wrong number - collections calls

amanda6035 · #1 04-15-2008, 09:44 AM

Okay, how in the HELL do you get collections agencies to quit calling your number, when they are calling to talk to someone you dont know?

I have 2 scenarios I'm dealing with. I've lived in my apartment for almost a year now, and have had this problem the whole time, and recently, the calls seem to be getting worse.

I come home every day with at least 15 missed calls by the same 2 or 3 different 800 numbers. When I AM home to answer, there's no live person on the line, so I cant tell them "I dont know who 'enrique' is, please quit calling" so they keep on and keep on and KEEP on calling me. I cant even tell you how many different people they've called for, the name is ALWAYS different!

Then, last saturday morning, it wasn't even 9am, a call came through. Luckily, it WAS a live person, and I chewed her out. "It's not even 9am, and you're calling the wrong number!" to which, her response was "Well, do you you know this person?" "No I dont know him! QUIT CALLING ME!" (Normally, I would have been polite, but like I said, it wasn't even 9am yet....)

Lot of good the Do Not Call registry does when it doesn't prevent automatic collections call numbers from calling over and over and OVER again. Why are they allowed to have auotmated calls anyway? At least if it were a person, I could try to be polite and tell them 'I'm sorry, I dont know that person, I've had this number for a year now, you've got the wrong number...."

Is there a way you can prevent certain numbers from successfully dialing you? Or is there any other solutions to this? Has anybody else been in this situation?

GAH!!!

33girl · #2 04-15-2008, 10:07 AM

Oh, I can beat that one.

I used to get collect calls from people who were in Western Penitentiary. I felt horrible saying no, but I sure as heck wasn't going to take the call. (Turns out the past president of the local NAACP used to be at my number and they were calling for help/representation).

I would look up the numbers online to see what company they're from, and contact the company directly.

scbelle · #3 04-15-2008, 10:08 AM

That sucks! I hate automated calls, and to make it worse, you're being hounded about debt that isn't even yours. Yuck!

You can call your phone company and ask them to put a block on your phone so the numbers that you have kept a record of cannot call you anymore. That will only prevent the calls from the numbers you have collected so far... if new ones crop up, then you will have to call to add them.

You can also go to Radio Shack or Best Buy and get a product called The Zapper. It's about $20 and when you attach it to your phone line, it prevents automated calls from coming in. It tricks the automated #s into thinking that your phone line has been disconnected, which in time, makes the companies drop your number from their books. I like this option because it does seem that more and more companies are opting for automated systems.

You can also contact the numbers that the automated messages direct you to. Talk to a live person and explain to them the situation to a SUPERVISOR. They have the authority to remove your number from the books. Depending on who all is calling you, that may be a time consuming option. If all else fails, you can always try to get a new, UNLISTED number.

amanda6035 · #4 04-15-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scbelle

You can also go to Radio Shack or Best Buy and get a product called The Zapper. It's about $20 and when you attach it to your phone line, it prevents automated calls from coming in. It tricks the automated #s into thinking that your phone line has been disconnected, which in time, makes the companies drop your number from their books. I like this option because it does seem that more and more companies are opting for automated systems.

Oh my goodness, this sounds great. I'm definitely going to check it out....

It's definitely the automated calls more than live people, so if this thing works, it would eliminate about 90% of the problem. Thanks for the tip!

amanda6035 · #5 04-15-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Oh, I can beat that one.

I used to get collect calls from people who were in Western Penitentiary. I felt horrible saying no, but I sure as heck wasn't going to take the call. (Turns out the past president of the local NAACP used to be at my number and they were calling for help/representation).

I would look up the numbers online to see what company they're from, and contact the company directly.

Hah, wow....

See, I've tried looking up numbers to call the company, and wouldnt ya know, the numbers either dont work, or it's an automated system that's too time consuming to get through to someone.

Jerks.

Drolefille · #6 04-15-2008, 10:30 AM

If you can get a person on the line you can threaten them with going to the police for harassment, particularly since this isn't your debt.

AGDee · #7 04-15-2008, 01:18 PM

I get those all the time too, for someone with the same last name, different first name. What collections do is call everybody in an area with the same last name, hoping to snare a relative. It's disgusting. When they leave me a message though, I always call them back to tell them I don't know who Shawna is! I have had collections call my house and ask me to give messages to my neighbors also, which I think is really crappy. Do they really think that humiliating someone by telling their neighbors is going to make them pay a bill? 99% of the people would pay it if they could! Sheesh.

