, it's not that the company can't� give a refund, it's that they won't.



That was my last attempt of contact with the company. They are a waste of my time. You would think a company who is so customer service oriented� would've followed up with me since I am such an unhappy customer, but they obviously can't be bothered.



$8,039.11 Purchase of car



$37.50 (plus ongoing)Amount of interest paid on loan to date (plus ongoing if applicable)



$397.88 Insurance payments since Dec



$143.68 Gas/mileage for trips multiple trips to CarMax (17.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$303.68 Gas/mileage for my rides to/from CarMax (37.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$218.24 Cost of repairs at Mobil (low fuel indicator light was finally fixed)



$54.00 Cost for legal advice to date



$300.00(plus future costs) Possible cost of further legal action ($150/hr for consultation plus any future costs)



$1,000.00 Hours making phone calls to CarMax store and corporate (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$8,000.00 Hours spent researching, documenting, seeking advice/help (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$90.00 (per month) Any further insurance payments I'll have to make if this continues



$125.00 Collection costs (printing, materials)



$55,400.00 Aggravation and stress the past 5 months (legally advised should be 3x current total)



$74,109.09 Total (plus unknowns listed above)

BUYER BEWARE: CarMax sold me unsafe vehicle that stalled within first week, car was in repairs� more than two months, car still not fixed, company will not make any more effort to fix vehicle�, yet will not honor warranty and give a refund. Customer service unreliable and unprofessional. Corporate unresponsive. Full documentation below:



CarMax, my questions to you are:



Give me ONE good reason why I should trust ANY of your vehicles, your mechanics, or your customer service based on my experiences (and the numerous other similar complaints I have found online);

Give me an account for the fact that I have spent my time and SPENT MY MONEY to be inconvenienced, stressed, and put at risk of an accident every time this car has stalled on me;

Give me one reason why, when I have offered to present my documentation of the lack of customer service, no one, not even the managers, have wanted to see it. (This tells me you don't want to face, so therefore resolve, the problems customer service issues your company has.)

Give me ONE reason why I should be motivated to continue to do business with you;

Give me a reason why Monica in corporate is telling me you can't� give a refund when your warranty states that you are fully capable of doing so.



(Before you answer, keep in mind that you DO advertise the reassurance of a reliable car,� a 125 point inspection� to give the buyer confidence,� certified, capable mechanics,� a 5 day money back guarantee� and a 30 day limited warranty� which states: Company may, however, at its sole discretion, elect to accept return of the vehicle and provide customer with a refund.�)



A full refund is the ONLY appropriate response any company with integrity, who states what you advertise, would do. (see compensation breakdown at bottom of this documentation- figures are based on what was generally legally advised to me by numerous sources.) To you it is just a transaction. To me it has been my physical, and continues to be my financial livelihood.





12/10- purchased car.



12/14- first occurrence of car stalling. Had every right at that point to take advantage of their 5-day, money back guarantee� but did not because I trusted they could fix vehicle. Made appointment to bring car in, they said first available appointment not until 12/27.



12/14-12/27 car stalled regularly. Stalled when slowing, stopping, accelerating from a stop, and in mid-turn. Also noticed low fuel light not coming on appropriately.



Note: Many times car stalled in flow of traffic, or when attempting to cross traffic- I have been honked at numerous times and nearly rear ended on a few occasions.



12/27- CarMax had car a few days, could not diagnose problem.



Taylor asked me to fill gas tank twice and record mileage at a full, , , and E each time, then bring car back.



12/30-02/07(?) Recorded mileage as instructed. Car continued to stall. Then also coolant light started blinking checked manual which said to check coolant level- it was fine. Manual also said to only use specific type of coolant, which I assumed was already in coolant reservoir.



02/07(?)- Brought car back with recorded mileage. CarMax unable to duplicate stalling. Car was brought to Saturn. Saturn replaced fuel gauge sending unit to attempt fixing low fuel light issue. Saturn also said wrong coolant was in tank, and asked me what I had put in. Told them I had not touched/added any coolant, coolant type was what was in car when I purchased it. They said the wrong coolant can damage the car, so had to flush the whole system out and add appropriate coolant.



02/10-Picked up car in evening. At second stop coming out of CarMax lot, car stalled. My ride there (a witness) had to leave, plus I needed car over weekend, so kept it until Monday. Car stalled twice Saturday, both within a couple miles.

