Drive Caramel Reviews 185

TrustScore 4 out of 5

4.2

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Review summary

Based on reviews, created with AI

Reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers appreciate the user-friendly processes and seamless transactions. The staff is described as knowledgeable, attentive, and professional, making the entire experience smooth and efficient. Consumers highlight the platform's ability to simplify complex tasks such as title work and secure payments. People value the readily available and helpful customer service, with representatives guiding them through each step. The company is praised for its integrated use of technology and its ability to streamline processes, saving time and hassle. The quick response times and proactive communication are also appreciated by reviewers.

Based on these reviews

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Working with Alex Nelson was pleasant and professional. He responded quickly and effectively at every point during the transaction. Unfortunately the transportation partner, Runbuggy, totally dropped... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Invited

The process for the vehicle began June 6, 2025. The stuff from cars.com and Carmel were excellent and kept me up-to date on what had transpired, and what the next step would be. so I was satisfied w... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Verified

Interactions with staff was positive and helpful. I had to hunt for a contact number when I had a question about shipping & payment. Would've liked to have that on my dashboard somewhere.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Overall an excellent experience using the eBay Motors Caramel service. Would have given a five star review but for a few little cracks in their service, user interface could be designed better and p... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sold a car through eBay and buyer opted to use Caramel (first time for me). Alex was very easy to work with and answered the phone promptly whenever I had questions. Very helpful and efficient to deal... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My overall experience using Secure Purchase on eBay Motors was smooth and straightforward. Alex Nelson’s communication was clear, the steps were easy to follow, and the process felt secure from start... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I only used the basic services from Ebay, but Drive Caramel wiped away any concerns I had about doing a car transaction on Ebay. From the moment I placed the bid, to the time I picked up the vehicle,... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I'm a retail used car dealer using Carmel through eBay's Secure Purchase program. This was our first transaction with them, so the process was entirely unfamiliar and I was honestly hesitant about... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I was nervous purchasing a vehicle through Ebay but their Secure Purchase using Caramel made the process reassuring and simple. Stephanie helped me throughout the whole process and was extremely help... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really great experience. Was skeptical at first, however, Alex with eBay, and the whole process with Caramel turned out really well. I'm happy with my purchase and would do it again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

I can enthusiastically recommend Caramel based on a transaction with many moving pieces. Out of state paper work, time line issues and multiple wire transfers and a bank payoff. They were easy t... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

10/10 stars-honestly. Strong and responsive communication, very straightforward and transparent regarding costs, thorough and exacting with paperwork and scheduling. From the moment the auction ended... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Today, I spoke with Taylor and I found her extremely polite on the phone. She answered all my questions and I was not rushed off the phone. Sometimes you call other places and you feel like you ar... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

My Caramel experience is not over yet, but my customer support rep (Taylor) was very responsive, understood the issue that was holding up the process through eBay and quickly contacted other parties t... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

A Clear and Efficient Process. Caramel took the fear and confusion out of privately selling our car to a complete stranger. Support was always reachable and responsive, communication was great, and pa... See more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Alex was a great help and I was able to speak with him when I had questions regarding the sale of my car. I'm not sure about the rest of the Carmel employees. It was over one month between the time... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Caramel has helped our dealership tremendously!! With an easy to use platform, and great help from their team, we have found a way to get traditional type financing to our dealership without having to... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Dealing with Alex was great, he kept me informed and explained how the secure purchase worked. My first time using this system, but you can believe I will use this service again. Thank you

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I appreciate the fact that Drive Caramel has some requirements for a car to get smoged in California. The owner of the car did not have or removed important badging that could a have failed the car on... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Invited

My buyer and I used Caramel Driver Services secure online checkout to complete our used car sales transaction. They have an ingenious, integrated use of technology that streamlines the title trans... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

The total experience with BaT auction has been great and exciting so far. Specially when I had to contact BaT and Caramel customer service. In Caramel everyone has been kind and polite, I talked t... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Quick and Easy transaction. Very fast response time on questions. Megan has held my hand through the whole experience. Also, loved having a 3rd party involved with the transaction due to this bei... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

First time auction buyer. Your process made it very easy to complete the purchase. I did need to contact support with some questions and I was very happy with the positive attitude and knowledge of... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

A fantastic experience! The agent (T) knew everything the moment I talked to them, and they pulled up everything needed without issue! It was quite honestly like some sort of movie, because if... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very smooth transaction, Alex nelson walked me through everything very satisfied. We'll do business again A+

