I plan on selling my car in the spring after paint correction and detailing. I know this isnt the best time to sell a car like a G8 in MN, but I thought what the hell, its free so why not. I figured least they would offer would be 10k most 15k. I have watched G8s with similar miles for for 20k plus on their site so I was optimistic.


Breakdown of the car

2009 GT
83xxx miles black
Excellent shape besides one door ding in the driver rear
Winter wheels and tires (Carmax said no change in offer for stock wheels which are in the garage)
Long tubes with Borla
small cam
flex fuel
Red and Black seats



9500......thats what they offered. The guy said I might get 500 more if it was stock. F that. I knew going in that this is the kind of place that preys on people trying to sell their car and dont want the hassle of listing it.


Jsut thought I would share so others dont waste their time

With the long tube headers and other modes, is your car in fact legal for sale? We traded in a completely stock 2014 Mazda6 at CarMax last August and got exactly what we were expecting based on Kelly Blue Book numbers. Any dealer is going to deduct for mods, particularly if they can't resell it. You pay for the convenience of not having to do anything when you go to CarMax or take a CarGurus offer. I don't think that is "preying".

 

Do you work for them?

I was bored and plan to sell it so why not? Some people get great offers but most are ****. A G8 is also a harder sell than a cookie cutter mazda 6 so they will give a better offer in most cases.

 

No, but I've bought a couple vehicles from them over the years. The first one was a straight up purchase, and the minivan this past summer was a trade. I did spend a few years working for a dealership group (Porsche/Audi/VW) and so I have a different perspective on this than most.


Places like CarMax will literally buy ANY car, but their offers are going to be based what they think the can get out of the car you bring to them. The mods you describe for your car may be interesting to an enthusiast, but a dealer isn't going to want to deal with warrantying a modded car (and probably can't sell car that isn't emissions compliant), so that car is going to go to auction. Instead of looking at KBB or Black Book, they're looking at wholesale auction prices. In other words, they'll buy your car, but they really don't want it.



For kicks I looked at the CarMax website. There is currently one G8 available nationwide through them, and they're asking $21k. No pictures posted yet, but I'm willing to be it is stock.

 

For someone who professes to have been in the car business, why in the world would you buy anything from Carmax? Every dealer around will be their deal by at least $500, probably more. Their gimmick is that they don't allow the the buyer to negotiate, which only benefits them. I believe I tried to explain that to you in another thread.

 

And as I mentioned in that other thread, every dealer negotiates to their benefit. The biggest suckers are the buyers who think they got one over on a dealer.



I was able to purchase a vehicle that was pre-owned, but only places like CarMax or some of the sketchier independent used car dealers - like Major World down on Long Island - had in stock. The prices were comparable, and CarMax doesn't charge doc fees, so that $500 difference you refer to gets eaten up quickly. I knew the price when I walked in the door, they gave me market value for my trade, the numbers at the beginning of the deal were the numbers at closing, and because I have excellent credit I got a more than competitive rate financing through them.


Why would I not buy from CarMax in this instance, other than to try to win a dick-swinging contest with everything stacked in a dealer's favor?

 

One of the benefits of being a veteran of the car business is that if I or anyone in my family wants a car, I call up one of my old friends still in the business and buy at just over cost. New cars at invoice minus rebates and incentives minus holdback. Used cars at $100 over what they own it for. The Carmax model exists to remove the dread of negotiating, which only benefits the buyer. You pay them extra profit in exchange for giving up your ability to negotiate a lower price. Brilliant.

 

So in other words, your whole argument has been based off of you have an advantage that the average guy off the street doesn't. Got it.

 

If you have that advantage why wouldn't you take advantage of it.
I knew a car wholesaler, I'd pull in unannounced see a car I liked, look at the price....WOW....
Go talk to buddy, ka-boom, I got it for one hell of a lot less that the price on the windshield and he made some money to feed his wife and kids.

 

Of course you would take advantage of having an inside connection. Knowing somebody who will give you a deal isn't the same as walking in and negotiating a deal, which is how it was presented in this conversation, and the earlier conversation that was referenced.

 

Get your meaning.
Even with my contact it wasn't him just caving every time I walked thru the door, there was give n take.
I did get some really nice rides though and he did get some Contra labour outta me....6 cords of firewood from driveway to basement rings a bell....

 

Jimal, all of my comments in both threads were directed towards you specifically. As someone in the business, I disagree with your opinion that carmax represents any sort of value proposition. It is a path of least resistance at the expense of price.

 

I never described CarMax as a "value proposition". It is just not the ripoff that people who claim they can outsmart car dealerships say it is. A traditional dealer is willing to offer you more for a trade than a place like CarMax because they are making up the difference somewhere else in the deal. I don't think this is a particularly hot take on the topic.

 

No, I still would have.

 

No matter what dealer you go to.
They'll offer you a little less than half ,if half of the vehicles actual value. Sell it yourself "as is" and you'll get more for it.

 

Yep, what pony killer said. I'll second the they don't want a modded car. Best to put it back to stock.

 

Plus, stock or modified, no dealer is going to give you in trade what they think they can sell it for. What makes CarMax the object of ire for so many is that they'll buy your car without you buying a car from them. There are dealers that will do that, but CarMax and Carvana are the only two national companies that do that.

 

Commentary:
Carmax isn't here in Canada to my knowledge, which I'll admit is suspect, so have I no direct experience with them.
My only point is after reading this and numerous other threads on the Carmax subject is, why do people insist on going there in the first place only to come home broken hearted with a low ball offer for there G8 or any car for that matter.
I would think by know most owners would know what they're walking into at Carmax.
One of the first rules of business, buy low, sell high....

 

Why!!!

There are less than 12000 of these cars left..what would cause you to want to sell such an amazing car? Hagerty just named the g8 gt and gxp as classic cars and in excellent condition even with mods they valued mine at 28,500.00. They will never make these cars ever again and you have the last of the Pontiacs made on earth.

 

There are less than 12000 of these cars left..what would cause you to want to sell such an amazing car? Hagerty just named the g8 gt and gxp as classic cars and in excellent condition even with mods they valued mine at 28,500.00. They will never make these cars ever again and you have the last of the Pontiacs made on earth.

Because I have a z06 that makes over 800rwhp. I bought this car to help someone out and enjoy for a little bit.

 

I have a buddy who works for CarMax, and they will never sell a modded car on their lot, period. They will buy them because they will buy anything, but even if it was a brand new Corvette, if it's modified in any way, they will either put it back to stock, or wholesale it. In the case of a new Vette, they would de-mod it, a 10 year old Pontiac is going straight to auction, so 9500 is just a bit less than they figure they will get out of it there. They wouldn't just "ship it to another CarMax and get 20k for it".

 

Your buddy is incredibly misinformed. Modified cars ARE sold by Carmax. Some things are permitted, and others are not. Carmax is no different than nearly any other dealer in the country when it comes to internal engine mods, long tube headers, relocated catalytic converters, etc.: NOBODY wants them. You simply cannot expect top dollar for a trade in that is a 10 year old car from a defunct brand that has been obviously illegally modified LOL.

 

Yep that's fair price for a dealer looking to auction it off since it's heavily modified. Hard to believe you expected different and were upset about the outcome.

 

Wasnt upset at the outcome, more or less thought it was a joke. Plan the whole time was to sell it private party.

Thats a fair price for the dealer but not the seller.

 

I bought mine 12/08/18 and its a 2009 G8 GT, 67,500 miles all stock and paid 17,000.

 

it was a Joke, Dude!