Car stalled three times on Sunday, all within one block.

Car stalled twice on Monday on way to work, within less than 3 miles.

Called Taylor, he said to drop car off Tuesday morning, there would be a loaner waiting for me.



02/14- Dropped car off to repair first am. Had to wait an hour for loaner car. Taylor told me car was going to be brought to Saturn dealer again.



02/16- Received call from Taylor - Saturn suspected fuel pump, but no part replacement would be made until further tests. Gave OK for mechanics to test drive car.



02/17- Received call from Kathryn of Saturn. She and two others had test driven car and not been able to make it stall, and therefore no work had been done. She agreed to keep car over weekend to check for stalling. Was told I would hear from her on Saturday or Taylor on Monday.



02/18- 02/20- no calls received from either



02/21- 10AM - Called and spoke with Taylor- said he would contact a manager and get back to me within the hour. 3:00PM- still no word from anyone so called back and asked to speak to a manager. Javier told me he had a hard time believing car would not stall for mechanics, offered to get car back from Saturn and look into it himself. Asked him what he would do if car would not stall for him, as that seems to be only basis for anyone to take action, regardless of my experience. He said he would look into the car more thoroughly. Told him I would not accept car back as it is. Told him I like car and would prefer to keep it if it got fixed, but if not, would be returning car for full refund. Said he would call me in the morning.



02/22- no call received in morning. Took initiative to call at 3:00PM- spoke with Javier- was told car had not returned from Saturn yet, but didn't know why as had not spoken with Taylor about details. Was told I would hear from Greg tomorrow.



02/23- no call from Greg, Taylor lm @ 6:45PM telling me he would coordinate with Greg tomorrow.



02/24- 3:00PM no word from anyone, so again took initiative to call and asked to speak to a manager. Spoke with Javier. He apologized for me not hearing anything, said he test drove car, that it still did not stall for him, but he noticed low fuel light still not coming on even with needle at empty. Would keep it through the weekend.



02/27- 4:15PM received message from Taylor telling me Javier not in so nothing was done today. Called back and left message for Greg to please call me.



02/28- no word from Greg by 4:00 PM, so called and left message for Gene (manager)-received call back from Javier, who again apologized that no one had followed up with me, and that he found a mechanic familiar with problem so would be looking into it.



03/01- received message from Taylor around 3:45PM that idler air control valve was on order, and throttle body service would be done.



03/03- received call from Taylor that parts are now in car, but Javier needs to test drive it before I pick it up. Javier was not in, however, so I had to wait until Monday.



03/06- 4:30PM- received call from Taylor asking if Javier called earlier, which he had not. Told me Javier test drove my car and heard it making a strange noise that he did not notice prior to work being done. Was going to discuss with mechanic. I mentioned also a reminder about the low fuel indicator light not coming on as it should, which Javier confirmed on a prior test drive.



03/07- 6:30PM Taylor left message that car still being looked at.



03/08- 3:30PM- Taylor left message saying they are going to put yet another fuel sending unit into car.



03/09- 11:00AM- called and spoke with Javier- asked him some questions regarding the parts and why this whole process was taking so long. He recognized that it was taking a long time but wanted to be sure the car was totally right before I picked it up so that I wouldn't have to return it again.



03/09- 3:00PM- Javier called to tell me car was ready, and stated that if I have any related problems in the future to call him directly.



3/10- Picked up car- was told it would be in J3, it was not. After walking around parking lot 15 minutes finally found it in L12. The car was clean when I dropped it off, but now dusty filthy, inside and out.



3/15 Car stalled.



3/16- Tank read E- low fuel light never came on. Called Javier and asked if I could arrange to bring car to another mechanic early next week. He offered for CarMax to cover cost of diagnostic but to please inform him before any work is done.



3/17- 10:00AM- called and spoke with Tim. Told him I was considering returning the car for a refund. He said he needed to pull my files and would call me back today. 3:00PM still no call. Left message for Javier after researching and finding online a possible culprit/cause for the stalling.



3:30PM- Javier returned call, said he was embarrassed that I was able to find this info online but that his mechanics couldn't, and would look into what options I had regarding possibly returning car and/or repairing it through another mechanic, and would call me around 10am Monday.



