spitfirebill wrote:
Argo1 wrote:
In reply to Woody: Like the danimal said, the extended service plans aren't available when you buy a wholesale auction car. Trust me, I would have on the Jag and the Maserati if I could have! Though both have been 100% reliable so far.
So you haven't driven either of them then. 
Lol. I worry more about the Jag than the Maserati. I drove the Maserati 10k trouble free miles last year. Trips to Arizona, Monterey Car Week, etc. Great car. It averaged 25.5 mpg as well (though enthusiastic right foot use can seriously change that result)
In reply to Argo1:
I was with you guys for 3 years and was up for a purchasing spot in the store. I ended not taking it and quitting and following through with engineering. Not a bad call but I enjoyed being there.
Yeah purchasing hated it when we called it low ball. We still tried to sell our asks off to get them but even purchasing would say low ball from time to time(usually in reference to a price based on a glut of a particular model in the region)
KBB? Holy E36 M3!!!! We fought KBB with Blackbook over and over. That was such a fight. Glad to see you all aren't making associates fight million dollar ad campaigns.
Do you guys still use autocheck or have you migrated to carfax?
In reply to FlightService:
Autocheck is the industry standard. Carfax is more TV ad driven, for profit, commercial, aimed at consumers. All of our industry partners use Autocheck. It is very complete and customers don't ask for Carfax once they have seen the Autocheck vehicle history report.
In reply to Argo1:
Sounds like the previous KBB sales pitch...Glad you like the Max. It is one of the few jobs I wouldn't mind going back to.
You never did tell me what type of store Reno was?
In reply to Argo1:
There's a part-time buyer assistant job at my closest CarMax that you just inspired me to apply for.
I just applied to be part-time sales. Hoping they let me work from 5 to close and weekends, so I can keep my regular 8-4:30 job.
MINIzguy wrote:
I just applied to be part-time sales. Hoping they let me work from 5 to close and weekends, so I can keep my regular 8-4:30 job.
That is the usual schedule for part-time sales. Good luck!
Part time sales at CarMax at a store that lets you work over voluntarily is a great job.
I made $32k in a year working 12 days a month.
And the discounts are HUGE!!! on cars they are going to send to auction for one reason or another.
And to give you a scope of how huge the selection is, when I was there 10 years ago CarMax was the third largest auto auction company in the US. Manheim was first Adessa was second. We were projected to be #2 but I left and haven't kept up.
If I had one closer to me I would go back.
FlightService wrote:
Part time sales at CarMax at a store that lets you work over voluntarily is a great job.
I made $32k in a year working 12 days a month.
And the discounts are HUGE!!! on cars they are going to send to auction for one reason or another.
And to give you a scope of how huge the selection is, when I was there 10 years ago CarMax was the third largest auto auction company in the US. Manheim was first Adessa was second. We were projected to be #2 but I left and haven't kept up.
If I had one closer to me I would go back.
We are the #2 Auction in the US now by a wide margin. And, yes, you can find virtually anything you want at amazing prices as a CarMax associate. If you looked at my GRM garage, everything in it ads up to less than $32k.
We just got our first CarMax in the area not long ago, with another currently under construction, and there is some (albeit limited) potential of me starting in on something where a more flexible side gig might be beneficial in the foreseeable future...Hmmm. With numerous glowing reviews as an employer from GRM'ers, that's quite an endorsement, and something to keep in mind for future consideration.
Driven5 wrote:
We just got our first CarMax in the area not long ago, with another currently under construction, and there is some (albeit limited) potential of me starting in on something where a more flexible side gig might be beneficial in the foreseeable future...Hmmm. With numerous glowing reviews as an employer from GRM'ers, that's quite an endorsement, and something to keep in mind for future consideration.
It really is a great company. CarMax's founding principle is integrity in an industry that isn't exactly known for it.
In reply to Argo1:
Tell the story of how it started.
Love that story
I am in need of different/new employment very shortly. This thread prompted me to look at local Carmax and found a buyer in training position that is supremely interesting. Going to apply shortly. Thanks Argo1!
crxmike wrote:
I am in need of different/new employment very shortly. This thread prompted me to look at local Carmax and found a buyer in training position that is supremely interesting. Going to apply shortly. Thanks Argo1!
Excellent crxmike. Hope it works out for you!
In the late '90's I was store manager of the Circuit City (remember those?) in Buckhead Georgia. When I was hired on they told me, "We also have a used car division called CarMax." This made no sense to me. Electronics and ?..Cars?
Circuit City started CarMax because they saw a very large industry with no clear, honest choice for consumers. They figured a used car company that placed integrity and fair and transparent dealing above all else would be successful. Circuit City and CarMax split into separate companies in 2002. We all know what happened to Circuit City. CarMax has gone on to become the nation's largest retailer of used cars and the second largest dealer auction network in the country.
With 178 retail locations and counting, CarMax sold over one million wholesale and retail cars last year. We continue to grow, opening an average of 12-15 new locations each year. There are all kinds of opportunities and information about CarMax careers at CarMax.com/careers
Check it out.
Glad to hear the "inside perspective." We bought my wife's last car (number 19 for us, I think...) and the salesman was a bona fide car guy. Talked about his 996 Carrera he bought through the company.
The wife was driving her realistic dream car (Rally Blue BRZ) when I knocked her up and she just couldn't drive it anymore. So we drove to the nearest Carmax that had a RAV4 she liked, and traded the BRZ then and there. Fair price for the BRZ, and the RAV4 has been great. It's nice to know our experience wasn't unique, we'll probably do business with them again in the future.
In reply to Argo1:
That's not the story.
Circuit City saw the writing on the wall with electronics and was looking for something to diversify into. So they took a study and the door of their stores. They found that car buying was more hated than going to the dentist here is an opportunity.
So they did another study specifically focusing on how what the customer didn't like about buying cars. Directly asking the customer what they want in a sales experience and basing a business on that. What an ingenious concept!!!
Circuit City knew they knew nothing of the car selling business. Especially on the supply side. So they made an appointment with owners of a Florida auction house to come by and visit and maybe make an arrangement to supply cars for them.
When they showed up the owners blew Circuit City off. They ran into Tom Folliard who was one of the supervisors there. He decided to listen to them and show them around. After a bit of discussion he decided to partner with them and help Circuit City get Carmax off the ground.
Tom Folliard retired from being President and CEO of Carmax in 2016.
So in the end, the company that was going out of business, which many would accredit to lack of service, got blown off in the most car salesman like way and met a guy, that together, made what could be called one of the most disruptive business in the industry.
Pretty cool story, well at least this is how Folliard told it in 2007.
In reply to FlightService:
Tom Folliard was a pretty entertaining guy. He could have had a side job in stand up comedy. You could always count on something unpredictable coming out of him.
Your story is the correct one as well - well perhaps with a bit of Tom embellishment. Circuit City was pretty healthy in 1992. It was shortly after that they made a series of bad decisions that sealed their fate. (eliminating high margin appliances, laying off the trained sales staff, etc...) Quite a few jumped ship from Circuit to CarMax.
