Prior Owner Of My Phone Number Was A Deadbeat!

[Feralpeg]

When I moved to Orlando, I was assigned a local telephone number. I can't even begin to tell you how many calls I've received from credit agencies trying to locate members of the family that previously had this number. I always call these agencies back and ask them to remove my number from their systems, but the calls just keep coming. I've had three just this evening. One was from a credit agency trying to collect on some type of music service that was overdue. I just hate this. I know for a fact that these people still live in the Orlando area because one guy called and was trying to reach the "Dad" about a loan he had applied for to build a new house. He was surprised that he had the wrong number. I told him about all of the calls I'd been getting. He told me the "Dad" was a doctor. Well, he must not be very good because no one in his family pays their bills!!! ARGH!!!!!! I think they changed their number to avoid their creditors!

I really hate to have to change my number. It will be a big pain because of the people that I've given it to, but I may not have any choice!

 

[ilovedale3]

This happened to me at my last residence. The phone number I was assigned used to belong to some woman who was also a deadbeat. I got credit agencies, hospital collection services, doctors' offices... you name it! The best though were the random drunk men that would call at all hours of the night on the weekends. So I guess she was not only a deadbeat, but a real good time gal as well! I wound up just screening all my calls with the answering machine and even recording an outgoing message saying that this was no longer her phone number.

Maybe they were delinquent on their phone bills and that's how we wound up with their numbers?!

 

[Feralpeg]

Ilovedale3, I think I will change my answering machine to say that this number no longer belongs to "THE BATTLES!".

 

[ilovedale3]

When I changed my answering machine message, the calls did seem to taper off pretty quickly. However, it took the scary drunk redneck men just a little while longer to catch on!

The scary thing about this woman.... I figured out from a couple of the messages left for her that she was a Girl Scout troop leader! What can she give badges in, ducking out on bills and late night booty calls?

 

[Microcell]

I understand! I have had my cell phone for two years and Chris's peeps KEEP calling! I just answer the phone now and if I don't recognize the number I answer "I have had this phone for two years now, Chris does not live here anymore. He took his drug selling business and went to Istanbul.".

I figure he is really good looking or sells drugs because people call at three in the morning!

 

[nativetxn]

"George" Johnson must be a very common name. We get calls from collection agencies all of the time.

Sorry, we aren't the George Johnson you're after

 

[ilovedale3]

Back in the days of pagers (that seems like so long ago!), I used to get paged all of the time from unfamiliar numbers. I would call back and it would always be men asking for "Satin". I can only guess the sort of business that a woman might be in if she has a pager and goes by the name of Satin....

 

[sorcerormickey]

You know, we are about to change our phone number...after only having it since September. When we had the closing on our house, they warned us that people go to the County Clerk's office and get info of new people in the area thru the Freedom of Info Act. I swear we get at least 4 calls per day from telemarketers. I can't stand it!

 

[momsgonwild]

We get phone calls for the local doctors office. There phone number is the reversal of ours. I have spent many calls trying to explain to sick people that I can not give them an appointment to see the Dr. One person told me he thought I was just being prejudiced, and did not want the Dr to treat him. I guess you can't make everyone happy. It does make me wonder though, how many phone calls the Dr's office gets of mine?

 

[sap1227]

We moved into this house 4 years ago next month and we still get at least 5 phone calls a week for the previous owner. It was a plant transport company's number, that did not pay their bills. I have talked to the Department of Revenue, the Ford people, the American Express people and about a million "dispatchers" telling me where to pick up the plant order.

Whenever I would say, "Sorry, their number changed 3 years ago" the response would always be "What is there new number". Like it was my job to know the new number.

Last month we broke down and switched to Vonage and it is wonderful.

I feel for you, it is so annoying to get all these deadbeat phone calls!

Christy

 

[LoraJ]

This seems to happen to me every time I move.

