Imagine searching for a car dealer near you, driving to the address Google gives you, and finding a jewelry store. That’s what happened to one Wisconsin shopper, who left a review in all caps: “THIS IS NOT CARAVANA!”
When a listing sends a customer to the wrong door, everyone in the industry pays for the lost trust.
Carvana Google Business Profile Analysis: What CDG News Found
An investigation by CDG News, built on research by LocaliQ Automotive’s Chris Wood, found at least 266 Google Business Profiles tied to Carvana. Here’s how they break down, as verified Oct. 13:
Listing type | Count |
|---|---|
Real Carvana facilities (vending machines, inspection and logistics sites, hubs, and its seven Stellantis dealerships) | 101 |
Addresses at civic or government buildings | 51 |
Addresses at unrelated businesses, homes, parking lots, and other non-Carvana sites | 58 |
Live listings with no address | 49 |
The 109 listings at non-Carvana addresses span 36 states, mostly in smaller cities. Reviews on those pages skew heavily negative.
Carvana says its listings “help customers searching locally find Carvana vehicles that can be delivered to or picked up in their area,” adding that “because of our e-commerce model, the physical location of the vehicle is less relevant to who we can serve.” Google didn’t respond to CDG’s requests for comment. It’s unclear whether Carvana has a special arrangement with Google, since a newer program appears to let national retailers advertise more broadly.
“A dealer’s market area should not be redefined simply by dropping a virtual pin on a Google map.” Seth Dobbs, Fox Rothschild
What Carvana’s Google Listings Mean for Local Dealers
We’ve often pointed to Carvana as an example of what dealers can learn from. This time, we think the listings cross a line. Sending customers to government buildings and jewelry stores doesn’t serve anyone, and franchised dealers are held to a very different standard when it comes to where they do business.
Competition is good for customers. But everyone should be playing by the same rules, and listings should tell customers the truth about where a business actually is.
In the meantime, local dealers have an advantage Carvana can’t fake: a real address, real people, and a real place for customers to show up. Make sure your own Google Business Profile is accurate, complete, and full of recent reviews and photos.
A real address is worth more than a virtual pin.
Hear the full conversation on today’s episode of the Automotive State of the Union.
