Collections Agencies

[SilverVeil]

I need help bad !!!


There is a bill collector calling my number for my hunny's deadbeat non bill paying brother and his girlfriend. At first I thought it was just that they had given our number out to people to call in emergency since they are homeless.
( That is another LOOONNGG story for another time )
I told the callers that John and Jane could not be reached at this number. And I did not have a number for them. This has not stopped the calls. If anything they are getting more and more frequent now. Sometimes as many as 3 in a day from the same company.

Last night I picked up the phone the same time as my answering machine did and it recorded the entire call with the dude from the collections agency. He was very very rude to me when I tried to explain they had the wrong number and to please remove my number from the list as I work the midnight shift and they constantly wake me up when they call. This guy was a complete asshole to me. Called me a liar, saying they got the number from the brother himself and it could not be the wrong number.... why was I so nosey asking what the call was regarding ( trying to get the company name ) so on and so forth. I asked to be connected to a supervisor and he refused ... this is all on the answering machine too. I am saving it and will use it if I can to get the calls stopped.

The name of the company is CBI but my caller ID only says " Out Of Area " and does not record the phone number.

Anyone know how I can get these asswipes to stop calling ? Or have you dealt with them and have the phone number I could call ? Please help me !!

I don't know what else to do.

 

[Debbie]

Next time they call? Be curt and to the point. Telling them you have told them everything you know and if they call again? You will contact the phone company informing them that they are harassing you.
Good luck.

 

[Bindii]

Next time they call ask to be put onto the manager of the company.....then tell the manager that you have no information on the people they are after and that if they continue to call you then you will report them for harrassment.

If you think that they won't put you onto the manager aske them for a phone number for the company...then call the manager direct.

I had the same problem and this worked for me.....no more calls!

 

[sufisaint]

Call the attoney generals office in your state...thet should have a Consumer Affairs Bureau or something like that and report the company....its is illegal in most states to call after you have been told not too..... Try a lwayer as well...

 

[alltherage]

I believe there are laws that require collectors to back off once you clearly state that they are harrassing you. I would say that you feel you are being harrassed and if they call again you will be contacting your lawyer to seek a legal remedy. Lawyers often scare these punks. dont let em get to you. They sound so powerful and mean but really all they are is a bunch of unemployed used car salesmen locked up in an ugly gray room calling people in the hopes that they might get them to pay something so that the collectors can earn their commission. fuck em. In this case, since you owe nothing, double fuck em.

 

[Kitte]

All of the above are great ideas. Add that you are aware of the current collection laws, that you have spoken with an attorny (im sure at some point in your life you have) and that you will no longer tolerate their harrasment. You will sue their company from the bottom up if they do not discontinue the behaviour.

 

[Weird Harold]

...its is illegal in most states to call after you have been told not too.....

I'm not positive, but I think it's a Federal Offense as well.

Silverveil,
The next time they call, tell them that you have reported them to the District Attorney and filed a harassment complaint.

If you have reservations about lying to assholes, then don't lie to them -- tell them the same thing, but make sure it isn't a lie.

 

[deuce]

All of the above are great ideas. Add that you are aware of the current collection laws, that you have spoken with an attorny (im sure at some point in your life you have) and that you will no longer tolerate their harrasment. You will sue their company from the bottom up if they do not discontinue the behaviour.

got it in one. but i do like the double fuck em. you have explained to them the situation. talk to your telco, explain to them you are being harrassed and see if they will allow you to display unregistered numbers. personaly, if i cant see the number when they call, screw em. if they dont want me to know who they are, i dont wanna talk. (i now many people have a vlid reason for this, and thats cool, but i dont know anyone that does) also, if they keep on, you step up a gear. tell them what kitte said, but be authorotive and forceful. not aggressive though. forcful will leave them with their tails between their legs, and you feelin good.

 

[SilverVeil]

Thanks everyone.

A friend told me to say I was his wife and could I take a message, get the phone number to call back and then do what you have all said about telling them they are harassing me. And since I DO have the conversation on tape ( evil laugh ) I will be more than happy to give a copy to the Atty Gens office if they want it !

Maybe I can get a full days sleep after that !!

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Thanks everyone.

A friend told me to say I was his wife and could I take a message, get the phone number to call back and then do what you have all said about telling them they are harassing me. And since I DO have the conversation on tape ( evil laugh ) I will be more than happy to give a copy to the Atty Gens office if they want it !

Maybe I can get a full days sleep after that !!

I would not bother talking with them at all or waiting for another call. Assuming you have the name of the person calling and the agency, just go ahead and make the call to the authorities. That is what will stop them. Some may stop with threats, others won't, but filing a complaint surely will and it will bring the wrath of the authorities down on them, which they deserve whether they stop or not. Consider it your civic duty - eventually, if enough people complain they can fine the bastards.

