Collection agency and wrong number, uggh

[tjmw2727]

Has anyone had success in convincing a collection agency they have the wrong number? The name of the agency is Central Portfolo Control and they are listed in Eden Prairie, MN.

Honestly I have tried to be nice and explain that I not only am I not the person they are looking for but have never heard of her!

We moved last August so we have only had this number for about a year. Just about a month ago we started to get several calls per week from collection agencys for XXXX Smith. Two of the companies thanked me and apparently updated the records and have not called back.

The third still calls several times a week, in fact twice today and the representatives range from annoying to downright rude. I have written (snail mail) and faxed the company explaning that ###-### is not the XXXX Smith residence to please stop calling to no avail so far.

Tonight the "gentleman" was rude and awful to my 11yo dd who answered the phone thinking it was Nana since it was her area code I was fuming. Once I got on the telephone he seemed to be very happy that he upset us and said that he would continue to do so until we made arrangements to pay our debt.

Any ideas or advice? I haven't even a clue as to whom or how to report such an agency.

THanks,
TJ

 

[C.Ann]

Contact your telephone company.. Repeated phone calls of this nature are considered harassment and the phone company may help you if you are willing to press charges against the offender..

 

[tjmw2727]

Contact your telephone company.. Repeated phone calls of this nature are considered harassment and the phone company may help you if you are willing to press charges against the offender..

Oh, thanks I hadn't even thought of going that route. I wonder if I can't just block the number for now?

TJ

 

[aprilgail2]

If you have caller ID just don't pick up the phone. I had a collection agent calling ME for my NEIGHBORS debt! "can you deliver a message for us" "do you see them" "are they working"....excuse me, but I don't haveto answer any questions about neighbors, I dont' care if they are working or if they owe you money! I also had a friend list me on a credit card application under where they ask for the names and numbers of 2 people not living with you...well she stopped paying the credit card and they would call ME to try to get me to arrange payment with her for the debt...uggg...

 

[MareQ]

I had this happen for a debt that wasn't mine. Nasty phone call which didn't phase me and then the collection letter which included an email address. I drafted the following letter and included my attorney's information. Once you advise a collection agency in writing to stop contacting you they MUST stop contacting you.

Here's what I sent - LOL

Please be advised that I have received your collection notice dated August 3rd and will once again be advising you that am not responsible for the amount you are trying to collect. I do not know who Micros Systems in Columbia Maryland are. I have never personally OR even professionally ordered anything from them, nor have I personally or professionally ever RECEIVED anything from them. I have not received any items, any phone calls looking for payment of any kind or any other forms of correspondence seeking payment from them. As already stated this is a fraudulent claim or a scam of some kind and I am not responsible for payment.



I have attempted to contact Micros Systems directly and ironically enough – my calls are not being returned…... As far as I am concerned- this matter is closed.



Do not contact me again regarding this claim. Any further communication regarding this matter can be handled directly with my Attorney:

 

[mtrak17]

We had incorrect calls coming daily to our home. I called our telephone company and was put through to some type of fraud/harassment department. Impressively (immediate action is so rare!), the guy from this department CALLED the collection agency number while I was on the phone with him (this collection agency had left the number on my answering machine) and told them not to call my number anymore. Although I had told them the same thing, they didn't listen. Being contacted by the telephone company fraud department stopped the calls instantly. Try that route ASAP to avoid the complete annoyance!! Good luck!!

 

[teacherforhi]

I spend one summer session trying to explain to Blockbuster that the person who lived in that dorm room in the spring was no longer there. If you're going to rent to college students, you probably should get a home number and address.

 

[PaulaSue]

Thank you, Thank You, Thank you. We don't have caller ID and they did leave a message a few times. I will have to save it next time an call the phone company. They call every D*M day for Suzanna (?) and it has been months. We told them nice, twice, and not so nice. I even went off after my Breast cancer scare and the woman had the nerve to call right back.

 

[LadyyRedd]

I told a company repeatedly that they had the wrong number and I finally told them if they did not remove my number from their system, I would be filing a legal harrassment complaint against them and could I please have the person's name that I was speaking with. Amazingly, the calls stopped!

