Those fake auto warranty calls are driving me crazy: Roadshow
Plus: I think someone forgot this lonesome roadside alpaca.
Q: For many months, we’ve been getting telephone calls from multiple unknown numbers, from a variety of area codes, that begin with a recording announcing that our car warranty is due to expire. I immediately hang up and go to my cell phone app and block the number. Despite this, the calls continue, often interrupting important telephone calls in progress.
We tried RoboKiller, but even that did not work. It’s like playing whack-a-mole. Friends and family report the same nuisance. Can you suggest any way to stop whomever is behind this scam?
Incidentally, our auto warranty is not expired or about to expire.
Kathy Rowan
A: This is an all-too-common scam, and the best tactic is to ignore the calls and never to respond to them. And, if you do call back, never give out personal information to these likely crooks.
Q: I had to respond to Sacramento prices for gasoline being 50 cents lower than the Bay Area. Though I don’t really disagree with much of your response, my first response would’ve been, “It ain’t so.”
San Francisco and Napa have the highest gasoline prices in the Bay Area, and they are about 25 cents higher than Sacramento. Contra Costa and Alameda are about a dime higher than Sacramento.
My second response would have been that it’s not the same gasoline. The exact formulations allowed in the Bay Area and in Sacramento are likely different, and the Bay Area formulation is more expensive to make. That’s not to say that this isn’t also a function of land prices (and the density of gasoline stations), local sales taxes, etc.
Severin Borenstein, UC Berkeley Energy Guy
A: Severin is the man in the know.
Q: I have the article that you wrote in June of 2020 about animals grazing along Interstate 680. They have been wonderful to see since that time. You mentioned that they leave in June, and I noticed fewer animals the past few months.
But I’ve noticed what looks like a llama/alpaca standing next to the fence above the freeway. Yes, it does appear that all of the other animals are gone, but I still see this one. I am concerned that this animal was left behind. Is there a way that you can alert this company that there is one left? I don’t see any other animals, although there were other llamas/alpacas before.
Joanne McCarthy, Alamo
A: Most, but not all animals are removed in June. I’m told this animal has not been forgotten, but thanks for your concern on its behalf.
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