We’ve been getting a lot of emails from people saying that a company is using a robocaller to call their cellphones and pretend that their car warranty is expiring. Too bad that some of these readers don’t even have a car. Has happened to you? Do you know who is behind it?
Here is one such email from reader Jamie:
Have you guys heard anything about the telemarketers calling cell phones wanting to sign you up for an extended car warranty?
It is ridiculous the amount I’m getting on both my personal cell phone and work cell phone. I Google the phone number, different each time, and find that others are getting the same calls. They never leave a message and there IS someone there to answer if you choose to talk with someone.
It appears that it doesn’t matter if you are on the Do-Not-Call list or ask them to take you off their list, they keep calling.
Have you heard of this?
Yes, in fact, we wrote about AT&T’s attempt to sue the people behind these calls, but no one seems to know who they are because they spoof their phone numbers— and the government doesn’t seem to care. We also asked the BBB if they knew who was behind this robot army and they didn’t. It is a total mystery.
If you know who they are, tell us about it at tips@consumerist.com. Put “Car Warranty Robocaller” in the subject.
(Photo:dancoulter)
Those “Expired Car Warranty” people go through spurts of calling me, until I make them not want to scam me, then they don’t call me for up to a month at a time.
Telling them I know it’s a scam has never worked, nor has asking them to unsubscribe me.
Most recently, I haven’t gotten a call ever since I told them my car had over 200,000 miles on it.
They also hang up right away if you’re too gung-ho about helping them (they must be looking out for us time-wasters).
Early on I thought it was a real business, asked for the supervisor’s name, and he said Joe Dirt. I said “Like the movie?” and that ballsy ass said “yep.”
This company calls me constantly and it drives me crazy!!I received a call from them a few weeks ago and I pressed 1 to talk to an agent and when he got on the phone I asked him the name of this company and he said US Fidelis.
I can’t believe I’m actually suggesting this, but given the number of people who have pointed out that this scam doesn’t seem to be profitable for the scammers, is it possible (I feel ridiculous for even thinking it, but is it POSSIBLE) that it actually IS the telecoms, with offshore call centers simply calling numbers to eat up minutes? In aggregate, all these 30 second – 2 minute calls must add up, and SOMEbody’s paying for those minutes. Feel free to tell me I’m crazy paranoid. This can’t be the answer, can it?
I got one of those calls yesterday, and pressed the “do not call” button at the end of the spiel (of course, I’m already on the government do not call list).
Just got another call from them an hour ago. I’ve half a mind to ask what they’d charge to extend the warranty on my 1997 Saturn with 109,000 miles on it!
I posted the details last month on my blog, but here are the highlights and a link. They are spoofing Caller ID, pressing #2 to opt out doesn’t work, and after I tried to register my 1984 Nissan 300ZX, they dropped the call.
Tons of complaints to the BBB, I recommend anyone with enough time to file a complain with the State of Missouri.
National Auto Warranty Services
100 Mall Parkway
Wentzville, MO 63385
Phone: 636-639-1620
Phone: 800-649-1856
[oneautowarranty.com] – note the domain name does not include National Auto Warranty Services, but this is the domain name provided by the company via telephone.
General Sales Manager, Derek Carroll (ext 7799)
General Manager, Eddie Struckman (ext 7706)
Team Managers: Brian Hayes, Brian Sczepanski, Chris Robinson, Len Woolfenden and Nils Foldberg.
[www.paulbegley.com]
I never use all the minutes on my cell phone, so I hit the option to speak to a rep, then simply ask them to hold on and set the phone down. I then continue whatever I’m doing, signal whoever is in the room with me, and have a bit of background conversation… usually inserting the word “warranty” or the phrase “did you check in the car warranty?”
Then, I’ll pick up the phone from time to time and ask relevant questions that are not at all true of my car:
“Hey, Laurie… was this for the 2004 Mazda or the 2008 Chevy? (we have a 2007 Honda) Okay, hang on.” (continue on project. Comment about the car to someone in the room)
“Laurie, do I need to call Glenn Motors about this? No? Okay, hold on… I’ll be right back.”