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Caramel was excellent. I wanted to pick up my car before the long Labor day weekend 2025, and i was out of country. They were great (as was the car seller!). Caramel answered the phone or got back to... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

In general, the process of selling my vehicle was made easy and all the steps were clear, leading to minimal confusion between me and the buyer. Of course, purchasing a car online is still a very com... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Taylor was very professional, patient and knowledgeable. She exhibited what is a rarity in most businesses today........Genuine,Caring Customer Service ; She is truly an asset to your company 👍

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

The very nice representative who helped me out was able to get my identity confirmed very quickly after working on it all day long.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Great overall experience! Jessica and other members of the team were always there to answer the phone and work through questions and problems.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Riley made the whole process from start to finish extremely well and answered all my questions!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Taylor did a great job. Super helpful along the way. She eased my concerns and made sure that everything was squared away!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Verified

I sold my vehicle on Bring a Trailer, and the buyer chose to use Drive Caramel. The process may have delayed payment by a day or so, but it definitely made me feel much more secure about the entire tr... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Anna has been very attentive and personable. She took the time to explain, in detail the process and time frames for each part of the transaction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I used Caramel for the first time to purchase my 1966 Volvo from Bring a Trailer, and they made the whole process incredibly easy. Was I a babe in the woods? Absolutely. But Peter was there for me t... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Colyn is our representative and he is truly amazing. He is very responsive and knowledgeable and quick to inform us of what is happening next and what to expect. We have closed several deals wit... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Working with Riley from Caramel has been a total game-changer. As a new dealer, the amount of paperwork and logistics can be overwhelming—but Riley took all of that off my plate. He walked me through... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Anthony has made my experience with Caramel Great! As a small dealer, it’s difficult to offer good financing for customers to not only help them, but also help me put deals together. I’m very thankful... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

I was unsure about such a large financial transaction with a third party company that would supposedly handle everything including registration and plates eliminating my need to go to the DMV. Honestl... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Stephany made our transaction very smooth and legit — she’s the best! What I really liked about her is that she was always on point with communication. Even though it was my first time registering as... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

We've been using Caramel for a few years now and they've been great! They've helped us close several deals we wouldn’t have been able to make otherwise. Their process is user-friendly and easy to navi... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Bought a ‘21 Crosstrek from DriveCaramel last month. Price was fair, no haggle nonsense. Car arrived looking great - one small ding they hadn’t caught, but they cut me a check same day for the fix. Th... See more

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Company details

  1. #12 of 13 best companies in Car Dealer
  2. #6 of 7 best companies in Auto Market
  3. #3 of 4 best companies in Motor Vehicle Dealer
  4. #4 of 5 best companies in Used Car Dealer

Written by the company

Caramel is an app and website that makes buying someone's vehicle or selling your own simple, safe, & sweet. But once you find your car or buyer, Caramel handles everything for you. That includes paperwork, secure payment, title transfer and registration, fraud checks, and verification. With the option to add vehicle protection, digital inspection, finance, and transport.


Contact info

4.2

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

185 reviews

5-star
4-star
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1-star

Replied to 64% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Experience

Working with Peter Lorn has been very helpful! Having a car shipped across the country (CA to FL) creates lots of anxiety. Peter took great care of me. Thank you, Caramel and Peter!

December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This company does not cover what they say they cover

I have completely paid the coverage cost of the warranty they sold me and caramel did not pay the claim, part and repair that I paid for

December 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Drive Caramel logo

Reply from Drive Caramel

Hi J, we're sorry to hear that one of the warranty partners we offer did not meet your expectations. If we can be on help please don't hesitate to reach out.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not use!

The good folks at Caramel made me miss my window to have my car shipped since they decided to not advertise they took Black Friday off since that’s now a holiday. Glad Caramel is able to make interest off my money while a so called streamlined service cost me time and money now. Bringatrailer needs to find a new vendor.

November 28, 2025
Unprompted review
Drive Caramel logo

Reply from Drive Caramel

Hi Ryan, our sincere apologies for this - please reach out and we can help you coordinate with your shipping partner. I've requested your email in the system so that we can proactively reach out if you want to provide that as well. Thank you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Not my first choice

Caramel did not provide the services to us that were noted on Ebay's website because the buyer selected to do the Title transfer himself.

