If you have a phone and a vehicle, chances are you’ve received a robocall with an urgent message that your car’s extended warranty is about to expire. These unsolicited calls usually involve an automated voice that advises you to take immediate action so your vehicle doesn’t lose warranty coverage. These notices play on common fears: missing an important deadline and worrying about expensive car repairs.

It’s reasonable to wonder if these calls are genuine or a scam. As America’s #1 auto protection provider, we’re here to help you take a look behind the scenes of these extended car warranty robocalls. We’ll offer advice to spot the rip-offs and guidance on how to protect yourself from fraudsters.

What Is an Extended Car Warranty?

Dodging these robocalls begins with understanding what an extended warranty is. Correctly referred to as an auto protection plan or vehicle service contract, an extended warranty covers repairs and replacement parts for your car after the original warranty has expired. This coverage may be offered through the manufacturer, a third-party company (like Endurance Warranty), or a dealership. Coverage will vary and not always be the same as the original manufacturer’s warranty.

Having a car with an expiring or expired factory warranty adds to the confusion. It’s easy to assume that the automaker is calling you if you’re in this situation. It won’t, but your dealer may. Importantly, legitimate sellers of vehicle service contracts or extended warranties typically don’t use robocalls to sell their products.

Instead, companies usually communicate through email, mail, or individualized phone calls. This is a crucial point to remember when you receive a telemarketing call about your car’s extended warranty. It’s especially helpful to know this if you already have an auto protection plan with an active or recent claim.

Our Commitment to Customer Service

In truth, robocalls hurt every honest company. Endurance counteracts the ill effects of these scams by being open and upfront with our customers. For starters, there’s no pressure to get coverage from Endurance. We’re ready when you’re ready. It’s in everyone’s best interest for a prospective customer to take their time.

In addition, Endurance believes in full disclosure of the terms of our vehicle service contracts. Customers are encouraged to read the conditions of our coverage and ask any questions before signing up.

Our award-winning customer service team is here to answer and address your concerns. The last thing we want is for anyone to feel coerced into buying coverage or being misinformed about what an Endurance contract does and doesn’t do. It all ties into our core values of transparency and accountability while serving as a valuable resource that Endurance customers can depend on.

But let’s go beyond just words. Plans sold by Endurance have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in claims since 2012. It’s a benchmark that few in the vehicle service contract industry have reached, proving that our company offers plans that stand behind its customers in times of need.

Moreover, we provide a 30-day free look period. If you are dissatisfied with your coverage or the customer service we offer, you can cancel, and we will promptly refund your payment. After that time period, we also allow for cancellation at any time with a prorated refund (see the terms of your plan for full details).

What We Will and Won’t Do When Contacting You

It’s important for current and prospective Endurance customers to know how the company communicates.

Endurance WILL:

• Identify our company when contacting customers and interested car owners.
• Provide clear information about how to contact us and where we’re located. By phone, reach us at (800) 253-8203 for new coverage or (866) 432-4443 for service on an existing plan. We’re also available by email. If regular mail is your thing, write to us at 400 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, IL 60062.
• Observe all federal and state laws covering how we may contact you

Endurance WILL NOT:

• Use robocall technology
• Send spam email
• Disguise who we are

Identifying Scam Robocalls

Robocalls are especially troublesome because scammers often make the call appear like it’s coming from a local number. They’ll even use a phone number almost identical to yours to trick you into answering the call. This is called spoofing.

Key elements of spoofing include:

• Spoofing Tools: The various apps, devices, and services allow callers to easily fake their outgoing caller ID. These work by letting the caller input any number they want to show up for the recipient. Sophisticated (and illegal) tools can do this on a mass basis.
• Masking Identity: Spoofing allows callers to hide their actual number and identity. Often, this is for malicious purposes like extended warranty robocalls.
• Fake Numbers: The spoofed number displayed is not the actual number placing the call. The recipient believes the call is coming from the spoofed number shown.
• Illegal Uses: While there may be some legitimate reasons for spoofing (like protecting privacy), it’s unlawful to spoof numbers for fraudulent or deceptive purposes.

There are a few hints that a call might be a scam besides a suspicious Caller ID number. Firstly, if the call is unsolicited and you have not consented to be contacted, it is probably a sham. Secondly, be wary if the caller presses you to act quickly or make an immediate payment. Such pressure is a classic red flag that you’re about to be ripped off. Legitimate companies will give you time to consider your options.

Thirdly, pay attention to the language and terminology used in the call. Scammers frequently use non-specific terms like “your car warranty” or “the extended warranty company.” They may even use a bogus company name you’re completely unfamiliar with. Further, warranty scam calls usually don’t know the make and model of your car. If they can’t provide this information, hang up.

Lastly, if you receive a call via a recorded message, it’s almost certainly a rip-off. Federal law prohibits recorded sales pitches unless compliant prior written consent has been given. However, certain administrative pre-recorded calls about flight delays, school closings, medical appointments, and similar reminders are generally legal.