03/20- Once again, no word from anyone. Dropped car off in evening at my mechanic for a diagnostic.



03/21- 1:00PM still no word from anyone, called corporate customer relations, could not get a person, left a message.





03/21- 3:30 Spoke with Joe from Corporate at x4225- he said he would call senior management at Dulles and have them call me tomorrow.



03/22- 11:30 Spoke with Rick Dempster, OM from Dulles- he said he would be getting with Javier and to have my mechanic call him with an estimate.



03/22- 11:45- called my mechanic Frank- he asked about car's history as he has noticed salt water damage. Also he wouldn't be able to do a proper diagnostic unless he took more of the car apart. Told him to call Javier with assessment.



03/22- Javier gave Frank go ahead to do work. Javier also told Frank if he could figure out what was wrong with the vehicle, he would be indebted to him.�



03/24- Javier clarified that work would be an out of pocket expense for me but I would get a reimbursement from CarMax within 2-3 weeks of faxing over receipt/invoice of work done. Frank finished work, but we agreed to leave ticket open to let me test drive car over weekend, as he thought there might be one more thing that needs fixing.



03/25- Car almost stalls/lurches on turns/entry ramps to highway. However, low fuel light is now working.



03/27- Spoke with Frank- he recommended replacing tank unit, including pumps. I left a message w/Javier to call Frank for details and to discuss options. Javier left me message saying he'd call Frank tomorrow and look into options for me.



03/28- Javier said company no longer wanted to make any more effort to repair vehicle� - that I would be allowed to do an exchange- told him the selection for my price range was pretty slim at Dulles- he said if I didn't find anything he would get me with someone in sales to see what could be arranged. I was hesitant to go with any other cars of theirs, but nonetheless looked to see what was available.



03/30- set up appointment to meet with Jason Friday at 7:00 to test drive some cars and discuss options.



03/31- arrived at 7:00. Was told to have a seat in waiting area as Jason would be only a few minutes. Waited a half hour before was finally passed on to another sales associate as Jason was too busy.� Went to test drive what was available. Did not like but one vehicle which was $1000 above my price range, but even so, the brakes were scraping. When my boyfriend and I pointed out the sound to the sales rep, he insisted all the cars go thru an inspection. I told him about my car and the problems I had with it. He reiterated that all cars go through an inspection. Sales associate also told me they could not reduce price of any car, despite all the inconvenience I had gone through. I would have to speak to a manager- no manager was available so I would have to come back Saturday.



04/01- car still stalling/lurching. No longer trust company. Don't want to do an exchange as I don't trust their cars, mechanics, or service. Called and spoke with Rick Dempster- told him I wanted a full refund, not an exchange. He said he would have to talk to Bill Meyer and get back to me Tuesday.



04/03- got message from Wes and another from Rick.



04/04-10:45-ish- left message for Rick. 4:00- still no return call received from Rick. Called Wes- told me they would be willing to cut a deal� for me on the Saturn I had test driven Friday night but I interrupted him and told him the only thing that would satisfy me was a full refund for the car plus reimbursement for the work my mechanic did as I had already bought another car from somewhere else since I did not feel safe driving the car I bought from them, nor did I trust of any their other cars or mechanics abilities to repair them. Wes said he understood, but now that the plan has changed� he needed to talk to his guys and would get back to me later that night or the next morning.



04/05- 4:00PM no word from anyone.



04/05 5:00-ish Called and spoke with Wes- he said CarMax would let me bring the car in to get an appraisal�- so in other words, as he quoted you would unlikely get the whole amount back, but compared to ANY OTHER place, that is more than what THEY would give.� Then I said Why should more money come out of MY pocket for all the inconvenience I've had to put up with?� He started to give me the same answer. I told him my standard did not start with anyone else's services, but with their OWN standards that THEY advertise and their OWN warranty. Told him I wanted to talk to his boss- his boss was not available� so when I told him I had contacted a lawyer he said he could no longer talk to me, that it now had to be handled by the legal dept, but he didn't have the phone number, he was getting ready to go into a meeting, and someone would call me back.� I told him I did not believe him, and he said that's fine.�



Called corporate- I had to leave a message- there was no option to speak to a human being.



