bill collections

[mtemm]

a month or so ago we started getting phone calls...it was never a person, just a recording telling us (not by name) to call mr. so-and-so's office at x number. never what it was about, just call. I thought is was some weird scam, even though we are on the dnc list, so just kept hanging up. one day I was annoyed enough that I finally called the number...turned out to be for debt collection. not for us, for someone else, but with our phone number. I told them we don't know the person (we don't), and they changed their info or something because we didn't hear from them again.

Now calls have started again, from a different collections company. again for these same people. Its just so annoying...the calls are never from people, but from recordings, and they continue daily until I call the number, go thru an annoying automated system until I get to a human being.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should be worried that these people might be fraudulently using our number...since they don't have our name, or at least don't use it, we're okay, right? our number is listed, should I change that? we did move here last november so possibly they had the number beforehand, so maybe this isn't new stuff at all, but its still a bit disconcerting.

 

[lyzziesmom]

This happened to me many years ago, they kept calling sometimes several times a day asking for "Richard". I repeatedly told them that he didn't live there but they still called. Finally one day I said "I hope Richard is not here, but if I find out that he is, I'm going to hang up with you and call 911 because I live ALONE!"

That put a stop to the calls.

 

[Jpgirl]

We've been getting them for the same person for 9 months from 3 different agencies!! Sometimes it's a live person sometimes it's a recording. I went so far as to call one back to let them know "Yolanda" has either had our number before or she's giving out our number. I got grilled by the person to make sure I didn't really know Yolanda and was covering for her. I politely told her no and to NOT call back again as it's harrassment and they're harrassing the wrong person. She backed off then and I haven't recieved a call in 3 weeks. I understand the collectors have a job but it's really annoying.

 

[CheshireVal]

I get those calls ALL the time for someone with my maiden name who apparently has very, very, very bad credit.

I will usually call them back and try to convince them they have the wrong person. Then they'll take me off their list, but the calls start up again a few months later. Recently, I had this happen and they told me "I" had defaulted on a Spiegel credit card. I said, "I haven't had a Spiegel account in about 5 years," and the lady responded, "yes, this is from 2002."

Doh!

I've pulled my credit report-- it's definitely not me they're after, but still very annoying. Some of the messages they leave on my machine (even recorded) aren't nice.

I think it's odd that they leave voice recordings telling you to call them back. I mean, if you were trying to skip out on your debts, would you really call the number?

 

[mtemm]

This happened to me many years ago, they kept calling sometimes several times a day asking for "Richard". I repeatedly told them that he didn't live there but they still called. Finally one day I said "I hope Richard is not here, but if I find out that he is, I'm going to hang up with you and call 911 because I live ALONE!"

That put a stop to the calls.

well that is freaky, because the guy's name is richard (his wife, apparently, is maria, because the calls comes for both or either of them).

 

[LadyyRedd]

I've been getting calls for the entire time I've had this phone number - 5 YEARS - for the same person from various agencies, companies, etc. I rarely answer my home phone anyway, so it's usually just on my home voicemail. Sometimes I call and get it removed from their calling list. I've had to tell places before that if they called again, I'd file a harassment charge.

Kimya

 

[monymony3471]

My DH has a very common name. We get calls all the time. They alarmed me at first because as an agent they are very pushy and just assume they have the right person.

I caught on and asked them for the last 4 digits of the ss# they had on file. Works every time.

 

[Aidensmom]

I have a very common name, and we get these calls too. It is SO annoying. The worst part is I have to take time out of MY day to return a call about someone else's unpaid bills, just so I won't be harrassed anymore. We have learned that the quickest way to stop them is that the first time we have one of those messages on the answering machine, to just call back and give my birthdate. They are always looking for somone who is much older than me.

I, too, don't understand the logic about leaving a message to call back. If someone skips out on their bills, I don't think they are going to voluntarily call a collection agency.

 

[Cor44432]

Someone who actually had credit problems here......the phone calls are
simply harassment, if these collection agencies want your money, you would
have to be served actual legal papers by certified mail.

I don't even bother to answer the phone anymore.

 

[mtemm]

Someone who actually had credit problems here......the phone calls are
simply harassment, if these collection agencies want your money, you would
have to be served actual legal papers by certified mail.

I don't even bother to answer the phone anymore.

but its not my money, its not about me, its about richard and maria somebody or other. I have called the numbers the past couple of times finally after repeated phone calls...I'm sick of them calling and leaving the messages every day (sometimes multiple calls).

I can well imagine how stressed this must make someone who is in debt.

 

[Jynohn]

I used to get these calls all the time for my brother-in-law. Seems he skipped out on a bank loan and when they couldn't find him, they started tracking down relatives. I told them over and over again that we don't have contact with him (which is true) and they continued to call. I thought it was over when we moved, but then they started calling my cell phone.

DH was in Iraq at the time, and I finally had to have him call from over there to get them to stop, since they wouldn't listen to me!

 

[AllyandJack]

This has been happening to my friend for 3 years. She's also thinking that the people are continuing to use her phone number. It hasn't stopped 3 years later. They don't believe her that she isn't the person they're looking for.

 

[BalooTheBear]

I too have been receiving these calls from, I'm assuming, are collection agencies. Both live people and recorded call back messages. They are always for "Pamela"....

I have told them repeatedly that there is no one here by that name, please take my number off your list. They always say they will and the calls stop for a while, but then they start up again.......

 

[barkley]

years ago some senior citizen gave out the wrong phone number (mine) to every body under the sun-she belonged to every civic group, had tons of doctors, used multiple pharmacies....i felt bad when it was an urgent issue (like a doctors office with test results) but i just asked the callers to take note and get the right number the next time they talked to the person (and asked them to put a note in any data base they operated that if she gave this number again it was not valid). luckily no creditors coming after her.

about a year or two ago i started getting nasty calls from collection agencies who were after a family member who listed me as their "message number" (no way, uh-uh, never would have been done with my permission). i told the agents i would not pass the info. on but i would provide them with HIS PRIVATE CELL NUMBER, the direct number to reach him directly as a customer at his job, the "girlfriend of the month's" home and private cell number, and several alternate numbers for friends he was always hanging out with (read-crashing at their houses). they stopped calling me and he stopped listing me as a "message number"

 

[NMAmy]

This happens periodically to me. About every 6 months, this one church will call and oddly enough, the person they're looking for also has the first name of Amy but a different last name. The last time, it was the pastor and I explained the situation to him and haven't had a call since. We'll see if I'm permanently off the list.

I also receive phone calls for Delores. I've had my phone number for 5 years--apparently Delores keeps giving out that number and doesn't care about paying her bills. I had one guy get really snippy with me, told me he KNEW she was there, and he was sending the police over. I told him, "Send 'em on over, buddy. I'll be filing a harassment report." What a twit. I really love it when DH gets the calls though. He becomes WAY more British than he usually is and can be quite precise about what they can do.

 

[alabamaalan]

Fortunately it has only happened twice with me because there is someone with the same first and last name as me in the same city.

However, the first time it happened, it was at 2:00AM by a collector who told me I was lying when I explained to him I did not live at the address he was giving.

If I could have reached through the phone, I assure you that I would have killed him.

What is more fun is that there is someone else with the name in a town north of us, and I have been called for him a few times too.

Not for credit problems though....

but for job offers as a crop duster!

 

[waughzee]

I have received those calls as well, numerous times, in fact! They were looking for someone not by my name or by my address, but they had my phone #. We've had this number for over 16 years. I finally got tired of telling them that they are dialing the wrong number and I looked up the correct number for them, they haven't called since!