Why Scammers Target Auto Warranties

There are several reasons why auto warranty scams are so frequent. To begin with, cars are common and costly possessions (the U.S. Department of Transportation reports there are more than 278 million private and commercial vehicles registered in the country), making them an appealing target for fraudsters. In addition, car warranties are complex, providing further incentives for scammers to sell coverage that’s not worth the paper they’re printed on. The fear of costly car repairs also comes into play, especially for someone without warranty coverage.

We also must point out that the robocall process is appealing to scammers; they like the anonymity and the ease of reaching out to thousands (if not millions) of potential victims. Simple and cheap auto-dialing technology makes contacting targets a breeze. And all it takes is one unsuspecting car owner to make the effort worthwhile.

Steps We Are Taking to Protect Our Customers

Endurance takes its responsibility to protect its customers and their private information very seriously. One way we do this is by limiting who has access to these details. This is all spelled out in our privacy policy and terms and conditions statement. For instance, if information is shared with a third-party company (such as a computer services provider), there are tight restrictions on what can be done with the data.

The very nature of Endurance’s business structure is designed to limit who sees customer information. Unlike other vehicle service contract companies, Endurance handles all claims processing internally. The repair shop and claims inspector (if needed) are the only outsiders involved.

Plus, much of the claims process can be handled through the exclusive Endurance smartphone app, which provides secure and convenient communication and no worries or confusion about auto warranty robocalls.

Finally, whether we reach out by email, phone, app, or mail, you’ll always know you’re dealing with an Endurance professional committed to your privacy.

5 Tips on What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Call

Keep these steps in mind if you receive a suspicious call about your extended car warranty.

1. Stay calm, and don’t divulge any personal information.
2. Ask the caller for their name, company name, and contact information. Hang up if they are hesitant or refuse to provide these details—it’s probably a scam call.
3. If you still have any doubts (like if the caller presents as working for a company that already has a contract with you yet can’t provide the make and model of your car), don’t be reluctant to call back. However, don’t use the number you were given. Look up the company’s official contact details and call them directly.
4. Also, hang up if the call is a recorded message. Remember, this type of contact is illegal unless you’ve already agreed to it from the specific company that is reaching out. In addition, unless you expected or agreed to the call, don’t press any keys if you’re instructed to do so (like “press one to speak to a live operator”).
5. Don’t feel pressure to answer a vehicle warranty call, regardless of whether you think it’s legitimate or not. Let them leave a voicemail. You can always call back later.

Reporting Suspected Scam Calls

If you suspect you’ve received a scam car warranty call, it’s important to report it to the authorities. The federal government is getting more aggressive in stopping these activities, but it can only act if it’s aware of what’s going on.

The first step is adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry; this should stop most unwanted solicitation calls from legitimate companies (there are certain exemptions for charities and political organizations). After your number has been registered for a month, you can report unwanted calls to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or other regulators.

Many cell phone companies also provide a process for blocking scam calls and reporting offenders. Contact your carrier for more details.

Benefits of Endurance Auto Protection Plans

There are many advantages to having an auto protection plan from Endurance. The greatest benefit comes from the peace of mind of knowing you’re protected against certain breakdowns and surprise repair bills. Life is hectic enough; you shouldn’t have to worry about paying the mechanic for covered repairs.

Endurance customers also appreciate that they have the freedom to choose from any ASE Certified mechanic or service center for covered repairs. This provides greater convenience and flexibility if you need to make a claim. Every Endurance plan also comes with extra assurance of 24/7 roadside assistance (with towing coverage and lockout assistance), rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption reimbursement. In addition, an Endurance vehicle service contract’s coverage can be transferred for a small fee to a new owner.

How to Safeguard Your Personal Information

Safeguarding your personal information is the best way to protect yourself from scams like extended warranty robocalls. A basic approach involves being cautious about who you share your phone number, credit card number, social security number, address, and other personal details.

There are more proactive measures you can take.

• Regularly review your social media privacy settings and be cautious about receiving unknown friend requests.
• Take advantage of Google features that can remove your personal information from web searches.
• Consider getting a virtual phone number (for example, Google Voice is free) to give out for non-personal reasons.
• Use virtual credit card numbers (many credit card companies offer this service) for online purchases. They’re easy to cancel, if needed, and don’t require replacing the plastic card in your wallet.

Endurance: Protecting You and Your Car

Endurance’s successful record of protecting cars also includes a long history of serving our customers. Every member of the Endurance team is dedicated to preserving your privacy. That’s why we’re so careful with how we use and share your information.

Have more concerns or are curious about getting started with Endurance? Call (800) 253-8203 to speak with an auto protection plan advisor for a FREE quote. You can also visit our eStore for instant pricing and coverage details.

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