6:00-ish Spoke with Rick- said he spoke to Wes and than said that according to his records, I understand your car stalled on a test drive?� I told him I was told nothing about that, that all I had heard up to date was that no one was able to get the car to stall on a test drive. He also told me Wes had offered for me to do an exchange on my car and offered to give me $500 towards the purchase of another car but I knew nothing of it. Asked Rick how CarMax has honored warranty and he told me that they have done all the repairs on the car at no expense to me- that would be valid- IF THE CAR WAS FIXED. I reminded him that car was still not fixed, 4 months later, thus why I didn't trust their mechanics. He told me even Saturn couldn't fix car,� but I informed him that based on what Saturn told me, they weren't given the chance to explore problem further because CarMax did not give them permission to do further exploration due to lack of them being able to duplicate stalling. He reminded me that CarMax offered to cover cost of my mechanic to look at it- told him my mechanic never got to finish what he wanted to try because Javier said CarMax was no longer going to make any more effort in repairing car.� Again, I asked him how they were honoring the warranty. He said they offered to do an exchange and I didn't take it and it's not their fault that I went out and bought another vehicle.� Told him based on the lack of customer service and fact that I don't trust their mechanics or any cars on their lot is why I went somewhere else.



04/06- Spoke with Jamie from corporate. Explained situation and told him I expected a full refund. He said I was entitled to that.� Jamie said he needed to call Dulles store and get back to me. Called me back and said Rick's offer was the most he could do as decisions like that are only made at store level.� Told him he went back on his word and he denied ever saying I was entitled to refund. Then asked him why he wasted my time and if decisions like that are only made at store level why didn't he just tell me that in the first place? He said he understood� and I told him that no, he didn't understand because he's not the one who's had to deal with it and if he truly DID understand, he would be working at getting me a refund. Asked to speak to his manager.



Spoke with Monica. She said they CAN'T offer a refund, (though their warranty states that they are perfectly capable of doing so). She said they can only offer an exchange or appraisal. I asked her how is it fair that money will come out of my pocket for all the inconvenience and a car that is not safe to drive? How can the company account for the fact that the car has been stalling since within the first 5 days of purchase, yet won't honor the 5 day money back guarantee,� that it has been in repairs for more than 2 months,(first time within the 30 day warranty period) the car is still not fixed, they no longer are going to MAKE the effort to fix it, and that based on those experiences, where would be my motivation to trust and purchase another car from them? She said they cannot honor the 5 day money back guarantee because even though the car stalled within the 5 days, to date it is past the 5 days of purchase. She also said she can't give a refund because the problems my car had were not something they would've caught in the 125 point inspection� and that basically with it being a used vehicle it is the risk I took and the issues are the fault of the previous owner. OK- HOW is this MY problem when you advertise the assurance of a reliable car?�



She also said the reason I would not get a full amount back on the appraisal is because of the wear and mileage you have put on the vehicle since owning it.� (Since the car has been in repairs half the time of me owning it, and since I have not driven it in a month because I don't feel safe driving it, only 2180 mi more have been put on it since it's Dec 10 purchase, and that includes the miles it was being test driven by the mechanics.

Monica, it's not that the company can't� give a refund, it's that they won't.



That was my last attempt of contact with the company. They are a waste of my time. You would think a company who is so customer service oriented� would've followed up with me since I am such an unhappy customer, but they obviously can't be bothered.



$8,039.11 Purchase of car



$37.50 (plus ongoing)Amount of interest paid on loan to date (plus ongoing if applicable)



$397.88 Insurance payments since Dec



$143.68 Gas/mileage for trips multiple trips to CarMax (17.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$303.68 Gas/mileage for my rides to/from CarMax (37.96 mi/each way at $1/mi)



$218.24 Cost of repairs at Mobil (low fuel indicator light was finally fixed)



$54.00 Cost for legal advice to date



$300.00(plus future costs) Possible cost of further legal action ($150/hr for consultation plus any future costs)



$1,000.00 Hours making phone calls to CarMax store and corporate (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$8,000.00 Hours spent researching, documenting, seeking advice/help (legally advised to be $200/hr)



$90.00 (per month) Any further insurance payments I'll have to make if this continues



$125.00 Collection costs (printing, materials)



$55,400.00 Aggravation and stress the past 5 months (legally advised should be 3x current total)



$74,109.09 Total (plus unknowns listed above)