Telemarketer ordered to stop pitching car warranties

Raleigh, N.C. — A Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday against a telemarketer who has been pitching car warranties to seniors, officials said.

Under the order, Automotive Protection of New Jersey and its manager, Christopher Doyle, must stop illegally telemarketing to North Carolinians and quit taking their money, Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

“Calling people on the 'Do Not Call list' and trying to trick them is no way to do business,” Cooper said in a statement. “We’re taking action to stop the calls and try to win money back for consumers.”

Cooper contends Automotive Protection targeted consumers age 65 or older, called people who had signed up for the Do Not Call Registry to stop telemarketing calls and misrepresented the terms of its auto warranties. Twenty-four consumers complained about the company's tactics, he said.

Cooper wants a permanent injunction against the company’s illegal telemarketing calls and deceptive sales practices and an order requiring the company to pay consumer refunds and civil penalties.