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I hate these kinds of calls!!! I wonder if the number they have you call to get the warranty is also spoofed?
I hate these kinds of calls!!! I wonder if the number they have you call to get the warranty is also spoofed?
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-255368-100x100.png\")
I've gotten two on my AT&T wireless phone within the last week. It's a telemarketing firm doing this for the benefit of Vehicle Services, Inc.
Go AT&T! Shut them down.
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Ha! I filed a complaint through the FTC and they pretty much told me they weren't going to do anything in their letter back. At least someone is doing something...
@kamel5547: I complained to the FCC and got some lame response like: \"no law was violated, so we are taking no action\". What? Isn't it illegal to make 1) prerecorded sales pitches to 2) cellular telephones??
@marks2l: Same here. I filed a complaint and got a letter back from the FCC saying it wasn't a valid complaint becuase out of the 100's of calls I got, I could never figure out how to talk to an actual person to tell them not to call anymore. So since I haven't told them, they can still call and FCC won't investigate.
the number is also from 949-256-9197 robo call
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-453211-100x100.png\")
@waystland: The numbers that show up on your caller ID are completely meaningless. Again, they are meaningless, useless, and spoofed.
It disheartens me when people post the numbers, and the wrath of teh internets is unleashed on whoever Google says owns/owned the number. I've read plenty of stories of death threats, house visits, etc. from angry people who don't realize the numbers are spoofed and the owners had nothing to do with the scam call.
The funny thing about these calls is that if you stay on the line to try to \"purchase\", and by purchase I mean yell at human on the other end, it disconnects you anyway.
I hope this works, I'm with T-Mobile and I get these calls a few times a week.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-145474-100x100.png\")
The do not call list is like a do not disturb sign at a hotel with exterior halls. Most people will leave you alone, but there's always the maid/kid who knocks on your door with the grin \"Heeeere's Johnny.\"
I am glad to AT&T is at least making it known these scum bags are out there, and they want it to stop. Maybe Verizon, who's got people, can spare a few to go kick some cold-calling butt.
@Quellman: Well I can tell you, if they have been identified as a telemarketing customer & you are on the Do Not Call list, there is no way they should be able reach you. There is a feature put on these customer's circuits that checks the list whenever they make a call. If they try to call someone from the list, the call will not process. Now, there might be work arounds such as dialing into another number to get another dial tone and placing the call from the \"safe\" line. That would not surprise me at all
@Ratty: Telemarketers can call cell phones as long as they don't use a robo dialer. If they are business to business they can legally ignore the DNC. They are still required to maintain an internal do not call list.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-196743-100x100.png\")
@jozhua:
There is a feature put on these customer's circuits that checks the list whenever they make a call.
Who puts that \"feature\" on these customer's circuits? Their local phone provider? Horse hockey.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-176865-100x100.png\")
A coworker of mine has been getting these calls about a car that she purchased three months ago. The last time I checked, factory warranties were a wee bit longer than three months. ;)
@AstroPig7: That's nothing. My girlfriend got this call a few weeks ago. She has NEVER owned a car in her life.
She was so pissed off that she called them back just to chew them out a bit.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-483565-100x100.png\")
@ludwigk: Yeah, they don't call on a particular car--they ask you to identify your car for them. Coincidentally, I had one of these calls just a few minutes ago (usually I get the \"Card Services\" fraudsters instead), and when I innocently asked in response which of my cars they were calling about, they hung up immediately.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-583514-100x100.png\")
The government isn't on top of something? Shocker...
I find it interesting that AT&T would ask a court for a subpoena. They have never needed one in the past.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-256210-100x100.png\")
I just got one of these calls on my work cell. It's the second time it has happened. Hope AT&T is successful!
If you've got the time, it's fun to stay respond to these guys every time and see how long you can keep them on the phone without actually buying anything. Just keep making them repeat the info and feign confusion about what they are offering. Hopefully, this will cost them money and keep them from scamming other people while they are dealing with you.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-793795-100x100.png\")
@YvesTuditanus: That is some fun sport. My wife and I will tag team them and can keep them on the line quite awhile. My personal best time is 29 minutes for a girl trying to sell me long distance service. Get the other people in the house to yell weird stuff in the backround. They really don't know what to do when they have someone still asking questions for a long period of time its great fun.