I’ve had them hanging on as long as 20 minutes. The final time I pick up, I say this “Hey Laurie? Just thought I’d let you know, I’ve been wasting your time and I’m not interested. I’ve made up every detail about the cars and dealers I’ve mentioned. I will do this every time your company calls me, and I intend to waste as much of your company’s time as possible.”
After enduring 3 calls a day for weeks, I only had to do this 3 times before they stopped calling me completely.
I was getting 2-3 calls a day from these people. I kept track of when they were calling me and from what number. For me, it was always the same. I filed a complaint with the FCC. I doubt that it will do any good.
I already knew that they didn’t leave voicemails, so I set up my phone to send that number straight to voicemail. I haven’t heard from them since.
I get these all the time, both land line and cell.
One time I pretended for about 5 minutes that I was an old (yes) confused (no) coot who was really worried but just could not remember the warranty. The didn’t seem to mind at all that I was confused!
After the 5 minutes were up, I went to my regular voice and told the guy he ought to really look for honest work. He hung up on me, but then the calls really started to come, probably 25 in 3-4 days. People w/o souls.
A couple of tips to beat the robodialers: if you’re receiving lots of dialer calls (you pick up and no one’s there for a second) when you answer the phone, don’t say anything or make any noises for at least 2-3 seconds – dialing software uses this time window and the audio levels it receives in response to determine whether it’s reached a person, an answering machine, a non-working number, etc. A long moment of silence confuses it and in most cases it should just terminate your call (while an actual human will inevitably say something if you don’t speak up.)
After those 2-3 seconds, issue your greeting – if there is a human there, they will respond, if it is an autodialler trying to connect you to telemarketing rep (and it hasn’t hung up yet) of course there will be no one there: time to hang up. CLICK. That silent pause gives you a better chance of escape, if you immediately say “hello” when you pick up, good dialer software has a better chance of connecting you with a rep before you realize what’s going on.
I haven’t spoken to a telemarketer in several years, although I have hung up on about 15,000 of their calls (sometimes I get to hear the first few words of their shpiel as I’m hanging up on them.) Having to hang up is an acceptable annoyance, however, as I am assured of the fact that they know they are completely and totally wasting their time and efforts in dialling me with unsolicited sales pitches and/or scams.
I never, ever, never answer my cell if the call is coming from a number I do not recogize. I paid for too many wrong number calls before I decided this needed to be the rule. If it is really an emergency, whoever it is will leave me a message or text…
I had this problem a while back, hanging up on the robomessage that I’d get every time. One day I decided to call them back at the number they provided. I told them I didn’t have a car. Haven’t heard from them since.
I have been getting the auto warranty calls for the last year on my cell phone. I’ve just started getting calls on my home phone offering to help me lower my credit card interest rates.
When I have time, I keep the rep on the phone, playing along, then ask them how their mother would feel knowing their son/daughter is nothing more than a petty thief.
Yeah, it’s tacky, but it makes me angry knowing that if they called my grandmother with this crap, she’d probably give them her information.
If I can ruin their day, or even a tiny part of their day, I will cheerfully take 15 minutes of my time to do so.
I too have been getting the “Car Warranty” calls on both my cell phone and my home phone. I didn’t know that my warranty was still active for my 1979 Suburban….If it is still valid I should think about taking my truck in for service. LOL Now the newest Robo-Telemarketer is telling me about my Credit Card…I have NOT One credit card. I haven’t had a credit card in over 6 years. I called the phone number from my telephone company on the “Do-Not-Call Notification” 888-382-1222 and it states that they have 31 days for all telemarketers to cease calling. Today is March 20th 2009 and I registered for “Do-Not-Call” on February 11th 2009. I am thinking this is not effective either. Can anyone HELP????
Was able to call 402-982-0668, and it wanted to know if I wanted to remove my number off the list. Lets see if it works this time.
has anyone tried to act interested in the car warranty to see who is behind this? i think i will next time i get a call.
Just got a call. 704-220-0630 (North Carolina. Metro Charlotte area)
I admittedly lost my cool and asked “Who the **** is this and don’t ever ****in’ call this number again” before the person on the phone hung up on me.
Honestly I don’t care. I really didn’t feel like talking to someone to tell them once again to not call me and just went for venting pure venom. I know it doesn’t get you anywhere with these people… but atleast it’s a release.