Collectors ! (All they won't is their money)
By Chevee
@Chevee (5905)
United States
December 29, 2011 5:17pm CST
I try to hold my cool and not get angry or raise my voice but some things have a tendency to tick me off. For instance I get a call asking for someone that does not live here. I tell them that person doesn't live here, and they ask is this, and they call out my phone number and I say yes it is. They ask me do I know such and such I say yes,but they don't live here, then they proceed to tell me that they gave them my name and phone number as a reference. I tell them that I did not give them permission to give them my name and number nor did they tell me that they used me as a reference. I then ask them to take me off their phone list. I pay my bills and I refuse to be harassed for someone that doesn't. End of phone call. Do people use you as a reference and then don't answer their phone when the collectors call so the collectors bug the mess out of you? This has been happening to me for years.
2 people like this
3 responses
@sharone74 (4837)
• United States
30 Dec 11
I know this type of thing can be very annoying. What you can do is put your name on the National Do Not Call List. Once you have done so when a solicitor especially if it is not even in regards to you, call, ask them politely for their name and their return phone number. If they ask you why you want it tell them that you have been scammed in the past and you are going hang up the phone and call them right back at that number as soon as you check to see who it is registered to. Wait two minutes call the number back tell them "My phone number is on the national do not call list, it is your responsibility as a solicitor to check every single number before you call it against that list." Ask to speak to their supervisor, tell him the exact same thing. Take their name and then tell them. "Now that you definitely have me on your do not call list, if you or any of your people ever calls my phone number again I will report you and every time you call me and I report you you will be fined $10000 for violating my right not to be called by your company. Hopefully that is incentive enough for you to ensure that you do not call here again.
Tell them thank you very much, use their name, and hang up. One of two things will happen, 1. They will not call you anymore and will strike your name from their system or 2. You will start collecting 10,000 dollar fines for the violators. so make sure you keep accurate records of the callers, supervisors, company names, and phone numbers.
@GardenGerty (157837)
• United States
30 Dec 11
I have not had this happen until this year. My son had a bad marriage. He now lives with me. He pays his bills, I pay my bills. I have had the cops here looking for my ex daughter in law. Even more bizarre, I have had people call here looking for her younger brother, who is actually estranged from her. I have no idea how they got my number. It is outrageous.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
29 Dec 11
Hi Chevee,
When we had a landline phone that did happen to us a time or two. And like you, we didn’t give permission for them to use our name and number. What it was, when they get credit or whatever, they are asked for a neighbor or something, I guess and they gave our name and number. I told them pretty much the same thing you said. Now we just use our cell phones and don’t use a landline phone. I don’t get any calls like that now.
