Reader Rachael wants to know if there’s any way she can get a harassing debt collector to stop calling her 3 times a day — looking for someone else who used to have her number.
My boyfriend and I moved into our apartment about two months ago. When we moved in, we were told by the property management that we had to cancel our RoadRunner service and sign up for an account with the local phone company, Cincinnati Bell, for our phone and internet. No big deal, we initially thought. We signed up, got our (slow) DSL connection and free-incoming-calls-only phone line (we did not sign up for a regular phone plan since we use Skype). The activation of that line is when the trouble started.
In the 2 months of having our phone line we have received more phone calls from debt collectors looking for the people who used to have our number, than I have on my cell phone over the past 4 months combined, and I love to talk! They always ask for either the husband or the wife, and push and try to harass me into “giving them a message” the next time I talk to them, no matter how many times I repeat to them that I do not know these people. I looked up my phone number and saw it listed with these people and sent them a letter nicely asking them to update their information with the people and companies they have associated with because I am so tired of these calls, but nothing has happened as of yet.
I am sorry if this seems rather long, but I am almost at wits’ end with all of these collection calls, and I just received another one while typing this out, bringing the total to 3 today. Is there any way to stop collectors from calling me for these people, or am I stuck wondering if I have to answer the phone to find a rude collector on the other end?
Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Well, what these debt collectors are doing is illegal, so the first thing you’ll want to do is start a journal and make a note in it every time they call you. If you can record the calls, do it. Make sure to write down their information and be as detailed as you can.
Inform the debt collectors that they are breaking the law by continuing to harass you over someone elses’ debt, and that you intend to file a lawsuit. In addition to the harassment, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act also forbids the debt collectors from comminicating details about debt with a third party, which you most certainly are. So if they’re trying to get to you “deliver a message” about the debt, they’re breaking the law.
Hypothetically, that should clear it up. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to either change your number or consult a consumer lawyer in your area for advice. We have the feeling that consumer lawyers would be enthusiastic about representing you.
If you’re not interested in having some fun with our legal system, try changing your number. Some phone companies are sympathetic to customers who are receiving harassing phone calls and are able to waive the fee.
(Photo: Getty)
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Best bet is the cease and desist letter sent CMRR. When the jerks call again get their company name and address -if they don’t give it to you that’s another violation!
If they continue to call, get a consumer lawyer-they’ll put them down pretty quick.
When I had my pug and got these calls I’d put “Lucy” on the line and she’d just snort and snore at them. Cheap giggles for me at least.
Just cite the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act at them. Likely as not you don’t need to know anything about the terms of the FDCPA, because they probably won’t either. “I have advised you that the party you are trying to reach is not available at this number. Any further attempts to reach that person at this number will be in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act for which your company, and you personally, may be held responsible after i complain to the FCC.” Worked for me.
Of course i give the lie to that by admitting that i work in collections (1st party mortgage collections for a reputable company)and know the Act moderately well.
1. Demand to speak with a supervisor.
2. Then, demand to speak with THEIR supervisor, dont take no for an answer.
3. Ask for their employee name and personal employee number as well as corporate mailing address.
4. Tell them “You are contacting the wrong party, I am on the national ‘Do Not Call list’ and it is illegal for you to harass me further, cease your attempts to use this information for your purposes or I will take you to small claims court for harassment”, then hang up.
5. When they call again inform them you will be taking them to small claims court.
6. Actually take them to small claims court. Depending on your state, you can sue for about $500 for each time they continue to harass you.
7. Win a default judgement, because they wont show up in court.
As soon as you cost them money, they will not only stop calling you, you will cause them to think twice before doing it to other people.
GL, HF
welcome to the club where people who call you do the
“Master Computer Program’s” bidding regardless of the situation.
….hint…. the computer is the smartest creature in the building. just try to reason with them…
take down their number and then call them back later asking for another company, when they say thats not them just ask them to leave a message for you.
We moved & had our new # for over a year. A single debt collector started calling trying to find the deadbeat that previously had our #. I repeatedly told the collector of the change but he refused to believe & accused me of lying.
His calls became belligerent & expletive laden when I refused to give him my SSN, DoB, or DL # order for him to believe I wasn’t his debtor. I did get his name, the company name & address, and even spoke w/ his manager but they refused to believe.
I had them verify the phone # reassignment w/ Qwest (and demanded that Qwest not divulge my personal info) and yet they still called.
I contacted my state AG and their state AG and Consumer hotlines to file complaints. Via searches, I found numerous complaints and some legal judgements against this company but they still called.
Armed w/ the name of my nemesis (which he provided earler) and the address of their office, I googled until I found the guy’s home phone #. One call to his wife w/ a civil but curt message resulted in an apology call from a manager and a complete cease in all calls.
The whole battled played out over two months, but I finally slapped them shut.