random collections agency calls

[theMan]

I've been getting these calls on my cell phone since around this July some time. They always called between 7-8am, so I was never awake to answer the phone. I'd get these creepy robotic messages about how they were a collections agency attempting to collect a debt (strance, since I don't have a credit card, or even spend money for that matter--im a student...). So, I just went to my cell phone acct and blocked the number.

Then, I started getting calls from 'Unknown' every day, usually at extremely inconvenient times, early in the morning, when i'm in class, etc. I'd get these messages that said "this is a message for Jaghvdfghg Hxvaghadfly (just random jibberish). If you are not this person, please hang up. We are a collections agency, attempting to collect a debt." Then it would give me a number to call back and a reference number.

So, after months of this (it really wasn't that annoying), I decided to call them back. First time I call, a guy answers "Hello, this is ERC, my name is Michael Jackson, how can I help you?" So I just burst out in laughter. I couldn't control myself. So I had to hang up. Then I called again.

"Hello, dis is ERC, mah name is Lamar, how, uh, can Ah hep you today?"
"Well I'd like to ask you the same thing, actually"
"What choo mean sir?"
"You guys have been calling me every day, and I'd like to know why."
"Well sir, are you Emily?"
"Do---"
"Do you know Emily?"
"Do I SOUND like an Emily to you, SIR?"
"No, sir, I'm sorry. But we cain't be sure."
"Well if I'm Emily, Lamar, your name is Latisha."
"I understand, sir."
"Good, so can you stop calling me?"
"I think what happened is that we have the wrong number."
"Really... that's interesting."
"I can remove you from our call list, it will take 48 hours to process, and then you won't be getting any more calls."
"Ok, sounds good to me, thanks."

So, it's currently 72 hours later, and they called me a couple hours ago, and woke me up at 7:30am (I accidentally had my phone ringer set all the way up.). Now I'm actually pissed.

So, how do you guys think I should play this now? Any good ideas? I honestly just want to have some fun with them, if I can. I came up with a lot of ideas, but i'm worried many of them would get me into some risky legal situations. Whatcha think?

 

[Crusty]

Tell them to pound sand until you get a written record of the debt.

 

[FoBoT]

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cos26.htm

 

[PottedMeat]

Can you say "Wiekamp Air Force Base, how may I direct your call?"

Got a audio file of some random arabic phrases, maybe ones that get louder and louder?

 

[bobross419]

Get one of those air horns... talk really quiet and ask them to turn up their headset so you can hear them, but make it sound like you are really concerned about talking to them so they don't just hang up on you... once their headset is turned up hit them with the airhorn.

 

[theMan]

No, but I know someone who speaks arabic.... haha. I was thinking of doing something like, "This is Waschlinski Roofing Supply Company, how can I help you today?" When they called. But they never call at a time I can answer the phone. grrr.

 

[Don66]

Get a whistle and blow into the mic as loud as you can:evil:
Should hurt their ears good.

 

[alevasseur14]

In my experience, it just takes a couple times talking to them (really slowly) that they have the wrong person. They are paid a percentage of the debts they collect - they don't want to believe they have the wrong guy.

I kept getting called on my work number this summer telling me my Discover card had been sent to collections. Three times I had to explain to them that I don't even have a Discover card. They were looking for a guy with my first and last name but different middle name.

BTW, I LOVE the airhorn idea. Got a good chuckle out of that one!

 

[theMan]

I could get a girl to call and try to get a date with the guy. Then I could have someone on the inside.... mwhahaha.

 

[ElFenix]

i'm fairly certain it's illegal for them to call you that early

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i'm fairly certain it's illegal for them to call you that early

HOW MAY A DEBT COLLECTOR CONTACT YOU?

A collector may contact you in person, by mail, telephone, telegram,
or FAX. However, a debt collector may not contact you at unreasonable
times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you
agree. A debt collector also may not contact you at work if the
collector knows that your employer disapproves.

 

[BoomerD]

"Emily? Yeah, that sounds like the bitch's name. You ain't gonna be able to talk to her, homey. That bitch is dead...and I took her phone when I was done with her. Now fuck off and quit callin. I be sellin this phone tomorrow and I don't wants no muthafuckin credit assholes callin the new owner and killin the deal!"

 

[SunnyD]

I have determined I am going to start billing collection agencies a consulting fee in order to talk to me.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: Don66
Get a whistle and blow into the mic as loud as you can:evil:
Should hurt their ears good.

Fire a .44 right next to the mouthpiece.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
I have determined I am going to start billing collection agencies a consulting fee in order to talk to me.

I like that..."Sorry, in order for me to answer any of your questions, you must first establish a wire-transfer account and forward $50 for each question you wish to ask. Company policy requires payment in advance or else I am prohibited from answering any of your questions."

