Carvana’s 7-Day Money Back Guarantee counts delivery day as day one, regardless of delivery time. Its current refund FAQ says to notify Carvana before 8 p.m. EST on day seven. Returns are subject to condition restrictions; mileage over 400 costs $1 per additional mile. Nonrefundable shipping charges remain excluded. A return appointment can occur later if the request was made on time. Trade-ins are not automatically returned, and a third received vehicle has no seven-day guarantee.
What is Carvana’s return policy?
Carvana offers a 7-Day Money Back Guarantee, subject to notification, mileage and vehicle-condition restrictions. Its current refund FAQ says an eligible return is accepted within that period regardless of how the purchase was paid. The guarantee allows a decision about the vehicle; it is not a promise that every related fee or separate transaction will be reversed.
Before accepting delivery, distinguish the purchase price, any shipping charge, any delivery charge and any trade-in arrangement. Those details matter if you later change your mind. Keep the order documents and account dashboard available throughout the trial period rather than treating the first week as an informal test drive without a deadline.
When do the seven days start, and do weekends count?
The delivery date counts as day one even if the car arrives late in the day. Carvana uses calendar days, so weekends are part of the period. Do not count seven full 24-hour periods starting at the precise handover time or start counting from the following morning.
For illustration, a Monday delivery makes Sunday day seven under an inclusive calendar count. Use your actual account dashboard to confirm the deadline for your vehicle. Plan any inspection and family decision early enough to act before the cutoff. A delayed mechanic appointment does not itself establish that Carvana has extended the return period.
What is the exact notification cutoff on day seven?
The current refund FAQ says to notify Carvana before 8 p.m. EST on the seventh calendar day. Preserve that published timezone wording and check the deadline displayed in your dashboard; do not assume 8 p.m. in your own local timezone or wait until midnight.
An older official mobile-policy document still visible in search uses an earlier 5 p.m. EST cutoff. This guide relies on the current customer-support article rather than silently combining the two. Contact an Advocate well before the account deadline and retain confirmation. If the dashboard or your purchase documents show a different instruction, resolve the difference directly before time expires.
How do I start a return, and must the car be collected within seven days?
Contact a Carvana Advocate by phone or chat during the guarantee period and clearly request the return. The official return article says the appointment itself may be arranged for a later date. Timely notification and the eventual physical handover are separate steps.
Keep a written record of the request, the appointment and any instructions about mileage or storage while waiting. Do not assume that merely favoriting another vehicle, sending a message to an unrelated inbox or leaving a car at a location creates an approved return. An Advocate coordinates the process and completes the paperwork at the return appointment; use the official support route and account record.
How many miles can I drive, and what happens above 400?
The guarantee allows 400 miles before an excess-mileage charge applies. Driving more does not automatically remove the return option under the stated mileage rule, but each additional mile costs $1. Other eligibility conditions still apply.
For an illustrative 525 miles added during the period, the excess is 125 miles and the listed charge would be $125. Keep the delivery odometer reading and track your use, including a trip to an inspection or a long commute. Ask the Advocate how mileage is recorded through the scheduled return appointment if collection happens later. Do not assume an appointment delay gives you unlimited extra driving at no charge.
What damage, changes or liens can make a car ineligible?
Carvana says it cannot accept a return if the vehicle has been modified, damaged, involved in an accident, altered from the condition delivered, or placed under a lien or encumbrance other than a finance agreement made with Carvana. The guarantee is therefore conditional on more than making contact within seven days.
Avoid installing accessories or making cosmetic changes while deciding. If a fault or damage was already present at delivery, document it promptly and explain when you discovered it; do not confuse a preexisting concern with damage occurring during your possession. Ask support how the issue affects your specific return rather than assuming every problem is covered or every reported defect disqualifies the vehicle.
Can I arrange a mechanic’s inspection during the guarantee?
Carvana’s official description of the seven-day test-own period expressly welcomes taking the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for an outside opinion. Arrange the inspection early so there is still time to review the findings and notify Carvana if you decide to return.
An inspection is different from authorizing modifications or repairs while the return decision is pending. Keep the report and discuss significant findings with an Advocate before altering the vehicle. The return terms do not promise reimbursement for your independent inspection, and the visit does not extend the deadline. As practical preparation, book the appointment before delivery when possible and include its driving distance in your mileage planning.
What is the difference between shipping and delivery charges?
Carvana’s shipping article distinguishes moving a vehicle from its existing location toward your area from delivering it to your chosen address. The former shipping charge is nonrefundable once an order is placed, including when you return or exchange. A separate delivery charge is refundable through the seven-day guarantee.
