New Player In Austin Used Auto Industry Has Something Others Don't: A Giant Car Vending Machine [Video]

AUSTIN, TX — It's often said that everything is bigger in Texas. So, too, this would include coin-operated vending machines — including a new arrival that dispenses used cars

That was not a typo. Carvana, billing itself as a leading eCommerce platform for buying used cars, on Tuesday unveiled one of its signature, proprietary, fully automated and coin-operated car vending machines in Austin. It's only the third such contraption in the entire U.S., launched locally just two months after the vending machine's debut in Houston.

Company officials told Patch in an email that the giant vending machines will "...offer a unque and innovative pick-up experience for customers who purchase a car online from the company."

You think?

The Austin Car Vending Machine is located south of Stassney Lane in South Austin, at 6014 S. Interstate 35. The all-glass structure stands five stories tall, contains three delivery bays and stores up to 20 vehicles loaded in advance of a customer’s pick-up. For the uninitiated who might be nervous about using a five-story-high vending machine for the first time, Carvana "customer advocates" are available on-site to help facilitate "a personalized and memorable pick-up experience," company officials said.

Because it's not every day one selects a car from a ginormous vending machine.

“We launched our free car delivery service in Austin in late 2015, and we’ve received positive feedback from customers in the area since then," Ernie Garcia, founder and CEO of Carvana, said in a prepared statement. "The demand has been so great that it made sense for us to deepen our service in Austin with a Car Vending Machine.”

Garcia said the aim was to make car buying less stressful and, why not, fun for the customer. Plus the gadgetry involved is a nice fit in a city that touts itself as "Silicon Hills," given its robust high-tech industry.

"Our mission is to remove the stress and anxiety from the car buying experience and make the process fun and exciting," Garcia said. "Plus, Austin has an incredibly vibrant tech and innovation scene that aligns with Carvana’s mission, so we couldn’t be more excited to bring the next Car Vending Machine to the city.”

It all starts online, where Carvana customers begin their experience by searching for and buying their desired car Carvana.com in as little as 15 minutes using a mobile phone or desktop computer, company officials said. Customers can also trade-in a car and secure vehicle financing through Carvana, they added in a well-placed and discreet plug for their offerings that we'll let slide this time given the uniqueness of their vending machine.

"Once the purchase is complete, customers can choose to have their car delivered directly to their door as soon as the next day, or they can opt to pick it up at one of Carvana’s Car Vending Machines," officials said.

At the time of pick-up at a Vending Machine, the customer receives an oversized Carvana coin to drop into the coin slot, activating the Vending Machine, officials explained. The purchased car is then automatically retrieved from the tower and conveyed through the machine until it reaches a delivery bay, where the customer takes possession.

Customers then have seven days to test own the car and make sure it meets all expectations. Within that window, if customers are not completely satisfied, they can return their car for any reason for a refund.

Hours of operation for the Austin Car Vending Machine are Monday through Saturday from 9am to 7pm CST. "As always, vehicle pickup at any of Carvana’s Car Vending Machines is free for all Carvana customers," officials said. "For those customers who live 100 miles outside of the Austin metropolitan area but want to pick up their car at the Vending Machine, Carvana will subsidize $200 in airfare and arrange white glove transportation from the Austin airport."

This isn't like getting a candy bar or potato chips at the vending machine. And we wouldn't recommend shaking the machine in the case of dangling cars (which, given the design, is not likely of occurring, but still).

To learn more about Carvana and its coin-operated Car Vending Machines, click here.

Founded in 2013 and based in Phoenix, Carvana launched its first-ever coin-operated vending machine in Nashville. The company has since doubled the number of markets where it offers free (often next-day) delivery services from nine to 21 markets. In August 2016, the expansion-minded firm closed on a $160 million round of Series C funding, bringing total funding at $460 million, and more than doubled its year-over-year revenue to more than $350 million last year.

The giant Carvana car vending machine. We know it's a gimmick, but we like it.

>>> Photos and video courtesy of Carvana