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Erie County Clerk's Office: Jacobs warns motorists of scam related to vehicle warranties

by jmaloni

•Taken from the March 27 Island Dispatch

Tue, Mar 31st 2015 12:40 pm

Urges residents to disregard misleading solicitation

Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs wants to caution all Erie County motorists to watch for a misleading solicitation that looks like an official notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The letter's return address is from the "Motor Vehicle Division" and contains an accurate description of the make and model of your vehicle. It also states "Immediate Response To This Notice Required."

"I want to inform vehicle owners in Erie County that the entities marketing such requests are not at all related to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles or the Erie County Auto Bureau, which is operated by my office," Jacobs said. "If you receive one of these notices, you should ignore it."

Jacobs was made aware of this matter by fellow county clerks in New York, where there has been an increased incidence of these notifications causing confusion to motorists. The solicitation, urging the consumer to extend the warranty on their vehicle, looks like an official government notice and contains an urgent-sounding statement that, "by neglecting to replace your coverage you will be at risk of being financially liable for any and all repairs after your factory warranty expires."

The notice asks the vehicle owner to contact them to review service coverage, which, depending on the mileage, year, make and model of the vehicle, can cost well over $3,000.

"This type of solicitation is very misleading," Jacobs said. "Needlessly alarming people into spending their hard-earned money purchasing something they do not necessarily need is a less that reputable way to do business."

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