Carlypso

Never again would I use Calypso. Their attention to detail sucks, their service is slow, their communication and automated systems incorrect (telling me the car was ready when not, sending me multiple surveys, welcomes, emails from many different people that never responded to me). When I first came to pick-​up the car it actually wasn’t ready and needed to go to service for a part — but oh they assume I can take care of that. Really, of course I have the time for that, that is why I paid you for my car? Then there were scratches still on the bumper over the 1″ mark. Obvious scratches, how were those missed? And the car was not cleaned well, the outside had dirt around the wheel wells and various dirt in other places that I could rub off with me finger. To top it off it smelled like smoke! And it had a big green bow on it, hoping that would deter me from the obvious issues. They said I could take it to the detailer again which happened to be 1 hr away from me, how convenient. when I emailed about going to somewhere else that 100% guaranteed the smoke odor removal (since their detailer didn’t) they didn’t give me that alternative. Finally 2 – 3 weeks later they had the part fixed, the scratches taken care of and another detail which did NOT remove the odor. I could have taken care of that in 3 days. They disregarded my suggestion and didn’t even look into any ways to remove odor. Replacing the cabin air filter would have been an obvious one but nope they didn’t do that — I finally got it done, the filter was FILTHY after only 15K miles. They did an ozone treatment that was inadequate and after driving for a day it smelled like smoke again as the AC moved it around again. I had multiple friends smell it to confirm it wasn’t just my sensitive nose. I took it and had a proper treatment done on it — am so tired of talking with them and waiting. They can take as long as they want to prepare the car — there is nothing in the agreement on their commitment on getting the car to me. I was given flowers when the car was dropped off the 2^nd time yet the gas tank wasn’t even ½ full. I may be a woman and flowers are pretty and all, but really? Fill up the car or buy me some floor mats, don’t waste your time on flowers when other things are lacking.
They may have some hard-​working, kind people working there, but whatever is going on internally causing the lack of detail and bad communication is failing everyone.
Maybe they are growing too fast and they need to stop and fix their internals before continuing with what they are doing. It is a good concept but if your car has any issues at all with it, they will try to pass it off to you, and not even research on how to fix the issues.

Bought a Prius II from Carlypso and the process was pretty smooth. Basically, you need to know the exact car you want ahead of time. Unfortunately, the website does not show listings of their inventory. You have to schedule a time to talk with one of the sales representative to view the car over a screen share. Not really the most optimal way of viewing a car online, but that is currently the only way. You never get a change to test-​drive the car beforehand, but I was relieved to know that the cars are in great condition. They will also do light maintenance and touch ups on the vehicle.
The sales representatives also do not work on commission, so it is up to you to ask for all the help you need. The upside is that all the representatives I talked to are eager to help and got all my questions answered.
After ordering my vehicle, the process was kicked off. Then, it is a couple weeks of waiting for the maintenance, detailing, shipping, etc. They do update you via emails and text to show the progress. I had questions regarding the «ship directly to you», which is an added cost. Or, you can pick up at their warehouse location. To get Über, you have to call them up to schedule the pickup. I was under the impression that I would order Über and then expense the cost. An appointment also needs to be made, which is good and orderly, but I would rather see car pick up at any time during business hours.
Finally, when you arrive at Carlypso’s warehouse/​office location, you can definitely feel the «start-​up» aire. The décor is minimal, and the furniture is eccentric. It definitely isn’t posh. Nonetheless, the closing was just a few minutes and I was off driving within the hour. I would recommend Carlypso, if you know exactly what you want and the price is within your budget. Happy shopping!

I contacted Carlypso last week via my work landline. The call was dropped twice (and I could barely hear the sales lady before that). When I emailed them to tell them I would take my business elsewhere, they were highly responsive and apologetic. Then I asked them if they sold extended warranties on batteries for the Fiat 500e I was interested in buying. They told me they would «look into it.» A week later, and I haven’t heard a thing. I plan on buying from Carvana instead, based on their excellent and immediate service. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to answer a basic question.

How is this a tech company?
— Technology: it’s a blank website with a phone number
— Selection: cars are lease returns from the manufacturer that they don’t have to store or even look at– they just snap photos of them and post them to craigslist – they only move them after you agree to buy it sight unseen…
— Price: same as a local dealership, don’t assume you are paying less and these are not certified cars.
— Convenience: you have to wait a week and a half just to SEE the car… and you have to drive over to them… how is that better?
— Hidden fees: They get your credit card info so they can automatically charge you a fee if you change your mind…
— Financing: higher interest rate than I was quoted somewhere else…
— Buying experience: it’s definitely a car salesman on the other end of the phone– guy blew me up 6 times in an hour trying to close me on signing the buyers agreement.
Again– I’m just sort of confused at how this is a better way to buy a car… at least SHIFT, BEEPI and TRED go to the trouble to inventory the cars they advertise, drive the car over to you, and make the buying process smooth and quick.
On the positive side– Andrew was a nice guy on the phone.

YES, I had a very good experience with Carlypso.
I like this new concept of buying used cars… I was happy to get the car with lots of options I wanted.
A couple of flaws and concerns on the car were also fixed satisfactorily. The sales and Service persons (Dan, Kevin, Irene, Alex, Michael, etc.) were pleasant to talk with and handled things professionally.
I will definitely come back again.

