‘It was a Great Offer’: Man Sells Toyota Through Carvana. They Inspect It the Next Day To Finalize the Terms. Then They Ghost Him

A man is going viral on TikTok after sharing his frustrating experience trying to sell his car through Carvana, an ordeal that started smoothly but quickly went sideways.

Joe Gaudet (@iamjoegaudet), an actor and comedian, says selling his car online seemed like a straightforward process. 

"It was a great offer," he says.

The next day, someone from Carvana came to inspect his car in person, handed him a check, and told him a tow truck would pick up the vehicle in a few hours. Gaudet says he thought everything was set. Then time kept ticking by.

"It’s been a week," he says, "and the car’s still in my driveway."

After calls and emails went unanswered, Gaudet posted a TikTok about the situation.

"Carvana, come pick up your car," he said. "I can’t even get into it. The keys are in a lockbox. Come get your car." As of this writing, his video has more than 580,300 views.

Did Carvana Ever Come? 

In a follow-up posted on Monday, Gaudet shared footage of his Toyota Sequoia finally being towed away, revealing it took Carvana a full eight days to complete the pickup.

"Never using Carvana again," he captioned the clip.

In an email to Motor1, Gaudet states that the sale of his car to Carvana proceeded smoothly. He says he accepted its offer on November 22, a Saturday, and had an associate come to him the following day. He noted that when an associate came that Sunday, they even came early.

"So that was great," he wrote.

The associate, he says, inspected the car, ran diagnostics, handed over the check, and Gaudet signed the title. Trouble began when the vehicle was supposed to be picked up.

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"I reached out the next day when I saw the Sequoia was still in my driveway, no response," he says.

"I called him twice, emailed, and spoke at least three separate times to Carvana’s online chat," he adds, noting he kept getting the same canned responses about updates that never arrived. After seven days without resolution, he posted about the delay on TikTok.

"I hate being THAT guy, but unfortunately, that’s the only way to get things done nowadays. Nobody likes bad publicity," Gaudet wrote. What’s worse, he says he never received compensation or a clear explanation.

"A tow truck showed up, loaded the car, and took off, and that was it. I don’t think it was because of my video…nobody ever reached out to arrange the pickup, it just happened," he said.

Why Did Carvana Take So Long?

Other people who have used Carvana say it’s not unusual for pickups to run behind schedule. On Reddit, users noted that delays often stem from logistics. Carvana will apologize for the wait, but it doesn’t offer any compensation when a pickup takes longer than expected.

Carvana is supposed to notify customers of any delays. If you’ve noticed that your car wasn’t picked up at its scheduled time, your first course of action might be to check your Carvana account or email. Often, updates will include a new pickup time or explain why the process is taking longer.

Calling or emailing customer support can also help you get a clearer picture of what’s happening.

For buyers, a long wait can be frustrating, but you do have options. For sellers, patience is key. Pickups can take up to 10 days on average, and sometimes longer depending on where you live and the type of vehicle you’re selling.

Even though delays are frustrating, they’re usually not a sign of anything going wrong with your transaction. The company acknowledges that these situations aren’t perfect, but they do happen. Staying up to date with updates and maintaining contact with support is the best way to avoid confusion.

In the end, a delayed pickup isn’t great, but it’s not uncommon. Knowing what to expect, tracking your pickup, and understanding your options can make the process feel a lot less stressful.

Could He Have Just Kept the Sequoia?

Commenters who watched Gaudet’s original clip shared jokes about what they would’ve done, saying they likely would’ve kept the car themselves. Although, as the car was paid for and he presumably handed over the title, it ultimately belonged to Carvana.

"Did you cash your check?" one woman asked.

"After 30 days, you can claim it. LOL," another wrote.

"Look up abandoned property procedures, probably can send them a letter, and in 30 days it’s yours again hahaha," a third added.

"Did the check clear??" another asked.

"Better than me, I would’ve sold it to them again by now," a fourth quipped.

Some shared their own experiences with Carvana.

"They said they’d be to me in 3 days… they came at like 11 that night and took it out of the driveway… the neighbors thought it was being stolen," one woman said.

"When my husband’s grandmother sold hers to Carvana, it took over a month for them to pick it up!!" another added.

Others suggested it was likely a simple miscommunication on Carvana’s end, something confirmed when the company eventually came to pick up the vehicle.

"I used to work for Carvana," one user said. "My guess is they hired a 3rd party to come pick up the car, and there’s either a miscommunication or the 3rd party just decided not to come. Happens sometimes."

Motor1 has reached out to Carvana via email. We'll update this if the company responds.

 

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