Harassing Collection Calls Question

[cybrkitn]

I need advice from my DIS friends.

We've been receiving several collection calls that are automated. That's the major issue right there. The other is that it is for someone who does not live at our address and obviously not our phone number. The last option on the automated system is to press 4 meaning there is no one at this number by that name. I've done that 3 times already and still we are getting calls. I've even tried calling the toll free number and even that is automated

How can I stop these phone calls? At this point, it's now become a harassment.

Don't know if this will mean anything, but we have Vonage.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Hold on the line and get a representative. Let them know what you told us.

I have a prepaid cell phone, and get those calls on occasion, even though I have had the same phone number for almost 5 years.

I just do the above, and normally it stops.

 

[usnuzuloose]

When we had a land line I was going through the same issue. I no longer have a land line so no more phone calls. I would love to hear if someone else has this issue. It is so annoying. Hope you get it resolved soon. Jo

 

[disneybound2010]

We have gotten these as well. I have tried the option 5339842398923629 button as well with no luck,so what I started doing was staying on the line for the collector. Once they answered I made it clear in no uncertain terms my number was to be taken off their lists. I tell them I am logging each time they call and I will report them for harassment. 9 times out of 10 I never hear another word from them!

 

[cybrkitn]

I've tried staying on the line to see if I could get a "live" person. Unfortunately, there is none. I've also sent DH an email asking if Vonage has a way of blocking a number. If they don't, I don't know what else to do besides not answering the phone.

 

[cybrkitn]

I tell them I am logging each time they call and I will report them for harassment. 9 times out of 10 I never hear another word from them!

If, for some reason I'm able to get that far, how do I report a harassment?

 

[agnes!]

If the collection agency robo-caller is giving you a name, I would do some research and try to find The Deadbeats new contact info & give it to the Collection Agency phone-mail system.

Try to find the Collection Agency's contact info & call them on their non-1(800) number. Do one of the following:
*Give them the deadbeats info.
*Tell them you are not The Deadbeats and that you are logging their calls and that your attorney will be filing harassment charges if the calls do not stop.

Make SURE that your credit report doesn't have The Deadbeats information co-mingled with yours.

agnes!

 

[catycatcat4]

When i first got my phone i kept getting calls trying to collect debt after a couple times of saying "please stop calling me every couple hours she does not have this number anymore" i kept getting calls.

So i told them "you will stop calling me" pretty much be harsh and demanding and if it doesnt work threaten legal action.

 

[cybrkitn]

I called the number back just to get a company name so I can Google it. Looks like the company, National Action Financial Services, has a lot of complaints agains them, especialy for scams. They have been fined in the past.

I've found one particular web site that had a number to call to have our number removed from NAFS's list (http://bohemianrevolution.com/national-action-financial-services-scams/). The only problem is that when I called our phone number wasn't coming up on the operator's list.

I mentioned to the operator that I've pressed Option 4 on three different occassions (option 4 was if they had the wrong number), yet we're still getting calls. I then mentioned that I finally pressed option 1 to find out what it was in reference to (Blockbuster) and she checked with them. Our number was not coming up. According to her, the IT department will be researching deeper to resolve the issue and it may take a few days (yeah, right). She did say just to disregard any future calls.

 

[cybrkitn]

If the collection agency robo-caller is giving you a name, I would do some research and try to find The Deadbeats new contact info & give it to the Collection Agency phone-mail system.

Try to find the Collection Agency's contact info & call them on their non-1(800) number. Do one of the following:
*Give them the deadbeats info.
*Tell them you are not The Deadbeats and that you are logging their calls and that your attorney will be filing harassment charges if the calls do not stop.

Make SURE that your credit report doesn't have The Deadbeats information co-mingled with yours.

agnes!

Only problem there is that we know who it is for (my BIL). However, I just recently Googled the company only to find out that there have been a lot calls regarding overdue Blockbuster accounts to people who don't have Blockbuster accounts.

 

[m&m's mom]

This is an issue near and dear to my heart.
For the past 7!!!! years I have gotten collection calls for a Casey Morrow.
I have had my phone number for 19 years and I have never heard of a "Casey Morrow".
My poor kids have grown up not answering the phone if it is not a number they recognize since I am sure it is a collection company.
I have tried so many things. If I acknowledge I am not Casey Morrow they act like they do not believe me and I get attitude and no information. Once I pretended to be her (here is where someone wil tell me I acted illegally) just to get more info for these calls to stop. That did not work since I could not even provide basic info. One time I got a new guy who was suseptible to my pleading and told me her address. Since it was years old, it did not help me.
I asked him why these calls had continued for so long and didn't they drop off at some point. He said it was for a "Very large amount" so it just kept getting sold from one company to another.
I was mentionng this to my attorney neighbor and he gave me an exact script to say that would stop them but only until they got sold to the next company.
There are always about 6 months between collection company's calls so we have some peace.
I know it sounds bad but we are used to it and I am not changing my phone number I have had for this long.
If I evenr meet Casey Morrow, I am going to box her ears!