I thought this was going to be a great experience, I was sooooo wrong. I was very detailed with Carlypso regarding the car I wanted ie. color, make, model, miles and even interior color. I was told that the car would be detailed in their shop and the scratches on the front of the bumper would be undetectable. When I received the car none of the work that was promised was completed. I called Carlypso and they at first were very accommodating, requesting that I take it to my auto body shop of my choice and they would cover the cost. I sent them the bid and they said they would not pay the amount stating it was to high. At this point they wanted to send a mobil painter to paint and fix my car. I was extremely skeptical, especially after speaking with the mobil painter and finding out he only deals in cash and is not licensed YIKES!!! I called Carlypso and told them I was not comfortable with this. They responded in a very rude manner by telling me that they can choose whoever they want if they are paying for it. To make matters worse, the painter showed up at my house at 5:30 pm. He worked on my car in the dark for 4 hours. The next morning I had to wake up at 6 am and remove all the tape and paper from my car. There was over spray on the headlights, grill and all over the undercarriage. The paint was bubbled and I was enraged at this point! Carlypso could have had it painted right the first time but instead I was being extremely inconvenienced, and literally felt as though I was on candid camera or being punked by someone. I also had in writing that Carlypso would pay for two of my rims as they were severely scratched and cracked. To make a long story short, the car was finally painted in a reputable body shop but they refuse to stand behind their word regarding the two rims, they told me if I wanted a new car I should have bought one. At this point would not recommend Carlypso, not because of the outrageous mistakes but on the sheer lack of integrity they showed during this process. The car I have is a 2015 Lexus is 250. Carlypso needs to get on the same page with everyone involved, stand behind their word and written documented promises instead of trying to turn the tables on the consumer.

**Updating from 2 stars thanks to Nicholas.
Hi Nicholas, thank you for taking the time to respond to my review. No doubt, Carlypso has the potential to be one the best car buying experiences, but there were certainly a few hiccups along the way which I felt did not justify my previous 5 star review. Perhaps my experience was unique.
That day you mentioned, I was trying to be in the most positive mood because my fiancé, who I was with, was wanting me to back out of the deal because he felt that something «wasn’t right» due to the constant delays with the mechanic. When I spoke with someone at Carlypso about the mechanical issue at the time, I didn’t quite understand how simple work could take 12 days to complete. But after I spoke with you about the situation, you explained to me that it wasn’t a headlight bulb that was replaced, in fact, it was the entire headlight that was replaced, hence the BMW mechanic finding «collision bodywork» to the front. In that situation, it was completely understandable that it would take extra long to work on the vehicle. For future reference, if communication is about mechanical issues, it would be best to have the customer talk to a professional in mechanical issues so that there isn’t a misunderstanding.
The communication issues I experienced was partly the mechanic issue as explained above, but the majority of the issue was my troubles getting in touch with anyone over the phone. Clicking «option 2» on the phone hardly ever got me in touch with anyone, so I would always have to call the Sales line. (of course the sales line picks up!) Even after getting the direct line to my representative, if anyone would ever pick up, it would be someone else. The first time I ever spoke with my representative was the day of pickup, and even then it took 10 minutes to reach them while I was outside in the cold trying to request an Über from them. There were other minor communication issues, which I’m sure will resolve itself when you continue to grow your staff in order to meet the growing demands.
After talking to you about the vehicle, my mind was put at ease thanks to your clear explanations. I’m sure that if my dealings were with you all along, I would have been ecstatic to recommend Carlypso to my friends. I do not want any special treatment and I really don’t expect anyone to personally detail my car or top the fluids; I just wanted to share my experience so that others will not have exceedingly high expectations when they also experience issues themselves.

Excellent experience with the Carlypso team. They quickly found the car I was looking for, got it for a very good price and had it delivered near SFO. For pickup, I was in and out in about 15 minutes. If you know what you want, it is hard to beat this model.

Carlypso has a unique business model that’s going to revolutionize the used car market. For many years, auto brokers have existed for the new car market. But nothing really existed for the used car retail market for people like me. I love finding a bargain, even if it means getting on a plane going from Los Angeles to San Francisco to pick up my dream car (they even paid for the Über or will deliver right to your door).
So after searching for over a month on my own, 1 phone call to Dan T. helped me find me a very rare model loaded with all the features & low mileage I wanted in about 2 hours. If you’re curious like me about getting a fair deal or just want to gauge the used car market for your particular vehicle, use
(not affiliated with Carlypso) to compare current market prices.
It also helps the Carlypso team greatly by providing them with a sample VIN so they know exactly what you’re looking for, i.e. color combination, options, etc., although this isn’t necessary. But it helps speed up the process, eliminates confusion and makes you a happy camper.
For me, I’m extremely happy and impressed with the whole buying process. I have purchased many vehicles in the past (both new & used), and my experience using Carlypso could not have gone any smoother. The whole Carlypso team (Dan N, Irene, Dan T.) kept me in touch and up to date with my transaction from start to finish by email, text and by phone.
So in closing, give these people a chance to earn your business, you will not regret it. In the future, when I’m in the market for another used vehicle, these guys will be my go to team!