As sellers, we did not know it was OPTION that the buyer could do the title transfer instead of Caramel. Not mentioned in anything we read on eBay's website. BE AWARE that Caramel ONLY provides title transfer services WHEN THE BUYER selects that option at checkout. This was explained to me by ebay Secure Purchase Support staff (who is difficult at best to get in contact with).

Drive Caramel, their support 'team' was terrible -- did not actually answer my questions (like why was the buyer's name on the bill of sale instead of Caramel's name as Ebay website stated would be ("in most" cases)) but instead, provided generic talking points OR referenced specifics NOT part of our sale.

Caramel caused me a great deal of needless stress. I found the staff unprofessional, and at one point Caramel even seemed to be pushing us to cancel the sale instead of answering my questions about discrepancies between Ebay's website descriptions and Caramel's services/role in our particular sale.

I actually have the impression Caramel was acting as a fiduciary for the buyer even though it was us, the seller who setup the listing using Secure Purchase (i.e., selected Caramel's services for the transaction) and who paid their fee.

November 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Drive Caramel logo

Reply from Drive Caramel

Hi Cheryl, thank you for the feedback. Our sincere apologies that we did not deliver the level of support you deserve. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to help.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Working with Alex Nelson was pleasant…

Working with Alex Nelson was pleasant and professional. He responded quickly and effectively at every point during the transaction. Unfortunately the transportation partner, Runbuggy, totally dropped the ball and never arranged the enclosed transport that I ordered. Alex got my payment refunded and the selling dealer engaged his transport broker and got my car promptly delivered. My rating would be 5 stars if Runbuggy had done their job.

November 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Verified

Taylor did a great job

Taylor did a great job. Super helpful along the way. She eased my concerns and made sure that everything was squared away!

November 24, 2025
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Was working with Anna and she was…

Was working with Anna and she was attentive UNTIL I left her a positive review. Now, I can't get a response to phone calls or texts. Very disappointed!

November 21, 2025
Unprompted review
Drive Caramel logo

Reply from Drive Caramel

Hi Don, our sincere apologies for this. I see in the service notes it looks like you were able to get in touch with someone but if you need anything just reach out and we'll be happy to help!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Drive Caramel assuring a smooth transaction!

I only used the basic services from Ebay, but Drive Caramel wiped away any concerns I had about doing a car transaction on Ebay. From the moment I placed the bid, to the time I picked up the vehicle, Drive Caramel had me covered. After the initial bid acceptance, I got an email from an actual Drive Caramel agent asking to setup a call. The agent reviewed the process with me and assured me that the process is setup to protect both parties. I was able to pay via a simple wire transfer process and coordinate pickup and title transfer in a way that worked well for all. The pickup went smooth and the agents helped confirm the transaction before releasing payment to the buyer. Great overall service and Alex Nelson was particularly helpful in the coordination and education. Thanks for assuring a smooth transaction.

November 15, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

1st contact "Alex" was a big help however...

Alex was a great help and I was able to speak with him when I had questions regarding the sale of my car. I'm not sure about the rest of the Carmel employees. It was over one month between the time I sold the car to when the funds were transfered to my account. I really wondered if I'd been scammed. I had to call Carmel several times and they assured me they would take care of the sale but it just took too long.

September 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Drive Caramel logo

Reply from Drive Caramel

Hi Lee, we're sorry to hear that this took too long. I reviewed your deal and it looks like in this case they buyer arranged their own transport which delayed delivery / payment by several weeks. In any case we appreciate the feedback.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sold a car through eBay and buyer opted…

Sold a car through eBay and buyer opted to use Caramel (first time for me). Alex was very easy to work with and answered the phone promptly whenever I had questions. Very helpful and efficient to deal with the same rep when handling a deal like this and Alex was excellent. Process was very straightforward - they handle the funds; title sent directly to buyer.

November 19, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My overall experience using Secure…

My overall experience using Secure Purchase on eBay Motors was smooth and straightforward. Alex Nelson’s communication was clear, the steps were easy to follow, and the process felt secure from start to finish. One area for improvement would be shortening the wait time for verification updates, but overall I was very satisfied with how everything was handled. I truly loved it and would use it again!! 👍

September 30, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really great experience

Really great experience. Was skeptical at first, however, Alex with eBay, and the whole process with Caramel turned out really well. I'm happy with my purchase and would do it again.

November 19, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Dealing with Alex was great

Dealing with Alex was great, he kept me informed and explained how the secure purchase worked. My first time using this system, but you can believe I will use this service again.
Thank you

November 15, 2025
Unprompted review

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