Why Do I Keep Getting Calls About Car Warranty

How Do I Know If I Have Extended Warranty On My Car

Check the paperwork that came with the purchase of your vehicle. It will say either VSC or Vehicle Service Contract. If you do not see any paperwork, you can also call the dealership where you purchased the vehicle and ask them if you have one.

Do cars even have extended warranties?

Nearly all new cars come with at least a three-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. For many brands, the warranty is even longer. If you keep or lease your car for less than the length of your factory coverage, you do not repeat, do not need an extended warranty.

Did You Get An Extended Warranty Robocall Heres What To Do

The good news is that scammers canât do much if all you do is answer a call. But even picking up the phone tells fraudsters that your number is active â which can result in receiving more scam calls in the future.

If you accidentally answer a robocall or press a button and start speaking to a scammer, hereâs what to do:

• Hang up as soon as you know itâs a potential robocall scam.
• Do not press any buttons on the menu as requested, and donât answer any questions.
• Do not provide personal or financial information over the phone.
• Donât call back numbers that you donât recognize â even if they only ring once.
• Block numbers that keep calling you.
• If you think that you may be talking to a legitimate dealership, ask for their information and then hang up and call them back directly.
• Report the robocall to the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry.

What Are Car Warranties

When you buy a new car or any new product for that matter it should meet basic quality and performance expectations. In other words, your car shouldnt have any visual or functional problems that arent a result of normal wear and tear.

For example, if you drive your new vehicle off the lot and suddenly the check engine light comes on, your car probably has manufacturing defects.

An auto warranty is an automakers promise to live up to those standards. This isnt an add-on its baked into the price of your new car. Should your car fail to meet this standard, the manufacturer is on the hook for repairs. Hence why its also referred to as a manufacturers warranty or factory warranty.

Factory warranties are temporary. In most cases, theyre only valid for three years or 36,000 miles whichever comes first. If your new car falls within these parameters, your car manufacturers warranty may still be active.

Manufacturers warranty:

That said, some automakers are well-known for offering substantially longer warranties. For instance, Kia and Hyundai both offer 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties. You can check with your vehicle manufacturer or local car dealer to confirm if your cars warranty is still in effect. Theyll ask you for your vehicle identification number as well as the mileage reading from your odometer, so have these numbers handy.

Keep in mind that car warranties only cover manufacturer defects, not maintenance, wear and tear, or driver negligence.

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Why Did Auto Warranty Robocalls Fall Off A Cliff In Late 2022

The steep decline in car warranty robocalls can be traced back to July 7, 2022. That day, the Federal Communications Commission announced a series of actions designed to mitigate these scams. The agencyâs Robocall Response Team had identified a specific group responsible for sending billions of these scams and a select number of voice service providers who were letting them go unchecked. So, they set out a series of repercussions for both, detailed below.

These Warranty Calls Are Scams And You Should Be Careful

As you probably already know by now, these calls that you keep getting for your cars extended warranty are scams and you should avoid them as much as possible. They are known as robocalls, because these calls are typically conducted by a recording. If you hear a recorded live message, instead of a live person, its a robocall, said Kati Daffan, an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission.

These annoying calls typically occur throughout the day and can be very disturbing, however, you should be wary whenever you actually answer them. The calls are typically executed by scammers that are attempting to get your personal information and/or money with the disguise that theyre selling you an extended warranty for your car.

As you can guess, these warranty calls can be confusing to many people, especially if their cars are still in warranty or if they have an old car thats been out of warranty for a long time.

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How To Stop Robocalls On Iphone

If youre wondering how to block robocalls and spam calls on your iPhone try this: open the phone app and tap Recents. Tap the Info icon next to the number you want to block. Tap Block this Caller > Block Contact. That number is now blocked and you should not get calls from that number any longer. It should solve the issue of calls coming in from companies that do not employ the multiple numbers tactics.

PCMagazine goes on further to say, with iOS13 or higher installed on your iPhone, you can take a more effective but drastic measure to clamp down on spam calls. The Silence Unknown Callers feature automatically silences all calls from unknown numbers. Each call is sent to voicemail and appears on your Recents list so that you can see and return the call if its legitimate. To enable this, go to Settings > Phone. Turn on the switch for Silence Unknown Callers.

