Vigilantes move against auto-warranty robo call company

[AnnInLa]

Via clarkhoward.com the WSJ is reporting:

Web vigilantes vs. extended auto warranty robo-callers
If you're like most Americans, you've probably received a robo-call about buying an extended auto warranty.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a group of web vigilantes decided to take on at least one of the operations bugging people. Before we go any further, please know that Clark is not recommending this vigilante action.

Word of the guerrilla campaign spread through a website called ReddIt.com. One specific target of the effort was Auto One Warranty Specialists Inc., located in Irvine, California.

The vigilantes essentially filled up the company's phones with junk calls so they couldn't place anymore outgoing calls. As one vigilante told The Wall Street Journal, "If you get a bunch of people together, you could blow up their voice mailboxes."

The owner of Auto One says 90% of the people who went vigilante were never contacted by his company. Ah yes, but he hires third-party companies to make the calls!

This owner is a known criminal who was convicted in 2000 of mail fraud and tax evasion. He declined to discuss his criminal history with The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the FTC recently filed a lawsuit against 3 similar operations -- 2 in Florida and 1 in Illinois.

The FTC's suit alleges the 3 companies made over a billion calls since 2007, generating over $10 million from people who didn't even have expired warranties. They're also accused of illegally blocking caller ID; calling people on the federal Do Not Call list; and blanket-calling area codes in metro areas where people don't even own cars.

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/index.html

[saigon68]

1. Criminals-- but the Feds under Bush-Lite are busting

Cannibus cancer treatment co-ops.

[Warpy]

2. Next, the credit card debt vultures

I find them especially annoying because I haven't owned a credit card for 18 years.

In addition, it's usually a real person making the calls, not some robo call machine. I hate being rude to real people.

I'm about to start, though, if they won't leave me alone.

[Kali]

3. one day I didn't hang up and thought I would see what exactly they were offering

They didn't want to sell me anything for my 91 ford van with 250,000 miles. Dang.

[MindPilot]

4. And if you ever do actually buy one of these extended warranties

good luck getting covered repairs authorized and paid. I suspect by now most shops will expect you to pay and then get reimbursed if you can.

I used to work at a car dealer and I've spent countless non-productive hours on the phone trying to get repairs covered.

The extended warranties sold and serviced though the manufacturers are fine.