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Annoying Calls From Extended Car Warranty Dealers

by Flexo on May 18, 2009

in Consumer

Several times a week, I get a phone call from a number I don’t recognize. The caller never leaves a voicemail message, so I always perform a quick Google search to see if I can find any information about the caller before answering or returning the call. In almost all cases, the unknown number has attracted numerous complaints online.

According to the complaints listed for each phone number that has called me unexpectedly during the day, if I were to answer the phone, I would be talking to a pre-recorded telemarketer whose job is to sell me an “extended warranty” for my car.

Even individuals who have placed phone numbers on the Do Not Call registry (more information on Do Not Call) are being bombarded by this telemarketing agency. The Federal Trade Commission is suing the companies behind these “robo-calls,” Voice Touch Inc. and Transcontinental Warranty Inc.

After September 1, telemarketers may only use “robocalls” when a customer has opted in to this particular “service.” Have you received any calls from these companies?

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Telemarketers Can’t Talk to the Dead

by Smithee on August 21, 2008

in Tips

I was speaking with a co-worker who used to be a telemarketer, and she told me that if I’m ever again harassed by any strangers on the phone trying to sell me things I don’t need, I should just say, “Mark me down as deceased.” You don’t even have to pretend to be a different person.

Apparently, they have a check box on their form for “Deceased” that will prevent them from calling you ever again. What’s more, this misinformation gets passed downstream to the other telemarketers that they sell their lists of “customers” to, so those people won’t be calling you, either.

This is just a quick and dirty alternative to the more official process that Flexo has previously talked about.

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