Judge's orders end to warranty robocalls

CHICAGO, May 16 (UPI) -- Three U.S. telemarketing firms accused of making misleading "robocalls" about expiring car warranties must stop the practice, a court says.

The Federal Trade Commission announced Friday that a U.S. District Court in Chicago issued a restraining order demanding that three companies accused of aggressively making automated calls to sell auto warranties across the country cease the pitches, The New York Times reported.

"For the first time in months, millions of New Yorkers and people across the country will finally have some relief from these annoying calls with potentially thousands saved from falling into this scam," said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who added that he himself had received a robocall on his cell phone.

The two firms identified by the FTC were Voice Touch and Transcontinental Warranty, both operating largely out of Florida, which allegedly violated the National Do Not Call Registry and collected $10 million in sales as a result of the calls and mailings, in which the firms falsely told call recipients their car warranties were expiring, the Times said.