Odd call- message for my neighbor?

[mudnuri]

Just got a phone call on my house phone- that nobody calls

looked at the caller ID and didnt recognize it, but answered anyway as I've ordered a lot for my mom on-line and thought it might be one of those companies heres our conversation:

"hi ma'am I see you live at 122 (totally screwed up the street name)

"yes"

"im looking for curtis he lives in apartment 2"

"and you are who?"

"im lookin for curtis, his phone was disconnected"

"why are you calling me then?"

"cause your his neighbor"

"how'd you get my phone number?"

"doesnt matter ma'am, will you give him my message"

So I took her stupid name and number, brought it downstairs, but I told her if she calls my house again, I will call back and file a complaint.

Odd huh

Brandy

 

[s&k'smom]

Could be a bill collector, they will do just about anything to get a hold of someone.

 

[disneynutt1225]

Oooh, or a bounty hunter!! Lol, I watch too much of Dog:The Bounty Hunter.

 

[mrsv98]

Bill collector, they will try anything

 

[mudnuri]

but legally can they call me?

This seems odd, I mean, if i was in a place with 40 apartments could they call us all for him?

Brandy

 

[Sparx]

Oooh, or a bounty hunter!! Lol, I watch too much of Dog:The Bounty Hunter.

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[drgnfly30]

Collector.. it's called Skip Tracing

 

[mudnuri]

Collector.. it's called Skip Tracing

whats that mean?

Brandy

 

[Blondy876]

Yup, sounds like a bill collector to me.

 

[ducklite]

Definitely a bill collector. If they call again tell them you aren't a private secretary and not to call you again or they'll keep harrassing you forever because your neighbor is a deadbeat. (I had a deadbeat neighbor once--it wasn't pretty)

Anne

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I had someone do that for me before. The first time I took & gave the message, the second time I didn't.

 

[Honu]

but legally can they call me?

This seems odd, I mean, if i was in a place with 40 apartments could they call us all for him?

Brandy

Yes, they can legally call you. They call from a book that lists phone numbers by address and will keep dialing until they find someone willing to deliver a message. Their comment, "doesn't matter ma'am" would have sent them dialing for the next neighbor if they called me though.

 

[Microcell]

Could be any of the above, (and how cool would it be if it was Dog the Bounty Hunter) or they may have looked your neighbor up on anywho.com. Whern you do that, you can get names and phone numbers for people on the street they live on too!

 

[drgnfly30]

whats that mean?

Brandy

Basically, if they aren't getting responses from the debtor they start contacting neighbors, family members whatever it takes to collect the debt...the skip tracing term is 'old school' collector lingo based on the research it involved.. but in this day & age it's a pretty easy thing to do...

 

[Feralpeg]

If they call back again, tell them not to call you again. I have a problem with the people who had my phone number prior to me. I get call from collection agencies all the time. I always tell them not to call me again. If they leave a message with a number, I always call and tell them to take my number out of their system. After a year and a half, I've almost taken care of the problem.

 

[lulugirl]

Wow, I'm actually shocked that it's legal to do that!

 

[eeyore kelly]

Tell them you will not deliver the message, do not call back, and remove your number from their system

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Read 805b Of the Federal Fair Debt Collections Act

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm

People should know their rights


805. Communication in connection with debt collection [15 USC 1692c]

(a) COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONSUMER GENERALLY. Without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, a debt collector may not communicate with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt --

(1) at any unusual time or place or a time or place known or which should be known to be inconvenient to the consumer. In the absence of knowledge of circumstances to the contrary, a debt collector shall assume that the convenient time for communicating with a consumer is after 8 o'clock antimeridian and before 9 o'clock postmeridian, local time at the consumer's location;

(2) if the debt collector knows the consumer is represented by an attorney with respect to such debt and has knowledge of, or can readily ascertain, such attorney's name and address, unless the attorney fails to respond within a reasonable period of time to a communication from the debt collector or unless the attorney consents to direct communication with the consumer; or

(3) at the consumer's place of employment if the debt collector knows or has reason to know that the consumer's employer prohibits the consumer from receiving such communication.

(b) COMMUNICATION WITH THIRD PARTIES. Except as provided in section 804, without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector, or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, or as reasonably necessary to effectuate a postjudgment judicial remedy, a debt collector may not communicate, in connection with the collection of any debt, with any person other than a consumer, his attorney, a consumer reporting agency if otherwise permitted by law, the creditor, the attorney of the creditor, or the attorney of the debt collector.

 

[kbkids]

If they call back again, tell them not to call you again. I have a problem with the people who had my phone number prior to me. I get call from collection agencies all the time. I always tell them not to call me again. If they leave a message with a number, I always call and tell them to take my number out of their system. After a year and a half, I've almost taken care of the problem.

We had the same problem for several months after moving into our new house. One particular lady was so rude. I said, "I've already told you several times that you have the wrong number, and I do not want to receive any further calls from you."

"Well, frankly, you're lying because the address we have, 123 whatever street, matches this phone number."

"Once again, you're wrong, and if you call this number again, you will be reported." She hung up on me.

Not sure who I would have reported them to but they never called again.

 

[Kahana-ri]

Sounds like a bill collector call. The bounty hunter option is good though-hadn't thought about that.