Kelley Blue Book Reviews 

This was mostly a waste of time and exposure to scammers. I had one legit response, but didn't go past an initial call with a low ball offer from a remote user. The Instant Cash Offer was jokingly low, $5,758 for a vehicle that KBB/Autotrader said has a private sell value of $9,743 and which I subsequently sold for $9,000 via a Craigslist response. To be fair, I also had numerous scam responses in Craigslist as well, but I had more legit responses and sold via that channel. All in all, I do not recommend listing with KBB/AutoTrader, just use Craigslist for better responses and lower cost (Craigslist $5 instead of KBB/AutoTrader $49).

Like everyone else says it was a scam. I got an offer of 21,500 which was 1500 higher than anything else. I decided to do my diligence. Printed my useless "kbb certificate" drove to kia of Englewood for 25 minutes. Sat for 15 minutes waiting for their manager to evaluate my car. Got an offer of 17,000 and left. Sold my car for 20,600 to gmtv one week later. In this market just avoid dealers they only make money if they steal the car from a seller.

KBB's "cash offer" will generally be higher than Carvana's. The difference? Carvana will actually PAY YOU CASH for your car. With KBB, you have to take your car to the dealership... and negotiate. (It would be interesting to see if ANY KBB deal is ever actually completed with that value.) Wanna bet they will find enough "imperfections" on your trade-in to reduce their "instant" offer to at or below Carvana's?

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH KBB's INSTANT-CASH NONSENSE. It should actually be illegal.

Kelly blue book has joined the ranks of bad businesses. I've had the displeasure of going through the motions of getting an offer for 5400 for my vehicle. It clearly is worth more than the offer. I made an appointment with a well known car dealer that accepts kbb offers. First of all it's a used car dealership with Vultures as you arrive. Vultures disguised as USED CAR SALES humans. It's sickening to the thought of having to look for your particular vulture but it's something that must be done so you must YELL out his name and wait for the loudest cackle. Well from that cackle you'll still have to contend with the minimum of three cacklers clawing in your direction. Yell this name again !
The other two stopped and turned around as the last cackler continues to size you up 10 yards before it introduces itself as the lucky vulture.I play no games with cacklers so I tell it my final price. It invites me to an office where it looks for such offer. It gets up and goes to another cackler in silent cackle. In turn you'll never guess what approaches; the hand off cackler but with clothes that have been ironed. It comes to say it can only offer 3400. 2000 lower than kbb. The games it wants to begin are stomped out in front of this flock that are assuming they'll each have a go as to which will buy my car at the lowest without getting close to my 1st offer. I said give me my keys please. "Awh now wait a minute , can't we get a better price for you" let me cackle with the third cackler" i stopped his nonsense by exclaiming "GIVE ME MY KEYS NOW!"
So, you see , this is typical of what you'll receive from kbb. So I don't give a star but the only way to write a review is if you put a star. Its all a gimmick to begin with. My recommendation is for you to avoid Vultures at all costs by selling to private party and buying from private party. The other way is for the birds.

Big time waster. KBB Instant Cash Offer listed a few dealerships making offers on my car. Called the first one and of course they said "come on down". Arrived at the dealership and they said sorry we're unable to make you an offer. Wiser now after having wasted my time with the first dealer, I called the second dealership to grill them before coming out. They also decided they were not interested-which saved me from another wasted trip. A third dealer admitted that he would only honor the KBB Instant Cash Offer if the car was in "mint" condition. As best I can decipher, the KBB Instant Cash Offers were too high for them to make a profit from.

I should have read these reviews before I used this SCAM program. Filled in the appropriate info about my truck on the dealer web site. Got an offer for my vehicle. It was reasonable. Visited the dealer and they said they couldn't give me the KBB price but hit me with a low ball number. Ganley Toyota, Akron, Ohio. I would advise you avoid KBB and this dealer. THIS PROGRAM IS A SCAM.

Was given my Instant Cash Offer for my 11 month old GMC truck of $42,027 by KBB through Mathews Honda, the local participating dealers website. I returned the dealers call and was told I’d be contacted. I was, and the dealer, without inspecting it, offered $35,000.
This is simply a paid for by the dealer scam to get you in a dealership, and get your contact info on the dealers call lists.

I’ll be selling to Carvana instead.

