Oh it's a glorious day. And it took freaking long enough.

Am I the only person in the world who hasn't gotten a single one of these?

Too bad it takes a senator getting a call during a meeting to get things done. If it affects the royalty, it'll get changed fast.

Now if they'll just change over to the same social security system, healthcare system, and pump their own gas, we'll really start seeing this "change" that everyone keeps talking about.

I wonder why it took so long. If I were a senator I'd champion these kinds of issues. Completely putting aside that its the right thing to do. It gets press, has 100% of the people on one side of the issue, and it means something to the voters.

@pb5000: I haven't either.

Now that I've said that, though.... :|

"We're hopeful that with the FTC taking it seriously, these robots will finally be defeated."

Ah, but are they taking it VERY seriously?

@winshape: Heh. For what's it's worth, I live on Capitol Hill and I've seen a senator buying her own groceries and a congressman pumping his own gas just in the last week.

Although I will say that pretty much every one of those special congressional license plates I see in DC is attached to a Cadillac.

I got the first robo call yesterday after a couple months break.

So is there some loophole where the "Do not Call" list does not apply to these people. Or is it that the law wasn't being enforced?

I view these calls as weeds. If you have a bunch of weeds on your lawn, blame the guy who handles the weedkiller. Either the stuff isn't strong enough to do the job, or he's not out there spraying the weeds.

@Yankees368:
Me too only mine was from the bunch that urge immkediate action toi keep the interest rate from going up onj a credit card I don't have and never had. Maybe I should give them Mr. Schumer's number.

@pb5000: yes.

@winshape: So wait, slow down... you mean... people with power, influence and money can more easily make change?

@pb5000: I haven't had one on my cell phone, but my girlfriend has probably had 15. I finally answered it myself and called the number back. I asked the lady for the company name and asked to be put on their do not call list. I don't think they've ever called back.

@pb5000: Nope. Presumably, they don't have my cell phone number, and that's the only number I have.

@pb5000: Could I interest you in a phone number trade? If you could just send me your sim-card...

It's about time. I've been filing complaints about this for three years. I get between 3 - 10 phone calls a week, at all hours of the day. The Opt out button NEVER works. A different number & area code almost every time. I try to screen them but I get a lot of calls for work at weird numbers so I really can't.

I also get calls about health insurance, satelite, and so on. All to my cell phone, all the same thing as this... opt out button does not work and they NEVER remove you from the list even if you connect to a rep and ask them to, they just hang up on you.

@pb5000: I haven't gotten one here either.

AutoOne: 1-800-499-4116. If you have to call them, make sure to be as respectful of their time and privacy as they are of yours.

@mwillems: I get them all the time (or got--it's actually been a while since I've had the pleasure of their dulcet tones). My husband never does. They only call my cell, never my house.

I toyed with the idea of getting a warranty for about 10 seconds the third time my car (model year 2005) was in the shop in a month, though. I could bring some adverse selection down on their asses.

They keep calling me, even after speaking with a live person TWICE and telling them to remove me from the list.

I don't even OWN a vehicle!

I'm torn here, between venting at FTC's lackadaisical approach to this huge brazen network of illegal activities, and giving them credit for investigating and halting some illegal activity I reported to them a few months ago. But the bottom line is, the FTC has a job to do and they totally blew it off with the auto-warranty callers. That is inexcusable.

It shouldn't be headline material that a taxpayer funded consumer protection agency is going to do its job today.

Started getting the health insurance one on my work line. Two days in a row now.

@rpm773: No, these guys are completely rogue operations who don't give a F about the Do Not Call list. They use automated programs to call (probably voip) every single phone number in an area code and exchange. Then if a person or voicemail picks up the recording plays. They use spoofed phone numbers on the caller ID for some out of service number in a completely different place than they are located.

