How do we get rid of debt collectors that have the wrong number?

[Mrs.E]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Dakota

My husband works for the oil field industry and received a work phone that he must carry and have on at all times. Soon after receiving the phone my husband started getting calls from debt collections for a man that used to work for the company. My husband has requested not be contacted again from many different agencies looking for this other man. He has explained to them they have the wrong old phone number and that they are calling a cell phone owned by a oil company not a personal phone. Some of the collectors get really nasty with him making threats they are going to sue him or throw him in jail. Then worst is when some call at 7am or at 10pm. I'm not worried about legal ramifications because obviously we are not the person with the debt. However receiving calls all day is annoying and frustrating. What can we do? Requesting the debt collectors not contact my husband again are not working.

 

[swalsh411]

Have he asked work for a new number?

 

[Mrs.E]

yeah he has and they have been stubborn. They said maybe when the phone contracts for the company expire in a year.

 

[FlyingRon]

You can't. The fundamental truth is that the laws are designed to protect the deadbeat. There is nothing that stops the collateral damage by the industry scum. It took me a year of beating against National Recovery to stop calling my cell phone, that I was NOT the guy they were looking for nor had he ever worked for me (they were technically in violation of the law calling a number supposedly that of his employers and letting on the details of the collection, but I have no standing to sue).

I finally just kept calling the executive offices of the collection bureau until they stopped.

 

[Dave1952]

The problem with asking a bill collector to not call again is that it does not create a record of that request. Get the caller's name, the company name, and the address. Write them a letter requesting no more phone calls.

Good luck

 

[FlyingRon]

The problem with asking a bill collector to not call again is that it does not create a record of that request. Get the caller's name, the company name, and the address. Write them a letter requesting no more phone calls.

Good luck

And they have no requirement to honor any such request.
Believe me, I'm there. My whole negative impression of the industry comes from my having to deal with these low lifes calling me without recourse.
I even got the Kennesaw Police department involved but even after they interceded the calls continued.

 

[xylene]

It's really easy to hang up a telephone.

 

[justalayman]

And they have no requirement to honor any such request.
d.

true but often written requests or demands do garner more respect than a verbal request or demand. It might be worth a shot. I would be cautious with this though and not include your name or address as then, the mailings might start. I would identify myself by the phone number only.


If it were me, I would become quite belligerent and dare them to sue me. I would even taunt them.

In the opposite, you might simply answer the phone and say, "excuse me a moment. I'll be right back". Then set the phone down, not hanging up, and continue on with whatever you were doing. Check back after 5 or 10 minutes to see it they are still there. If they are, ask them to hold on for another minute and you will be right back. Without waiting for a response, set the phone down again. I have had people hang up after no more than 20 minutes. I'm shooting for an hour but most give up after less than 5 minutes. I call this "terminal hold"

for added fun, you can speak with another person in the room and say things like "do you believe that sucker is actually waiting for me to come back to the phone? What a moron" loudly enough so they can hear you.

In reality there is little you can do to actually stop the calls so don't let it get to you, get back at them. Nothing illegal or injurious, just a bit of payback.






I had one gal I was trying to get a date with. Started asking all sorts of personal questions, even a few a bit risqué and embarrassing, to her anyway. She just didn't know what to say after a few minutes.

for creative ideas, look up "Tom Mabe" on the internet. Lot's of fun ideas (nothing harmful, just fun)


my motto; if you can't win, at least have fun trying.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

It's really easy to hang up a telephone.

But it's more fun to sing to them.

 

[TigerD]

Actually, they do have to honor the request. Inform them that the line is a work number and employees are not allowed to receive personal calls on the phone.

DC

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

I have had that issue with our phone. They ask for people who have NOT had this number in over 7 years. I'm pretty sure that they are calling everyone with the same last name (somewhat unusual) and hope for a BINGO. I basically get all their information and WRITE to them to make no further calls to (list the number) because (list the name) has NO association with the number they are calling.

I like DC's answer too. Nothing like writing THAT piece of information down too.

 

[Mrs.E]

xylene


I think that revolutionary ideas has come to us. When your spouse works 18hours days then goes to sleep for 2 hours and wakes up by the phone ringing it is a bit of problem. As stated he cant turn the phone or put it on vibrate because he is in on call at all times.

 

[cosine]

Actually, they do have to honor the request. Inform them that the line is a work number and employees are not allowed to receive personal calls on the phone.

You actually think that the scumbag side of the business you used to be in does things all legal and proper?

If they don't honor the request (give them a couple days to pull the number out of the database), harass them back. Or just sue them.

 

[TigerD]

You actually think that the scumbag side of the business you used to be in does things all legal and proper?

You actually believe the stories told by lying deadbeats that the world is unfair and they just haven't gotten a fair break because no one will accept their word and work with them?

DC

 

[cosine]

You actually believe the stories told by lying deadbeats that the world is unfair and they just haven't gotten a fair break because no one will accept their word and work with them?

My definition of a deadbeat, and the only definition I will use, including to interpret every use of that term here, is a person who owes money, CAN pay it (or at least could pay at when it first came due), and WILLINGLY refuses to do so. I do not include in this term people who got into a situation of being unable to pay where that transition took place while they were paying and on time. And of course I would never include in the list of deadbeats, those who refuse to pay debts they do not owe.

Genuine deadbeats, of course, claim the entire industry is bad. I know that's not the case. But there are many "in the industry" that are. There are collectors (which may, or may not, be scammers) who just call and call and call. I've been the victim of this a few times. Some will stop calling when told it's the wrong number. Some won't. The latter ones are scumbags of the industry I refer to. And they really do exist even if you've never been called by them. I have been called by them, and even did their job for them tracking down the real person (maybe is a deadbeat, or maybe not). But in that case I told the collector I knew who the person was, but would only provide that information in court as proof he was not doing his job properly (e.g. do skip trace correctly), and dared him to sue me. I never heard from him again. But not everyone has the time and resources to do the collector's job for them.