I have been looking for a Prius and I start seeing carlypso showing ads with listings. So I contact them about a Car which is still listed in san Carlos, as a Prius III. Mike wrotes me back and says let me make sure thats a Prius III, then says it’s a II, no nav.
OK Now he tries to explain to me how the company work and wants to do share sharing to show me stuff. Ahhhhhhh NO all I want is a car I can see how they work. So he sends me an email with a listing for a Prius 3 this time, and I write back looks great other then the huge nick on the bottom corner of the car, does that get fixed? (Never heard back) oh well
A few days later I get a few listings from Autoguru and both of them are from carlypso. Stupid me, shoul dhave thought about it before I asked about the cars, I still see the one from San Carlos, CA and now one from Rocklin, CA. (Both listed as Prius III)
So I click on the send me more info on the rockin Prius III and get an email back from Marcus saying here is the info about the Prius II (Not III) you asked about… But wait the photos on both car look the same WTH? and they were both listed incorrectly? Hmmm
Here are the links
Same pictures for both cars listed as a Prius III in different towns MILES away from each other

A+++ experience.
Support this startup. They work hard to make sure you have a great experience — they fully understand that their reputation is on the line with every sale.
(+) I was initially hesitant when I saw Carlypso (literally had to google if it was legit). It is. Got a 2014 bmw 328i with low mileage for a good 10% less than anything I could find online (probably 15% cheaper than the average dealer too). It’s a unique concept… They don’t hold inventory, so they’re able to cut most of the costs that you’ll get from a dealership.
(+/​-​) I would look into used car warranty before you purchase /​before you sign. When you come in to pick up your car, they kind of hard sell you a warranty — claiming you have 24 hours. This initially really frustrated me, and hopefully they change this. Just make sure you do your diligence on warranties. For example, BMW comes with 4 yr /​50K, so you likely won’t need extended, and even then, you can buy BMWs… However, a customer that is unaware of this would suddenly be put under a lot of pressure to accept… I mean, what’s another $ 3K when you’re spending $ 25K already — and it’s only $ 50/​month if you’re financing — so, isn’t that worth the peace of mind? No, not necessarily… Wasn’t in my case — in fact, BMW offered me a better rate for a similar extended package. So make sure to look into this.
(+) I’m not dinging them for stars for the insurance thing because they actually allowed me extra time to think through, which removed the hard sell IMO… Also, they were helpful in getting me to understand what exactly I was paying for. If you are the worried type, or if your car is running out of warranty soon, I would actually recommend their warranty package… After I did diligence, seemed pretty good. They use the same insurance company as DGDG (Del Grande Dealer Group) — which seems like it would be trustworthy. It’s an «exclusionary» policy, which means it covers everything except (insert list here)… So that’s good.
(-) Note that their cars typically do not come with a second key (for a BMW or similar this can be $ 500). Not sure if this is typical for dealers — I assume it is? Carlypso explained to me that rarely do auctioned cars come with a spare key due to their value (typically gets taken along the way I guess). If you want one, you can pay extra and they will order one for you.
(+) There was a very minor thing missing (for simplicity, let’s call it a cup holder cover) and they were able to ship me the part for free. Although, minor, it made my car feel fully complete — so thanks for sending that!
(+) My car is in excellent condition. It came clean, and detailed as well. They make the car buying process absolutely seamless… They also handle all the paper work. All the DMV paperwork you don’t want to even look at — they do it. New license plates? They’re coming in the mail, they do it. Need financing? They’ll match you with lowest rates. Saved me a lot of time… Only reason I could justify writing a long review for them — it’s deserved.
You can trust this company. Overall, 5 star experience, and I will be a repeat customer when I’m in the market for another car.

I am not a big fan of the dealership model. Hours and hours while some salesperson tries to out-​negotiate me and wear me down is just not how I want to spend my time. As the infamous JujuBee said «I’m not nervous, I’ll read a b*tch.» But, I would rather avoid that altogether.
I then found Carlypso, which is an all phone/​online way of buying a car. The key to success with Carlypso is to do your research and know what car you want.
I worked with Steve, who bent over backwards to get me the car in the price range we had researched. Unexpectedly, the car needed to go through a few warranty repairs, which delayed the delivery. … Then Carlypso created a major frustration which lead me to a point where I wanted to back out of the deal. I’m going to spare you the details.
Within 3 hours of my total meltdown, Nick (one of the co-​founders) brought the car to my house, found a way to make me whole and helped me understand that my partly poor experience was caused by Carlypso’s recent growth.
…
In sum:
5 stars for the car
5 stars for the price
5 stars for the idea and convenience
1 stars for the communication and hiccups
BUT 5 stars for going over and above to make it right.
Chris & Nick are trying to solve a very big problem, i.e. no one wants to deal with dealerships anymore, but used car dealers won’t be replaced overnight. Kudos for trying and even if I sound negative, … I’m probably going to buy my next car from Carlypso again because I hate the dealership experience.

Buying a used car from Carlypso was an easy experience. You just need to make several phone calls, make your decision, and then wait for the car to arrive. Of course you need to do some research on the used car market. They also take care of the dmv registration so you don’t have to wait in the long line yourself.
Just as a heads-​up, if your car needs to be shipped from the other side of the country, prepare to wait a few weeks before you get your car.

