Regresar al GuidesSpam car warranty calls are so standard now that the internet is flooded with memes about the lengths spammers will go to reach you about "your car's extended warranty." According to YouMail, Americans received more than 50 Billion Robocalls in the year 2021, and the annoyance does not seem to be slowing.
If you have, or continue to receive calls about your vehicle's extended warranty, know that these calls are deceptive and illegal; continue reading to learn what extended vehicle warranties are and how to stop pesky Robocalls from calling your phone.
What Extended Car Warranties Are
An extended car warranty is optional and additional to your original manufacturer's vehicle warranty. Third-party vendors often offer extended warranties, typically beginning when your factory warranty expires.
Not all extended warranties begin when your vehicle's warranty is up; some can overlap with your existing warranty. Extended warranties are meant to assist in covering the cost of major repairs or replacements for an agreed-upon number of years or miles once your manufacturer's warranty is void.
Even with technological advances today, vehicles do not run forever. An extended warranty can prevent you from having a surprise vehicle-related expense further down the road.
Spotting A Spam Call:
The first step to avoiding scammers is knowing the warning signs before the call occurs. Scam calls are becoming more convincing as scammers learn from their mistakes and adapt their techniques. Below is a list of warning signs that the call is spam and should be reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as soon as possible.
The Call Is Vague:
Outside the apparent auto warranty robocalls, a trait of a scam call is how vague the offered warranty is. Suppose the telemarketer lacks specific information about the warranty or policy they offer.
In that case, this is a red flag of a spam call. Legitimate companies that sell extended vehicle warranties have trained staff who know the ins and outs of their offered service contracts.
You Are Asked To Provide Personal Information Over The Phone:
Suppose you are asked for personal information over the phone, such as your social security number, credit card number, or bank account number. In that case, the call is likely a scam, and you should hang up immediately.
Phone scams target the quick payday, and providing your personal information allows scammers easy access to your accounts. Scammers can also take any personal information you provide over the phone and use it to steal your identity.
The Caller Notifies You That It Is Urgent and To Take Action Right Away:
Legitimate car warranty companies desire business, and it is not good business to rush potential customers into purchasing your product. Car warranty scams will push you to make a purchasing decision, hoping they can take advantage of you in a rushed and tense state of mind.
It would be best if you did not rush to decide on anything involving your personal information, especially over the phone.
You Do Not Recognize The Phone Number:
A good rule of thumb is to recognize the phone number or area code of an incoming call to answer. Scammers are getting better at "spoofing," when your phone's caller ID will read a local area code but originate from an entirely different location.
Spoofing is illegal according to the FCC, which mandates that all telemarketers must display their phone number or company name when calling consumers. If you receive a call from an unknown number, it is best to let it go to your voicemail. Answering or pressing buttons on robocalls can lead to your number receiving many more unwanted calls.
Below is a list of the top area codes targeted for spam calls, according to USA Today:
- Fort Lauderdale (954)
- Los Angeles (310)
- Dallas (214)
- Miami (786)
- Miami (305)
- San Francisco (415)
- Seattle (206)
- San Antonio (210)
- New York City (917)
- Austin (512)
The Caller Threatens You:
If the caller threatens you in any way, immediately hang up the phone. Some auto warranty scammers will use fear and intimidation to get you to believe what they tell you over the phone.
An example could be an auto warranty scammer calling your cell phone and informing you that not only is your manufacturer's auto warranty expired, but you also owe back payments for not having a third-party warranty or policy in place.
The scammer then tells you that to avoid legal action; you can make a payment over the phone to them directly. As previously discussed, you should not share personal information over the phone and hang up the call when any part of the call becomes threatening or intimidating.
How The Spam Caller Got Your Information
There are legitimate and illegitimate ways in which auto warranty scammers and other spam callers get ahold of your information. Data breaches are the primary way scammers unlawfully obtain consumer information; in 2021, data breaches were up by sixty-eight percent, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Legitimate ways car warranty scammers acquire your personal information is by purchasing your information directly from a state department of motor vehicles (DMV). Some states sell driver's license numbers, vehicle information, and other information on your driver's license through contracted sales, over-the-counter orders, or pay-per-search online sales.
Spam callers and telemarketers can legally get your information by you simply selecting "I agree" on a Terms of Service box when prompted by data accumulating firms, credit reporting companies, and when entering a contest or competition. A large portion of consumer phone numbers is also available online by businesses that will purchase a list and call the numbers on the list without the owner's permission.
How To Stop Getting Spam Car Warranty Calls
Download a Robocall Blocking App:
Apps have been helping automate processes since their invention and only continue to grow more advanced in their ability to block spam calls. Smartphones are typically outfitted with some level of spam call protection from the manufacturer.
Still, apps allow for up-to-date spam call-blocking technology that can adapt to the scammer's different attempts.
Add Your Phone Number to the National Do Not Call Registry:
The Do Not Call Registry is a free list you can sign up for designed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reduce the number of telemarking calls you receive.
While we are all grateful for the reduction in telemarketing calls, the Do Not Call list does not apply to scam calls, making it essential for consumers to add their number to the Do Not Call Registry and to download scam-blocking apps onto their smartphones.
Read the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA):
Understanding your legal rights regarding telemarketing phone calls could allow you to profit from a mistake on the telemarketer's end. Once your phone number passes the thirty-day mark of being added to the Do Not Call registry, telemarketers are only legally allowed to call your phone number once a year.
Any time after this initial call, consumers can receive anywhere from $500 to $1,500 a call, according to the TCPA. This does not apply, unfortunately, to auto warranty scam calls as they are illegal and operate outside the bounds of the law.
File a Complaint With The FCC:
According to Consumer Reports, the FCC is fighting against the monstrous amount of Robocalls affecting millions of people daily. The FCC named two key people responsible for these Robo-scam calls, Roy Cox Jr. and Aaron Michael Jones.
Their work is known as the "Cox, Jones, Sumco Panama Operation," In 2020 alone, the operation purchased a list of half a million phone numbers from at least 229 area codes. In support of the FCC's order, the Ohio Attorney General is also taking action against the Sumco Panama Operation.
If you are getting car extended warranty calls that you did not consent to, or you suspect that a call is a scam, filing a consumer complaint is easy to do and can be completed online a the FCC's website.
Filing a complaint with the FCC will assist in building cases against scammers like the Sumco Panama Operation.
Block Any Number That Keeps Calling:
Consumers can also utilize their smartphone's built-in Silence Unknown Callers feature instead of directly blocking individual numbers that keep calling your phone number.
iPhone and Android smartphones offer this feature but remember that this feature will block all unknown callers, not only the unwanted ones.
Do Not Answer The Call:
It may sound like a simple answer, but not answering your phone when you suspect a telemarketer or scammer is calling may discourage them from continuing to reach you. Scammers are more likely to reattempt calling numbers they consider more active or have engaged with them in the past.
Sometimes it really can be as easy as just not answering.
What You Should Do If You Want To Extend Your Vehicle's Warranty
If you are interested in purchasing an extended vehicle warranty but are weary of the increase in car warranty robocalls, seek out information online for reputable automotive extended warranty service providers. If the extended warranty company is legit, they will appear on a search through the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The second option consumers have when seeking a vehicle extended warranty is contacting the dealership they purchased their vehicle from. Often the car dealer will have third-party organizations they work with closely or may even offer extended warranty coverage of their own.
Consumers should be cautious but bold in purchasing extended vehicle warranty coverage. While scamming people through offering false extended vehicle warranty coverage is trending, the importance of carrying coverage past your manufacturer's warranty will always be important.
