I keep getting mail from "True Auto" about my auto warranty expiring and needing to call to update my warranty policy. I already have a warranty and car insurance through my chosen provider. The envelope and letter True Auto sends never has a return address or company website listed/provided and even the company name (True Auto) is only seen when reading the fine print toward the bottom (front side) of the letter. The letter starts off by claiming "your auto warranty may be expiring or may have already expired" and then goes on to say " Our records indicate you have not contacted us to update your warranty policy. Call us immediately to ensure there is nor further lapse in coverage" before providing only their phone number as a point of contact.
The back of the letter says you can opt out from recieving mail from True Auto by contacting TransUnion toll free at 1-888-567-8688 ,visiting www.optoutprescreen.com, or sending a letter to Opt-Out Request P.O. Box 505, Woodlyn PA 19094. I don't know if these points of contact are legitimate because there are complaints from others on Yelp and the BBB that state people still receive letters from True Auto even after requesting to opt out with the information provided above.
This company's omission of information, misleading word choice/verbage, and lack of transparency can trick/scare vulnerable people into thinking they need to act immediately in order to be covered regardless of whether or not they are already covered under a warranty and/or insurance.
I read complaints on BBB and in response to one of the complaints regarding True Auto's deceptive business practices through mailers True Auto responded with:
"Our mailers language have been approved by compliance lawyers in the states.
The first sentence states, "...that your Auto Warranty may be expiring or may have already expired." - this is not a deceptive statement, as in most cases is true. ******** we receive is for customers who MFR or Extended Warranty has expired is coming close to expiration.
This language does not state anything about you having a warranty previously with us".
They pretty much state that they can get away with what they do and that their lanaguage is not deceptive because it is "approved by compliance lawyers". Yes, not all lawyers defend and protect the innocent.
They went on to say that the letter says your warranty "may be expiring or may have already expired" and "in most cases" this "is true".
In my case, and the case of many others who have written reviews and filed complaints, this is not true. Our warranties are not expired or about to expire and the wording of their letter implies that the recipient of the letter has an expiring or expired warranty regardless of whether or not it is true. It also urges the recipient of the letter to contact them directly and immediately to update their warranty, implying that their warranty needs to be updated or they risk being without coverage. The urgency implied through the use of the word "immediately" instills a sense of fear/ anxiety over the potential loss of coverage and protection.
I wrote a review for True Auto on the BBB website and True Auto stated they get our information from the dealership where we bought our car and they stated that "Given the year of your vehicle, one can deduce that your manufacture warranty has or is soon to expire". This is a lie. I just bought a new car and the warranty is new, active, and nowhere close to expiring. True Auto is just trying to make an excuse to cover themselves because they send out mailers once they get your info regardless of whether your warranty is expiring or not.
If True Auto were honest, clear, and direct about the intent of their mailers being for marketing purposes rather than suggesting your warranty may be expiring or already expired and if they included other points of contact outside of just their phone number (return address, email, website, etc.), they wouldn't have to constantly defend themselves for misleading/deceptive business practices or being a scam through BBB complaints.
In response to a complaint about True Auto regarding their deceptive/misleading letters, they pretty much stated that many other companies do it too, implying that because other companies are able to do it/ get away with it,it isn't wrong and they should be able to do it. Many people around the world lie, cheat, and steal... it still doesn't make it right or ok to do.
True Auto's lack of accountability and acknowledgement of their deceptive and misleading business practices and their lack of regard when it comes to how these practices take advantage of/harm people, especially the more vulnerable populations, ensures that I will never use or recommend True Auto. read more