I’ve reached out to Carlypso on 2 occasions to try and find a pre-​owned car for a good deal — after all, this is what they’re known for, right? WRONG. Both times that I reached out, the cars «found» for me were well above my budget. They’re also supposed to find the «best» deals; however, I found cars posted for the same amount of mileage and specs, but for cheaper. They hardly helped me even look for a vehicle, and after showing me one or two vehicles, fell off the face of the earth and did not respond afterwards.
Not only that, but on my second reach out (obviously the second time is NOT the charm, and I will not try for a third to see if that is either), the person searched for me on LinkedIn and discovered where I worked. Yes, that is public information, but why that is necessary for you to «research» me when I’m reaching out to you to find a car is absolutely absurd, and creepy.
I’m not sure how I managed to get not one but TWO horrible experiences with them while everyone else seems to have pleasant ones, but I would definitely NOT recommend this company to anyone for their car buying needs.

I just picked up a 2013 gs 450h. i had them look for one for about a month and they finally found one. They were very helpful and informative about the car. They also got me a fantastic low rate. Neil was the one who assisted me and was such a great help as everyone else there too. when i went to look at the car it was in great shape and only 8500 miles on the car. I will definitely use them again and refer them to my friends.

Definitely a very easy way to buy a used car.
I had no idea what kind of car I wanted so I scoured car websites, craigslist and then test drove at dealers. One of the hard asks that Carlypso has is that you have to know exactly what you want and buy it without physically seeing it yourself.
I started the process by filling out the form on the website and the next day had a call with them. We spoke briefly about what car I wanted, what color and any other specific needs. We then went through a few options and after about 5 – 10 minutes found a car that could be sold before dealer auction and I would need to make the decision by the end of the day (or risk it at auction which I was told it would definitely go at a higher price). Pressure!
After pulling the trigger the next stages progressed. Since the car was in Florida all the maximum time estimates were broken. Communication was okay, an email would normally be followed up with a call at the end of the day except one time when I had to call after no response
The price was pretty good, basically around the asking price for private sales but with more safety since you are going through a dealer that ensures the car is in good condition. Although you won’t actually know the final price (tax, rego, etc) until the day it is ready.
The car was in good shape, it is used so there are small scuffs and marks. There was a small burn in one of the seats which I wasn’t told about (even after asking about the interior condition). But I guess it is the risk you take. I did take the car to another mechanic just to ensure everything was good and he gave it the big thumbs up.
Overall I would recommend using Carlypso.

If you read this review, you are lucky. Forget every other car store and dealership.
Just use Carlypso for buying a car. period.
Even if you are buying a new car, you should consider Carlypso. You won’t regret.
I purchased two expensive BMWs and have no regret on my decision !!!
Carlypso beats your expectation in every aspects — price, service, technical expertise, people quality. After you buy a car from them, you feel great.
You NEVER have that kind of car buying experience in US in any other store. Being highly selective and looking for luxury cars, I shopped for a car at Porsche, BMW, and Mercedez for months. Luckily I didn’t buy any car from them.
You always have a feeling that they are only looking for your money. They have their own calculation and you never know their equation and their rule of the games. You always find a friend or collegues who says I bought a car a couple of thousand dollars cheaper than KBB. And you feel like you are ripped off for your last cars. You never want to be a friend or a neighbor to a car dealer.
Carlypso people are different. You want to hang out with them and you can trust them. I met both Chris and Nicolas, founders of Carlypso, and most employees. They are different. They are nice, professional, and try to help you.
You not only saves thousands of dollars, but you feel great after you purchase a car from Carlypso!
Everybody needs to buy a car in US and car buying experience sucks, literally sucks in US. You always feels betrayed and never want to revisit dealership again.
But, here is Carlypso. This is a company that try to change the rule of the games. This is certainly the future of car buying and trading! When I sell my car, I will revisit Carlypso and ask help to Chris and Nicholas!
I strongly recommend Carlypso !!!

I have enjoyed my experience so far… Just visited the location and picked up my vehicle. BenEllis was great so was dan and Marcus I really appreciate the service and level of help I received! I had some issues with my vehicle overall delivery as I expected it to look new when I mentioned my issues they got on it right away! Winning with exceptional customer service! Brought a 2014 patriot sport utility!

Buying from Carlypso was an amazing experience. I knew this place was different when I walked in and everyone was working together is a open community space with a «family room» kind of feel.
I was greeted by everyone including the owner. After a test drive they offered to compare all the other cars to I was looking at on CarFax and KBB. After I made my decision to buy we had the paperwork, a loan, and a trade-​in done within two hours. I got to drive my new car home that day. Can’t recommend this company enough.

I recently bought a 2014 Toyota Yaris LE through Carlypso. I put in many hours and days into researching cars and negotiating with different dealers. Carlypso provided the best deals over all. The car they helped me find was like new and about $ 1,000 to 2,000 cheaper than all the comparable offers that I got. I’m very happy with my purchase.
Also, another awesome thing about Carlypso is that they are efficient! When I had questions or concerns, they got back to me very quickly and provided a lot of care, detail, and information in their responses. I was in a rush when I picked up my car from Carlypso because I had an appointment to make, I let them know and they had me in and out in about 10 – 15 minutes.
After I got my car, I still had some questions and concerns because it seemed like a big investment to me — and Carlypso continued to provide excellent and efficient service.
I already recommended Carlypso to my mom and would do so for anyone.