How The Scam Plays Out

In this ruse, scammers posing as representatives of a car dealership or manufacturer call to tell you that your auto warranty is about to expire. The scammer then goes into a pitch for renewing your warranty. During the call, you may be prompted to press a number to stay on the line, and then youre asked to provide personal information to continue the process of renewing your warranty. If you follow instructions, youll be playing right into a scam.

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What Happens If You Answer A Scam Call

Answering a call from a scammer could be a bad idea, even if you dont fall for the scam. Answering the call could potentially lead to more scam calls in the future if the scammer recognizes that there’s someone on the other end of the phone who is willing to pick up.

Worse still, answering your phone puts you in a position where you could potentially fall for a scam. Extended car warranty scam calls have been around for decades at this point, but there are new scams all the time and you risk being exposed to something you dont recognize as a scam when you answer a call from an unknown number.

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But The Biggest Waste Of Money

is buying a warranty, a legitimate one, but not actually using it. A 2014 Consumer Reports survey found that a whopping 55 percent of extended warranties are never used. That’s thousands of dollars down the drain, simply because you bought a warranty and…forgot about it.

So before you buy an extended warranty, be sure to do your research to find one that’s worth itbut don’t just leave it at that. Find a way to remind yourself that you have this great extended warranty, because you certainly don’t want to throw that money away.

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Are Vehicle Extended Warranties Scams

Extended car warranties are real products that cover broken or defective parts in your car once your original manufacturer warranty runs out. They can cover things like:

• Repairing or fixing your engine, transmission, or other internal parts

• Problems or defects with seatbelts, airbags, and other safety features

• Problems or defects with electronic systems like your stereo or air conditioner

An extended warranty only covers mechanical issues, so liability, comprehensive, and collision coverages arent included when you purchase a warranty. Some warranties offer roadside assistance coverage, but this isnt universal, so check your warranty carefully before assuming the coverage is included.

Extended warranties can be legitimate products, but they often cost more than they save you over time. It is also easy to sell a scam extended warranty through a fake third party company, which means you should be cautious about purchasing an extended car warranty. If you choose to buy a warranty be sure to read the fine print and buy one from a legitimate company, not an automated robocall.

Are Extended Warranties The Same As Vehicle Service Contracts

The terms service contract and extended warranty are often used interchangeably, but thats misleading. For starters, service contracts do not fall under the legal definition of a warranty. Second, there are key differences in how theyre structured.

Coverage from extended warranties may not start until your manufacturer warranty expires, whereas a VSC can be used in conjunction with your factory warranty to account for any missing gaps in your warranty coverage.

Moreover, VSCs can be adjusted according to your needs. You could get a plan for minor issues like your AC or radio or broader coverage for things like your alternator or water pump. Conversely, extended warranties typically dont offer this flexibility.

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How To Stop Getting Car Warranty Phone Calls

If you are like many other consumers these days, you may have been plagued by a rash of unwelcome car warranty phone calls. These calls may be automated calls from a computer system, or they may be from live sales people. However, both types are equally annoying and almost always an interruption into your life. So, here are some ways to help stop these pestering calls and finally receive peace during dinner or a well deserved night of relaxation.

What You Will Need

• The telephone number of the calling party
• An Internet connected computer
• Patience and persistence

Step 1 – Record the Number of the Calling Party

The very first time you receive an annoying auto warranty phone call, you should immediately jot down the number so you can use it for future reference. Make sure to record the entire phone number including the area code.

Step 2 – Don’t Answer Calls from the Same Number Twice

If you receive another phone call from the same phone number, simply do not answer. Confronting live operators or answering for computer generated calls will usually only result in the problem continuing or escalating. So, simply ignore calls from a number you know is from an auto warranty company.

Step 3 – Avoid Calls from Unknown Area Codes

Step 4 – Don’t Join the Company’s Do Not Call List

Step 5 – Do Join the National Do Not Call List

Step 6 – Contact the Better Business Bureau

Step 7 – Contact Other Agencies

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How The Scams Play Out

In an auto warranty scam, a scammer reaches out to a target, offering to sell or extend the warranty policy on their car. The scammer will claim to represent the automaker or policy company, and may even spoof their number so it appears as if they are legitimate. To make the offer seem even more authentic, the caller will know the exact model and make of the targets car. Unfortunately, though, if the driver agrees to buy or extend a warranty policy on their car through this call, theyll be sharing their money and information with a scammer.

