How to Stop Annoying Debt Collector Calls (When They Have Wrong Person)?

I got a new cell phone within the last couple of months and since about the last week I have been bombarded with calls from (what I assume) are debt collectors. They are wanting to speak with a man who is not me. Has anyone ever had this problem, and if so what the heck can be done to get these annoying weasels to stop calling my number? I have told them over and over that I am not this guy, yet they still keep calling. Apparently the guy they want had tons of debt because there are numerous different agencies lighting up my phone non-stop.

 

The simple solution is to change the number, but then you could end up with a similar situation.

I can't imagine telling bill collectors that you are not the person they are calling for will be successful.
If someone is willing to skip out on their bills, why would they want to be contacted ?

No sure fire remedy that I can think of, and it's probably going to get worse as more and more people reach the end of available financial resources.

 

I've had it with these ~ Snipped as per TOS ~. I can't wait until the next time they call me. I am going to throw every 4 letter word in the book at them and tell them to shove their debt collection up their collective ~ Snipped as per TOS ~.

There should be much stricter laws against this sort of behavior, especially when they don't even have the right guy. I saw one guy on the Internet who said he tried repeatedly to get them to stop calling him, so he eventually just started toying around with them and pulling pranks. May as well have some fun because it looks like you can never get them to leave you alone, even if they have the wrong person.

 

If I was you then i would google for your options. There is tons of good information on this. The last i checked if you ask them to stop calling you then they have to by law or you can sue them for harassment of communications. If possible i would also record them, and inform them that you are doing so. In most states you have to inform the person or party that they are being recorded. That's why you always hear for quality assurance you may be recorded when calling any business. I'm not sure if its the same in every state. Assuming you are in the US. I'm not a attorney so just Google it, and i'm sure you will find lots of information to put an end to this.

 

There is. There is something called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) that definitely pertains to your situation.

Check it out, and more info, here...
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers

And file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission...
FTC Online Complaint Form

 

There's an easy solution, that's worked for me. I say that I don't know where they are, and wish that I did, because they also owe me money. They don't call back.

 

I had a very similar situation in the past and about the only way you can put a fast end to it is to change your phone number and pay extra to make it unlisted in the phone directory. Ask your phone company to give you a fresh number that has not been recently used in the past or you might end up with other calls that don't apply to you. Only give your new number to people that you trust and tell them to not give it out to anybody. List your new number in National Do Not Call Registry.

Of coarse you will have to call all of your contacts and tell them about your new number.

Taking legal action against callers can take years in between the time they will still continue to call you.

Thanks.

 

try this:

-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwHbOtQCHPk&feature=related-

 

This is a very good tactic. I was in the same boat regarding a cell phone. We bought a prepaid phone from Trakfone as a backup when we were having signal trouble with T-Mobile. The very day we registered we were getting one call after another for some guy who had a lot of friends. No debt collectors, but the friends drove us crazy. Texts too - at .50 each! So, this happens a lot and they (any collection agency) should know this; anybody running from a lot of debt will just dump their phone and get another. JR's little spiel is perfect, too.

 

Just a little background info, as far as bills are concerned, and even sometimes credit card debt, the store or insurance/phone company etc. you owe the debt to will sell the rights to get the money back to a collection agency, hence their incentive to pester you to almost no end, whether they get the right person or not.

What I am surprised about, and what nobody seems to talk about, is why don't the collectors ATTEMPT to verify who you are? The burden of proof is on them.

 

The bottom line is you can stop all calls from a collection agency by asking telling them to stop calling. This is not part of the DNC registry where they can call if they have "business" with you - but a specific law within the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. However, the original debtor is not bound by the constraints of that law. In other words, if you owe Bank of America - they can continue to call. If BofA has sold the debt to a collection agency then the collection agency must stop calling when asked to. I hear Dave Ramsey say all the time that they won't sue if it's less than $1,000 anyway. The sad thing is a lot of people get things sent to collection agencies by health care providers. There was a day when you could send so much a month to a doctor or a hospital and everybody was happy. It might take 5 years to pay for the surgery, but that's how it worked. Now, it's a credit card, a check or a collection agency. Sad, but true.

 

Just remember, we all subsidize bad debt!