Fair warning, this is rather long...but I want peo...

Fair warning, this is rather long...but I want people to have a good understanding of the type of unethical business this Carmax is running before patronizing this establishment. Should you have any doubts, I encourage you to read the other reviews about this location's service center. If you're short on time, the key takeaways are:

- After the first 30 days, Carmax's customer service becomes a frustrating and faceless experience, with little to no ability to address issues due to the customer having to interact with virtual representatives that do not have the authority to resolve complaints.

- Make sure to request a copy of the "125 point inspection" performed by Carmax (or any other documentation on the condition of the car prior to purchase [if they will provide it to you]), and request record copies from any secondary sources that refute or contradict Carmax's inspection results.

- Should you find yourself in an unresolvable dispute or unable to obtain responses from Carmax, a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) seems to be the only thing that gets Carmax's attention.

Details:
I purchased a Mercedes at the Dulles Carmax in March 2015. The car had a few minor issues that fell under their 30 day full coverage, and they took care of them, which was fantastic. A short time later, however, I noticed water dripping into the interior of the car (after rain, etc.) -- at one point, it got so bad that all the carpeting was soaked. I took the car to Mercedes Benz of Tyson's to have it inspected (I have a warranty with Mercedes directly as purchased through Carmax.) Mercedes indicated that the sunroof pipes (for water drainage) were badly clogged, and that this wasn t an issue that had arisen within the past year -- the car was sold to me with clogged pipes. They offered to fix it for a fee, but recommended I take it back to Carmax for repair first since they failed to clean the pipes prior to selling me the car.

This began a months-long dispute with Carmax that eventually resulted in my having to come $1425 out of pocket to repair the issue, due to an unexpected rainy season hitting the area and my needing a resolution quickly. During the initial stages, my in-person complaints with Dulles Carmax's management (specifically, Craig and Scott) were met with complete disinterest and disregard. Carmax and I went in circles due to their refusal to provide records indicating Carmax had inspected the sunroof pipes prior to sale (which I was told would've occurred during their "125 point inspection"), citing "confidentiality"(?) reasons, and my refusal to now pay Carmax (at a rate of $112/hr) to do another inspection on the car to diagnose the problem (as I believe this would've resulted in Carmax finding themselves not at fault.) My paperwork from Mercedes was essentially dismissed outright, as Scott directly stated he "did not trust" Mercedes' technicians.

Frustrated with trying to deal with Dulles Carmax directly, I attempted to file a complaint with Carmax corporate -- big mistake. All complaints filed with Carmax corporate are either immediately redirected to the original dealership for response (a detail about which Scott rather flippantly warned me), or are "handled" by a social media team that is like a virtual Oz and has zero decision-making power. The only good that came from my virtual exchange was that they were able to provide me a copy of the 125 point inspection for my car. Unsurprisingly, the inspection record did not indicate anywhere that the sunroof pipes had been inspected.

If I knew then what I know now, I would've paid a little bit more and gone with a more reputable establishment. I will never purchase a car from Carmax again and recommend you do the same!