Endurance Warranty Services

There’s some truth to this very official-looking letter that recently materialized in a TINA.org reader’s mailbox — and a lot of advertising. The reader does have a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze — that part’s accurate — but the warranty on said vehicle is not close to expiring, as the “very urgent and time sensitive” notice warns.

“My car is still under the dealer’s warranty, which is two years or 24,000 miles,” Debbie E. wrote in an email to TINA.org. “I’ve had my car almost one year and it has a little over 13,000 miles on it.”

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So what’s going on here? Well, despite its bold attempt to double as a missive from the DMV (a section prompts the recipient to call a “direct agent” at the “motor vehicles services department”), this letter does not come from your friends at the DMV. In fact, all this notice amounts to is an advertisement for Endurance Warranty Services, a company selling post-factory warranty coverage for auto repairs.

The letter’s true colors are laid out in the fine print on the second page:

You may have been selected to receive this special limited time offer from Endurance Warranty Services because of information in your consumer auto data file. … This is an advertisement to obtain coverage.

Debbie E. said she doesn’t know how Endurance got a hold of her name, address and vehicle information, but she said she’s been the recipient of such misleading notices before.

“This is not the first time I’ve received advertisements like these, which I feel are deceptive,” she said.

Find more of our coverage on auto warranties here.