Bradley Horowitz

I get those too. Sometimes they leave me a voicemail, but their robot message starts half-way into the pitch. - Robert Felty

that is incredibly bad marketing. - anna

I've been getting the same calls, but I own a Nissan. I also got a letter. - Adam Thorsen

Good point Chris, I can't remember if they say Toyota, or if I just assumed that. I don't get much other spam to my phone though. - Paul Buchheit

New phone number. On the 'do not call list'. They still keep comin'. Letting A LOT go to voice mail ... The others to Grand Central :) - Charlie Anzman

I get the same from Subaru robo-voice. I think there's no escaping it, no matter the auto brand. Well, I assume Rolls Royce doesn't do that. They probably just call to invite people to secret parties of the uber elite! - Zach Landes

It's almost certainly not your dealer. If you Google the number on the caller ID, there would be several people complaining about it online, and you can/should file a complaint with the FCC. - Manas Tungare

Ack...terrible marketing strategy... call FTC and COMPLAIN... NOT legal. - Susan Beebe

yah, we've been getting these in the mail for the last 6+months .. according to them, mine is always "about to expire" .. for some reason, it never does. - Tim Hoeck

The second notice that my vehicle warranty is expiring is the only phone spam I get. The company would not identify itself, and I've been told the caller ID is fake. - Bruce Lewis

Paul, I get alot of those but not from Toyota. I assume it must be related to Honda since I purchased one almost 2 years ago. I bet I signed somewhere I shouldn't have that my local dealer must have sold my info to third party marketers. *argh* - imabonehead

No it isn't Honda, either. My boss gets those calls and he doesn't own a car. - Bruce Lewis

in California at least it is hugely expensive fine for FCC violations of cell-phone spam, so do follow-up, as it costs consumers money and these things shouldn't go on. I advise corp. clients to basically scrub their lists of phone numbers, as it's not worth the risk (keeping up to date with the non-contact lists) - anna

http://ag.ca.gov/donotcall/ is the CA do not call list, also, "you can prohibit individual telemarketers from calling by asking them to put you on their company's do not call list. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991 requires telemarketers (except non-profit organizations) to keep such a list. Keep in mind that the telemarketer's "do not call" list applies only to that individual company." - anna

Yes, I own a Toyota and I am getting absolutely *harassed* by these calls as well :( - Ashwin Bharambe

doesn't look like Toyota is winning any customer service brownie points with this warranty *spam* call center - Susan Beebe

My guess is it's not the car company. I don't have a Toyota or Honda. Also, I read this is an identity theft scam. Listen closely to the message they leave, do they say your vehicle name or are you just assuming they know. - Chris White

Problem is that I never got these calls before until I bought a new car. Since then I get these calls anywhere from 1-3/week! Somewhere, someone sold my information for a profit to telemarketers. And my phone number is unlisted in the phone book. I'm pissed! - imabonehead

imabonehead, this might be true. But remember that this scam started recently, so it could also be a coincidence. Gotta use that scientific method. - Chris White

Vi gets those calls at his work number. - Daisy

Some of these call come via VoIP networks, as far as i can tell; otherwise, who'd pay to robo-call from London, country code 44 city 207. They're all frauds. Take solace and action after checking and posting the number at http://whocalled.us. - John Lam

+1 John for the hyperlink - imabonehead

Good to know I'm not the only one :). I feel bad for blaming Toyota though, since from the sounds of it they probably don't have anything to do with it. Next time I get a call I'll stay on long enough to see if I can get any details. - Paul Buchheit

Let's stand up together and fight these telemarketers! - imabonehead

imabonehead +1 go go go! - anna

I have been getting called on both my cellphone and my landline since spring. When I googled the phone number, I was sent to a site with many similar complaints about this number and instructions to file complaints. - Anne Bouey

me tooo.. stupid canned messages ...lot's of 'em...very annoying... thanks for the link John! - Susan Beebe

I have received similar calls, but they are not dealer specific. - Louis Gray

My sister stayed on the line once and they asked for her name and vehicle identification number, at which point she hung up. I just figure that it's a phishing scam. - Jonathan Tang

me too - Bradley Horowitz

The press seems now almost anti-Obama, even MSNBC. There is no way the trip was not a fantastic plus for Obama, yet press was all "will it backfire". Now, why is that? Because they think its more of a story to "sell" than the straight ahead story of what is most obvious, that Obama is "presidential" to the nth degree, and that is a good thing, not somehow a bad thing. Where is the "hubris"? For me, its just so refreshing to hear an intelligent person speaking on behalf of my country – for a change. Hilary would have been “OK” in this department, but not great. Obama is truly great. By the way, to be a great leader, speech matters: Lincoln, Churchill, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan… - Richard Hood