Currently, not only do I have creditors looking for Brian, but I am also 1 digit away from cablevision. Every time it rains hard, I get at least 4 calls for them because people hit 8 instead of 6. Someone even called at 2:30am last night. Jeez, it's raining, put on a DVD if your cable is out.

A few homes ago, I would always get this old woman looking for Rose. I would tell her that Rose didn't have this phone number anymore. And she would be in such a panic and wondered if I could go check on Rose. I didn't know where Rose was.

When you guys get calls from these creditors and you tell them that so and so no longer has the number, do they ask you "Do you know where I can reach him?"

NO!

 

[mickeyfan1]

I had the same thing happen when I moved here last year. I would tell the people that it wasn't Steven's number any long and that they had to stop calling me. I did have one person insist I tell them the guys new number. I just hung up. The bad thing is that even if you change numbers you may still have the problem. The new number could be some other dead beats old number. Used to be the Phone companies would not reassign numbers for a year, then it was 6 months, then 90 days. Now they can reassign after 2 weeks because there are so few numbers available. Especially in high growth areas.

As far as telemarketeers calling, put your number on the Do Not Call list. As soon as you do, if you get a call tell them your number is on the do not call list and they are violating federal law by calling you. That usually stops them. If they do call you back, they can be fined 11K per call, but you have to report the number they called from, the day and time and who it was that called. I have never had a call back from anyone I told that to. It's free to register and it only takes a few weeks for most oll the calls to stop.

 

[FroggyinArk]

my first number here was previously the hr dept of the local papermill, the second was one digit away from the fire dept's employees number that the firemen use for thier personal calls while on duty,, ( ours are 48 on 48 off shifts) dd now has a number that is 1 digit away from ours,, and theres a local eye clinic with 1 digit away from both of them ours is *7** hers is *9** the drs is *8**

 

[mt2]

I had a woman leave a message on our answering machine (we never recorded our own. We just use the basic one.) My name is Mrs. X. I need an extra large Deli tray for tomorrow for a pick up of 11am. I am at this number. Thankyou.

I checked my messages at 5:30pm. I called the number and asked if Mrs. X worked or lived there. A man said that he was her DH. I told him that she called a residence not Albertson's. ( Our phone number is one off from theirs.)
That if she went to just her Deli tray, not to get mad that it was never ordered with them.

He was grateful for calling back because they were having a party the next night.

We also get called for Tom's Pizza.

mt2

We've had this number for almost 5 yrs.

 

[Linxzy]

I have people looking for Carlos, the mechanic guy. I start telling them that this is not his number anymore, and they just keep going on. bleh One of this days I will call that mechanic and tell him to please change his number on his card. I'm tired of hearing people insisting that this is the number.

On one of our house numbers, people call for the funerary. It's the same number, but the last 4 inverted. On the other number, its a Flower Shop.

It's so annoying. And some people just don't understand when I'm trying to tell them that this is not the number that they are trying to call, but sometimes they just don't get it. :/

 

[Feralpeg]

Thanks, I don't feel so bad now. Some of you have it much worse than I do.

 

[chrissyk]

When I was a freshman in college, I had a disgusting repeat prank-caller. He would say 3 different bizarre, filthy things every time he called (which was about 20 times a day for a while). Caller ID was not an option at that time. I ended up going through the annoyance call bureau and agreeing to prosecute the caller. They were never able to stop the calls, though. I ended up changing my number to get rid of the prank caller. To this day, I feel bad for whoever ended up with that number I can only imagine what they must have thought the first time they got one of those calls!!

 

[mickeyfan1]

One thing I wouldn't do is call the people back. Changing the message on your machine won't stop them from leaving a message, but if they are collectors, don't call them back. That is being way too nice.

BTW, I love the new Nemo box in you posts, it is way cute!

 

[Pop Daddy]

whats the number /, I think its my old one

 

[mickeyfan1]

Jason, you are too sexy to be a dead beat.