The extended warranty scam artists will not only harass you daily with telephone calls and fraudulent sales practices, they will have you arrested and put in jail.
Charles Papenfus had enough. He overreacted and made verbal threats to his tormenters.
According to court documents, Charles W. Papenfus, 43, allegedly told a sales representative during a May 18 telephone call that he would burn down the building and kill the employees and their families. He was indicted for making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony; and he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison if convicted.
Let’s agree that threats of physical violence and bodily harm should not be made. But if Papenfus were a traditional terrorist, the kind that indiscriminately kills with bombs and airplanes, we would be asked to engage in a ritual of self-examination to discover root causes. In this case, Papenfus appears not to be merely a deranged zealot, but a man provoked.
The warranty scammers have spread like a cancer, using robo calls to disrupt businesses and invade people’s homes. The calls come with phantom caller IDs. The warranty company’s true identity is concealed. Try staying on the line long enough to ask the live salesman what company he works for.
The Better Business Bureau recently accused the firm of sending mailers to consumers that incorrectly state factory warranties on their vehicles either have expired or will run out soon.
Or simply ask the salesman which vehicle he is referring to. Take my word for it: he doesn’t know who you are, what vehicles you own, or whether any is covered by a warranty.
What are the terms of the warranty? Well, that will all be disclosed in due time – due time being after you fork over a down payment of several hundred dollars. No, they really can’t discuss such sensitive matters with people who are not yet customers.
But you should not ask any of these questions if you have a tendency to become frustrated with lies and deceit offered up by uninvited and anonymous callers. An intemperate remark, and you might find yourself bunking with Papenfus.
Meanwhile, your public servants who are so diligently prosecuting Papenfus are content to paper over the massive fraud that emanates from the St. Louis suburbs.
Last year, then-Attorney General Jay Nixon sued the firm for misleading consumers, and a condition of that suit’s settlement was that TXEN Partners would refer to consumers’ expiring warranties only if the company believes “in good faith” that those claims are true.
Comments on this entry are closed.