As far as I am concerned this is the only way you should buy a used car. The only caveat is that the final purchase may take longer than you expect. In my case, it took a month after I had picked out the car to when I got my hands on it.
The communication between the team seems lacking, and I got bills for a different car, emails suggesting a different car after I had picked one out and so on. After ordering the car, it took an extra 2 weeks to pick up, and I got many conflicting emails and calls as to why.
Despite all this, why the 5 starts? I never felt cheated! I got a great car for a great price, with a completely transparent process. If your are patient, at least till they work out the kinks in the process, you’ll be pleased. I’m not looking anywhere else next time!

Nick was amazing to work with; he was very responsive and never pushy about any particular car. These guys do a great job at understanding your need/​want and making an effort to find your dream car!

I was shopping for a new or used car for my teenage daughter and all it took was one test drive at a local dealer to turn me off. That’s when I found Carlypso online. I researched their company background and reviews and was impressed, so I gave them a call. All of their staff was very friendly, professional, and worked diligently to find the right car within my budget. I purchased a 2013 VW Jetta with very low miles and a great price. I took it to the VW dealer after purchase for an oil change and check up and they said I got a great deal.
I would definitely recommend Carlypso to anyone in the market for a used car, especially if you know exactly what you are looking for. Thanks Carlypso! I have a happy teenager with a reliable car to take to college next year.

Five stars before the sale, but after the sale they fell on their faces.
I bought a 2011 Nissan leaf from Carlypso. I live in the sticks where there are no Leafs for sale and Carlypso seemed like the perfect option. I found a Leaf on their website at a very nice price, claimed it, signed a few documents, and was off to the races. Easy peasy.
After Carlypso won the auction communication became much more of an issue. Rather than having a handy status page where you can view what is currently going on with your car (and there are a lot of steps to a Carlypso sale) you have to rely on update emails from them. Sometimes those emails get sent promptly, sometimes they don’t. Likewise when I would send them an email with a question sometimes I would get a response and sometimes I wouldn’t.
The real problem, however, came when they shipped my car to me. For whatever reason they did not process my title when I paid them, nor did they send the title along with the shipper. Instead they waited until after my car was delivered to START processing my title paperwork. In the end my new car ended up sitting in my driveway for weeks, completely unusable, while I waited for the title paperwork to show up so I could begin registering my car. During this time I sent multiple emails without a response, until finally getting a short «title is on the way» message.
I’m happy with the price I paid but if you’re an out of town buyer be prepared to wait weeks from the auction date to taking your car out for a spin for the first time.

Got a great deal on the exact car I wanted. Was able to find a lightly used Mazda six in the color and trim options I wanted.
So far have put 35k miles on the car with no mechanical issues.
Would recommend, and will consider for next vehicle purchase.

Short version: Got a better deal on the car I wanted with better service than on my own!
It’s a great solution for getting good used cars where you share your requirements and preferences, they find and propose a car with more detailed info on it than a dealer gives, you agree to buy the car at your price and then they bid at the auction. When they get your car, they prep it and handle the registration so you can pick it up like dry cleaning.
In my quest for a 2 yr old used car that qualified for HOV, I was searching various web sites and discovered Carlypso. I’m not a jump now and look later type and a mistake on a car haunts for years, so I was cautious enough to make them nuts and they remained gracious. I love the car, saved significant money and time, while improving the experience.

I LOVE THESE GUYS! I was looking for a 2012 BMW X5 and had gone to all the dealerships $$$ and was resorting to craigslist when I found a few carlypso adds. I was super excited, but then thought… to good to be true, what’s the catch? So I did my own research on them and read only great reviews. I called the company and spoke to EJ I believe, I told him exactly what I was looking for and he had it! A black 2012 X5 with brown leather interior, tinted windows Etc. Now, how do you trust someone to buy a car you have never seen? They have seen it and rated it and only accept the best of the best. When I came to pick up my car, it looked brand new inside and out! They had replaced the back two tires saying they were below their standards which was a nice surprise! I literally spend 15 mins telling anyone who asks about my car or is buying a car about Carlypso. I will never buy from anywhere else again! I saved a good 5−8k easy! You will not be disappointed, these guys know what they are doing. Why would you go to a dealership when you can cut them out?! On top of it all… they financed me and beat out my Wells Fargo loan that was already in place! It took me about 10 mins total at the office… if that! I’m kind of obsessed with Carlypso and my amazing BMW!
After reading some of the other reviews I just wanted to add:
They advised me that the prices that come up on the website are the price it should sell for… hence why they tell you to go up a bit to ensure you don’t loose it. I also went up in my bid as they suggested. In the end my total was $ 3235 LESS than my highest bid out the door with tax a licensing. Sooooo… they don’t pocket the extra money that they ask you to bid up, they are only looking out for you. It is your decision to go up or not. Yes, it took a few days to a week to hear that my car was there and it had to go through their inspection once it got there. Sometimes the original factory things are not with a used vehicle… my 2012 came with the two keys. But if it had only came with one which they prepared my for, I would have had to order and pay for one. Bottom line, it is still an auction. You may not get two keys and it may not have the manual or something but the price you end up paying is well worth it. These guys are honest and work on word of mouth… how would you do business?