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What Does This All Mean For Robocalls At Large

This is an overwhelmingly positive step in the fight to eliminate robocalls once and for all. Car warranty robocalls in particular have been a thorn in the side of Americans and the driver behind financial hardship for many. The FCC demonstrated that the telecommunications industry is capable of shutting down these predatory calls. If everyone works together â from government agencies to carriers to third-party robocall blocker apps â the results can be spectacular.

Itâs also worth noting that these schemes can be massive but also centralized in terms of operations. The Cox/Jones group was responsible for more than 8 billion robocalls in a 4-year span. Therefore, targeting major players like this can make an immediate and lasting impact.

What Can I Do

One of the more common ideas is to block the calls. This would work if not for their phone number change. The scammers system spoofs area codes and numbers, so youre never called by the same one ever again. Even if you carry the conversation along and try to be removed from the calling list, it would only increase the frequency of calls.

The proper thing to do here is to hang up as soon as possible and ensure you will do the following:

• Protect personal information. Under no circumstances reveal your credit card information, Social Security number, drivers license number, etc.

• Double-check. If you still think that a dealership is ringing you up, hang up, but call back later while verifying the number on the companys website.

• Never press any buttons. You are just extending the pointless conversation and allowing the scammers to reel you in.

• Check all incoming calls. If the number is not on your contact list, do not answer. Leave it all to voicemail, and see what the person has to say.

• File a complaint. It will take only a few minutes and allow the official to track the callers down and end the dangerous calls.

Finally, use your phone to put some protection in place. Most models have an option called Block unknown callers” or something similar. This will reject any call the scammers can make and direct it straight to voicemail, sparing you from the ensuing pointless conversation.

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How Scammers Get Your Phone Number

Unfortunately, there are many ways that scammers and robocallers can gain access to your phone number, including:

• Through your stateâs DMV website.
• From a data brokerage.
• Data breaches from sites you use.
• Contests or competitions youâve entered online that require a phone number.
• Social media sites that require your phone number to create an account.
• Fake websites designed to steal your personal information.

However, you can take steps to help minimize scam calls and protect your phone number:

• Do not interact with a call that you think is a scam. Hang up quickly, and do not press any numbers.
• Reduce the number of people who have access to your primary phone number by using a secondary number or burner number for things like online forms or social media.
• Do not publish your phone number on social media.

Is The Warranty On My Car Still In Effect

YesYour car is still under warranty, but you might like to get planning for when it expires by researching extended warranties. No If youre outside the number of years or miles listed here, and you havent taken out an extended coverage plan, you almost definitely have no warranty cover at all.

Is it worth buying an extended factory warranty?

One may wonder if an extended factory car warranty is really worth buying. Many car finance experts claim an extended factory car warranty is a good investment. This is because it, like everything else, wears overtime whether it is a car, a boat, or a piece of clothingeverything has a life expectancy.

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How To Stop Extended Car Warranty Phone Calls

Extended Car Warranty companies are quickly earning a reputation as one of the most irritating industries in America due to their annoying business practice of phoning us to solicit business. The pitch usually goes something like, We are contacting you because your vehicle warranty will soon expire and want you to know you can extend your coverage.

The four lies in this call are

These calls are annoying to those of us who receive them. While driving. While at work. During your childs piano recital. While hospitalized. And they also drive us nuts because they call our aging parents or young adult children who then call us and ask what they should do.

As a Car Talk staff writer, Ive written a number of stories about the best extended warranty companies and worst extended car warranty companies out there. Its with mixed feelings that I do so, because I despise the robocalls and other types of despicable marketing practices some of these companies employ. I was robocalled by just such a company today. While writing this story.

Heres how:

What Should You Do If You Get One Of These Robocalls

According to the FTC, if you get one of these car warranty scam calls, you should be sure to not press any numbers, hang up the phone, and then consider blocking the number. However, just keep in mind that scammers make these calls over the Internet, which allows them to change the phone number that shows up on your caller ID and enables them to keep calling you non-stop.

When you get one of these calls, you might be tempted to press a number in order to speak to someone or perhaps get on a do not call list, but dont do it. According to Cars Direct, pressing a number may lead you to end up getting more calls from a different number because now youve just told them that youre a live contact that will possibly comply. Unfortunately, its a seemingly never-ending scam and its best just to not play their game.

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