Kimya

 

[Jeanny]

ask for their supervisor and try explain the situation one more time. If the supervisor won't do anything, tell them you're calling the phone company to report them for harassment. Also, call the Bette Business Bureau and your state Attorney General's office to report the harassement.

 

[Banshee]

My friend's husband has just recently gotten his wage's garnished with no notification at all. When they called the attorney who ordered the wage garnishment he refused to talk to them and refused to send them any info as to why his wages are beign garnished!! He know's it is not his debt because he was only 17 and a senior in high school when the debt was inccured. The first and last name of the person is the same as his but the middle name is differant. So far they have only had the option of disputing the garnishment. Very scary!

 

[Daxx]

Oh, I know what you're going through. Same thing happened to me ... however, the person they were looking for also shared my first name. They'd call my number and say "Hi, is Jane there?" and I'd say "This is she" and they'd go into a whole spiel about what I owed, etc. I'd say "Are you looking for Jane Doe?" and they'd say "No, we are looking for Jane Smith" and I'd tell them they had the wrong number and the wrong person. Of course, they didn't believe me and accused me of lying!!!

I no longer pick up phone calls from phone #'s I do not recognize b/c I'm sick of the whole thing. Let them keep calling ... they're only going to get me and not the person they want.

I have also had collection agencies ask to deliver messages to my neighbors and I flat refused to. I told them that since they're getting paid to contact my neighbor and they should do it. I also said that if they wanted to pay me to do their job, they could drop off a check and I'd be happy to go over and deliver the message. Until then, I wasn't going to lift a finger for them!!!!

 

[CEDmom]

I'd get a fog horn and have it ready in response to their calls . Yes, it's fun to every now and then. Honestly though the phone company is your best bet. Good luck.

 

[CJMZ]

I have an friend who is an attorney, and he has filed a number of claims against harrassment, mostly the companies that send spam advertisements via fax machines, but he has been very successful. He told me he averages $1800.00 an instance.
Although I wouldn't go that route myself, it is amazing how far some companies will push it.

 

[sorcerormickey]

We have a company that calls 6 times a day, everyday, looking for someone else. We just got a new phone number about 4 months ago, that is when it started.

At first, we would answer the phone and try to tell them that they have the wrong #, but they would hang up before you could finish the sentence! Now, we just let the machine get it - they rarely leave a message, but when they do, it is SUCH BAD ACTING!!

Always a lady acting all sweet - "Martin, honey, are you there? Pick up sweety!" PLEASE!!! (Where's that barfing smiley when you need it???)

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm having a problem with one right now; they're looking for my ex. I've told them 7 times "he doesn't live here," given them his phone number...HE called them and gave them his phone number...yet they still call!

Them: "Is **** there?"
Me: "**** does NOT live here. He has given you his number; please call that one and remove this number from your database."
Them: "Does he have a wife?"
Me: "No."
Them: "Okay, we'll call back later."
*click*

 

[CheshireVal]

Someone with my first name and maiden name has pretty bad debt problems, because I keep getting calls for her. Usually after they've called a few times, they are finally convinced it's not really me they're looking for (they ask for the last 4 numbers of SSN and they don't match), but I've gotten some pretty rude phone messages.

 

[Tazicket]

You know, you could always pretend that you're the person they're calling for and ask if you can make payments a penny at a time or something to drive them as crazy as they're driving you.

J/K I'd call the phone company.

 

[olena]

Send them a drop dead letter by registered mail. Add a sentence about mistaken identity.

Here's a link to a sample.

Check your credit to make sure they haven't tried dinging it. If they have, you have a nice lawsuit on your hands.

Learn more about your rights under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act..

 

[Chattyaholic]

It's hard to convince them, I know.

There is another man in our area with the very same name (last AND first) as my DH. We used to get a lot of bad credit calls for him. Thankfully they have stopped. I don't know if the guy moved from the area, or got his act together or what. But it was a royal pain in the butt.