Received an “instant cash offer” from Kelly blue book of 26084 for my 2014 Jeep Wrangler rubicon unlimited. After a few text and phone calls from the recommended dealership to visit from a dealer named Jimmy of Arizona CDJR Show Low. I met with one dealer who performed the appraisal then the second dealer “Jimmy” who I originally made contact with. Was asked what I wanted for the Jeep, I said the KBB value of 26084 to payoff my loan with the lender of 23643.00. I was offered 25,092 on paper originally due to the age of Jeep and odometer reading 84106, l decided to settle for that amount. After some back and forth with their manager and service manager behind closed doors the first dealer who took the appraisal came out and offered me 22000.00?? Because of some work that needed to be done underneath the Jeep according to their service manager! No verification, no list of fix it’s to be done, given to me on paper which brought down the value even more. And I had to pay the rest of the payoff to my lender!! Needless to say I was not a happy camper to put it lightly, thanks but no thanks! I’m not that desperate CDJR ShowLow dealership!

KBB provides what appears to be a useful service. However, it isn't. I went online to get an "instant cash offer" for my 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury sedan.
PROS:
1. The instant cash offer arrives in approximately 3 minutes.
2. Dealers will almost immediately contact you via email and phone to schedule you taking your car into get it appraised.
CONS:
1. Cash offer is a gimmick to get you to walk back into a dealership.

In this case, my car is approximately 20 months old. It has 17500 miles and is garage kept. No accidents, dents, dings, or cracks? I went straight down the window sticker when inputting data in KBB. Offer came in at $44,196. I went to Turan Foley at the designated time, waited about an hour for numerous people to, you know, review the car, and then they made me an offer of $41,000. Apparently, your KBB instant Cash Offer, is not an actual offer at all, even when your vehicle is exactly as described.

This partnership is simply a scam! Don't waste your time.

I tried the Instant Cash Offer for a 2005 Ford Excursion I have for sale. It's a hard-to-find vehicle and somewhat in demand. I'm priced at the very low end of KBB private party sale already (to sell quickly). I had detailed pictures and thoroughly described the condition. I received no offer price on the "Instant" Cash Offer, not even a range. It just said I needed to bring it to one of two dealers they listed.

When the dealers contacted me, I directed them to my Autotrader ad with 27 detailed pictures and tried to ascertain whether they were even in the ballpark of my asking price. I understand they need to see the vehicle in person. But I'm not taking half an afternoon off and exposing myself in the middle of a pandemic without some kind of basic meeting of minds on value. As soon as I tried to get some clarity, they stopped talking to me.

This experience makes me really question the validity of this "service". It feels like they were just trying to get me in there so they could lowball me. If there was at least a reasonable offer range I would have taken it in for appraisal. But providing no data at all - and then going dark - makes it feel like a scam.

Kelley’s Blue Book Instant Cash Offer is a scam and not honored by any dealership, no rules or any guidelines described in the offer is followed, honored by dealerships. The Instant Cash Offer is promoting bait and switch practices and should be revoked and prosecuted by deliberately misleading public by false advertising. This is a crime.

I obtained a KBB instant offer for my 2017 Sonata SE with 30k miles. It was an immaculate car. I took it to Toyota of Orlando, Fl. After 4 hours of wheelin and dealin I drove out in a 2022 Corolla lease for 36 months and a check for almost what I paid for the car two years ago. I know there were a lot of magic numbers involved but I am pretty happy about the situation. After all it is car sales. It goes back to the caveman days. Buyer beware and do your homework. I have never left a dealership feeling like I won something. If I did I would have a stroke. However I am really pretty amazed at what I got from my choice. It was really pretty close to KBB. I am only giving a four because the KBB was not perfect but I never expected a full price offer from any dealer in the world. What I expected was that if I got the KBB then they would just jack up the price of the car and add-ons. You have a linear equation with a left and a right side. If they add to the left then they take from the right and visa versa. Made a deal that appeared pretty even this time. It was a blue moon event. I will not expect that ever again. However in addition at the end of the lease if I buy the car it is $2000.00 less than if I paid cash today. Therefore if I add the $2000.00 then to the $15,300 they gave me today one could say I actually got $17,300.00 which is only off by $248.00. However I got free $100.00 floor mats and three years of free routine maintenance. So...my magic numbers say I won but I can't believe my eyes and I am not smart. Live well. Peace

Went on line to get an instant cash offer, had 2 dealers offer $19500k through the site, before I could even take the car in, the first dealer sent a text with $18k but bring it in so we can see it. It's a scam. Second dealer said there is nothing holding them to the price. it's just a way to bring you in so they can offer you wholesale.

To all of you that are complaining that the Instant cash offer is not accurate. Remember you are the one who is filling out the information so you are the one who is not accurate. I work as a KBB representative in one of the dealerships. Most of the cars (even 20+ years old) are listed as "Perfect" by the owners. But the truth is different. Most of the cars have a huge amount of damage/mechanical issues. Every time owners are using excuse like "Oh I did not have that question in the questionaire". Yeah right like I am some kind of idiot that will believe that. So long story short .... do not lie that your car is perfect and has no damage and you will get a real number. From my experience only handful of people are truthful everyone else is trying to scam the dealer hiding multiple defects hoping the dealer will not pay attention. Sorry but the only one to blame here is you.

