FTC declares war on car warranty 'robocalls'

Federal regulators file lawsuits to shut down a telemarketing scam targeting millions of consumers with phony auto warranties.

EMAIL  |   PRINT  |   SHARE  |   RSS
 
google my aol my msn my yahoo! netvibes
Paste this link into your favorite RSS desktop reader
See all CNNMoney.com RSS FEEDS (close)
By Parija B. Kavilanz, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Do you think the changes being made at Chrysler and General Motors will save the companies?
  • Yes, both of them
  • Only GM
  • Only Chrysler
  • Neither

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Trade Commission is attempting to shut down three companies that the agency alleges have bombarded millions of consumers since 2007 with deceptive "robocalls" to sell them phony extensions to their original vehicle warranties.

The FTC filed two lawsuits in federal courts Thursday against Florida-based Voice Touch Inc., Illinois-based Network Foundations LLC and Florida-based Transcontinental Warranty Inc.

Consumers who answered the pre-recorded calls hear a message telling them that their original vehicle warranty is about to expire and that they should "extend coverage before it is too late."

The companies then try to sell a false service contract for between $2,000 and $3,000, which is portrayed as an extension of the vehicle's original warranty.

FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan said the agency became aware of these calls in 2007. Since then, the companies have already made more than 1 billion unsolicited calls and allegedly have raked in more than $10 million on the sale of these deceptively marketed service contracts, the agency said.

"This is one of the most aggressive telemarketing schemes the FTC has ever encountered," chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement.

"I'm not sure which is worse, the abusive telemarketing tactics of these companies or the way they try to deceive people once they get them on the phone," Leibowitz said. "Either way, we intend to shut them down."

The FTC said these unsuspecting consumers, including those on the federal Do Not Call registry, received these robocalls at home, work and on their cell phones. Businesses, government offices and even 911 dispatchers have also been subjected to the calls, the agency said.

Consumers who asked that the calls be stopped often were met with "abusive behavior" or were simply hung up on, the agency said.

The agency said in its lawsuits that the companies "deceptive practices" violated the FTC Act and the agency's Telemarketing Sales Rule by calling consumers whose numbers were on the national Do Not Call Registry.

The FTC has asked for temporary restraining orders to halt the illegal robocalls and said it will seek financial compensation from the companies that can be used to pay back victims of the scam.

A Network Foundations Inc. spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said the FTC's lawsuit against his company "is a misunderstanding."

"We are a hosting company. We have nothing to do with call centers and we are going to court today to state our case," the person said.

Voice Touch Inc. and Transcontinental Warranty Inc. could not be reached for comment.

Beginning Sept. 1, marketers won't be allowed to make robocalls to consumers unless they opt to receive these calls, said Kaplan.

"Obviously if you are already on the Do Not Call registry, you should not be getting robocalls from commercial marketers," he said.

Regarding the effectiveness of the Do Not Call registry, which the Federal Communications Commission created six years ago, Kaplan said it's still an effective mechanism that protects consumers against unsolicited calls from marketers.

"Most telemarketers are abiding by the rules," Kaplan said. "Those that don't will be brought enforcement against." To top of page

Features
They're hiring!These Fortune 100 employers have at least 350 openings each. What are they looking for in a new hire? More
If the Fortune 500 were a country...It would be the world's second-biggest economy. See how big companies' sales stack up against GDP over the past decade. More
Sponsored By:
More Galleries
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
7 startups that want to improve your mental health From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More
Sponsors
Worry about the hackers you don't know 
Crime syndicates and government organizations pose a much greater cyber threat than renegade hacker groups like Anonymous. Play
GE CEO: Bringing jobs back to the U.S. 
Jeff Immelt says the U.S. is a cost competitive market for advanced manufacturing and that GE is bringing jobs back from Mexico. Play
Hamster wheel and wedgie-powered transit 
Red Bull Creation challenges hackers and engineers to invent new modes of transportation. Play

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.