Match or Beat Any CarMax Offer.
Your Driveway. 20 Minutes.
I use the same professional valuation tools and guarantee to match or beat any CarMax offer. No driving to the store. No waiting in the lobby.
Not ready to call? No problem.
Tell me about your car. I’ll text or call you back within 2 hours with a realistic range.
- Match or beat any CarMax offer. Guaranteed.
- Same-day check, on the spot
- 20-minute appointment at your home
- All paperwork handled
Quick answer:
- CarMax does not negotiate their offers. The number their system generates is the number you get.
- Get their offer first (valid 7 days), then call Joe at (818) 325-7535
- Joe guarantees to match or beat any CarMax offer. Same price or better, at your home.
- The whole thing takes about 20 minutes in your driveway. No driving to a store, no waiting in a lobby.
CarMax does not negotiate. Here is what to do instead.
CarMax uses a fixed pricing model. The offer their system generates is the offer you get. No manager to escalate to. No “let me see what I can do.” The number does not change.
That is one of the things CarMax does well. You know exactly where you stand.
The issue is where you stand. Their offer lands under what a patient private sale would bring, and CarMax publishes the margin: $2,253 of gross profit on every used car they retail, after reconditioning costs. On a clean late-model car that is usually a couple thousand left on the table, and more on an older one.
You have three options: take it, spend weeks selling privately, or call a licensed dealer who guarantees to match or beat their number at your front door.
Does CarMax give good offers? Here is what they pay.
CarMax offers are fast and certain. They also keep a margin, and unlike most buyers, they publish exactly how much. These are their own audited numbers for fiscal 2026:
| CarMax, fiscal year 2026 | What they reported | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average used car they retail | $26,121 | FY2026 average retail selling price |
| Gross profit they keep per car | $2,253 | What is left after paying you AND reconditioning the car |
| That profit as a share of price | 8.5% | Their own reported used gross margin |
Average used car they retail
$26,121
FY2026 average retail selling price
Gross profit they keep per car
$2,253
What is left after paying you AND reconditioning the car
That profit as a share of price
8.5%
Their own reported used gross margin
Source: CarMax Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results, April 14, 2026. Read that $2,253 the right way: CarMax's 10-K says cost of sales already includes what they paid the seller and what they spent reconditioning the car, so $2,253 is what is left after both. Which means the distance between your check and the price on their windshield is wider than $2,253, because the reconditioning bill sits in that same distance. Nobody publishes a measured national average for how far under a private sale their offer lands, so be skeptical of anyone who quotes you one. Me included.
Three ways to sell after a CarMax offer.
Take the CarMax Offer
Fast, certain, no hassle. You drive there, wait 30-60 minutes, and get a check. You give up some price for that. For a lot of people, that is a fair trade.
Sell Privately
You could get full value. But 60-85% of private sellers give up and take a dealer offer anyway. The lowballers, no-shows, and scam texts start within 24 hours.
Call Joe
I come to your home, run your car through the same professional valuation tools, and give you a firm offer guaranteed to match or beat CarMax. 20 minutes. Same-day check.
The best CarMax alternative in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, and West L.A.
Here is how it works.
Call or text Joe.
Tell me what you are driving. If you have a CarMax offer already, even better. I will let you know where my number should land and we will set up a time.
I come to you.
Your driveway, your office, wherever works. I inspect the vehicle and run it through the same professional valuation tools that places like CarMax, AutoNation, and your local dealer use.
Firm offer, same-day check.
If the number works, I write you a check before I leave. I handle all the paperwork. If it does not work, no pressure. I will tell you what I would recommend instead.
“The price we quote is the price you get.”
CarMax or Carvana? There is a third option.
| CarMax | Carvana | Joe (CurbSold) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offer type | Fixed, no-haggle | Fixed, may change at pickup | Firm. Guaranteed to match or beat CarMax. |
| Where | You drive to them | They pick up at your home | I come to you |
| Time | 30-60 min at their location | Schedule a pickup window | 20 minutes at your door |
| Price vs private party | Below a patient private sale | Below, and can adjust down at pickup | Guaranteed to match or beat CarMax |
| Offer holds for | 7 days | 7 days (but may change) | 7 days, firm |
| Paperwork | They handle it | They handle it | I handle it |
| Who you deal with | Rotating staff | App + inspector | One person: Joe |
CarMax
Offer type
Fixed, no-haggle
Where
You drive to them
Time
30-60 min at their location
Price vs private party
Below a patient private sale
Offer holds for
7 days
Paperwork
They handle it
Who you deal with
Rotating staff
Carvana
Offer type
Fixed, may change at pickup
Where
They pick up at your home
Time
Schedule a pickup window
Price vs private party
Below, and can adjust down at pickup
Offer holds for
7 days (but may change)
Paperwork
They handle it
Who you deal with
App + inspector
Joe (CurbSold)
Offer type
Firm. Guaranteed to match or beat CarMax.
Where
I come to you
Time
20 minutes at your door
Price vs private party
Guaranteed to match or beat CarMax
Offer holds for
7 days, firm
Paperwork
I handle it
Who you deal with
One person: Joe
Both CarMax and Carvana are solid options. They are fast and they are real. The tradeoff is price. I use the same professional valuation tools and guarantee to match or beat what CarMax offers. The difference: you do not drive anywhere, and you deal with one person from start to finish.
FAQ
Can you negotiate with CarMax when selling your car?+
Does CarMax give good offers?+
What’s better: CarMax or Carvana for selling a car?+
Is there a way to beat a CarMax offer?+
Does CarMax match offers from other dealers?+
Are there good alternatives to CarMax for selling a car?+
Already have a CarMax offer?
Let me beat it.
Call or text me with your CarMax number. I come to you, firm offer guaranteed to match or beat it, same-day check. All paperwork handled.
Call or Text (818) 325-7535Offers are based on today's market and are good for 7 days.
Serving the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County & West L.A.
Thousand Oaks · Westlake Village · Simi Valley · Moorpark · Camarillo · Encino · Sherman Oaks · Tarzana · Woodland Hills · Studio City · Calabasas · Northridge · Granada Hills · Agoura Hills · and surrounding areas