@YvesTuditanus: Yeah, whenever I am in a really good mood, or a really bad one, I go with: \"Wait, which of my cars are you calling about?\"
@Yossarian: I ask this, too. It's nice to know that for my security they don't have that information. Then I tell them that it must suck that they don't trust her, and if they don't trust her with the make/model of my car, then I don't either. So I want to call them direct... what's the number? You don't have it? Boy, they really do treat you like a mushroom, don't they?
Ah, good times...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-211423-100x100.png\")
I get these calls atleast 10 x a week! They are so annoying.
I never get these calls. I hope they continue forever.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-410559-100x100.png\")
Weird! I just got my very first car warranty robocall today. It did remind me that I hadn't put our new phone number in the Do Not Call registry yet, but from what I just read here, that's not going to stop these particular people. Ugh.
I hope AT&T succeeds with this. The only problem is until the government tightens things up regarding caller ID spoofing it won't matter since these loopholes allow these jokers to display fake information on your caller id. On my land line it's no problem as I use a device called the Digitone Privacy Call Center that allows you to filter incoming calls by programming the caller id of friends and family. Too bad cell phones lack this functionality. I, for one, do not want to pay cell phone charges for ANY telemarketing call, be it a robot call or a live human.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-68654-100x100.png\")
@BillyDee_CT: the wonder of voicemail. any number that doesn't show up as \"george\" or \"fred\" or \"mom\" goes right to the box.
i even have a special ringtone that i made for \"unknown\" numbers (warning: NSFW - click the \"play\" button in upper right if you want to hear it) [www.last.fm]
it can be a little embarrassing if that goes off in the wrong place though. XD
@mac-phisto: The only flaw with this is you are then paying for airtime to check your voicemail! I too started using custom ringtones paired with the address book in my phone, but it doesn't help when people call from non-saved numbers.
My newest car is nine years old and has 87 thousand miles on it. My oldest is 18 years old and has 145 thousand miles on it. But I get these calls too. I wonder which one they want to sell me a warranty on. But I don't wonder enough to stay on the line and talk to them.
Given how widespread these calls are, I'm just astonished that the FCC/FTC haven't bothered to pursue them.
I was saying to my wife this morning, given the state of the SEC, FDA, FAA... is there actually any government agency that has been doing its job lately?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-21984-100x100.png\")
@theczardictates: \"given the state of the SEC, FDA, FAA... is there actually any government agency that has been doing its job lately?\"
None, especially if that job interfered with the goals of a private business or industry...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-328687-100x100.png\")
I get these calls on my Grand Central number all the time. I've never gotten them on my actual cell number though. I have Sprint. Although a friend of mine also with Sprint gets these calls too. Both of our cars are WAY out of warranty, so it makes us chuckle.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-2234-100x100.png\")
I don't get it. AT&T has the number that is making 13 million calls, and they can't just block it?
@Fuzz: And lose money?
Why would AT&T want to do that?
Best line:
\"AT&T said it will need to subpoena those companies and others to determine the owner and operator of various spoofed phone numbers.\"
Prediction AT&T will end up with boatloads of numbers of private citizens versus finding out who owns the company/systems which actually spoofed the numbers...
I also predict some grandmother being sued since she ended up with a number spoofed by the criminals...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-410094-100x100.png\")
Man, I've gotten like four of these in the past week. The numbers:
309-286-2082
865-497-2733
517-931-2251 (twice)
I kept answering because I've been submitting resumes, so I think someone is calling me about a job, so I'm doubly disappointed and angry when it turns out to be a robo call for car warrenties. AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE A CAR!
If you know what you are doing with a telephone system you can program the setup message in just about any PRI to outpulse whatever number you want. The only way around this is with an ANI Identifier,(911 Call Centers etc.). The ANI will actually be able to read whatever number is placing the call regardless of the setup message. If they just decide to spoof a random number every 4 hours it's very very hard to stop
I get about two of these a week. I have fun with them by being very interested in extending/renewing my warranty on my '67 el camino. They always hang up on me though.
Hmmm, AT&T and others can record every call you make, tell you when you are 15 past due on your bill, overcharge your account for no reason, cut off your service when a satellite decides to take a nap . . .
. . . but they can't find who is making 13 million phone calls on their network??? Think of the money the are losing!!!
I call BS on this one.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-16563-100x100.png\")
@JN2: Don't forget, \"cheerfully hand over terrabytes of sensitive customer data to Washington bureaucrats without a warrant. So long as the bill is paid\".
I ditto your call, needless to say.
The phone number is a phony. These people spoof the Caller ID number. Apparently, no one has an idea who these people are or where they are from. That's why I can't press charges or complain to the Attorney General office.