Hassle-​free
Pressure-​free
Great customer service
Great Prices for used cars in great shape with low mileage
I had a terrific experience with Carlypso, both buying my car and afterwards. I bought a used 2013 Nissan Leaf, top of the line, loaded with every feature possible & incredibly low mileage (13K) with original warranty and looked mint. Price was at least $ 1500-​$ 2000 less than through any dealership. No problem to keep the car extra days due to a delay in release of my insurance money. The missing manual, & 2^nd key I needed to program was all done for me and at no cost.
Afterwards – needed front license plate holder – mailed with no problem
car fax report – emailed right away.
I have bought cars online before, but this surpassed all my previous experiences. It was so amazing that I kept telling everyone I knew that this was the way to buy a car. It was just so easy. And I just referred another friend to Nicholas. I even checked to see if they work with customers from out of state so they can sell to all of my family in Arizona. And they do!

Carlypso is probably the most hassle-​free way to buy a pre-​owned car. I bought a 2013 Mazda3 and it was overall a great experience. The whole team was great to work with. They were always polite and courteous in their communication. The entire process all the way from choosing the car to financing was handled very well.
Hopefully, the team is able to keep up the great quality of customer service when the demand starts creeping up!

These hardworking guys worked over a holiday weekend to get me into the perfect Ford Flex!
I had been looking on my own for a few months and dreaded the whole experience. I told them what I wanted and they had found my car over a holiday weekend.
The process is very simple:
1. Tell them what you want and the price you are looking for
2. Tell them which car you want out of the great options they provide (this was all done by text)
3. They purchase for you at auction
4. They detail and make sure the car is ready for you when you pick it up
5. Head over and check your new car out, finalize the paperwork (maybe 45 minutes) and drive away!
I tell everyone I know about how great the Carlypso car buying experience was for me! This is the way EVERYONE should buy a car!
It was a joy!

Carlypso is awesome! I had a great experience purchasing a Nissan Leaf through them. Highly recommend!

I was a little nervous to buy a car online. Especially knowing that Calypso is in Cali and I’m in Texas. I felt like EJ and Chris really worked hard to find the «needle in the haystack» that I was looking for and it took a little time, but it was worth it. I bought a 2.5 year old car with 9,900 miles — not an easy find. Actually receiving the car and transferring title took a little longer than I expected, but it all worked out perfectly. All in all, I will use Calypso next time I’m in the market for a used car.

Glad that I found this dealer.
The first car I bid didn’t pass the inspection when it was shipped to Bay Area. Carlypso returned it without any cost on me. The whole car buying process is smooth and the employees are friendly and honest.
This is different from traditional dealership and you must do your homework online and at other dealership and know what exact maker/​model/​year/​mileage car you want and have Carlypso bid for you. It’s kind of taking advantage of other dealership who shows you the cars.
Besides lower price, the biggest advantage you will get is that you will know the car’s history and have its full inspection reports including the evaluation score (I forgot the name of it.)
I have recommended this dealer to other friends.

It could have been a 5* experience, but unfortunately Carlypso stumbled in the last lap. I’ll explain why at the end, since everything happened once the deal was made.
I came across them through Craigslist and then started to familiarize myself with their website. I was very specific about what I wanted: after doing A LOT of research and visiting A LOT of dealerships I knew which model, color, and equipment I wanted and was ready to wait to find the perfect match.
After 2 months, the process of dealing with salesmen at dealerships ended up being very painful since I didn’t want to negotiate, so I decided to give Carlypso a try when they told me they had found the car I wanted. Mike was really awesome to deal with, even if I was very particular about what I wanted, he bore with me the whole time until he found what I wanted. He was the best part of my experience, it felt like I had my personal car-​finder/​concierge who was going above and beyond to please me. I didn’t like the fact that there is absolutely no photo on the website, which sometimes makes it confusing when it comes to the colors that are not always listed correctly, but Mike was really awesome at sending me actual photos on demand.
Anyway, once he had found the perfect car, I had to electronically sign the agreement. Everything was done online or over the phone, so I didn’t even have to go to their office, which is very cool. After some convincing and being assured that I would not pay it if the car went for lower, I agreed to increase my «bid» by $ 500 — which I now regret since I have no idea if it actually helped win the car or if they just pocketed it. I wouldn’t sign the contract without being sure that they could obtain financing for me, so they had me pre-​approved with a credit union at a better rate than what I had with my bank. However, I was a bit disappointed of being asked a $ 1,500 downpayment since I was expecting to fully finance the car.
I signed the agreement on a Monday, the auction being the following Thursday. I was very anxious because this really was the car I wanted, with a relatively low mileage compared to what I had seen at dealerships, so I was glad the wait time was very short. And then, in the early afternoon of that Thursday, I got an email telling me that they won the car and that they would let me know of the next steps. That’s when the issues started:
1) transparency on price: in the «we got your car» email, there was a shady statement about the price… despite the fact they assure repeatedly that they will be fully transparent. I was expecting something like «we got your car for that price, but this price won’t be final until the final inspection and potential repairs» and then a very detailed explanation of the price and why, if any, there were increases. Nothing, no explanation why I was charged $ 500 more than the price initially quoted (even if I agreed to it). Probably still a good deal, but it gives a wrong feeling and I would recommend any future buyer to just go with the price quoted on their website. I think that the «let’s just put a little bit more as a safety net» is a shady sales tactic to increase the money they make on the sale.
2) delivery timeline: all the communications I received ended up stating a different delivery date. The first one estimated the delivery to be at day +2, then another day +5, and finally day +11 after I contacted them on day +6 since I had no news. I finally negotiated picking up the car on day +9 (a Saturday), which isn’t too bad, but there was no reason whatsoever about why these changes occurred. I was really expecting more updates, especially if they had to do anything with the car. The only reason I was given was that the nav SD card was missing and they had to order it (which is kind of ironic when you see the following issue). They ended up mailing it to me after receiving on day +14.
3) missing standard equipment: while I could have still given a 4* review even with these 2 previous issues, this one is by far the worst and gave me the impression I was nickel-​and-​dimed. The car I purchased is a PLUG-​IN hybrid, which means it has a battery that needs to be charged by plugging it. That’s why it comes equipped with a standard charging cord, as per the manufacturer’s website and the owner’s manual. And while of all the 20+ dealerships I visited this cord was always included with this model, they removed it from the car and wanted me to buy it for an additional $ 300. Same with the keys, the car’s computer says 2 keys are programmed, but they only gave me one and would charge me $ 200 to get the other back. Finally, a standard trunk net was also missing that I had to purchase. I’m glad they didn’t remove a wheel or a seat and charge me for these.
To conclude, this is a great idea and will be how you buy car in a near future, but it ended up leaving a bad aftertaste because the transparency they advertise wasn’t real and they had some weird shady moves in the end.

