How can I stop these phone calls?

[Vic_doucette]

Boy, am I pissed!

From time to time we get phone calls for someone with the same first initial and last name as my wife. (Our phone is listed under her first initial and last name -- a common last name -- and has been listed that way for 20 years.) These phone calls are always from a debt-collection agency, and they are always looking for someone other than us who owes somebody money.

When I speak to a representative of the company, the matter is usually taken care of, and the calls stop for a few weeks or months. Then, they start again.

Recently we have been called at all hours of the day and evening by an outfit called Enhanced Recovery Corporation. I have told them -- three times!!! -- that the person they are looking for can't be found at our address or phone number. Each time I am told that our number will be removed from their system ... but the calls continue.

Short of finding the deadbeat and making them pay up, what can I do?

[Sstashmoo]

Register the number on the Government do not call registry ( if you still can). Inform them that it is listed when they call. That usually gets the number out of their system. I had that very same thing happen to me. If they persist calling you report them. Someone probably gave them your number on a bogus fraud borrowing deal.

[eriedearie]

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/

[barnesfoto]

request the address that payment be mailed to, then send them a bill for processing the calls...I would charge 200 bucks per call.

[alsodave]

Next time they call, tell them that you've seen the lawsuits filed against them and that you need to talk to a supervisor to make sure that you are no longer contacted. Enhanced Recovery Corporation is dealing with a few lawsuits (gotta love Google :)).

That's worked for me twice now--the first company had been sued in Michigan, while the second one has a suit pending in federal court. A quick mention of these facts got me a supervisor, and ended the calls.

[Flanders]

Add her middle initial or full first name or add your first initial or first name.
-or.-
Request to have your phone number made unlisted, or obtain a *new unlisted number.

*I have been assigned numbers for cheap temporary cell phones (pay as you go) in the past, and a few times was given a recycled number formerly used by people who were targets of bill collectors and collection agencies. Of course when I informed them that the person they sought was no longer using the number, they STILL kept calling, despite their expectedly phony assurances that my number would be deleted from their collection call database. I ended up calling my provider to be assigned another recycled number, that was free of collectors' calls.

[Det_ard]

1) The "Do Not Call" law pertains to telemarketing, not debt collection. A debt collector is not trying to sell you something, they're trying to collect on something "you" (the actual deadbeat) bought but didn't pay for. They have the right to try to collect, and to talk to the person in question.

2) "You got the wrong guy (gal)" is probably the most common excuse the debt collectors hear so I'm not surprised they call back.

3) Talk to a supervisor or send a cease and desist letter. The letter is effective in stopping phone calls even if you are the actual deadbeat. It requires them to communicate in writing.

4) When the current debt collector gives up, they'll sell the uncollected debt to another collector on down the food chain for a smaller amount, say 10 cents on the dollar. Then you'll probably get calls again. It stops when time runs out or the cost of attempting to collect is greater than the expected payoff.

5) You could change your directory listing to your last name, but her info will still be out there in various databases for quite a while. Good luck.

[Downriviera]

Anyone having issues with a debt collector should check out this site. Lots of useful info.

http://budhibbs.com/

[ccbatson]

Having a common name is more often a curse than a blessing.

[n7hn]

I got calls for some "maria camacho" for over 3 years, the calls persisted. I came to the conclustion she was giving my # intentionally as My name isnt close to camacho and the calls persisted for such a long time. I put a greeting on my service saying "hi this is nathan ******** , Im not home. leave me a message. If you are calling for maria camacho, she is a dirty thieving whore and pays no bills and I dont knwo her, have never known her, so good luck finding her stealing deceptive a$$"

Funny the calls stopped very soon after

[DetroitDad]

It is amazing that there are companies who line up to buy someone's debt, often people who are unable or unwilling to ever pay.

Send them a cease and desist letter.

[Vic_doucette]

I have filed a complaint with the state attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission. Easy to do online. I informed them as such the last time they called. They haven't called in a couple of days. here's hoping.

[ccbatson]

It sounds silly...but, if it is ongoing and not abating with appropriate measures...change your number to an unlisted one.

[alsodave]

Vic,

That should do it!

[ccbatson]

Hopefully so..please let us know if it starts back up again.