Stupid freakin bill collectors..do some effing research!

[TZ]

I keep getting this automated phone calls from some bill collection agency looking for someone with the same last name and the same FIRST initial. I think they have called my house probably 20 times in the last week. I know its not hard to figure out the difference between Sandra (whom they are looking for) and Susan because I also had a phone call for a Susan with my same last name who also lives in the area but for someone who likes to edit cook books (defintiely not me). And since its a robot on the other end I don't think picking up and saying you have the wrong number is gonna help. I know I have a block call feature but I don't think you can block an 800 number which this is.
Its annoying the hell out of me because I stayed home today not feeling well, trying to catch up on my sleep and this idiotic robot has already called twice leaving its stupid mechanaical message once.
Any good suggestions for stopping this harassment?

[meegbear]

1. I used to get those about once every 2-3 weeks ...

my aunt owes money to a hospital and an ambulance company. We have the same last name and first initial and I was listed in the phonebook as "last name, first initial" with no address listed.

They stopped calling after 9 months or so; it was always a recorded message on the answering machine.

[blueknight]

2. send them

a cease and desist letter. send it certified mail. explain what is going on. if they continue to call you, sue them. you can be awarded $1000.00 each time they accrue a infraction

[Raven]

4. Good idea and send a copy of your letter to your Attorney

Generals' office/Consumer Affairs and make sure you note that in a cc on the letter.

[Rosemary2205]

3. On ATT you can block ANY number

I have 2 toll free numbers on my block list.

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. Well

(1) If you can talk to a real person then demand that they quit calling you. You should assure them that you do not know and are not related to whoever they are looking for. Expect that whoever you are talking to thinks you are full of shit and lying to them to avoid further collection efforts. That is exactly what they think. Advise them that you are going to file a complaint with the consumer affairs division of your state attorney general's office if they continue to harrass you.

(2) If you have a phone number do a google search and see if you can get a name and company address for the collection service. If you have contact information you can write/email them and assure them you do not know and are not related to whoever they are looking for, Demand they not contact you further. Even if you cannot ascertain the company name and mailing address contact the consumer affairs division of your state attorney general's office. THey can likely identify the perpetrator from the phone number you provide. Explain that you are receiving harassing calls trying to collect a bill that is not yours or that of any resident of your home and that you have not been given the opportunity to remove yourself from the robot call list.

(3) If you get anything in the mail addressed to the person from whom they are trying to collect be sure and return it to sender.

in the meantime, turn the ringer off on your phone. Hope you feel better.

[MorningGlow]

6. Depends on how persistent they are

We've lived in our house for two years, and we're STILL getting bill-collecting calls for the previous tenants. Which doesn't even make sense, because although they lived in this house (it was a rental before we bought it), this was NOT their phone number. Talk about needing to do some effing research--just looking up the phone number attached to the house doesn't do diddly, especially after two years!

Have you listened to the message the automated calling thingie leaves? There are two types of automated calls--one either leaves a message telling the person to call an 800 number about an urgent issue (or leaves no message once the answering machine starts--:grr:); the other (the really annoying kind) tells the person who picks up the phone to respond in some way--which gets you, because if you make a noise, it assumes you are the delinquent person, but if you don't make a noise, it hangs up but keeps calling.

We used to get both kinds, but once, when I got annoyed at the first type of call, which was a repeated hangup, I called the 800 number on Caller ID and actually got a live person. Then I could say "take us off this list right now" and explained why, and they hustled to do it. They must actually respect the lawsuit threat.

The only problem is that once one collection agency gives up, after several months of peace and quiet, another agency starts afresh. x(

[TZ]

7. Its the so and so please call this number...

about this urgent issue. Sometimes it goes through this weird routine where after the answering machine picks up it starts in on pressing so and so number ike its actually talking to me. I actually don't even know who this collection call is trying to collect on behalf of, a name is never given, only that its an urgent issue.

[allalone]

8. try this too

whocalledus.com
I do for any strange number.

[mainegreen]

9. A bill collector once called for my neighbor upstairs.

Evidently his phone had been disconnected. This guy wanted me to go upstairs to get him, bring him down to talk on MY phone so he could try and get some bill paid. I was flabbergasted.

Needless to say, I told him to stick his phone headset up his ass and hung up.

[struggle4progress]

10. I recently found a cheery message on my phone: "Hello MyName family

This is Miss W at XYZ Inc. We know you live at 123 ABC St, and we have an important message for your neighbors the TheirName Family at 132 ABC St! Could you please go tell the TheirNames to call us at our office 1-800-000-000? If you don't really know the TheirNames, just leave the following message in their mailbox: Please call Miss W at XYZ Inc at our office 1-800-000-000. Thank you so much!"

If they stop harassing you, they may start harassing your neighbors ...

[Evoman]

11. Remeber: there is no issue that can't be solved with the liberal use of dragon kicks or palm strikes

[TZ]

12. .....

I'll have to remember that the next time work aggravates the hell out of me.....:thumbsup: