Is There any Reprieve from Collection Agencies?

Just to preface, my family is not in debt or on a list to any collection agencies, this is more of a case of someone giving away our phone number somewhere (as they're always asking for differently named people whenever they call here). It's just getting ridiculous! They call maybe five or six times every single day beginning at early hours of the morning. There's no use talking to them because they never listen and it just keeps up on and on. It appears that the Do Not Call list does nothing either to keep them at bay.

I wasn't extremely frustrated until just today. There was a call from what appeared to be a local cell phone number. I picked it up thinking that it was a relative or friend that needed something as I do not know all of their numbers. I pick it up and it's one of the agencies on the line. I hung up immediately and they called again five minutes later first from that same number and then from their usual number. I was SO steamed that they would be underhanded enough to seemingly make up a cell phone number just so it would be more likely for a person to pick up. That is just underhanded and an invasion!

Seriously, is there any way to stop this scum? I'm tired of my family and I being harassed whenever we don't owe anybody money (except for my student loans which I don't have to start making payments on until November if I'm not in grad school by then) . It's the fact that they'll call so many times every day, that they'll make up fake numbers, and that they're all around just... I don't even know how to describe it at this point.

originally posted by: Myomistress
Just to preface, my family is not in debt or on a list to any collection agencies, this is more of a case of someone giving away our phone number somewhere (as they're always asking for differently named people whenever they call here). It's just getting ridiculous! They call maybe five or six times every single day beginning at early hours of the morning. There's no use talking to them because they never listen and it just keeps up on and on. It appears that the Do Not Call list does nothing either to keep them at bay.

I wasn't extremely frustrated until just today. There was a call from what appeared to be a local cell phone number. I picked it up thinking that it was a relative or friend that needed something as I do not know all of their numbers. I pick it up and it's one of the agencies on the line. I hung up immediately and they called again five minutes later first from that same number and then from their usual number. I was SO steamed that they would be underhanded enough to seemingly make up a cell phone number just so it would be more likely for a person to pick up. That is just underhanded and an invasion!

Seriously, is there any way to stop this scum? I'm tired of my family and I being harassed whenever we don't owe anybody money (except for my student loans which I don't have to start making payments on until November if I'm not in grad school by then) . It's the fact that they'll call so many times every day, that they'll make up fake numbers, and that they're all around just... I don't even know how to describe it at this point.

If I were you I'd enjoy some minutes of fun. I'd start saying, I don't wanna pay so **** off and stuff like that. Drives them nuts and they can't do snip about it. I had a friend who owed a lot of money to credit cards and he never paid them back. (not because of delinquency but because he was totally broke) Every time someone from collection agencies would call he'd start lashing out on them in the most rudest way. Funny like hell.

a reply to: Telos

We normally just let it ring and ring but whenever my boyfriend's here, he has fun with them. He's fluent in Spanish so often rattles off Spanish a mile a minute at them and sometimes they don't know what to do. The last time though, it backfired and they found someone that DID speak Spanish to talk to him instead.

originally posted by: Myomistress
a reply to: Telos

We normally just let it ring and ring but whenever my boyfriend's here, he has fun with them. He's fluent in Spanish so often rattles off Spanish a mile a minute at them and sometimes they don't know what to do. The last time though, it backfired and they found someone that DID speak Spanish to talk to him instead.

Lol. The funny part is that they use all the kind of tricks to scare you. But legally they CANNOT DO nothing besides just ruin your credit score. As long as you don't screw around with taxes and government money, private banks and CC can't do snip. Anyway now with the new technology you can just simply block the unwanted numbers

I worked with bill collection agencies, and as some people mentioned above you can mess with them and they can do nothing about it, but the companies I worked with some employees would yell back, call and harass rude customers, they would also give your number to other mad customers telling them its our customer service number. I was never apart of anything like this because I'm a firm believer in what goes around comes around, but the things I saw and heard while working Telemarketing and Bill collecting was insane. My Best friend got me the job and it took a hard toll on him having to lie and cheat customers. He hated it. but its work, and at the time we were grateful.

Now we have both been gone for a year but the company still runs strong! Beware of some of those guys and how you talk to them...Just a heads up, because they can and will mess with you to the point where you call the police. But the number you try and reach them at will be unhooked so its nearly impossible to reach any company back. Just my 2 cents on this matter.

I don't know if this works. But I have heard if you put the initial tones of the "this number has been disconnected" message on your answering machine or voicemail, the computer they use won't connect the call and will remove your number from their database.

Supposedly, it doesn't matter what you say after those tones. Once the automated system these call centers use hear those tones, they move to the next call and take your number from their list. So you can say whatever you want after the tones, so your mom or boss or whoever won't think your phone is really disconnected.

Again, I don't know if this works. But it might be worth a shot if you get a lot of these calls.

a reply to: Moresby

Just letting you know that it sounds kind of to good to be true. the companies I have worked with would literally recycle every number even if we put them on the Do Not Call list, in a month it would autodial that number again.

a reply to: Myomistress

I would waste their time.

I usually start out by asking them if they are happy with their life, harassing people, the wrong people for that matter for money they have nothing to do with. Then move on to discuss ways that I can help make that person's life better, with life coach advice!

It works wonders. Sure you'll have to do it 3 or 4 times, but eventually they'll stop.

~Tenth

It's just mostly borderline harassment for my mother because they call at eight or nine AM usually to start and then continue for the rest of the day. My mother is up all hours of the night because she is an "extreme couponer" and so spends most of her nights coupon hunting online and doesn't get to bed until four or five in the morning anyway. I don't spend much time at home anymore and sleep at my boyfriend's a lot but it seems like any time I come home, the phone is ringing off the hook. Something creepy I've also noticed, sometimes if you were just on the phone with someone and hang up, they call directly after. It's almost like they're waiting to see if you're using the phone so that you're more apt to pick up almost like they're spying. Do you know anything about anything like that from the inside, thisbseth? Just curious.

a reply to: Myomistress

Have you tried putting your number on the Do Not Call Registry?

donotcall.gov

It sounds like harassment to me! Have you tried asking for a supervisor?

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: Myomistress

Have you tried putting your number on the Do Not Call Registry?

donotcall.gov

It sounds like harassment to me! Have you tried asking for a supervisor?

Yes, I have and we've even called the phone company. They're exempt from do not call because they're a business and not telemarketers (which is a bummer) . The phone company also did not seem all that onto helping either and just suggested we add some extra onto our phone bill every month for call blocking.

a reply to: Myomistress

Are you listed in the phone book with only an initial for your 1st name, along with your last name? I had the same problem, & finally realized that all of the 1st names they were asking for started with the same letter as mine. I changed my listing to my full 1st & last names, & the calls stopped soon after the updated phone books came out.

I hope this helps; that can be so damn annoying, especially when they call about a name that you were assured had been taken care of numerous times before.

change your number, and get an answering machine...

a reply to: Myomistress

I have an issue as well....I get phone calls for someone who hasnt lived at my address/number for over 10 years....When trying to collect from me and failing...after while, they sell the acct. to a new collection agency...who then starts calling me (for the other person).

I tried answering it and telling them he hasnt had this number over 10 yrs...nothing works.

Change your number.

Or disconnect landline and only get calls on mobile.

Explain patiently that the person they want isn't at that number, record the call, and ask for to talk to supervisor to ask not to be called again. I've had to do this in the UK, as for some reason three different debtors had our number down as their own. Explain calling YOU is pointless, and if they persist at it you'll set a lawyer on them and that you've recorded the call asking them to desist. Make sure you ask for a company name and number before you tell them this and send them an email or letter and keep a copy. If necessary threaten court action.

Be bolshy about it.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: Myomistress

I have an issue as well....I get phone calls for someone who hasnt lived at my address/number for over 10 years....When trying to collect from me and failing...after while, they sell the acct. to a new collection agency...who then starts calling me (for the other person).

I tried answering it and telling them he hasnt had this number over 10 yrs...nothing works.

We have the same issue, but I managed to persuade our callers we weren't who they thought. More irritating is that some criminal has given our address as their home address and we've had three police cars turn up looking for some strange woman I've never heard of. I had to get a passport and a phone bill last time to convince them I wasn't her.

a reply to: Myomistress
Google what to do about it, there are good options. One is you have the right to tell them to contact you by mail/email only and not talk to you. Check out zombie debts too and beware.
Do not give them the last 4 digits of your ss # either, you do not have to. When I had to deal with one, it was for an account from somebody with my same name, and they would not give me any info without ss#. I decided to tell them these things when the next time they called and I told them I was recording the conversation for my attorney. If they could not send me info on the account, balance and time frame, I refused to deal with them. It worked…

Good luck!

a reply to: Antigod

Yep...Ive even gone so far as to call THEM back and get them all excited because they are finally eliciting a response. I also get those "This message is for....If you are NOT.....this call is not for you. Hang up now".

They give a number to call and I do...tried being nice and tried being bit-hy...it doesnt work. And as another suggested...why do I have to change MY phone number? Its a house phone and Ive had it for 10 years. Family reasons...

And... problem as I explained...is that after a good while of not GETTING any response...they sell the acct to ANOTHER collection comp....and then it starts all over again....

a reply to: Myomistress

Block the phone number if you can. Otherwise just play their game, ask them for their address, phone number and debt account number. Then tell them that you are NOT this person and that you are NOT going to pay this debt, and if you call me again I will file harassment charges against you and the company.

Or just say "yeah, I know how you can get in touch with (him/her) here is the number (give them one of the numbers that popped up when they called you) then tell them never to call your number again)) then hang up.

Ps. This is what I did because it has happen to me too, my cell phone number was someone else before me.