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With Vroom, you can find a great car and make it yours all without a single trip to the dealership.
There’s a lot of hassle to purchasing a new set of wheels or even trading in what you already own. The inconvenience of countless trips to the dealership is just the tip of the iceberg. You must also explore your financing options, gather the requisite documentation, make your down payment, and complete titling and registration. Buying and selling cars has never been easier than with Vroom. From the comfort of your couch, you can browse cars and complete the car buying process entirely online, without setting foot in a brick-and-mortar dealership.
But how, exactly? We explore all intricacies to help you determine whether you should buy a car from Vroom.
Vroom is an end-to-end ecommerce platform for buying, selling, reconditioning, transporting, pricing, financing, registering, and delivering vehicles nationwide. Unlike legacy dealerships, Vroom offers a personalized interface to research and choose from thousands of low-mileage, fully reconditioned vehicles. Vroom stocks vehicles across hundreds of makes and models, everything from Camrys and Fords to Teslas and Porsches. Each vehicle comes with a CARFAX vehicle report that lets you see its ownership history, service history, and accident history.
Access this platform at any time and on any device, browse its transparent pricing, access real-time financing, and enjoy nationwide contact-free delivery of a car to your doorstep. Vroom has offices in Detroit, New York, and Houston. It also owns Texas Direct Auto, a used car dealership in the Houston area.
Vroom is an online car buying and selling platform. It offers three key services: buy, finance, and sell/trade-in. Let’s delve deeper into how each of the services works.
Buying a vehicle from Vroom starts with browsing its growing inventory of thousands of low-mileage, high-demand vehicles across hundreds of unique makes and models. It sources vehicles from auctions, private sellers, and other partnerships across the nation. Vroom’s personalized, intuitive interface provides detail sorting, searching, and filtering functionalities to help you search and discover the right car for your needs.
Every Vroom vehicle must pass proprietary mechanical, safety, and cosmetic inspection standards before its listed for sale. Each vehicle listing has multiple photographs of everything from the exterior to the interior and what’s under the hood for you to see the ins and outs of what you’re looking to purchase. Vroom doesn’t use stock images, nor does it adjust the vehicle photographs.
After identifying a suitable vehicle, you can start the purchase process. Create an account on vroom.com so that your car purchase details are saved for the future. You’ll then need to upload documentation like your driver’s license and proof of insurance. You can place a non-refundable deposit on your vehicle so that Vroom puts a 24-hour hold to ensure no one else buys it. In that period, Vroom collects additional information as it prepares a purchase contract.
Vroom doesn’t offer a physical test drive before you buy a car. Instead, you get 7 days or 250 miles (whichever comes first) after the vehicle is delivered to test it and have a feel of all its nuances. If the car isn’t what you expected, Vroom takes it back and refunds the purchase price.
Vroom lets you finance your vehicle purchase through strategic partnerships with Ally, Santander, and Chase (Vroom Financial Services by Chase). It also works with a network of lenders that avail smooth financing arrangements and competitive rates.
The first step toward financing is getting pre-qualified for an auto loan. Simply answer a few questions and Vroom will help you understand how much financing you are eligible for. Once you know the loan amount you qualify for, fill out the full financing application when checking out your vehicle purchase. You’ll most likely receive an instant decision. Your financing terms are based on your credit history, income, and the price of your vehicle.
You can then finalize your purchase and schedule an in-store pickup or home delivery. Vroom registers the vehicle on your behalf and mails the registration and plates to you once the state DMV prepares them.
Vroom gives you multiple financing options, including the choice to finance with your own bank provided you have an existing approval. This may require you to take extra steps, like visiting the bank brick to sign the loan documentation.
You can also sell your current vehicle entirely online via Vroom. Start your free appraisal and complete the appraisal form to receive a decision within two minutes. Some of the information you’ll need to provide includes your license plate or VIN, trim, mileage, vehicle history, and vehicle condition. Vroom will send you a price that remains effective for 7 days or 250 additional miles (whichever clocks first). If Vroom can’t offer a price instantly, one of its car-buying experts will email you a price typically on the same day.
