Harassed in my own house (Indian Trail: schools, live in, move)

[diamondplayer]

Originally Posted by anifani821

I don't believe the DNC list will help at all w/ collection agencies who are trying to track down folks. I also don't think the Fair Credit Act can do a thing for you, b/c after all - it is a wrong number - not like they are calling you personally.

I had this problem, too, after moving here. And folks simply would NOT believe that the guy they were looking for wasn't here! I had problems for maybe three months w/ these calls. I would try to explain to the caller and they never believed me. I called back numbers left on my VM and that seemed to do nothing as I kept getting calls. Of course, there were MANY different agencies after this guy.

I contacted the phone company and they offered to change my phone number and they also offered a 30 day "temporary" number. After 30 days, it would revert to our original number. But that was a hassle, too and I have no idea if they still offer that service (but you might consider it).

I finally got so desperate that every time someone called and their number didn't show up on caller ID or it was a number I didn't recognize, I answered it by stating in my greeting the name of a fake business.

I decided to be a mental health clinic, so when someone called, I would say . . . "Good afternoon, Crescent Ridge Mental Health Clinic. How may I direct your call?"

After a few weeks of this, they quit and I thought that was pretty good results after several months of these crazy phone calls.

Try paying your bills!

[NCyank]

Originally Posted by diamondplayer

Try paying your bills!

Did you misread this entire thread? We're talking about getting calls for the PREVIOUS OWNER of the phone number. Ani isn't the one who owed money to collectors.

[vindaloo]

Originally Posted by chicagomichauds

Ever since we moved here we have gotten calls from collection agencies looking for someone called Jerod Sullivan or Edward Sullivan or something similar. I have been everything from polite to upset and explained over and over again that this is not the number this person lives at and to pls take it off the list.

But they persist. Today specifically I got the same number calling over seven times. Four of those times I answered and the other 3 I was out of the house. I even specifically called back the number and spoke to someone specifically in their collections area to tell them to lose the number completely. 10 min later, you guessed, a different idiot called again. I was not very nice to her.

My question is: how do you deal with this harassment? Short of changing my number which is a pita, is there an agency, group, anyone that I can report the caller to?

I had the same problem for about 8 months. I had collection agencies, sheriff's departrment and other people calling looking for the woman that previously had my phone number. There isn't much you can do. The "No call list" is irrelevant to this situation. It is to stop solicitations not callers from trying to contact someone. You will probably have to stick it out for several months, but it will finally go away.

[lumbollo]

I am not sure why these posts diverged off on you paying your bills. The OP was pretty clear on what was happening.

Unfortunately your only choice is to get another phone number. These agencies are going to keep calling and the phone company won't help you stop it. I recommend dropping the POTS line, getting a VoIP phone and then if it happens again you can simply configure it to send them all to a busy signal.

[flyingscotsman]

We used to get them all the time for a couple of deadbeats, though they still use the same CVS, after a while I started giving the callers the phone number of the CVS as they know where they are as they are still filling the prescriptions.

I did get one company that used to call all the time, so I did some research and got the phone number for the company owner and promised him faithfully that I ever find this person I would deliver them to him.

[searpr]

Google voice is WONDERFUL. I can send calls to spam and my phone never rings, or block them all together.

For the continued collection calls: Airhorn

[chicagomichauds]

Just wanted to reply that all of my phone numbers are on the Do Not Call List.

So I will go check it out and report them. Forgot I could do that! Thanks.

[chicagomichauds]

Originally Posted by anifani821

I finally got so desperate that every time someone called and their number didn't show up on caller ID or it was a number I didn't recognize, I answered it by stating in my greeting the name of a fake business.

I decided to be a mental health clinic, so when someone called, I would say . . . "Good afternoon, Crescent Ridge Mental Health Clinic. How may I direct your call?"

After a few weeks of this, they quit and I thought that was pretty good results after several months of these crazy phone calls.

I think I'm going to do this today! I was also debating lying about the fact that the Sullivan guy died but figured it might cause me more issues later.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by chicagomichauds

Just wanted to reply that all of my phone numbers are on the Do Not Call List.

So I will go check it out and report them. Forgot I could do that! Thanks.

I saw a report on some kind of a loophole for collectors that is going to be closed soon. I think that every deadbeat west of Charlotte has had my number. I just don't answer if I don't recognize the #. If I then recognize a person leaving a message, I can always pick it up.

[bibit612]

Originally Posted by anifani821

II decided to be a mental health clinic, so when someone called, I would say . . . "Good afternoon, Crescent Ridge Mental Health Clinic. How may I direct your call?"

Pretty funny, Ani! I used to do this to, except I pretended to be a mortuary. "Good morning, Townsend Funeral Homes...you stab 'em, we slab 'em!. How can I help you?"