A man is warning that he inadvertently allowed himself to get “bullied” into buying fake car insurance via a scam letter he received in the mail.
TikTok user Carter (@carterpcs) recently moved to California and received what he thought was an official-looking letter about his car insurance policy. Except the letter wasn’t exactly what he thought it was.
“I think I got bullied into buying fake car insurance,” he says to start the video.
Carter explains that a week after his move he received an envelope in the mail with red letters on it. “And when there’s red letters on an envelope, I assume it’s important,” he says. “I open it up and it’s from the U.S. Automotive Protection Services.”
What is in the car insurance letter?
According to Carter, the letter states that his car insurance is “over” and he needed to call a number listed immediately. “And I was like, alright,” he says. “It made sense at the time, because I was between auto insurance policies.”
When he called, Carter says the person who answered the phone was incredibly nice (verging on “flirting”) and promised to take care of the problem.
“Then after about 20 minutes of getting verbally molested, I hung up the phone and realized, ‘Wait. He just sold me car insurance, didn’t he?’” Carter says. “Well, guess we gotta figure out how to cancel this.”
What is U.S. Automotive Protection Services?
U.S. Automotive Protection Services is an extended vehicle service contract company that portrays itself as the country’s “top auto protection” provider. However, the company does not have a positive online reputation in the least.
A 2020 press release from the Better Business Bureau warns consumers about these exact mailers, advising caution when interacting with the company: “Consumers allege the company uses misleading and high-pressure sales tactics, fails to cancel contracts in a timely manner or provide refunds, and provides poor customer service.”
Several customers cited in the press release report having difficulty canceling their contracts with U.S. Automotive Protection Services. Some are still waiting years after first asking for a refund.
BBB advises consumers to research any business thoroughly before giving them their payment information. Additionally, consumers should avoid feeling pressured into making any immediate decisions and double-check the numbers before signing any contracts.
@carterpcs I got scammed into buying car insurance #carterpcs #tech #techtok #techfacts #car #carinsurance ♬ Wii Shop Channel Trap – OSRSBeatz
Viewers react to the situation
The video has amassed more than 87,000 views. In the comments, many users said he got scammed.
“Bro got scammed,” wrote one user.
Another said, “That does not sound official at all.”
One user asked, “Doesn’t Tesla sell you their own car insurance?” Carter hadn’t replied as of press time.
The Daily Dot reached out to Carter via TikTok comment and direct message. We also reached out to U.S. Automotive Protection Services via email for comment.
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The post ‘Doesn’t Tesla sell you their own car insurance?’: Man warns against car insurance scam after he received this letter in the mail appeared first on The Daily Dot.