Who Should He Call?

[dorrmann]

Ok...I have a friend. He's been in the same house, with the same phone number for over 2 years now. He is plagued with a collection agency calling to collect money from someone that he doesn't know. The collection agency doesn't believe that he isn't the correct person, and it has now escallated to the point that they are now threatening him. Thanks to caller ID, he has the number that it's coming from, and it goes back to a collection agency, so we know that it isn't someone just playing a trick.

The question is, who should he call to report them? The FCC? The police? Who do you think? Does anyone have any good websites for informaiton like this?

[coolwhip]

Record the conversation telling them that they have the wrong person and if they keep calling, file a lawsuit for herassment. Make sure its all recorded. I just hope your friends identity was not stolen.

[dorrmann]

Originally posted by coolwhip
Record the conversation telling them that they have the wrong person and if they keep calling, file a lawsuit for herassment. Make sure its all recorded. I just hope your friends identity was not stolen.

Thanks for the info. I don't know if he has recorded any, but I know he has told them that he has. As for the ID theft, I doubt it because they ask for a person of a different name. I sure hope that isn't it.

[DHC]

Originally posted by coolwhip
Record the conversation telling them that they have the wrong person and if they keep calling, file a lawsuit for herassment. Make sure its all recorded. I just hope your friends identity was not stolen.

I wouldn't record the conversation WITHOUT their knowledge, I believe that is illegal? If you state that you are recording the conversation that should cover you.

[The Penguin]

i n canada you can record a two person conversation over the phone as long as one person knows aka you I wonder if its the same in the USA?

[rango]

I believe taping is legal as long as it is taping of your personal calls. Not if you are acting in some official capacity. At least without informing the other person.

[Getsome]

I had this happen to me several years ago. Same thing as your friend. Kept getting messages saying" Mr. Green you need to call as back TODAY!!!" First time I called them I told them that I had been at this house for the past three years and I had no idea who this Mr. Green was. They said ok and that was it. Two days later I get another call and I tell them the same thing, wrong person and wrong number. Third time I talked to a "supervisor" and said please make a note of this becasue this is getting old. Forth time I went off and cussed like a sailor and the lady said that I would have to sign and get noterized a letter they would send me THEN they would leave me alone. I told her that if they call me again that I would be filing harassment carges against them after I repetedly told them they had the wrong person. Problem solved.

The main reason that I got so upset was that my girlfriends son(yes I'm living in sin) started asking me why I owed someone money and didn't want to pay them. A 6 year old doesn't need to learn about this stuff.

[dandyme]

Originally posted by The Penguin
i n canada you can record a two person conversation over the phone as long as one person knows aka you I wonder if its the same in the USA?

Same holds true in North Carolina.!!!!
You don`t need to inform the other party of conversation being taped....

[swat]

Call me sick but I would have fun with them. I had a telemarketer calling my wife giving her a hard time once and he would not take no from her for an answer so I got on the ohone and proceeded to be an A-hole and telling the guy that he just earned my wife one hell of an azz whoopin and that if I ever found him he would be nect and all other sorts of stuff i would never actually do.

[CDIJeff]

Post the phone number and name they are calling for and we can all give them a call saying we are that oerson and we understand they are looking for us. String them along for awile and then say you are not THAT (name)

[Stamas]

Wasn't a collection agency but another kind of caller. Made notes on the calender when he called. Saved messages left on answering machine. Made a complaint with the phone company and found a cop that made the time to help. It ended up bring a state cop as we went through local and sheriiff's dept's. Wasn't worth their time. We got the guy prosecuted and convicted.

[Shophound]

Next time they call, just pick up the phone and start breathing heavily.

Bet'cha the next sound you here is this:

*click*



Seriously, I had this same problem at an apartment I lived at several years ago. I always let my answering machine screen the calls, I never returned that one. They eventually gave up...I guess they figured when they kept getting a machine, they weren't going to get anywhere. I knew I wasn't behind in payments to anyone so I wasn't going to bother worrying about them.

[refrtech]

As far as recording the conversations, 2 words for ya.....Linda Tripp !!

[thehumid1]

Guess just hanging up the phone would be too easy

[i_got_ideas]

This would be fun since caller ID has told you the number.....

Call them and tell them to get thier a$$ over there and fix your a/c NOW! ....when they say we don't do that.......hang up and do it again, and again, and again, and again, well you get the point.

Then finally say, well then quit calling me, my name is NOT _______!


Something else that you could do is change your phone number. Some how telemarketers get my cell number and I have to change it when it gets bad enough....next time I'll ask them thier address so I can mail them the bill

As far as recording, the law varies from state to state. Here in Iowa the person(s) being recorded must be informed. Sometimes, your phone company can print you a sheet of your incoming calls for a fee, this would show the number of times they have called you.

I know what this is like. I swear my advertising account file at our local newspaper is labeled MISC. and then I have to dig out the paper from the day the charged me for an ad and say see....where's my ad? Finally I told them to get it right or I'm not paying, and I haven't.