I bought a 2014 Mercedes-​Benz SLK250 hard-​top convertible with 13,500 miles (white exterior and red leather seats — sexy!) and multiple optional features at an excellent rate (conservatively — the price beat private party KBB value by ~$ 1500).
Neil in sales kept up with my exacting standards on year, options, origination, type of prior ownership, interior, color, Carfax history, mileage, etc.
They detailed the car after winning it in auction — even a tire was replaced.
I came in with a pre-​approval for a loan which they matched from a credit union that they work with, and with no-​money down. Actually, a founder, Nick, worked with me to set that up. It was a 5 min convo and the approval came in 2 hours later.
I arrived in an Über and paperwork took 10 min with Dan’s help in front office. It was calm and unstressful. He has a wonderful sense of humor and kept me laughing.
After taking it home and having my mechanic inspect it, we noticed that the hard top was not quite folding flush. Also, there was some rattling noise. After pointing it out to Brendan in operations and Danny in service, they were apologetic and responsive. They identified the rattling as loose clips that needed to be tightened post detailing. And they got right on addressing the hard-​top by arranging to have it fixed under warranty at a local Mercedes service center. They offered to cover any Ubers I might have ended up using as a part of this inconvenience. They are serious about their 7 day guarantee. Aside from the aforementioned, the car is in perfect, gorgeous condition.
Something to be aware of is that the overall process takes time. I considered this an advantage because I was not in a rush and did not at all feel pressured (opposite of car dealership experiences). I was highly motivated to get a car very close to my spec so I took a couple weeks to select one. After they won it for me at auction, the car was in my hands within 2 weeks (post 3 inspections and detailing).
There were moments were I felt stressed and anxious. Part of that had to do with the fact this is my first car purchase and also a used car purchase with associated uncertainties. Additionally, this process of buying a car is less well known and so there can be anxiety about managing the outcome.
Overall, I had an amazingly supportive experience in purchasing a used car. I am deeply grateful I did not have to deal with a dealership or used car salesmen trying to «hey there honey» me into an overpriced and underwhelming car. The Carlypso folks I interacted with came across dedicated, professional, and ethical. In fact, I have a friend high-​up at a competitor and still went with these guys.

EJ returned my call for the inquiry to purchase a used car. I went to their office not knowing that they have this garage operation on a new way to buy used car. I liked the transparency in the car buying process they were developing. When i was at their office and a screaming customer (or dealer) duo barged into the office accusing them of false advertising on the craigslist and Chris and EJ’s handling of the whole issue impressed me.
It took about 2 months from start to finish to buy a 2012 nissan sentra. It has been a year since and i did not have any hidden issues popping up. I have promised Carlypso team a review once I have checked the car out for a few months. I have to say that i am fully satisfied and recommend Carlypso to all my friends looking for used deals.

The biggest problem other than not honoring an agreement was the lack of communication. Let me start with the contract that you sign before they go to auction for you. Carlypso is not obligated to give you the car in a time frame. So they can take as long as they want to deliver you the car whether it be 1 day, 3 months, or 1 year under section «#5 Delivery» of the Buyers Agreement. Also, if you have work and are considered a «no show» you will be charged $ 1,500 dollars. The problem is nowhere in the contract protects you from Carlypso not being able to deliver at the schedule date. For example in my case. The delivery date was suppose to be November 30, 2015 (a Monday). So I took a day off and at November 30, 2015 I called to tell them that I am on my way to pick up the vehicle and they «regret to inform me that the vehicle is not ready.»
The biggest flaw with Carlypso in my experience was the lack of communication. 2 weeks after the vehicle arrived from another state they did not inform me the vehicle was not ready to be picked up. In fact, I had to call them. These guys are very hard to get a hold of once you have signed the Buyer’s Agreement and after holding the vehicle for another 2 weeks the vehicle was finally ready. After a lengthy conversation through text messages and email they had agreed to fix a Leer camper shell that was on the truck for free. This agreement was not honored.
The very day I got the vehicle I went straight to my mechanic. This is what he found. LED light on top of the camper shell of the truck was out. The camper shell that was suppose to be fixed for free was not fixed. The mechanic removed the cylinder that held the camper shell rear window up in fear that the rear window could break if left alone. Under the Buyer’s Agreement «#6 Vehicle Condition; Returns» it states that «In the event that you believe you have discovered: (i) cosmetic flaw larger than (1) inch in diameter upon delivery of the vehicle… Carlypso shall have such repairs performed at it’s own expense.» The mechanic had discovered a deep scratch on the rear passenger wheel drum. Rust and oxidation at the bottom of the truck. The only redeeming quality of Carlypso is probably the price.
For a 2013 Toyota Tacoma with 52,000 miles the price agreed was $ 28,000. This was the only thing I was happy about. Overall the experience was equivalent to having a root canal. If you are not in a hurry to buy a car, give them a shot. If you are in a hurry they have the potential to rip you off very, very, badly and they can use that to their advantage. The experience could have been a lot better if they communicated with me more. But taking a day off and finding out that the vehicle was not ready was frustrating. Untrustworthy business practice of not fixing the camper shell and not repairing the scratch on the wheel drum was rubbing salt on an open wound. I would not recommend. 2 stars. Hope this review helps.