Kevin · #8 04-15-2008, 01:51 PM

We had to change our phone number once due to this. We just recently started getting calls for another person.

ZTAngel · #9 04-15-2008, 02:19 PM

We got calls like that all the time a few months ago. It was from an automated service that left us a message every single time they called our house which was about 6 to 7 times per day. We went away on our honeymoon for over 2 weeks and came back to almost 100 voicemails. Omg...I was so angry. The calls would start very early on the weekends - usually around 8am. The automated message would say each time, "We are calling in regards to a very important matter. Please call back immediately." Since it was an automated call and the "important matter" was never said, my husband and I knew that it was probably a debt collector calling for someone else. We figured that if we didn't answer the calls or didn't call them back that eventually they'd give up. No such luck. We tried to get Vonage involved (they're our phone provider) but they were no help. My husband finally answered the call one day and the automated message said, "Please hold while we connect you to an agent." Yay! A live person! My husband chewed them out. They were supposedly looking for a Dave. He told them they were calling a government work line (which is technically correct since my husband is a PhD student at GATech and does a lot of his research from home). That seemed to do the trick and they never called again.

It started again last month with a different debt collector. It was a live person calling each time while we were at work and they'd leave a message saying that they needed to speak with Buford about a very important matter. No Buford's here! They called last Friday while I was taking the day off. I answered and I'll admit that I was not so friendly to them. The calls have stopped though.

33girl · #10 04-15-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZTAngel

they needed to speak with Buford about a very important matter. No Buford's here!

How on earth can anyone named "Buford" get credit in the first place? LOLLERS.

Tom Earp · #11 04-15-2008, 02:32 PM

Get their phone number first off before you tell them off.

Then tell them you will notify the proper authorities about the harassaing calls.

Notify your local phone company about what is going on. They can with your permission put a tap on your line.

ZTAngel · #12 04-15-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

How on earth can anyone named "Buford" get credit in the first place? LOLLERS.

This is the South. It's amazing what people name their kids here. Nothing surprises me anymore.

ForeverRoses · #13 04-15-2008, 02:51 PM

I was getting these from a law firm in Arizona (and I am in Indiana). I finally called them back and they removed my phone number but not before they harrassed me about "Cedric" and if I knew him (they apparently thought I was lying about not knowing him). My husband's company has an attorney that works for them (in-house) so he ended up calling them on our behalf as well and cited some laws regarding telephone harrassment.

ree-Xi · #14 04-15-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Get their phone number first off before you tell them off.

Then tell them you will notify the proper authorities about the harassaing calls.

Notify your local phone company about what is going on. They can with your permission put a tap on your line.

Only law enforcement agencies can "tap" your phone, and it has to be for a very good reason.

Most phone companies do not allow blocking for these type of calls. Even if you WERE able to get their number, the calls are generated using auto-dialers that use hundreds, maybe thousands of different numbers.

The do not call list would not help you in this case because the number is presumably in databases thanks to the person(s) they are seeking. Chances are, someone else had your number at one point.

I have had this problem since we moved two years ago. "Sergio" - his real name - lived in the same town but his phone was disconnected. The standard time the phone company waits between reassigning phone numbers is 6-24 months, usually on the later side. Well, they gave us Sergio's number after 2 months. So we have had collectors, relatives, babymamas, kids, stores, and everyone else that Sergio knew, calling us.

We went to get my car tuned up one day, and the auto center had our number associated with Sergio, and you guessed it, he had bounced a check. We had to bring in our phone bill to show them that we had that number.

The best calls are the ones in Spanish. I speak about 3% Spanish, and I try to tell them that Sergio doesn't have this number anymore. I have been called "puta" more than once.

Good luck. The phone company told me our only option was to change our number, but seeing as we had just moved and given everyone our new number, we decided to deal with it.

PeppyGPhiB · #15 04-15-2008, 04:10 PM

I would do a couple things...

First, I'd call the collection company back and talk to a supervisor. Pressing 0 almost always gets you to an operator. Confirm with them that it appears the debtor they're trying to reach has provided them (or their client) with a bogus telephone number, since you do not know the person and have had that telephone number in your name for X number of years.

Second, I'd call the company the collection agency is collecting the debt on behalf of, to make sure they have all of the above information, too.

Third, I'd order a copy of my credit report to make sure that no one has opened any accounts in my name. ESPECIALLY if I was getting a lot of calls like this, and from people looking for more than one person. This is how identity theft works.