FTC sues to halt warranty 'robo-calls'

[E-Z-B]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators are filing suits against several companies they say are behind a national wave of spam "robo-calls" that warn people their auto warranties are expiring and offer new service plans.

The Federal Trade Commission says it has asked a federal court in Chicago to halt the illegal telemarketing campaign of "Your Car Warranty Has Expired." Officials say as many as 1 billion of the nuisance calls have been made to Americans.

The FTC named Voice Touch Inc. and Transcontinental Warranty Inc. in the suits. It is seeking injunctions forcing them to return allegedly ill-gotten gains.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30748004 /

[imdjh]

1. We get them all the time, and our cars have years on their warranties

We started getting the calls after purchasing the cars, so obviously it's the dealers selling this information to the telemarketers.

[hobbit709]

3. They're just going down the phone numbers on a robodialer

We get them all the time too on a 1986 Subaru and a 1992 Toyota

[htuttle]

13. I get them, and I don't even own a car

I think it's just using a war-dialer.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Good...I hate those fucking calls

I also hate the cruise ship call that opens up with the ship horn. I answer the phone to a fart in my ear. Good marketing, assholes!

[Politicalboi]

18. LOL!

I get those too.

[mrcheerful]

4. I kind of find them amusing and once a live person called about the warranty

on my vehicle running out. I got a real good laugh at that, my car bit the big one 3 years ago after SO let her sister drive it and she tried locking the brakes on ice. We have SO's van but I'm pretty sure its warranty ran out years ago, its a 1978.

[MercutioATC]

5. How about just passing as telemarketing bill?

Start with mandating that anybody selling something by phone must have "TELEMARKET" as their caller ID.

[mikelgb]

6. Give em a Call to let them know their warranty is expired!

I just did:

http://www.tawarranty.com/contact_us.php

not sure which voice touch is which so... ill leave them be for now

but why dont we all give them a call to let them know their warranty is expired?

[nilram]

9. perfect -- it's an 800 number so they pick up the dime!

[dysfunctional press]

22. 800-number holders don't pay for each call they recieve...

it's generally a bulk rate with limitless usage.

[pkdu]

7. and owner Christopher Cowart is , surprise , surprise

..a Republican donor.

COWART, CHRISTOPHER
POMPANO BEACH, FL 33066
TRANSCONTINENTAL WARRANTY, INC/PR

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA
11/24/2008 1000.00

( from www.fec.gov )

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. I think you can call Christopher Cowart at this number

Christopher Cowart [phone] 2324 SE 9th St,Pompano Beach, FL 33062

http://www.google.com/search?q=christopher+cowart,+pomp...

[Q3JR4]

26. Lets all forward our calls to

Mr. Cowart. You think he'll do something about it if his private phone starts getting his own "would you like to renew your warranty" calls?

Anybody know of a phone service that will let you forward calls from certain numbers?

Just curious.

Q3JR4.

[DJ13]

8. Now if they would outlaw abusive robo calls from collection agencies...

For the last 6 months we've been getting robo collection calls for a woman we've never heard of.

At least 4 times per week (if not in the same day), and its driving my wife and I crazy.

The call leaves a phone #, but that number just takes you to two more levels of robo answering machines, so we havent figured out how to stop it.

I still cant figure out how that collection agency can expect to collect if theres no human to recieve return calls.

[slackmaster]

10. Sounds to me like a clear violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.s...

[DJ13]

11. Thanks, I'll look into that!

[BadgerKid]

19. I actually called them back once

after they tried for six months or so. They haven't pestered me since.

A web search turned up reports of them being fraudsters, just as I figured.

[Glorfindel]

12. I get the stupid things, and I don't even own a car...

I drive a company vehicle, what little I drive. Of course, we get the calls at work, too.

[shadowknows69]

15. I own a used car that never had one and I rent

And I keep getting home loan calls too. Can you get a home loan on a house you rent from? Maybe I should try?

[shadowknows69]

14. Thank Gods

[Downwinder]

16. NSA says they can monitor all calls.

If so they can track the robo calls to a source and stop them. Get them after the terrorists. Be useful.

[emmadoggy]

17. Nail the bastards, PLEASE!

Those calls are a scourge! They've been calling our cell phones lately which REALLY pisses me off!!

[tj2001]

20. They should name the company owners, their addresses and phone numbers

so consumers can return the phone calls...

[bluedigger]

21. But, but, but..

How's Grovelbot going to support himself between fund drives?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

23. Good. Those companies are such jerks YAY

I've gotten my share of calls from those asshats.
They refuse to take you off of their calling list.

[pinniped]

25. Put those US Fidelis clowns out of business if you dare.

.

[Grinchie]

27. Take note that the FTC has to Sue, yet they use the word Illegal in the story

I just learned that Corporation do not operate under the same laws that individuals do. Apparently, they are immune for criminal charges, and all action taken against Corporations are Civil action prescribed by the amzingly tattered and crippled regulatory system spread over hundered of agencies within Government.

When I learned this, I truly feel defrauded by Government, since they honor the Corporation as an "Individual" and afford them the same rights granted by the Constitution. This deplorable state of affairs is more serious than more people can imagine, and this is the reason why Corporations can shit all over the health of people, communities, and the landscape at will, and at worst be subject to a small fine, or some sacrificial perp walk like Jeffrey Skilling, who can bleed out the cash from Government in the form of Lawyers.

Meanwhile, the hundreds of thousands of people defrauded or affected by Enron got nothing. The people of Bhopal India, got nothing.

Obama is starting to behave like a Corporate Ceo, dismissing the Constitution like all the rest. The law doesn't apply to government, and we continue to see evidence of this.