I LIKE that...

 

[nick1985]

My college used to keep calling me asking me to donate $10. Seriously, at least once or twice a month. It was getting real fucking annoying. These dicks got 120,000 from me in four years and they have the balls to call me begging for $10???

Finally I just pretended to be someone else and told them Nick got ran over by a train. lol...

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

For that matter, what can you do about debt collection mail that the usps refuses to stop delivering.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
For that matter, what can you do about debt collection mail that the usps refuses to stop delivering.

toss it.


i got those annoying robot calls for a month before i called them back to get them to stop. they always called my house when i was at work, the dumbasses. turned out that someone had gotten a sprint cell phone in my ex wifes name and my ssn. walked out on a few months of the bill. i proved it was fraud, talked the billing address out of the rep. well, she told me the streets and town, not the house number.

when i was younger and had a sears card, i started getting collections calls while i was at work. i had a zero balance, so when i called back to figure out what was wrong they told me i owed them just shy of 4 grand. turned out one of my field guys with the same name was the culprit, and sears assumed we were the same person with two accounts due to the same workplace info. took forever to get that one settled. that guy got fired 3 weeks later, and sears bugged me for months to get a hold of him for them. i finally got to a manager that listened and they left me alone. i canceled my zero balance card with them during the whole ordeal, and have yet to shop there since.

 

[GeekDrew]

I get those calls repeatedly... several times a day, every day. And it's all from the same company... but they're trying to collect from different people with each call. I was initially calling them back to have them remove my number and etc., but it got to be too much of a pain, because there are too many people they are trying to collect from that are somehow associated with my phone number. I haven't the slightest idea how/why they are calling me... my family has had this phone number for over 40 years. I moved it to a new house recently, but still...

 

[Stuxnet]

Collection Agencies are almost as scummy as the people from whom they're trying to collect.

 

[TechBoyJK]

If you get their address, send them a certified letter telling them to stop contacting you and if they want to prove you owe something, they need to send the original contract along with documents that show they own the debt or represent the creditor, all by mail.

I think everytime they call after receipt of the letter is punishable with a $500 fine, or something similar, according to the Fair Debt collections act.

About ten years ago I owed about $9,000 to Discover after getting scammed. I just couldn't pay it. I defaulted and it went into collections. I called up to the collections agency about 6 years later with $9,000 to pay it off, and they told me I owed 14,000 after all their fees, etc.. I told them to pound sand, take the $9,000 or I would never contact them again and I would spend the money elsewhere. They told me I should go beg my parents for the rest of the money otherwise they would prosecute me. I asked them why, after 7 years of never hearing from me, and I offer what is originally owed, they would say no to it, especially since they have no right to collect any fees above what I owed the original creditor. The lady again said no to my offer and said I should go beg for the rest.

Fuck them.

I contacted my attorney, and we drew up a letter telling them to never contact me again, I made a reasonable offer and they refused, and that there was no possible chance for any settlement in the future. If they wanted to contact me, they needed to talk to my lawyer. No calls, letters, faxes, etc. were to be sent to me.

They started calling almost every day. We got about 30 calls, and we sent them another letter saying that not only where they never going to collect, that we documented each call after confirmed receipt of our cease and desist letter, and that each call was a violation of the Fair Collections act, punishable by like a $500 fine, and that they now legally owed me about $14,000, and that if they didn't pay within 45 days we were going to file suit against them.

They never called back or sent me another letter. It's been about 2 years, and all of their marks on my credit are gone.

 

[BoomerD]

My wife used to get calls on her cell phone from people looking for the guy who previously had that number. Collection agencies, businesses he'd scammed, etc. Not only were they looking for him for old debt, but apparently he was still using that number as his contact number. We tried everything, AT&T, credit bureaus, even the police fraud department...no help anywhere. She finally had to change the number.

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
My wife used to get calls on her cell phone from people looking for the guy who previously had that number. Collection agencies, businesses he'd scammed, etc. Not only were they looking for him for old debt, but apparently he was still using that number as his contact number. We tried everything, AT&T, credit bureaus, even the police fraud department...no help anywhere. She finally had to change the number.

This is usually the easiest thing to do, believe it or not. Once a CA gets your number, it's actually simpler to just change it and update everyone than to try to get them to stop.

 

[Ipno]

I answer the phone by saying "State law requires I inform you that all calls to this number are recorded." They usually hang up and never call back after that.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Ipno
I answer the phone by saying "State law requires I inform you that all calls to this number are recorded." They usually hang up and never call back after that.

Also say that you are recording the call AND that you are giving them notice to cease and desist any further calls. Any further contact needs to be made through mail, and you will sue them for violation of the Fair Debt Collections act for any further phone calls.