Back before I knew extended auto warranties were mostly a scam, I bought one. But every time I tried to use it at the car repair shop, they’d say, “Sorry. That policy doesn’t cover this.”
I got so ticked I called the company. Staffers there laughed at me. Too bad. So sad.
At that time, around 20 years ago, I was still developing skills that eventually would make me the founder of Watchdog Nation, a consumer rights movement that teaches us how to fight back when we need to. (If you’re reading this, consider yourself a member — and welcome!)
Anyway, online I found a list of names of the corporate leaders. But at first, I couldn’t reach anybody. Then I found one of the “C Suite” guys listed in the local Rotary Club — with his cell phone number.
I called him and caught him off guard. He was nasty.
“Your company stinks, and soon you’ll be out of a job,” I warned. He laughed at me. That’s OK, I told him I won’t forget.
I set up a Google News Alert for the company name and received any news stories that mentioned this company in the Pacific Northwest.
Not long after that, the company filed for bankruptcy and was shut down. But that wasn’t the end for me. I called the three local TV stations and let them know one of their area companies filed for bankruptcy. At least one station carried the story.
Bam!
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission levied a record $300 million fine for a company that supposedly made five billion extended warranty calls. Five billion! In a three-month period.
Before I tell you about them and how easy it is to tell if you’ve received an illegal call, here’s the story of one more run-in with a company. And this is a strategy that you can try on your own when you get annoying calls.
Of course, you should always hang up, but we’re human and every so often you want to do something that, well, just makes you feel better.
I promised myself that for the next warranty call I received I would play the part of the world’s dumbest person. When the young woman introduced herself I replied in gibberish. A whole bunch of words randomly tied together.
Then she got down to the nitty-gritty.
What’s your car’s current mileage?
“About 60 mph on the highway,” I replied.
Do you know how many miles are on the car?
“Sometimes the speed limit is 30 in the city, sometimes 45. You never know if you’re going up a hill or down a hill.”
She asked again. Do you know the approximate mileage?
“Probably between 60,000 and 120,000,” I answered.
You take care of your vehicle, sir?
“Yes. Her name is Heloise. We have a birthday party for her. She has friends. Another car in the garage. They’re like brother and sister.”
What type of car do you have?
“It’s a white one.”
This went on for eight minutes.
Usually, I hang up. But there’s a special place in my heart to waste the time of these people.
Why? They are all violators of the Do-Not-Call list. Although the DNC is so 1990s, it still is an indicator. When you get an unsolicited call from someone trying to sell you something, it’s almost a given that they are violators.
That’s what happened to two guys — Roy Melvin Cox Jr. and Aaron Michael Jones. The Federal Communications Commission announced recently that they face a $300 million fine for making five billion calls about extended car warranties to 50 million phone numbers in 2021.
Cox had previously received a lifetime ban from telemarketing after a 2013 case was brought against him by the Federal Trade Commission. He didn’t take the ban seriously.
The FCC claims that by pressuring phone companies to stop working with the phone numbers being used, that action cut these calls by 99%.
The calls are believable to some because the caller, sometimes a telephone robot, knows the make and model of your vehicle. How do they get that? I’ve reported how our data, including autos, is accessible online.
In an interview with CNN, Ohio Attorney General David Yost, who sued the parasitic pair last year, said: “If a slap on the wrist doesn’t work, punch them in the face and knock them out. Take every dime they’ve got.”
Roofing company inspections. Access to government grants. Whatever they are pedaling, if they call you without your permission, they’re most likely violators.