I normally don't spend my time writing reviews. But I couldn't help it this time. KBB should not be in business at all. they are the worse set of people along with their exploitive dealers. They are liars and they waste people's time and gas. It totally unfair what KBB and its associated dealers do to innocent people who want to sell their car(s). I entered my VIN and all accurate information. With my VIN, KBB also verified the details of my vehicle and made me an offer of $14,000 plus. The dealers instantly began to contact me. I drove all the way - close to an hour drive to Toyota dealership in Burleson BLVD only to be told that the most they can offer is $3,000. What a bunch of liars - set out to waste people's time and gas money. So sadddddddddd for them. I wish I could give a minus zero star...I would have gladly done that.

Unfortunately I could'nt give zero stars. Total BS offer for my vehicle. KBB made an "instant Cash Offer" of almost $9500.00. I contacted their recommended dealership and spoke to their representative who was provided ALL information on the car that I intended to sell. After driving and hour and $20.00 in gas, I met with their representative, who, after having told me what great condition and low mileage the car displayed, offered me appx. 1/3 of what the KBB Instant Cash Offer was. The representative said they couldn't offer any more since it was a 21 year old vehicle that they would have to wholesale. Well, TIME OUT ! They knew beforehand exactly what the vehicle was all about. They had the full VIN and I discussed in detail the vehicle information with their representative. So I'll let you readers decide. Is this a total scam between KBB and its chosen dealers? Is it designed to get a person in the doors to sell them a new car rather than purchase their existing vehicle? Otherwise why not just tell me the facts BEFORE I get there and save the aggravation? So, should the BBB and perhaps Attorney General's office open an investigation. I even called KBB and was told the dealer ship made the offer and their Instant Cash Offer was only an estimate. Well golly gee wiz I might have fallen off the turnip truck but it wasn't last night! So now between my family, neighbors and associates, that dealership has lost multiple potential future clients because of these shenanigans.

Can I give Zero stars? What a complete waste of time. Was immediately contacted by 2 dealers who expressed interest in my car at a higher than instant offer price. Wasted my saturday visiting both and being scammed and lowballed by over 20%, even after being told "the vehicle was better than my description, but they could not sell it at a profit at auction!" What a time waster. Never again

Similar to what others have written, the dealers see a KBB instant cash offer as a starting point for negotiation.

I was offered $9975 for my car after describing it (accurately) in detail and uploading photos. Took it to a participating dealer, they offered $8000. Didn't argue, not interested in playing into a scam; I took my keys, went home, and sold it the same day to Carvana for $12035.

Recently I had the occasion to use KBB service to sell 2 used vehicles. While I found the process easy enough I found the engagement with both Instant Cash dealers disappointing and will post my experience for others. in both cases, I answered honestly about the condition of my vehicles and initially received a higher offer from your dealers then Car Max. After inspection both of your dealers found issues they claim I did not disclose and significantly reduced their offers. I drove the vehicles directly to CarMax and they also inspected the vehicles and gave me exactly what their on line quote was. Bottomline I felt your dealers were unprofessional and trying to rip me off. Very disappointing and more a reflection of them than KBB hence I wanted to share the feedback. A summary is below:

KBB on line offer KBB dealer in person offer Car Max on line offer Car Max in person offer
2006 Honda Odyssey $1,776 $1,250 $1,600 $1,600
AutoMax Framingham
2003 GMC Envoy $1,912 $0* $1,600 $1,600
Herb Connelly Chevrolet

* dealer offer to take the vehicle off my hands for $500

Took SUV to the Ken Ganley Nissan dealership with Instant Cash Offer of $20,520. Car is a leased vehicle with only 3 months left with option to buy. After looking over the 2018 vehicle that has 4,400 miles on it, the salesman decided they probably couldn't buy it because he "thinks" he saw a memo about the car maker not allowing them to buyout the lease. Um, what? He said Nissan doesn't allow it so he was "pretty sure" Hyundai wouldn't. He said to take the CarMax offer of $20,400. I checked with CarMax. There is no restrictions on buying out a Hyundai lease. What a scam!

FOLLOW-UP: The second dealership listed as accepting the KBB Instant Cash Offer advised they can't buy the car because Hyundai won't allow them to. This is absolutely NOT true. I called Hyundai Financial. They accept third party payoffs. I guess that's one way of getting out of honoring the offer. Stick with CarMax.