 

[Weird Harold]

And since I DO have the conversation on tape ( evil laugh ) I will be more than happy to give a copy to the Atty Gens office if they want it !

Make sure you ask the AG/DA about possible liability to YOU for recording a conversation without notifying the caller. The fact that the answering machine message sounded might be sufficient warning, but ask.

Linda Tripp was charged for making the recording of Monica that caused such a stir -- I never heard whether she was convicted or not.

 

[SilverVeil]

Make sure you ask the AG/DA about possible liability to YOU for recording a conversation without notifying the caller. The fact that the answering machine message sounded might be sufficient warning, but ask.

Linda Tripp was charged for making the recording of Monica that caused such a stir -- I never heard whether she was convicted or not.

He heard the answering machine message go off. I told him it was on. So he knew. He just did not care. Besides ... I did not intend to record the message, I did not set up the machine to trap them, and in certain states ( not sure about RI on this one ) it is legal to record conversations if 1 party is aware of it. They called my phone number ... I say fuck 'em. He was rude and deserves anything he gets. Including being fired for it.

 

[Merelan]

One last thing, make sure your hunny's name is not on the bill they owe.
If it is, that's why they are calling. I know, you probably know it isn't. But they sound like the type who would use his name to have helped get the money in the first place.

But don't even mess with calling them back, won't do any good. Trust me.

Good Luck, and as Harold says, find out if you are liable for recording him. Doesn't matter if you meant to or not.
Just don't want to see you in trouble.

 

[lilminx]

Make sure you ask the AG/DA about possible liability to YOU for recording a conversation without notifying the caller. The fact that the answering machine message sounded might be sufficient warning, but ask.

Linda Tripp was charged for making the recording of Monica that caused such a stir -- I never heard whether she was convicted or not.

I'm pretty sure it's not illegal (at least in NY), as long as one party of the conversation knows it's being recorded. That's what I was told by a cop who suggested I record a phone call between my former landlord and me.

 

[Basia]

Two words. Tele Zapper. It really works. We where getting about ten to twenty telemarketer calls a day. Only down fall is the phone beeps whenever you pick it up.

 

[christo]

I used to work as a collector for a bank, and if you're up against a real asshole collector you're gonna have trouble shaking him off your back. Asking for his supervisor won't do anything. Saying that you're retained an attorney will make him laugh. That's almost always a bluff.

So, what do you do? First, when he calls, be polite, and calm. Make it sound like you might be helpful. Ask who's calling, he'll probably give you his first name. Let's say his name is "Thumbdick". Tell him, "OK, Thumbdick, do you know what the Fair Debt Collection Laws are?" Use of the phrase "Fair Debt" gets collectors attention, because violating it can get you fired and your company shut down (More than a few of my co-workers got canned for breaking it).

Use of the lingo shows that you've done some homework and aren't some ignorant consumer to be bullied. If the guy keeps up the assault, tell him that if he calls again you'll file a complaint with the Attorney General's office, and do yourself a favor and look up the number in the phone book or Internet, again so you look like you know what you're doing.

If the guy actually gives you the name of his outfit, tell him you want to fax him a Cease and Desist letter. This gets a bit tricky, the law used to be that you couldn't file a Cease and Desist with a collection agency, it had to be with the company where the debt was orginally incurred, but I think they changed it.

Anyway, saying "Cease and Desist" will also give him pause. Again, you're talking his language. Also, if a collector gets a C&D on an account he's working on it's pretty embarrassing for him, and would probably piss off his supervisors. When a letter like that is received the company has to stop all collection activity, and for a collection agency that's bad.

Collectors are usually rated by two factors. The big one is money collected. The little one is productivity, how many calls made, that sort of thing. Even if the collector doesn't think he'll get any money or help from you, he'll keep calling over and over because it'll help his stats. Also, ruining your day might give him the jollies. Lots of collectors get off on that.

So, deny him the pleasure. Once he knows that he's not getting any money or entertainment from you, he'll give up.

 

[Maiden-hunter]

Can you block the number ?

In the UK phone co's can set a line up not to accept call from callers that block the number is this a possablity where you are

The caller gets a message that if he wants to conect to the number he has to disable number blocking

So ether way for you, you ether get no calls form them OR you get his number

Just a thought

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm pretty sure it's not illegal (at least in NY), as long as one party of the conversation knows it's being recorded. That's what I was told by a cop who suggested I record a phone call between my former landlord and me.

The law varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction -- if the recording shows that both parties knew the answering machine was on, then it's definitely cool. But asking the AG/DA about it is the safest thing to do -- I mentioned Lind Tripp, because even though the special prosecutor's office used the tape she made, she was later charged and prosecuted for making it because of WHERE she made it.

 

[lickerish]

Your local phone company may also have this recorded service where when someone calls you.. a recording comes on asking them to state their, or their company name.. if you don't want to talk to them, the recorded service rejects the call for you.

It's kinda cool.