Is the future of car buying online?

BOSTON — According to a recent study by Accenture, one in six people has already bought a car online. Some companies take the process a step further by delivering the vehicle you buy to your home for free.

Alisa Henderson found herself scrambling for transportation after her car was totaled in a crash. Henderson turned to CarMax’s online store.

"You sit on your couch and you can look through a bunch of cars,” Henderson said.

She said the process was smooth from start to finish.

"They come in this truck. They print all the paperwork right there. They go through the steps of each thing I'm signing. I sign all the paperwork and then they give me the keys to my car,” Henderson said.

“We have options for customers who want to do it all online and have it brought to them. And, of course, we have our store base,” said CarMax rep Stephen Smith.

CarMax is planning to start online delivery around Boston in the next year.

Phoenix-based Carvana started delivery in the Boston area in April 2018.

"Boston is a very large market, it's a large car buying market, it's a market that we're excited to be in and it's going well,” Carvana co-founder Ryan Keeton told Boston 25 News.

The company has two offices in Massachusetts for distribution, but customers never set foot in them.

“It’s hard to wrangle three kids and go into a dealership for an hour or two. So, this is attractive for a wide range of people.”

Jamaica Garris, who works for Carvana, said that, traditionally, people don’t think of buying a car as fun. Her company aims to change that.

“We target the millennials. They're already doing everything else online, so buying a car for them is not a big stretch,” Garris said.

Garris said it's just as convenient for an older customer who may have mobility issues and can't move around a big car lot.

Both companies allow you to return the car and get all your money back, as long as you do it within seven days. Carvana tells Boston 25 News, they consider it a “test ownership”.

“You get to see how it fits your life - take it to the grocery - see if the bags fit - see if it fits into your carport,” said Keeton.

Carvana says less than 10% of customers return cars, and of those, many trade their returns in for a different model.

Boston 25 News reached out to traditional car dealerships in the area about their online services.

Some like Acton Toyota, report they’ve sold dozens of cars completely online with delivery in New England.

A Boch dealership representative said they're offering more online shopping and financing options, but still, like customers to test drive a car in person before they sign on the dotted line.

Cox Media Group