Debt Collectors are annoying!

[Alex]

When I switched to T-Mobile awhile back, I received a new phone number. Within a few days, I received about 10-15 calls asking for Darla. I told them that I didn't know who Darla was and they said they would take my number off their list. However, the same companies and a few more new ones have continued to call me at least twice a week looking for Darla. I guess she has a lot of debt! Any way, is there anything I can do to convince these companies that no one named Darla uses my phone number? I'm at my wits end!!!

[Inuyasha]

Unfortunately, I really don't think there is. One of my sisters hasn't lived here in years, and we just recently started getting calls for her again, and they keep calling even though we have told them that she doesn't live here and hasn't lived here in a few years. If anyone knows a way, please feel free to share!

[chokaay]

YES THERE IS:

WASHINGTON POST: To Protect Their Rights, Consumers Should Understand the Rules of Debt Collection (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702391.html)

MSN MONEY: Sleazy new debt-collector tactics (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ManageDebt/SleazyNewDebtCollectorTactics.aspx)

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Convincing collector it has wrong number (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/25/BUGBROQASA1.DTL&hw=david+lazarus&sn=002&sc=781)

CONSUMERIST: Let Judge Judy Take Care Of Debt Collectors (http://consumerist.com/consumer/wrong-number/let-judge-judy-take-care-of-debt-collectors-262696.php)

[CSI_Nut]

This worked for me on my kids' phones, but we don't have need to answer calls from legitimate callers on those phones, so YMMV. I made a voicemail message saying, "Hi, You have reached a Kid's prepaid cell phone. This is not your debtor, and this is not your buddy. If you're not calling to talk to ______ (my kid), just hang up now. Don't leave a message. Thank you." I haven't had a single voicemail from the collectors or the buddies on those phones since!

Regarding my own phone, I have switched models many times looking for the perfect one for screening calls. I'm currently happy with my Motorola v195. It allows me to set known pest callers to "silent" if I don't want to talk to them. That only works once you've established that the number calling is somebody you don't want to talk to though, doesn't work on unknown callers or people who deliberately hide their caller ID.

GrandCentral is another option. You get (yet another) new number that you give people, and it forwards calls to whatever phone you want, up to 6 different numbers. There are multiple options for screening callers on that set-up, including playing them a message that makes it sound like the number is no longer in service! Again, the pest has to call at least once from an identifiable number before you can set the setting up for it.

[darkjedi]

Thats almost as good as the girl who got Paris' Hiltons old number...now imagine if that was a debt collector!!

[Alex]

Thats almost as good as the girl who got Paris' Hiltons old number...now imagine if that was a debt collector!!

Argh...I can't even imagine her phone bill...

[~Evil~|~Steg~]

yeah i hate debt collectors, even though they r doing their job, their tactics are a no-no in my book, my brother was getting them a lot so he keeps calling them and chewing them out but they still call asking for some lady as well, i told him to threaten them with a lawsuit and to save all of the voicemails hes gotten and to also record the conversation saying its a wrong number, that way he can use it in court if he ever sues them, also u can contact your states attorney general and explain to them whats going on and they will take action in some cases... also having a prepay phone, and them harassing you costing you the innocent money, looks bad on the bill collectors, when and if you take them to court, usually they will settle out on u :) you can put urself on a no call list and also if they continue to call u, then u definitely have grounds to sue them... i found out that if ur debt is over 2k and if ur not actually able to pay it you can ask the debtor to write it off, but that only works for the disabled and ppl who are legit and actually cant pay their bill... theres a lot of loopholes you just have to find them, just like theres loopholes that allow them to collect on you ;)

[PortPowerKS]

Gawd, Collections was the worst job I had. I worked for a certain blue Bell Company as one of their call centre collectors and I hated it..! I knew folks had bills to pay, but so do we. And I got the weirdest calls from all 50 states and Canada (Snowbirds).. No wonder I don't have a landline. =P

[greenblood]

I don't like Collectors, it just as bad as Lawyers (esp the one posted ad for "get your money reserved")
Amen to them
the working solution is pay some fee to change the number, but you can tell CS to explain the problem, and ask them to check your log to verify, it may waive the fee

[CSI_Nut]

When I switched to T-Mobile awhile back, I received a new phone number. Within a few days, I received about 10-15 calls asking for Darla. I told them that I didn't know who Darla was and they said they would take my number off their list. However, the same companies and a few more new ones have continued to call me at least twice a week looking for Darla. I guess she has a lot of debt! Any way, is there anything I can do to convince these companies that no one named Darla uses my phone number? I'm at my wits end!!!

If you really wanted to mess with them, you could start telling them Darla died. Pick a date that she died on, and insert the appropriate sobbing and emotion into the story. Then tell them that she died leaving no assets. <evil evil evil grin>

[ikuma3]

If you really wanted to mess with them, you could start telling them Darla died. Pick a date that she died on, and insert the appropriate sobbing and emotion into the story. Then tell them that she died leaving no assets. <evil evil evil grin>

that doesn't work. they keep calling.

I used to take this guy to his cancer treatments and he put my phone number down as contact information. After he died they started calling me and they would keep calling back. It was so pathetic. Some woman would call and put on some act every time she called. One time she called trying to sound sick and you could tell she was making it up.

[PortPowerKS]

The only thing worse than our collections, from experience, was telemarketers representing our co. Cos they would make all sorts of promises to customers and they never follow up with them, and we get the brunt of their rage.

I've had a guy threaten to hunt me down and blow up my car (which I never even had a driver's licence, let alone a motor vehicle of any kind).. I've had a lady saying there could be a time I eat a "hot rice cookie" and not wake up again..

As far as the "person has died" trick, that's a whole other department that handles that stuff, so the calls wouldn't just disappear, much as we'd like to wish..

[CSI_Nut]

While I agree that the dead person trick might not always work, I do know that it *can* work. Of course, it always helps if it's actually the truth <*snort*>. If it's not actually the truth, good acting skills come in very handy...

[~Evil~|~Steg~]

i hate it when someone dies and the collectors try and come after the persons spouse... even thou the wife isnt legally bound to pay off the husbands debts...that really pisses me off big time ya know... the collectors will make it look like the wife is obligated by every means possible even though she isnt...even trying to take the wife to court once she gets there the collectors never show up for court... and it gets thrown out...

[ssassy01d]

They tried to do that to my mom when my dad died, told her she was responsible for all the debts he left. Hehe, her lawyer called them and informed them otherwise.:1hmm:

[CSI_Nut]

A couple creditors tried to ask me if I was capable of paying off a couple of my mom's debts, or if "anybody else in the family" could. I just laughed at them and informed them that I already knew nobody else was legally responsible for her debts.