Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Annoying calls from companies trying to sell extended car warranties often violate the Do Not Call Registry and in some cases the warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
18 months ago, Alice McNamara got a postcard in the mail telling her to act fast in order to extend her car warranty from "Dealer Warranty Services." She called the telephone number on the card right away. "It was sort of like he knew a little bit about where I bought the car, how much time I had left and old it was," she said.
She signed up and has been paying $120 a month since, but recently when she went to call the company, "dealer warranty services," the phone was disconnected.
As Alice started becoming more suspicious she brought the car back to her dealer to ask about this supposed extended warranty. They had no idea who this third party was.
Turns out, "Dealer Warranty Services" has an "F Rating" from the Better Business Bureau and is being sued by a handful of Attorneys General from different states. The company has basically fallen off the radar but had still be taking money out of McNamara's account. Before she closed the account, she paid a total of $2,225.89.
From now on, she'll just put money aside in her own account to cover any unexpected car repairs. "There's no way I'll ever get that money back, no way to contact them, their number isn't working anymore and I just feel that other people should know so they are not going to have the same situation that I had," said McNamara.
If you get a call from someone looking to extend your warranty, hang-up. After your manufacturers' warranty runs out, it's better to just save for unexpected repairs. If you're already dealing with a company that you are suspicious of, file a complaint right away with the Federal Trade Commission.