Last time I got one of these calls, I waited to get connected to a real person. The conversation went like this:
Me: What company is this?
Phone: This is the warranty desk.
Me: No, what company do you work for?
Phone: Click!
It's sort of like Aliens vs Predator. You hate both. You fear both. You want both to die.
All the same, you're really happy to see them fighting.
I get those it just shows how amazing Honda's are 361,000 miles and I still have an extended warranty.
I did get a call from 800-168-4861 figured that's what it was, if I remember I will ring it from the pay phone downstairs and leave it off the hook.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-159929-100x100.png\")
Maybe next they'll go after the one that starts with a horn and tells me that it's my captain speaking and I've \"won\" a \"cruise\".
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-550329-100x100.png\")
@madanthony: UGH I get these all the time. So much so that I actually noticed that \"my buddy the captain\" hasn't called me in a week.
We get these Auto warranty calls on our house line once or twice a week. Just got one early this morning, in fact. Let the machine pick up the call, and heard that this was our \"final courtesy call\" and sternly warned that if we didn't contact them, our case would be \"reclassified\"....We don't own a car.
We get these calls on our 9 nextel phones at work all the time. You press the option to be removed from the \"preferred\" calling list but they still call. You choose to speak to someone they just hang up on you when you say this is a business line. I registered all the numbers on the government do not call list but they still call. Maybe Sprint can join in this lawsuit.
@dohspc: I read somewhere that some of these companies configure their phone systems to make a short call back to their number when you opt out, thereby creating a business relationship since you called them. I hope it was just paranoia, but I doubt it would stand up in court.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-76455-100x100.png\")
This is the FINAL notice that the factory warranty on your car may be expiring (it's not). By FINAL we mean FINAL UNTIL WE CALL YOU AGAIN, more than likely from another number. But don't worry, we'll call you from this number too. Did you miss our call? Don't worry, you'll also get notices in the mail, calls at work, and calls at home.
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I wish they would also go after those people who call with credit card balance offers. When you start asking questions about the company like their name and address, they immediately hang up.
@Zain: Those guys are trying to grab business card transactions or loan businesses money based on the transactions. Search against the spoofed numbers and there is alot of info. I think they are based in Queens, NY if I remember. I also found their employment adverts on craigslist and added that info to the whocalledus.com etc type of websites...
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-81067-100x100.png\")
My wife gets those all the time. Next time she gets one I told her to give me the phone so I can screw with them for a while. Tell them I've got a classic Aston Martin or a brand new Lamborghini.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-706751-100x100.png\")
In August of last year, I got this stupid phone call for probably the 20th time. That time, I actually played the game and got all the way through to a real person. I was very pleasant to the woman on the other end and, I managed to get from her the name and address of the company that she works for. Here's what I got:
Vehicle Services, Inc.
1052 South Cloverleaf Drive
St. Peters MO 63376
Previously, when I received the calls, a screener would come online and ask some questions about my car. If I said something that didn't qualify for the warranty service that they were trying to sell, they would just hang up.... No goodbye. No \"I'm sorry but your car doesn't qualify\". They would just hang up. Finally, I must have given the right answers to the screener because they finally put me through.
The first time I got one of these calls they hung up on me. The second time I told the guy, \"Before you hang up on me, I wanted to let you know that I don't own a car\". He said \"I'm sorry, I will remove you from our list\". He did have an accent, so I don't know if the calls are coming from the States or not. I haven't gotten a call in about a week. We'll see.
Have you seen the other scan with people spoofing calls? Apparently people are \"Swating\". Basically they spoof someone else's number, call the police and talk about how they went on a murderous rampage and have a gun so the swat team shows up. Someone is going to die because of this and we really need to stop Caller ID spoofing.
Here's one story but there are more
[www.ajc.com]
Damn, don't put them out of business, they were going to give me a warranty on my 31 year old porsche!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-83308-100x100.png\")
I've filed a complaint against these guys, but I have no specific information on them. I get the calls every Monday around 1:30 PM or so. Is there a script I can follow with things to ask them. They always say \"We've taken you off of the list, thanks KBYE!\" and then I get another call the next week.
Help me know how to sting these guys.
@hornrimsylvia: Tell 'em if they can guess what kind of car you have by the sound of the horn, you'll buy the warranty. Then go outside, pop the hood, set your phone down near where the horn sits, go into the car, and lean on the horn button.
