Beware Auto Warranty Pitches On Phone

3 May 2008

Those ceaseless, computer-generated calls that try to get you to sign up for some must-have extended auto warranty have become more than just annoying.

"Consumers are often fooled by the pitch: 'Your warranty is about to expire, this is your last warning, this is a final offer,'" Connecticut state Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said. "Extended warranties are contracts, and any consumer who is interested in such a program needs to see it in writing and should not make a decision on the phone."

Unfortunately, too often the elderly are the ones to get sucked in. Amy Cooke of Rocky Hill, 91, said she received a call in October from a man claiming to be from "Warranty Finance" in Florida saying that the warranty on her 2004 Ford Taurus was expiring.

Cooke said she was caught in a weak moment and, without thinking, agreed over the phone to purchase the warranty. She said she gave the caller her credit card number and has been charged $140.75 each month since then. She said she has never received any paperwork showing that she has a warranty.

Farrell asks that anyone who receives a call to try to get as much information as possible about where they are calling from and who they represent. That information should be passed on to Farrell's department — 1-800-842-2649 — to give authorities more ammunition in their investigation, he said.

Story

Send to a Friend

Bookmark this page:

Comments

Rating: +2

em woo - 5 May 2008

Seems odd that so many (if not all) of these types of calls originate from Florida - surely that state's Attorney General's office & state legislature must be aware of this activity??

Rating: +2

Tricia - 6 May 2008

Florida is the hot bed of a lot scams - their targets being the elderly and we all know Florida is the retirement capital of the US.

Rating: +1

Mike in FL - 16 May 2008

I got this stupid call to, of all things, my cellphone! I'd love to know who thought it was okay to give telemarketers cell number access and punch them. Anyway, I knew it was bogus because the warranty on my car had expired several years ago. $140 a month? My old beater of a car doesn't even Blue Book at that!

Rating: 0

warranty-annoyed - 18 May 2008

Tomorrow I am going to buy the shrillest, loudest whistle I can find. Then I am going to kick back and just wait for the next call. I am going to enjoy this one, heh-heh.

Rating: 0

Emmie - 20 Jun 2008

I LOVE that idea! These folks keep calling my work, though I have repeatedly told them to remove the number from their list. They hang up on me before I can get any info...

Rating: 0

ddr - 15 Jul 2008

I tried that, but when I called their number right back, it said that it was a disconnected number---yes, the number that just called my cellphone! I did finally used a reverse phone number research online firm and found out that mine was coming from California 1-800-461-6675! The person that answered said that maybe he could get a message to them to stop calling me --claimed it wasn't his company, but he might could help!

Rating: 0

Misc. - 9 Jun 2008

They're now mostly coming from Las Vegas, at least for me in the Colorado area.
A different number the business day after I requested them to not call me anymore.

Rating: +2

I wantobeleftinpeace - 5 May 2008

Please look at your caller ID and write it down. Also note the time of calling. Ask for their business name and call-back number. With me when i ask for the call back number they usually hang up.
THEN:

Report it at the FCC and we may be able to stop this scum from using your cell phone minutes to try and scam you.
LINK for FCC complaint:
https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/consumer.do

Rating: 0

CAP - 8 May 2008

I have filed half a dozen complaints with the FCC and it hasn't stopped them!!

Rating: 0

Carolyn - 13 May 2008

I have turned the calls in to FCC and it hasn't stop the calls to my number either

Rating: -4

Annoyed - 5 May 2008

The phone companies are in on the scam. The numbers are always masked - misrepresented as a different number. The only way they can do it is to have physical access to the telephone exhange equipment. It's always an inside job.

Rating: -5

Bobby - 5 May 2008

Actually, a customer can choose what number that will show on a caller ID when they call you with certain phone systems and with certain automatic dialers. Dont blame the phone companies without doing your research first!!!

Rating: +1

central office boy - 8 May 2008

the telephone companies do have the ability to enforce the outbound caller ID display. the switches must save forensics for 7 years according to the Patriot act. these loopholes in the regulations are for the big corporate guys to hid in for their guerrilla marketing campaigns. lucent and nortel, of whom make 90 % of the central office equipment can be configured so that if the outbound number is erroneous, the call will not setup.

what you can thank for this mess are the vonages' and cisco's of the world who do things on non-standard manners.

the 5ESS and DMS-100 do have the ability to police more, but the carriers need to implement this.

Rating: +2

stevenw - 12 May 2008

Technically, you are right, but the phone companies make a fortune from the telemarketing industry and bend over backwards to facilitate them. The phone companies could make teleharassment far more difficult if they wanted to, but the almighty buck rules.

Rating: +1

Alex Bell - 15 May 2008

When Called ID was first sold to the public, it was under the condition that everyone would have to show their real number. So why is it that telemarketers can have their number show as "Unknown", or as some number that is obviously wrong?

With all the scamming that goes on by telemarketers, often of the elderly, I would think the phone company would want to put a stop to it. They don't, because they make too much money from these people.

I Have done my research. And I DO blame the phone company.

Rating: -3

warranty services - 5 May 2008

I am a rep with a warranty company based in chicago. those calls that people recieve are giving us a bad name. warranties are legit but the manner in which they are pitched to you is what counts. here is a link to our company.
endurancewarrantyservices.com

feel free to look. if you have any questions then please contact me at 1-866-442-5552 ext 335

Jason

Rating: 0

Damian - 30 May 2008

Let me tell you something, those calls are definitely bad news, but so is YOUR company. I got a card from you all, and it's clearly a scam. People, don't visit this man's website. You can read all about the scam his company is involved with -- http://dgrove.blogspot.com/2008/05/final-warranty-notice.html

It's a white card with red bad in the middle saying "FINAL WARRANTY NOTICE". I'm trying to get the word out about this in hopes to steer at least a few people away from this scam.

Rating: 0

Allysun Perdue - 6 May 2008

Digitcom Service/Wildgate Wireless is the company which provides the ANI's to the call centers responsible for the pre-recorded calls.

I have alot of information regarding these calls, especially where they're calling from.
I'm currently involved in a major Class Action Law suit against the call centers whom are are calling on behalf of National Dealers Warranty and others as well.
For more information on the suit, go to my site: http://enforcetcpa.tripod.com and you can obtain updated information on phone numbers, addresses, and names of the call centers responsible for this as well.

Rating: 0

StephanieAK - 6 May 2008

I've been getting post cards from National Dealers Warranty for about three years. When I read it the first time, it said my warranty was about to expire and I need to call to activate coverage before it's too late. All the ones I received after that said it was the FINAL offer. Now I get phone calls. All the flippin' time. I am not falling for these stupid scams and I am so aggravated about the constant calling.

Rating: 0

JJ Lettuce - 6 May 2008

I received my first "Your vehicle warranty is about to expire" postcard 500 miles before my actual vehicle warranty was about to expire....3 years ago. They still come almost weekly. It's obvious that whomever sold my info about my first warranty started this whole mess, and someone jumped all over this scam opportunity. Selling personal info to telemarketing companies should be banned!!!!

1 2 3 4 5

Post a comment about this news:

Your Name

Your name or nickname as you would like it to appear in the title of your post.

Message

Validation Code

Type the characters you see in the picture.

Site Menu

Search Phone Number