 

[disneybound2010]

If, for some reason I'm able to get that far, how do I report a harassment?

Log the date and time of each call. Get the address of the collection agency and send a cease and desist letter(make sure you have copies of this!) If they do not end after this,you can contact the Fair Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. They don't take these things lightly. HTH

 

[RitaZ.]

We can block incoming calls with our Panasonic cordless phone. It's a great feature!

 

[bfeller]

If anyone knows Margaret Baker please tell her to quit giving my number out! We moved here 13 years ago and I thought that it would stop eventually. Well, 13 years later she is still giving out our number. The callers always are annoyed with me because I am not her, I don't have her address, I don't know where she lives, I am sure that I don't know her and so on......I have told several creditors like Chase that I have had this number for 13 year and there is no one here by that name. I have also asked the caller if they have access to a computer and if they do for them to do a reverse number lookup and see for themselves that I am telling the truth. Nothing has worked.

So to the poster above what was the script that your lawyer friend suggested? I would love to have these calls stop. I really hate being called a liar.

 

[tasha99]

I wouldn't give out anyone else's address. Look how incompetent those companies are. You could just be passing on a nightmare to someone else who doesn't owe the money.

 

[bettymae1121]

Log the date and time of each call. Get the address of the collection agency and send a cease and desist letter(make sure you have copies of this!) If they do not end after this,you can contact the Fair Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. They don't take these things lightly. HTH

This!

Once they get the cease and desist (send it Certified Mail Return Receipt, it's the best $5 you'll ever spend), they can contact you ONE more time to let you know they got your letter. After that, if they contact you in any way, you can sue for $500 per violation (be sure to log any and all calls you get after you know they got the letter).

Robo calls for debt collection are also againts the law, so you could sue them without the C&D if you wanted to, but the C&D gives you more ammo.

 

[cybrkitn]

Log the date and time of each call. Get the address of the collection agency and send a cease and desist letter(make sure you have copies of this!) If they do not end after this,you can contact the Fair Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. They don't take these things lightly. HTH

Thanks! With Vonage, we have an itimized (sp?) call list of incoming and outgoing calls available on their web site. So it's easy to just print that out.

We can block incoming calls with our Panasonic cordless phone. It's a great feature!

Ooh, Thanks! We also have a Panasonic phone. I just checked, and yes, we have that feature. I just entered in the toll free number to block it. Hopefully that will do the trick!

Robo calls for debt collection are also againts the law, so you could sue them without the C&D if you wanted to, but the C&D gives you more ammo.

That is something I didn't know. Thanks.

We have a friend who is an attorney if it comes down to it as a last resort.

 

[portocall]

Due to a scary situation where someone threatened me (because of DH's then job) I called and changed our phone number right away and decided I shouldn't have to pay for an unlisted number so the phone company rep suggested to just list it using my first initial only and our last name. That is where the problem came in. Our last name isn't all that common locally, but nationwide it must be. So now I get calls for anyone and everyone whose name starts with my letter or has the same sound and has our last name or a variation of our last name... and that is a ton of names. I must recieve 20-30 calls a month more almost as many people. My mood determines how I handle them. If they don't believe me and call me a liar they are in for it.

 

[jsmith]

I get these calls to my WORK phone number-which is on a department of defense PBX. I get a collector-explain to them that its not possible that Matthew Hoffman EVER had this phone number since its on the Ft Carson PBX-and they need to cease the calls as they are logged as incoming on the PBX and if it continues it will be a goverment issue-it usually stops them til the next company gets the account.

 

[Planogirl]

Send them a certified letter. Tell them to quit calling you and be sure to cite "per federal debt collection laws".

Here is a sample letter I found:

City, State Zip


Debt Collector’s Name
Address
City, State Zip

Re: Account Number

Dear Debt Collector:

Pursuant to my rights under federal debt collection laws, I am requesting that you cease and desist communication with me, as well as my family and friends, in relation to this and all other alleged debts you claim I owe.

You are hereby notified that if you do not comply with this request, I will immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the [your state here] Attorney General’s office. Civil and criminal claims will be pursued.

Sincerely,

Your Name

You can tweak it to include your phone number of course since they have that. I would leave off your address info.