If I keep getting these &(*^&)& automated calls saying, "Your Toyota vehicle will need [some maintenance work] soon. Please stop in...." Crap, I can monitor what the heck the car needs to have done. Besides, I do not recall signing any form which gave Toyota permission to call my phone at random times to remind me to have my car serviced. I have twice called the dealership where I bought my Prius and both times I was told it is a Toyota corporate system and them can't remove me from the list. Hey, I know a way to remove me from the list: Sell the *&)&^&^ car and never buy another Toyota.
It's not a corporate thing. If you get the call and are on a no-call list and you tell them not to call any more you can report them and they'll face stiff fines. This is something the local Toyota dept. is doing as I've never gotten a call...though I do get some snail mail and e-mails. Again, it's not 'Toyota'...it's your dealer trying to get money from you from oil changes. TMC and TMC USA get none of that.
Seconded, that it's a dealer and not Toyota as a whole. Find out what dealer it is, go down there and get hold of whoever's in charge of these notifications, and have them remove you. Repeat through the inevitable several times that they will fail to do so until it finally happens. . I *still* get "bring in your Subaru" promo in the mail. . _H*
That won't work. I still remember getting service "reminders" for our Corolla months after it was totalled lol. Anyway, it's not Toyota's fault. It's the dealership that's sending the automated messages.
Remind the dealer the fine is $11,000 for a violation of the "do not call" law. I bet they figure out fast how to stop it. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt107.shtm DO not let them BS you about a "business relationship," either: My number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. After I bought something from a company, a telemarketer representing that organization called me. Is this a violation? No. By purchasing something from the company, you established a business relationship with the company. As a result, even if you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, that company may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment to it, unless you ask the company not to call again. In that case, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.
I guess at some level, given enough people, these calls must work because otherwise why would businesses continue such an annoying (that is infuriating) practice? I've been fortunate. The dealership I bought from just sends me pleading letters and bribes (coupons) when the Prius' service time rolls around.
I third the opinion that it's your dealer. I've never gotten a call from 'Toyota' - but do occasionally get mailin's, and I also have the TAC thingy, which mails me service details I've had. Steve.
TWI, are you perhaps in the infamous Southeast or Gulf States region? Those are not run by Toyota Corporation, but by separate companies. In any case, it is definitely not the ultimate Toyota Corporation of North America (or whatever the US arm of the company is called) that is making those calls...it's either the individual dealer or maybe the companies that run those two particular regions. Do you have Caller ID to capture the telephone number that is calling? You may be able to block that number (if that's a feature you have with your phone service). Sorry about your troubles...and never buy a car from that dealer again!
Your dealership is lieing. No one from Toyota has ever called me about servicing. I got one call a few weeks after I bought my car asking if I would participate on a ratings survey on my experiences with the dealership. The survey arrived shortly after that and that was it. That was the one and only time I've every been called.
TWI, Automated phone calls like that (solicitations) are illegal, even if you have an established business relationship, unless you authorize the caller in writing to do so. The fines are large ($500+ per call, Federal plus any additional State fines) and get passed on to you if you file suit against the offender and win (which is not difficult). If you find out who it is, don't bother calling them. No doubt they know they are violating the law. Just report them to the FCC every time you receive a call. Use this link to file complaints online in a few minutes: https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/consumer.do Selection option "Prerecorded message received at a residential telephone". Print a copy of every complaint you file and save it for your records. Using an inexpensive phone voice recorder to record the automated calls and a log book to record date/time is priceless evidence if/when you hear back from the FCC and/or file a small claims suit against the offender. If you have caller ID and a phone number shows up, the phone company can guide you through through a few simple legal steps to get the caller's name and address.
The automated calls are infuriating, because there's no person you can tell to not call you again. As KTPhil points out, if you ask a company or organization not to call you, they are then forbidden from calling even if they are exempt from the Do Not Call list itself. But with automated calls you cannot do this because there's nobody to tell. The problem is that automated calls usually have caller ID blocked, so no number is shown, and it just says (on my phone) "Out of Area" or "Private caller." I solve this issue by not answering calls unless there's a number shown on the caller ID. There is no legitimate reason for blocking caller ID. If you do not want the person you are calling to know it's you, you probably are a malicious caller. So I don't answer. They can leave a message, and if it's legitimate I'll call them back. (I also shut off my phone ringer when I go to bed or take a nap, and sometimes if I have a visitor and don't care to be interrupted.) However, back on topic, I have never received such calls from Toyota. Only junk mail with service coupons or car ads.
I got no problem w/ my Toyota Business relationship. I LOVE to give my number out. It's our FAX. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE whaaa whaa whaaa squeeeee.
They used to call me too, I changed the number.. I now give them an email address thats for an account that is filtered so that all mail sent to it automaticly goes into the trash.. I only give the addy out when asked for an email account. Its great, Thanks Yahoo!
And just how does this qualify for the Main Prius Forum???? [man, there has been a rash of these things since the PriusChat software upgrade.]
