# The jig is up! Your car warranty actually isn't expiring! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081 "2009-06-17T16:17:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/1 "2009-06-17T16:17:29Z")
My apologies if this has already been posted 🙂 Original news link: [FCC to enforce robocall crackdown by June 2021 | Fox News](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526357,00.html?mrp) > [@](#): > > _“By now you should have received your written note regarding your vehicle warranty expiring. This call is to give you a final opportunity to extend coverage before it is too late. Press ‘1’ now to speak to a warranty specialist regarding your options on your vehicle.”_… Or maybe you hang up — only to be called again. And again. Because more than a billion of these automatically dialed “robocalls” have been sent to cell phones, government offices and even 911 operators. > > What’s surprising is that these billion-plus calls allegedly stemmed from three companies — Transcontinental Warranty, Voice Touch and Network Foundations. > > And behind those three companies are four human faces: Christopher Cowart, James and Maureen Dunne, and Kamian Kohlfeld. > > Court documents filed last month in a Federal Trade Commission civil lawsuit against the three companies allege that their illegal calls have resulted in at least $10 million of ill-gotten gains since 2007. The FTC alleges that the firms’ deceptive practices violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by misrepresenting or omitting material facts in their sales pitches, and that they violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule by “flatly ignoring” rules that prerecorded calls disclose the identity of the seller “promptly, and in a clear and conspicuous manner,” according to court documents. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/2 "2009-06-17T16:35:58Z")
Good, I was getting tired of those. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/3 "2009-06-17T17:08:01Z")
Don’t be silly. Of course my car warranty is expiring. It’s been expiring ever since I took delivery. The only issue is when it will FINALLY expire. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/4 "2009-06-17T18:15:59Z")
I used to get these calls, too. Glad they got them to stop. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/5 "2009-06-17T20:37:09Z")
Now maybe they can chase down the robocallers that pretend to be my card service company and saying this is my last chance to lower my rates. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/6 "2009-06-17T20:50:13Z")
Also, “Carol from the carpet cleaning company”, which is another of the frequent robo-callers. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/7 "2009-06-17T20:52:34Z")
Last year, after I pressed one to get to a live person and told the guy in no uncertain terms that I was sick of him calling me at work to tell me for the seventeenth time that this was the “second and final notice” that my car warranty was about to expire, I didn’t get another one. Until today. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/8 "2009-06-17T20:54:48Z")
Through the miracle of CallerID, I’ve managed to avoid dealing with these idiots. But there’s a part of me that wished I’d answered a call and asked precisely which car warranty was expiring. There are 4 vehicles registered in our names, all of which are out of warranty, 2 which are WAAAAAAAY out of warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/9 "2009-06-17T21:17:18Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Through the miracle of CallerID, I’ve managed to avoid dealing with these idiots. But there’s a part of me that wished I’d answered a call and asked precisely which car warranty was expiring. There are 4 vehicles registered in our names, all of which are out of warranty, 2 which are WAAAAAAAY out of warranty. I’ve stayed on the line before, and when one of their operators finally picked up the phone, I asked them what kind of car I owned. If they know my warranty is expiring, they must know what sort of car I own, right? Oddly enough, their line always goes dead when I ask that. Must be a bad connection. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/10 "2009-06-17T21:17:43Z")
I reported them several times to the Do Not Call registry. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/11 "2009-06-17T23:25:03Z")
Of course, we all know the only real way to defeat these dastardly callers is to hang up curtains and buy a dog. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/12 "2009-06-18T00:16:50Z")
It’s hard to believe my warranty is expiring when I haven’t bought a car in 25 years. If they want to give me a cheap warranty on my antique truck, I’d go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/13 "2009-06-18T00:33:47Z")
I so hope they’re sent away for a significant amount of time. Those robo-dialers were hitting businesses and government offices. I don’t like to think of them calling hospitals, but if they hit our PA system’s number, they probably were hitting everything. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/14 "2009-06-18T03:52:10Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Through the miracle of CallerID, I’ve managed to avoid dealing with these idiots. But there’s a part of me that wished I’d answered a call and asked precisely which car warranty was expiring. I asked them what company they were with once, and they said “GM”. I said “That’s funny, I don’t own a GM car”. _click_ ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/15 "2009-06-18T04:39:50Z")
We’ve been getting them at work for a while now. What’s funny is no one in the company where I work even owns a car. ---
**Author:** ![foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9a140/32.png) [@foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolscap)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/16 "2009-06-18T05:13:20Z")
when I get these kind of phone calls, I try to keep them on the line as long as possible (if on a land line) I want to realy fluster them by pretending the call is real ,and , I just ran off the road “the fender just tore right off and the wheels don’t point straight any more Thank goodness you called” “now what can you do for me?” they hang up on me!!! keep them on the line, it costs them money and time to talk to you, and, It keeps them from calling the next person. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/17 "2009-06-18T05:17:27Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I so hope they’re sent away for a significant amount of time. Those robo-dialers were hitting businesses and government offices. I don’t like to think of them calling hospitals, but if they hit our PA system’s number, they probably were hitting everything. I read somewhere that their assets have been frozen. Imagine my glee. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/18 "2009-06-18T11:48:16Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > We’ve been getting them at work for a while now. What’s funny is no one in the company where I work even owns a car. We were getting a ton of the similar “mortgage” calls. Including one that purported to be from the Federal Government offering us help as a troubled mortgage holder. I haven’t had a mortgage in three years. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/19 "2009-06-18T21:13:26Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > We were getting a ton of the similar “mortgage” calls. Including one that purported to be from the Federal Government offering us help as a troubled mortgage holder. > > I haven’t had a mortgage in three years. Well, to them, THAT’S the trouble! ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081/20 "2009-06-19T01:59:15Z")
A thought just occurred to me - with malware the state that it is today, it’s a darn good thing most computers (at least, in my experience) are no longer hooked up to a phone line for dial-up connections! I once removed a piece of malware from my friend’s computer, which had included a dialer. Imagine entire legions of zombified computers making these calls! The thought is horriffic - score one for the broadband era! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jig-is-up-your-car-warranty-actually-isnt-expiring/500081.md?page=2)