CALL 2: What’s the model?

After my last experience, I thought maybe they’d take me off the list. But no. 2 days later I get the same lady speaking in the same urgent tones telling me I only have one more chance to renew the warranty on my vehicle.

I press 1 again and get through to a representative. This time it’s a guy and he has an Indian accent:

HIM: Do you want to renew your warranty?
ME: I’d love to.
HIM: What model is your car?
ME: I don’t actually have a car. Does that matter?
HIM: What model is your car?
ME: I don’t actually have a car. But I might buy one.
HIM: What year is the car?
ME: I don’t have it yet.
HIM: What year is your Dodge car?
ME: I don’t actually have a car. But what if I want to extend the warrant on my friend’s car?
HIM: What year, sir?
ME: Can I ask you where you are?
HIM: What year is your Dodge?
ME: I don’t have a Dodge. Can you tell me where you guys are?
HIM: hangs up.

So I didn’t get as far as last time. And this guy didn’t even want to tell me his name (unlike “Porshe” who I spoke to last time – next time I might say I want to speak to Ferarri.)

Based on the comments, and the reaction from anyone who I mention these calls to, this is a pretty widespread scheme. I’m going to try calling the AG’s office and maybe the FTC.

CALL 1: My name is Porsche

After dozens of calls to work, home and cell phone I pressed 1 to speak to a representative. Here’s what happened:

I got through to someone who called herself Porsche from Warranty solutions
She asked me if I’d like to extend my warranty
I said I don’t have a car
She said ok, we can take you off our list
I said, I want to know how I ended up on the list
She said they get the list from major manufacturers,
I said I don’t have a car, have never owned a car, have never attempted to buy a car
She said they get the list from major manufacturers, but sometimes they get numbers in error, hundreds of them
I said I’d like to speak to a supervisor
She said “I am the supervisor”
I questioned that
I said who pays you
She said she does
I said “you work for yourself?”
She said yes
I said who are all those people in the background?
She said other operators in a transfer center in Georgia
I said, do they all work for themselves?
She said yes
I said I’d like to know who pays her and all the other people
She said that’s personal, would I like it if she asked me that?
I said I’m not the one calling to sell something and I wanted to know how they got my number
She said from the major manufacturer list
I reminded her I don’t have a car
She said we try to sell warranties if your warranty is expiring
I said, who is this “we”
She said, me and all the people in the background
I said I really want to know who pays them
She said she had been on the phone for 7 minutes and was going to end the call
I said, please bear with me.
She hung up.