LegalReader.com  ·  Legal News, Analysis, & Commentary

Business

How to Save Yourself from a Car Warranty Scam


— May 21, 2021

If you go for a manufacturer’s warranty, an extended third-party warranty, or no warranty at all, make sure you scan the fine print and do your homework before purchasing


Have you ever had a startling phone call or a threatening letter informing you that your car’s warranty is about to expire and urging you to buy an extended warranty? If that’s the case, you’re not alone and you should also act cautiously.

Is this a phone call scam or a genuine auto warranty call? And how did they get your phone number in the first place? Let’s have a look at everything, from how to recognize a spam call to how to avoid receiving these calls in the first place.

How to recognize car warranty scams?

Usually in case of car warranty scams you get a call telling you that your auto warranty will expire but that you can renew it for a small fee. It might seem to be coming from the dealership or some respectable business affiliated with it. The caller can also know your vehicle’s year, make, and model.

The caller may also be promoting a legitimate commodity. A service contract that costs a fortune protects nothing and is difficult to collect will be that commodity. Alternatively, the frauds may be attempting to rob the money or identity outright.

Telemarketers use high-pressure brutal promotion tactics. So they can trick customers into purchasing coverage from third-party providers over the phone before doing proper testing.

Man screaming into telephone; image by Icons8 Team, via Unsplash.com.
Image by Icons8 Team, via Unsplash.com.

When a high-pressure telemarketer calls many people ask for more information about the plan. Some even correctly request a written copy of the terms and conditions they commit to before making a decision. Frequently, the answer to this entirely fair request is that they will email it after the customer processes the initial down payment. So you must beware about this. 

How to avoid receiving these spam calls?

When you know it’s a robocall, the only thing you can do is hang up the phone right away. There is one thing you can never do during a call: click any numbers on your phone. Many of these calls are automatic, and they will ask you to push a button to proceed or opt out. It’s not a good idea and means that you have a functioning phone number, and you will be receiving even more calls as a result.

Here are some additional moves to consider

  • Never give out personal information such as your Social Security number, credit card number, driver’s license number, or bank account number.
  • Even if a phone number seems to be genuine, proceed with caution. Hackers are skilled at spoofing phone numbers to appear as though they are calling from a reputable business.
  • During a spam phone call, pressing buttons could lead to more. Put the handset down.
  • When a scammer calls from a new spoofed mobile number every time, it doesn’t help. As a result, you can choose specific spam filters in your caller ID settings. If a phone number gets accused of being spam, the phone’s caller ID will flash a message.

If you go for a manufacturer’s warranty, an extended third-party warranty, or no warranty at all, make sure you scan the fine print and do your homework before purchasing something. Do not believe in any scam calls for buying warranties; later on, your wallet will reward you.

Join the conversation!