What would you do?

[bekkiz]

So I just got a phone call
Them: Hi, is this Ms. so and so?
Me: No, she's not here, can I take a message (my standard reply reply to all telemarketers)
Them: Well, actually, I need to get a hold of your neighbor in Apt.# blah blah. Can you put a note on his door with my phone number?
Me: Ummm, okay? (Now, I don't know this neighbor, and have no idea where this woman is calling from etc)
Them: My name is so and so, and I'll give you my 800# because I'm in Arizona and I don't want him to call long distance
Me: Ummmm, Okay?
Them: Blah blah number, thanks!
Me: Okay?

Now, my first thought is, why is she calling me, and not him? How does she have my name and apt# and what the heck could she want. I'm inclined to think it's a company, but she sounded more casual or more desperate than that...would you put the sticky on the door? If you got a sticky addressed to you, would you call the number?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Saffron]

If I knew the person I would call them back, if not, no, I wouldn't call them back.

I would put the sticky on the neighbor's door just in case it's an emergency and the person needed to speak to the other person.

But, like you asked, how does the caller know you are the person's neighbor and how did they get your number? That's kind of weird.

 

[Jennyfyar]

Weird. Sounds like some sort of telemarketing scheme. I'd throw the note away.

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

That is weird, how did they know you were that persons neighbor and why did they call you.

 

[Serena]

I wouldn't throw it away. I have relatives with 800 numbers and you can find out people's phone numbers from a book at the library. It has entire city's phone numbers. Some may be outdated, but most are not.

I know this from being a salesperson. lol

The call could possibly be an emergency. I'd give it to the person and tell her you think it's just a salesperson.
It lists the numbers by address, name or phone number.

 

[mickey65]

You might be able to do a reverse phone number search too. I know you can do it for residential numbers but I am not sure about 800 numbers.

 

[gemmie214]

That is so wierd. I too recieved the same phone call asking to deliver a message to my nieghbor also from Arizona. I did ask if it was an emergency or a friend or family trying to reach them. I was told no. I asked if it was a collection agency and the person got very flustered and said to please just give the message. I knew then it was a company trying to embarrass my nieghbor into paying a bill. I told them I refused to give the message and to call my nieghbor themselves or send a letter. I can't believe companies will do this How dare they

 

[WebmasterAlex]

I can almost guarentee you it's a bill collector! This is a common way to let people know that they aren't going to give up once the person stops answering their phone. There are directories you can buy that show a street or apartment and the phone numbers of the neighbors.

Cole's Directory

They do server useful functions too. Police, Ambulance and Fire Departments use them in emergencies.

 

[bekkiz]

gemmie-
Thanks so much for sharing. I'm glad my first instincts were right Was the person's name Heather? I love this place...where else could I find out this important info

 

[TLHB70]

Believe it or not, I had the same thing happen to me about two years ago!!!!! I did end up walking the message over to my neighbor after about an hour of mental debate. When I finally got the message over to my neighbor's house he was then home, and he looked at me very strangely. He did know who it was, but he was as shocked as I was that the person had called me. I never asked any more questions or heard any more details about it. (This is not a neighbor that I am that close to.)

 

[RitaZ.]

I totally agree with Alex.

About 2 years ago, I received a phone call asking to speak to a Mrs. "F". My initial reaction was that they had the wrong # and told the caller so. Then the caller said that she was calling from a credit card company and that they had been given our name, as a reference, by Mrs. "F". Then it hit me, that Mrs. "F" must be the wife of DH's friend. We didn't even know they had gotten married. Sure enough, I was right.

I was livid!!! It just "so happens" that DH's friend had his phone number changed a few days earlier, I wonder why? So I told the caller that I would be "more than" happy to give her Mrs. F's new phone #.

Two days later, DH got a call from his friend to let DH know that he had changed his # once again. Some people never learn. If you owe someone money, sooner or later they'll track you down.

 

[Saffron]

Oh my gosh! That's awful! First of all, I would hate to embarrass my neighbor , second of all, I would be really upset if I didn't know the neighbors and put them on the spot , and thirdly, how dare they presume I want to do their job for them!

 

[LuvTigger]

I read something about this somewhere...collection agencies are allowed to call neighbors only ONCE (I'm not sure how many neighbors they can call though), but it is completely legal to call a neighbor to leave a message for someone as mentioned in the above situations. I agree that it's embarassing, not to mention an invasion of privacy.