Then be surprised when you pick the phone back up and the operator either isn't there or can't hear you, because they're deaf.
Repeat until they learn their lesson and leave you alone.
@hornrimsylvia: Tell them you just bought a new car and act semi-stupid about it so they think they can con you into an over priced warranty. Go through the options, try to get a call back number or payment address... and then google against that info. Gather the info and then paste it free to any whocalledme.com, etc type of websites.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-152502-100x100.png\")
I sleep with my mechanic so I don't need their warranties. Besides that, if you don't know who the company is that is calling you, why would you decide to do business with them?
Wow, I've heard a lot of suggestions of wasting their time, but not one suggestion of using an airhorn or other loud, annoying sound. It's cruel to use on your average telemarketer, but I wouldn't hesitate to use one in this case (if I actually had one).
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-524697-100x100.png\")
I hate these people! It's especially annoying when you're waiting for Publishers Clearing House to call you and tell you you're a winner... you pick up the phone with great anticipation and BAM! They hit you up for a Warranty extension on a car you no longer own. I hate them. I WANT MY MILLION FOR LIFE!
How many of you have actually reported this to the FCC?
Answer: not enough.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-44827-100x100.png\")
HO HO
This is rich, these calls have been the bane of my office as well for the entire 4 years I have been there. But you guys wanna know the best part?
I work for a Toyota dealership... So these jackasses are wasting time and energy calling the last place that would fall for their horseshit. And when they do call they hit every line in the building in succession, sometimes several times per line.
Usually within maybe 15 minutes the Service center is inundated with calls asking why their warranty is up.
I really hope the death star grinds their bones into bread dough and feed it to a flock of pigeons and those pigeons crap on their offices.
I've gotten into it with these guys after asking a rep to take me off their list, hitting the \"remove from list\" key on my phone several times AND calling the National Do Not Call 1-800 number and reporting them.
Now I was more than a bit rude to the last person I spoke to live on the phone (after all the hoops I've been through, he must know he works for a crook so f-him) but he told me that \"I'll put you on the middle of the night call list!\"
This is Vehicle Services, Inc. that is calling. This is a company based out of Saint Peters, Missouri. A quick googling will get you their real number....ok, it's 1-866-925-1783. I've been calling them for weeks. Apparently they don't like annoying calls either.
I got one of those calls the other day, warning me that my auto warranty was about to expire and to press 1 to speak to an agent. I pressed 1.
AGENT: \"Can I have the year, make and model of your vehicle?\"
ME: \"You tell me, you're the ones who called warning me about it.\"
AGENT: \"Please hold on while I pull up that information...\"
ME: (Holds for 60 seconds...darn, they hung up)
What about keeping them talking for about 10 minutes. Then suddenly say Ah hah, trace complete. I'm on my way and I'm going to kill all of you!
If they file a police report we can find out where the bastards are!
Two strategies that I have tried:1. Tell the person you are interested, but that you need to call them back. Get that number and file a complaint with the FTC.2. Ask the person what state they are in and file a complaint with the Attorney General in that state. I have actually received a letter from a Civil Investigator in the Governer's Office of Consumer Affairs for the State of Georgia.
BEWARE -- The 1st (of many) time that I got the \"your warranty is expiring\" call, I knew it was bogus since my car is 18 years old. A warranty would cost more than the car is worth. However, I was curious to see what the pitch could possibly be. THEN they asked right off for the VIN number on my car. Uh, no way am I handing that out. When I said \"I have no idea\", they switched over to 'what is your yearly income' and 'do you rent or own'. Can this be any more suspicious? I shudder to think of the naive folks who give out this info to any stranger who calls them. I get other 'product' variations on this type of call, and I'm betting these are people on ID theft info hunts or something similar.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-184636-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-363287-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-206518-100x100.png\")
These calls have been the bane of my existence on every single line in our office and most of our blackberrys as well. Three cheers for the Death Star if it means getting rid of having to hear my auto warranty is about to expire five times a day.
@agirlacity: I agree. Go Death Star!
Given the annoyance of these damn calls, the bold was justified.
@agirlacity:
The sad thing is that if you listen to the message and hit the button they tell you to hit in order to renew your warranty (assuming you are going to get a person and be able to cuss them out), the system hangs the call up.
What is the point of a robocall if they aren't going to talk to you and try to get your money?
@agirlacity: Seriously! I only answer the phone a few times a day at our office, and I still answer it to 2-3 of these calls a week.