If you’re happy with the price, Vroom will ask for your photo ID and registration to finalize the deal. It will then schedule to pick up your vehicle free of charge and send your check within 2-3 business days.
Important note: You can sell a car to Vroom at any time, even if you’re not in the market for another vehicle.
There are two ways to trade in a car with Vroom. One way is to first find the car you want to purchase and get the trade-in appraised while buying your vehicle on Vroom.com. Alternatively, you can complete the appraisal process first, find the car you want to buy, and apply the appraisal as a trade during the purchase.
With the three services in mind, let’s delve into the pros and cons of buying a car from Vroom.
Buying a car from Vroom largely corresponds to what you’d go through with a local dealer, except the entire process is online. Here are several unique advantages you’ll enjoy when using Vroom to buy a used car.
Vroom’s edge over its competitors comes in the form of an exceptional ecommerce platform that provides a better way to buy and sell used vehicles. Customers can use Vroom’s personalized and intuitive ecommerce interface to research and choose from thousands of vehicles. The platform is also conveniently accessible on any device at any time.
Use the intuitive interface to flip through thousands of low-mileage, high-demand vehicles with a range of unique makes and models. Additional functionalities like sorting and filtering help you narrow down your search options to find the right Vroom car for your needs.
Vroom consistently delivers high-quality vehicles by ensuring they all pass its detailed inspections and meet its proprietary reconditioning standards. Cars listed on Vroom’s inventory also have a CARFAX vehicle history report, which provides more information about the vehicle’s ownership, service, and accident history. Vroom also backs all its vehicles with a free 90-day limited warranty.
With no middlemen hovering in the shadows, Vroom removes the asymmetry of information between buyers and car dealers by providing comprehensive and transparent information on all the vehicles it sells. There’s no bait-and-switch risk thanks to high-resolution photography and detailed descriptions on all its listings. You’ll see your desired vehicle from all angles and have access to all third-party vehicle reports.
Vroom offers real-time, individualized auto financing solutions through strategic partnerships with trusted lenders in automotive finance. And you don’t need a good credit score since Vroom’s lending partners accommodate most credit profiles.
Vroom will typically deliver your vehicle within 14 days of completing the purchase. Once your vehicle is on its way, Vroom will constantly update you until it arrives. You can also track the status of your purchase and the expected delivery date through your Vroom account. And if you’re selling your vehicle, Vroom will schedule a free pickup from your driveway or a convenient location within the lower 48 states.
Besides the conventional buy, financing, and selling, Vroom also offers a host of value-added products. It offers third-party protection products, including GAP protection, tire coverage, and vehicle service contracts. Vroom also offers one year of complimentary roadside assistance for every purchase as well as a 7-day return program that gives you seven days or 250 miles to test drive your new purchase.
While it has its fair share of advantages, Vroom customer reviews have revealed some drawbacks that may not provide the best car buying experience. Let’s look at these disadvantages.
One obvious disadvantage of buying a car from Vroom is that you typically won’t see the car in person. You’ll need to complete the purchase process to secure a test drive. Test drives are an important aspect of any vehicle purchase since they can help shed light on potential mechanical issues and cosmetic damage. For instance, you can assess the severity of a dent in person as opposed to assessing the magnitude through an online photograph.
The vehicle price isn’t the only amount of money you’ll pay for your purchase on Vroom. You may also incur an extra $699 if you choose to have your car delivered to your driveway. There’s also a pre-delivery service charge that varies depending on the state you live in. You may avoid the delivery fee by picking up your vehicle in person in Houston.
Vroom uses market-based pricing on its listings, so there’s no room for negotiation or haggling. Vroom says that its pricing strategy takes into account hundreds of variables, such as items and parts beyond make, model, and color that are not available to traditional dealerships.
Ultimately, buying a car from Vroom boils down to whether or not you’re willing to forgo the convenience of buying a car online. Vroom lacks the same physical presence of a traditional car dealership but compensates with an intuitive online platform accessible at any time from any device.
Looking to negotiate your way to a better offer on your next purchase? Well, Vroom may not be a great option since its pricing is non-negotiable. Luckily, Vroom’s large inventory, strict inspection standards, auto financing, and 7-day return policy may be an incentive to try the platform for your next car purchase.
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