Politics aside, I just want a president who can speak clearly and remember what he said 10 minutes ago... Really, is that asking too much? - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)

"Now, why is that?" Saturation. - Kirk Kittell

To me, Obama is too "rock-star" like to make a good president. He hasn't even served one term as Senator. How is he planning to run the country? - Gavin

Richard Hood: I know Reagan is untouchable in the USA - but how was he a "great leader" when he supplied Iran with weapons, at a time it was clearly an enemy?! - sebmos

Gavin: Nobody can train to run a country, not even McCain. You can show management and leadership skills, though, and Obama showed both with his campaign: He had an uphill battle to fight against HRC, who was expected (by her, the party and the media) to be the nominee since the day she announced she would run for office. His campaign is the reason why I think he can make a great president. - sebmos

A report on POTUS 08 yesterday said 3 major networks were over 70% negative comments toward Obama. Gavin: why do members of congress have the lowest ratings and yet you want to use that as a measure of success in the office of the Presidency? - LPH™

sebmos: he's a great leader because he won the cold war and made the USA the sole superpower (or was anyway). it could have easily gone either way between USSR and USA and it could have led to the destruction of many, many people and it didn't. whether he gave arms to the wrong guys pales in comparison to that accomplishment. it's a given that the american foreign policy in the middle east is pretty much terrible across the board - so i'll give him an iran mulligan in the scheme of things... - Morgan

in a representative government the leader reflects the people... we had george bush because the collective is dumb .. even if obama is god he cannot go faster than the public consciousness ... - Gregory Lent

Look at it this way -- if Obama wants to start acting like President, then we're going to start acting as if he were President. Which means thank god Bush is gone, now you're the guy in the hot seat and we're going to be criticizing you. He's a student of history, and he's really smart, so he knows that and is probably prepared for it (as he seems to be prepared for everything else). Milbank is giving him shit because that's what you do with the President! - Dave "Maverick" Winer

I didn't know you had a place there - so sorry to hear it. - Bret Taylor

thanks, we're really bummed, but big sur will still be there and we can rebuild...i hope nobody reading this EVER has loses a place near to their heart like this - Peter Fenton

Peter, I'm so sorry... I hope you can manage to have a happy birthday in the midst of the challenge. - Bradley Horowitz

Ai!! That is truly awful. I am so sorry. And not just the house, but the gardens too, all those roses ... is it all black all around there? Anything salvageable? - Stewart

will know more tomorrow, but it looks like a total loss... - Peter Fenton

Sorry to hear this, it looks like such a beautiful area. - Jim Norris

Sorry to hear that Peter. - Jason Shellen

My husband and I were greatly saddened and distressed to hear about the destruction of the Stone House and so much of the surrounding area that was dear to my husband's father, Harry Lafler, who-- as you know-- built the Stone House in 1925 and homesteaded Lafler Canyon in 1909. We are following the story on the Internet but would also appreciate hearing from you when you know the extent of the damage. - Joanne Lafler

Joanne, amazing you found me! i'm heading down today, hoping to see what's there, hoping to the high heavens that the stone work remains....will send an update once i know more - Peter Fenton

Thanks for your reply, Peter. I found you through Denise Sallee, who was the first to inform us about the ravages of the fire. The house has not been in the Lafler family since the early 1960s, when John's mother was in a bad financial way and had to sell the remaining Lafler property in Big Sur, but John and I had spent our honeymoon there some years earlier and we still feel a strong attachment to it. More than strong! John hardly remembers his father, who died when John was only five, so the house was a tangible connection. We have not been up there for about 25 years, when we had permission of the then owner to scatter his mother's ashes. I am in the final stages of writing a biography of Harry Lafler, and I never imagined that it would end this way. So yes, please, let us know how much of the structure survived. I suppose that at some time we might wish to pay our last respects, if that is all right with you. you are ever interested in seeing photographs of the early history of the house-- - Joanne Lafler