I suspect that they targeted higher value area codes (more numbers) and then worked their way down the chain. If you look at some of the who called us type websites you will see the progression through area codes for certain robo calls. You can figure it that way since they even call people who have cell phones still in that area code but have moved to a different place...

@lvhotrain: Seems the scumbags have just switched to a new topic. [800notes.com]

@econobiker: As for the every single number deal I saw it happen at my employer where phones share a common exchange and a sequence of numbers so the phones would ring to various desks or areas in a rough sequence.

@razremytuxbuddy: Remember until is actually affects a person in power nothing gets done.

Also - Is the BBB sure that 300,000 inquiries are not actually complaints?

@econobiker: Ok, so they're operating outside of the law here.

I guess my point is this, and it alludes back to Chuck Schumer's populist dog and pony show from a few days ago: If we already have a law out there to stop these callers, I'm not going to give the FTC or anyone else any praise for only now enforcing the damn thing.

@babyruthless: I don't think they pay any claims, so no one should think for a minute that they could scam the telemarketers back.

@MickeyMoo: Keep in mind that you cannot call an 800 number anonymously -- caller ID blocking does not work.

I get them all the time and always choose to speak with a representative. I call them on their bullshit by asking which vehicle they are talking about. "So you're just pretending to have information about my cars."

I am now getting carpet washing robocalls, can someone start investigating them?

@hairyseaword: i have a hard enough time getting people to make change for a $5 :(

@Cliff_Donner: I.E., call from your boss' phone while (s)he's away.

@holdemm: They're all the same. They're not selling warrantees, washes or insurance, they're peddling scams.

@pb5000: a friend of mine got a call from a 1-800 number. Before he answered it I said: "Your car's warranty is about to expire..." he answered and guess what it was...He'd never heard of it before.

Finally. And what, exactly, has the FTC's DNC enforcement team been investigating for the past 3 years that is more wanton and pervasive than these people?

Frankly I think that the phone companies that sell service to these companies need to be held accountable. They are complicit in this activity and sharing the profits. If they shared the risk, perhaps they'd police their customers more responsibly.

@Trai_Dep: payphones work too

I have not received any of these calls on either of my phones (yet) but figure it is only a matter of time.

I do, however, get a lot of snail mail for these car warranty things which all say the same thing, and have come in envelopes that have been purposly designed to look like important things such as tax documents, and even my paycheck.

@babyruthless:

I'm sure they would say that was a pre-existing condition and that it wouldn't be covered =P

@hairyseaword: I think he was implying that they didn't care enough to effect a change until it was a problem for THEM.

@Cliff_Donner:

Is it a crime to call and speak to them at length about an auto warranty and then laugh maniacally and hang up in their faces?
I mean, they do it to me all the time...

@pb5000: I've not received any of them either. And I have phone #s in 2 different states, 5 different area codes.

@winshape: The only "change" I'm seeing from this administration are the few cents they're going to leave me with after taxes.

@Cliff_Donner: Skype does.

Ugh. Just got one of these this morning. When I pressed one for a representative, they put me on hold! "Your call is important to us" bullshit and everything!

@winshape:
Well, to be fair, if you had lots of money to give to the politicians and their parties, you could have probably gotten something done.

@AngryK9:

Yeah, that's how it starts out, first the mail, then the calls, reminding you about the mail and what you can do to avoid lapsing.

This auto warranty scam has been around for such a long time and I doubt the senators have never heard of them. However, the issue did not seem to bother them until it actually bothered them. Really tells you have important are our issues to the government. If our problems do not touch them, then we don't have a problem.

I've been getting these calls for well over a year--on my cell and my landline. Since the heat's been on them, I'm getting the calls but the number is restricted. I wonder if the FTC investigation has anything to do with the fact that I'm now getting them at work---and I work for the government (fed)!!! I told my supervisor and she said she was getting them too. I figure by the time they start harrassing Uncle Sam, Uncle Sam will find a way to hit 'em...with a big fat, revenue-producing fine.