What Happened to Vroom, and What to Do Instead
Vroom announced in January 2024 that it was discontinuing its online used vehicle operation, and its consumer marketplace closed. If you have arrived here researching Vroom as a way to buy or sell a car, that option no longer exists, and the honest answer is more useful than a review of a service you cannot use. This page covers what happened, where people go now, and the part we actually know something about: getting a car you bought online delivered to your door.
What Happened
Vroom was one of the larger online used car retailers, built on the same idea as its competitors: browse online, buy without visiting a lot, have the vehicle delivered. In January 2024 the company announced it was winding down that ecommerce operation and ceasing to buy and sell vehicles through the marketplace.
We have kept this page published rather than deleting it, because people still search for Vroom and a clear answer serves them better than a dead link or an outdated review. If you are dealing with an unresolved matter from a past Vroom transaction, such as a title or registration question, that has to go through the company’s own channels rather than through a transport provider.
Where People Go Now
The online buying model did not disappear with Vroom. The practical alternatives fall into three groups.
Online retailers such as Carvana and CarMax still operate the browse, buy and deliver model, with their own return windows and inspection policies. Our comparison of CarMax, Carvana and Vroom covers how that model works and what to check.
Dealerships out of state are frequently overlooked and often cheaper. A dealer three states away will sell to you remotely, and you arrange transport separately. That combination regularly beats a local price by more than the shipping costs.
Private sales through marketplaces and enthusiast sites, which give the widest choice and the least protection, so the inspection and payment steps matter most.
Buying a Car You Cannot Stand Next To
Whichever route you take, the same four checks do most of the work, and none of them depend on the seller being a big name.
Get a pre purchase inspection. An independent mechanic near the car, for a modest fee, will tell you more than any number of photographs. On a remote purchase this is the single highest value step.
Read the return policy before you pay, not after. Online retailers typically offer a short return window. Dealers and private sellers usually do not. Know which you are dealing with.
Get the paperwork straight first. Confirm the title status, that the seller actually holds the title, and how it will reach you. Title problems are the most common source of trouble in a remote purchase and they are entirely avoidable up front.
Never release funds before you have verified the vehicle and the seller. That holds whether the counterparty is a retailer or an individual.
Getting the Car to You
This is the part we do, and it is simpler than most people expect.
A car bought anywhere in the country can be collected from a dealer, a retailer’s hub or a private seller’s driveway and delivered to your address, usually within one to two weeks of booking on most lanes. Transit counts from pickup rather than from purchase.
Two points specific to a remote purchase. The seller does not need to be present at delivery, but somebody does have to hand the car over at the origin, walk it with the driver and sign the condition report. Arrange who that will be as part of the sale. And ask the seller for photographs before collection, so you have a record of the car’s condition independent of the transport.
Our guide to shipping a car bought online covers the sequence in more detail.
What It Costs to Have It Delivered
Open transport for a standard sedan runs roughly $400 to $950 under 500 miles, $1,000 to $1,400 around 1,000 miles, and $2,000 to $2,600 coast to coast. A full size truck or SUV adds meaningfully, and a vehicle that will not start or roll adds roughly $100 to $250 for winching.
Factor that into the purchase decision rather than treating it as an afterthought. A car that is $2,000 cheaper two states away is still cheaper after transport; one that is $400 cheaper usually is not.
Common Questions
Can I still buy from Vroom? No. The online marketplace was discontinued in January 2024.
What are the alternatives? Online retailers such as Carvana and CarMax, out of state dealerships, or private sales, each with different protections.
How do I check a car I cannot see? Pay for an independent pre purchase inspection near the vehicle. It is the highest value step in a remote purchase.
Who hands the car over if the seller is far away? Anyone the seller nominates, as long as the carrier knows in advance. They sign the condition report at pickup.
How long does delivery take? One to two weeks to book on most lanes, then transit from pickup, which is one to eight days depending on distance.
Get a Quote
Call Ship A Car, Inc. at (866) 821-4555 with the seller’s zip code and yours, or price the delivery with the instant calculator.