Amazing new way to buy a car, they got me the Elantra GT I was looking for, pick up, financing and everything was super fast and professional. Also got a really good price in comparison to other dealerships
I will definitely recommend Carlypso to my friends and hope more people start using this new service
Thanks!

I just bought a 2013 ford fusion energi titanium with 3500 miles for 21,500.
At first, I didn’t believe that they could get me the car. They said they could get a 2013 for 20 200, which was 4k under market rate at the time. I was skeptical. The first car they said they were going to get me was going to auction next Thursday. It was the Friday before, and they wanted me to sign a buyers agreement, which basically says, if they get the car, I am on the hook for it. Thursday came around and they said they lost the car in an auction.
He said another car came up, the one listed above, and it was a ‘buy it now’ like ebay, I asked, and he said yes. He made me sign another buyers agreement, and they told me I had the car and it would be delivered from NY pending an initial inspection. 6 days later, it arrived and was going through another inspection. They said they wanted to hold onto the car for 3 more days to get the ‘navigation chip’, detail it, and do some DMV stuff.
Finally they said the car was ready for delivery. They asked me if I was going to pay in full, or finance and gave me instructions. They sent an über to my home and 20 mins later, I was driving a beautiful car!
Neil was who I worked with from a sales perspective. Dan was who helped me with delivery and finance.
Would I do it again, in a heartbeat!
Moral of the story, know what you want, know what you want to pay, be patient, and it will come. Very opposite feeling of a dealer trying to close the deal that night and have you drive off in a car.

4.5 for customer service. 4 for the car.
A little background about me before I dive into my review. I’m a car guy — worked on cars, worked for car companies, bought and sold cars, advised my friends and helped them find cars. So when the time came for me to look for an used electric vehicle, I had list of criteria — make, model, year, trim level, optional packages, mileage, price, carfax history, location the car was registered and serviced (important for EVs), size of dings on the exterior, interior color etc. I searched through the places one can think of to find a used car — craiglist, ebaymotors, dealerships, carmax, autotrader,
etc. With EVs being so new, even some salespeople at the dealerships didn’t understand my desired features. Plus, most of them didn’t have vehicles that met my criteria.
Then I found Carlypso. The person I spoke with was knowledgeable and understanding of my requests. He searched through their large inventory and sent me a few cars that met my criteria the same day. This was time saver for me. Even though I couldn’t test drive them, I drove similar models at the dealerships already. Carfax and inspection reports where provided. There weren’t as many pictures as I’d liked but the report is detailed. I gave them my 2 top picks and they placed a bid for me at the auction with their suggested price. I had a negative experience of buying a used car from an auction before but the 30 day money back guarantee gave me the confidence to proceed. Plus, the car being only 2 yrs old it’s still covered by the manufacturer warranty.
After the auction, I was informed I was outbid. However, they sent me a few other cars that would be on the next auction the following week. In that auction I got the car under the bid price. It took Carlypso about 1.5 wks from the end of auction to get the car ready for pick up locally. This was slightly longer than I’d liked but they assured me that the car was being prepped as fast as it could. (Note that auction isn’t the only way one can purchase cars from Carlypso. They stock certain models that one can test drive and purchase.)
The car I received was a 4.9 out of 5 according to their inspection report. It would be nice if the report had special parameters to rate EVs such as battery capacity. Other than 1) dark patches on the driver side beige interior that I noticed immediately when I received the car, 2) having only 1 key (had to pay $ 165 additional to get another one) and 3) missing 1 valve stem cap, the car was pretty much true to the report and thoroughly cleaned inside out. The 3 items was a slight disappointment but no used car is perfect and after all, Carlypso does offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Pricing: The buyers does pay the auction and inspection fees, which along with the Carlypso fee, came out to be less than $ 1k.
This was my first time buying a car unseen and so far, the car has been flawless. From my experience, used car buying is a time consuming process. Unless one is willing to settle for a higher price and/​or comprise on your preference, you are unlikely to go to a place and find your dream car right away. Carlypso searches a large pool of vehicles with your criteria while providing a lower price with 30 day money guarantee is a no brainer for me. The only caveat being it might take longer to get your dream car depending on the vehicle’s location and availability. I will definitely solicit their help again next time and wish them the best in their mission to revamp the used car buying experience.