Did you know that you can check a car out for a 24-hour test drive at used vehicle retailer CarMax? And did you know you can be banned from it?
Car TikToker and self-described consultant Raphael Montes (@redlineraphael) says that he took advantage of CarMax’s 24-hour test drive program to look at an Audi S7. He claims he followed all the rules, but the company banned him from test-driving again.
Montes posted a video describing his alleged experience with the retailer to his TikTok account on Monday. As of this writing, the video has been seen by over 88,900 viewers.
According to CarMax’s website, customers may take certain cars for a 24-hour test drive if they provide a “valid driver’s license, verifiable comprehensive and collision insurance coverage,” and “return the car to the same store on the next business day.”
The website also qualifies that drivers are “limited to two 24-hour test drives within a 30-day period. There’s a 150-mile limit for 24-hour test drives, and the car’s condition must remain consistent with when it left the store.”
How did Montes get banned?
In his video, Montes claims, “Around two or three years ago, I took out this Audi S7 from CarMax for 24 hours.” He says he probably wasn’t going to buy the car “because it was a little bit too expensive.”
“I thought it would be fun to just to see what a 24-hour test drive is,” he adds. “The rules are you have to bring the car back with a full tank, and you can only go 150 miles, and I abided by both of those to the tee. I did, like, 144 miles on the car, and I brought it back with a full tank.”
“I returned the car, no issues,” Montes continues. “I said I wasn’t interested in it because I just really wasn’t.”
However, he says that when he returned “months later,” he found that he was no longer able to qualify for the 24-hour test drive.
“They said I was banned for, they wouldn’t even discuss the reason with me,” he states in the video.” Montes admits that he vlogged about the car on social media but also claims “on-camera, I didn’t do anything stupid to the car; I just kind of showcased it.”
“I’m guessing someone sent it to corporate and went, ‘Hey, look, he’s doing a video with the car,’” he alleges. “I’m not sure if that went against any guidelines.”
“I think it’s kind of BS because there are creators on this app that keep doing [CarMax reviews], and I do it one time, and I get banned,” he states to his viewers.
Montes also says that he tried to test drive another vehicle at another CarMax location, “and they try to pull my credit [rating].”
“I was like, “Nah,’ I’m good,” he says.
@redlineraphael Replying to @Andrew West #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Raphael Montes
The CarMax website does not specify any protocol for banning test drivers on its website, although it is presumably a consequence of violating any terms of the agreement. It may also be that the company bans drivers from using the service at its discretion.
The Daily Dot has reached out to CarMax via email for more information.
A January 2023 article by CoPilot states that “not every vehicle is eligible for an overnight test drive. However, the company doesn’t detail what cars are excluded from the program.” It further notes, “The CarMax 24-Hour Test Drive program is unavailable for online purchases, including those for express pickup or delivery.”
However, it does not list any reason other than those stated on the CarMax website for a driver being banned from the program.
In the comments section of Montes’s video, one viewer wrote, “I was cut off because I didn’t show ‘intent to buy’. This was after 5 24-hour drives lol.”
Bigbodybenz solo (@bigbodybenzsolo) stated, “I used to work at CarMax, and tbh it could’ve been several reasons. Mgmt doesn’t want the cars to leave on a 24-hour TD unless clear intent of purchase.”
Bian (@passthebev) wrote, “Once the CarMax is asking me to pull credit im out,” and another viewer added, “Pulling credit to test drive a car is crazy.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Montes via email for further comment.
Update 5:50am CT, June 7: In an email to the Daily Dot, Jennifer from CarMax Public Relations shared the following statement:
“CarMax does not require its customers to apply for credit in order to test drive a vehicle. We do, however, recommend that they consider affordability early in their shopping journey to ensure they find a vehicle that meets their needs and budget.”
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