A CarMax customer shared the heartwarming note left behind by the car’s previous owner, and it’s left viewers feeling sentimental. Some are now sharing their anecdotes about selling their cars.
TikToker Kimberly C. (@kimberlyc1995) shares the story of her new car in a slideshow. The video accrued over 258,000 views.
“We purchased this car at the carmax in Riverside, CA in August of last year,” a text overlay in the video reads, while another said, “My husband told me he had found a note from the previous owner in the glovebox.”
The second picture in the TikTok video montage shows off a photo of the note in question. The message appears to be written on a large post-it appended to the Ford sedan’s user manual.
“Hi Thank you for giving Kirby a new home. He was my first car. I hope you love him just as much – Sunny,” it reads.
Kimberly used her TikTok post as an opportunity to let Sunny know that their first whip, Kirby, was doing just fine. “I just want to let Sunny know that I do love Kirby. And he now lives in Colorado,” the text overlay on the clip reads.
She adds in a caption of the video that “the car is now paid off and officially mine.”
According to CarMax’s website, the used car retailer provides a 125+ point inspection of vehicles before they are sold. The business writes on its website that it checks “engine components and associated systems for proper operation, leaks, abnormal noises, corrosion, bad connections, or excessive wear.” It adds that CarMax’s mechanics “spend hours replacing parts, fixing major dents or scratches, and detailing to make every car feel like new. Once a vehicle completes this process, it’s officially CarMax Certified, which means it meets or exceeds our high standards for quality.”
Despite this inspection system, redditors who responded to a post on the CarMax subreddit recommended that prospective CarMax customers use a third-party inspection resource.
The subject of the comments section in response to Kimberly’s video, however, took on much different tone. It had more to do with the memories one creates with their first car and how beautiful they saw the act of passing it down.
“That’s cute. I’m always sad when I buy a new car. Like they have feelings,” one person wrote.
Another remarked that they hoped Kimberly’s TikTok reply somehow made its way to Sunny. “Bring me back to see the owner seeing this,” they wrote.
One TikTok user said they, too, received a parting gift from a previous owner of a used car they purchased. But it just wasn’t as heartwarming as the one Kimberly received. “That’s nice. We just bought our minivan from that CarMax and my daughter found some inappropriate stickers in one of the pouches,” they shared.
Why do people become attached to their cars?
It’s totally normal for people to have an emotional attachment to their cars and feel sentimental when having to say goodbye to them. According to research cited by Life Love and Dirty Dishes, the majority of car owners reportedly do. Reasons for this vary but one of which is that people will often humanize their cars. As a matter of fact, research suggests that one-fourths of car owners name their whips.
Experts also say that cars are part of its owner’s major life milestones, such as it bringing their child home from the hospital or it taking them to a loved one’s wedding or graduation, whether the car owner realizes it or not at the time.
But for some, it may be even deeper than that. People who have uncertain relationships with other humans may grow an attachment to material objects, like cars. This is because material items, unlike some people, are “emotionally reliable,” per Life Love and Dirty Dishes. Such items are always there and usually don’t leave until their owner wants them to. Many Reddit posts featuring broken-hearted car sellers back up this research.
The Daily Dot has reached out to CarMax via email and Kimberly via TikTok comment for further information.
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