Check the line-item descriptions instead of treating both costs as one transport fee. Picking up a car can avoid a delivery charge but does not necessarily remove a shipping charge. If comparing two otherwise similar vehicles, use the Free Shipping filter before ordering rather than assuming the money-back guarantee makes a distant vehicle risk-free to try.
How much money comes back, and when does the refund arrive?
Carvana’s refund FAQ describes refunding the price paid except applicable nonrefundable shipping charges. Mileage deductions and other eligibility terms still need to be accounted for. Its return-process article says an eligible refund is processed after the return event and typically takes 10–15 business days to reach the bank account.
Keep the final paperwork showing the amount and any excluded charge. A pickup appointment being booked is not proof that the refund has already been issued. If the expected period passes, ask the Advocate for the processing status and payment details, then distinguish a Carvana processing question from a delay posting at your bank.
Can I exchange for a different Carvana vehicle instead?
An exchange begins with an Advocate. Carvana warns that ordering another vehicle without speaking to one is treated as an additional purchase, not an exchange. Save several suitable alternatives before contacting support so the conversation can address availability and the specific transaction.
Both the exchange request and selecting the replacement and completing its online purchase process must happen during the seven-day period. The appointment may be later, but the replacement selection cannot simply be postponed until after the guarantee expires. Confirm any price difference and transport charges before choosing, and keep the exchange confirmation linked to the original order so there is no confusion about two active purchases.
How many exchanges are allowed, and does a third car get another trial?
Carvana’s current guarantee article says you may receive up to three vehicles through exchanges, but the third does not come with the 7-Day Money Back Guarantee. Do not assume every replacement restarts an identical no-risk cycle or that the third can be returned under another seven-day promise.
Before accepting a third vehicle, ask the Advocate to explain the remaining options and the conditions attached to that order. Compare its details carefully and resolve any uncertainty while you still have a guaranteed return option on an earlier vehicle. The published limit is about vehicles received, not three extra exchanges after the original purchase.
Will Carvana give back my trade-in if I return the purchased car?
The official return instructions say Carvana maintains possession of a vehicle traded in as part of the purchase. Do not enter the transaction assuming the seven-day guarantee also means you can reclaim your old car. Returning the newly purchased vehicle and reversing the trade-in are not the same promise.
Before trading, consider how you would travel if you returned the replacement and the old vehicle remained with Carvana. Ask an Advocate to explain the financial settlement for your particular trade, including any payoff or credit, and retain the documents. This guide does not assume a universal method for reversing a completed trade or promise the exact original car will remain available.
What happens to financing, registration and a co-signer on a return?
Carvana says registration and financing are canceled once the return process is initiated. Its current instructions also say a co-signer does not have to attend the physical return appointment. The Advocate walks through the required paperwork during that appointment.
Keep confirmation of cancellation and check the relevant account records until the transaction is settled. Do not infer from the general statement that an outside lender’s balance has already cleared or that every payment notice can be ignored. If you used external financing, ask how its settlement is handled and when to expect confirmation. Return eligibility regardless of payment method does not establish one identical processing timeline for every lender.
Should I cancel insurance when I request the return?
Carvana’s insurance article says to keep coverage active until the day it picks up the vehicle. A scheduled future collection leaves a period when the car is still in your possession; requesting a return is not the same as completing the handover.
After the return, contact your insurer to explain what happened and ask whether any prorated refund is available. Carvana describes that as a possibility rather than a guaranteed amount. Keep the collection confirmation and arrange coverage for a replacement if exchanging. This is a practical handover issue, so confirm the timing with your insurer instead of assuming a purchase cancellation automatically cancels or transfers the insurance policy.
What if I find a problem after the seven-day guarantee ends?
The seven-day return guarantee is distinct from repair coverage, optional protection products and any other rights that apply to the transaction. Do not assume that reporting a later fault automatically reopens the ordinary return period or that a repair appointment extends an expired guarantee.
Contact Carvana through the official support route with the purchase details, date the problem appeared and relevant inspection or repair records. Ask which coverage or process applies to that specific issue. This guide does not promise a universal post-deadline return or an exception simply because a buyer is dissatisfied. If you are still inside the guarantee and considering a return, make that decision and request explicit before its deadline.
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Citations
Sources reviewed October 29, 2026. If Carvana updates its rules, its current policy applies. See how we verify.
- Carvana return policy
- Carvana return appointments, refunds, financing and trade-ins
- Carvana exchange request and replacement-order deadlines
- Carvana shipping versus delivery charge refunds
- Carvana insurance timing during a return
- Older Carvana test-own and inspection description; superseded cutoff not used
- Carvana official support