CarMax — Local services in Visalia

We had an extremely disappointing experience with CarMax and cannot recommend their services. We found a vehicle at their Los Angeles location and arranged to have it shipped to Visalia. The online listing did not include photos, as the car had just arrived at the LA facility. Thankfully, we took pictures before shipment, which allowed us to confirm that the vehicle sustained scratches and scuffs during transport.

Prior to shipping, we paid for the transport and reserved the vehicle for a final test drive upon its arrival in Visalia. However, when we checked the reservation, we discovered that CarMax had removed it without notifying us and was actively showing the vehicle to another customer, going so far as to let them test drive it. When we contacted CarMax about this issue, we received a vague response. We then re-reserved the car and scheduled an appointment for the next day.

Upon arriving at our scheduled appointment, we waited approximately 45 minutes before receiving assistance, despite multiple inquiries. Staff repeatedly cited being short-staffed as the reason for the delay. When we finally spoke with the manager, he was indifferent to the situation. Initially, he stated that the other customer had not test-driven the car, but later admitted that they had. He also tried to justify the confusion by claiming issues within their information system and that having two accounts complicated the process. However, CarMax never called to confirm the reservation removal, even if there had been a system error—even though we had a scheduled appointment.

The prolonged wait, lack of professionalism from management, and the company's unwillingness to fully address their mistakes led us to decline the purchase. If CarMax had already mishandled the transport, allowed another test drive, and demonstrated poor customer service, we were concerned that additional issues with the vehicle or transaction might arise. Their operational inefficiencies—short staffing leading to poor service and systemic flaws excused by management shifting blame—were unacceptable.

Later, we attempted to find other comparable vehicles but ultimately decided to reconsider the initial car and planned on asking for an additional inspection on the vehicle to ensure there was no damage to the car's brakes, suspension systems, etc. When we called to schedule an appointment to finalize the purchase, we confirmed our reservation and appointment for 3:30 PM. Upon arrival, we were informed that CarMax had once again scheduled the appointment for another customer instead of us, citing yet another "system error" despite having verbally confirmed everything with a representative beforehand.

Based on our experience, we strongly advise against purchasing or shipping a vehicle through CarMax. Instead, consider going directly to a dealership where you can negotiate the price without the risk of dealing with CarMax’s flawed transport quality control, reservation mismanagement, and inadequate customer service. This isn't very pleasant to be experiencing when they just opened in Visalia less than...

⭐☆☆☆☆ I came to CarMax in Visalia to explore options for a vehicle for my 17-year-old son. While discussing things quietly with a friend, one of the sales reps overheard me mention that the car might be for him. Without asking for clarification, she jumped in and said, "Oh, we have to put him on the loan." That really rubbed me the wrong way. I was still weighing my options and hadn’t made any final decisions. It felt premature and a bit pushy. Purchasing a car—especially for a teen—is a big step, and I expected more professionalism and patience from a place like CarMax.

Everyone may not be at the same place in the decision process, and that should be respected. Hopefully, they can take this as feedback to listen more and not assume what a customer wants. Anyway, you lost a sale today. I really wanted...

Good experience at CarMax Visalia. Glad they opened this location as it’s much closer than Fresno or Bakersfield. As they only opened earlier this year, they are still ramping up services. It is a smaller location than Fresno or Bakersfield. I got lucky and was able to see someone as a walk-up. I definitely recommend making an appointment as they might turn you away if they are really busy. The staff are nice and respectful. Leo appraised my car and was super chill. I got the highest offer from CarMax for my Kia compared to other dealers that I took my car too. The process through CarMax also just seems easier and less stressful than with your typical dealers as there is...