I'm getting a little tired of this!

[Dreamstalker]

Cookies to whoever guesses where the title quote is from...

For some reason, I have had random people calling on my cell phone for the past few weeks. Never is there a message left, and a reverse lookup through Superpages shows that they are most likely wrong numbers (I do not know anyone in Area Code X, I only give the number out myself and anyone who has it knows there will be no end of pain if I find out they gave it to $RandomAsshat).

Maybe two calls from the same number I can understand. Wouldn't it be obvious that, if you get someone different than who you're looking for either in person or voicemail for the fourth freaking time, that the person does not exist at the number? The calls are from individuals, not bill collectors or anything of the sort so there would be no reason to continue calling once you got "sorry, Person X is not at this number and never was" (I've had this cell number for 6 years now).

Grrrr...

[blas]

I feel for you, hun.

My cell phone number was the family's cell phone years ago (before everyone and their sister had a cell phone). My mother promptly put it as the number to call for her on the church's directory list. And NEVER took it off. She was a deacon or something important like that.

After the phone and # was given to me as my own personal cell phone, for over a year, old women called me nearly EVERY DAY. Mind you, I work 3rd shift. I would be laying in bed trying to sleep, the phone would ring, and I'd answer and some raspy voice would say "Blas' mom?" and I'd say "No, this is Blas. This is not my mother's number. Her number is xxx-xxxx." Then the next day, the dumb old bat would call me AGAIN.

I got lots of voicemails. My voicemail has ALWAYS been "This is Blas, I'm not here right now, leave me a message". Ok, notice how I say "This is Blas"?? I'd check my voicemail and hear "Yes, this for Blas' mom...." or "Yes, Blas' mom, I need you to get a hold of me right away." None of them even acknowledged my name or asked for her number.

My mom started getting mad that I didn't play secretary and I started ignoring their calls. Finally, she took the number off the directory list.......just a few MONTHS ago!

[LewisLegion]

Cookies to whoever guesses where the title quote is from...

Ghostbusters :)

As for the calls, I get them too. If I don't recognize the number I don't answer. You don't leave me a voice mail then you don't get a call back. That's that.

[Dreamstalker]

*hands over cookies* And here I thought that one was going to be a puzzle...

I have the same policy. If I don't know who you are, what you want and when you called (important as for some reason my VM does not timestamp messages), I'm not calling you back. This tends to piss off the ex, but honestly how hard is that to grasp? (I actually think that's led to my cell being forgotten by him, which is fine with me).

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'm the same way. The odds of me picking up a number I don't know is slim to none. The odds of me busting butt to answer a non-exsistant message is even less than that.

If the call was so unimportant that the caller didn't think it was worth it to leave a message, I'll take him at his word. I sure hope they dont' actually think I am going to scramble around trying to figure out who called.

I've had people spend an entire weekend trying to get hold of me, but never leave a message. This may come as a great shock to people, but I have a life. I may be outside. I may be changing a diaper or laying my child down for a nap. I might be doing the nasty with the husband. I may have run to the store. It may not be convenient for me to drop what I'm doing to scramble to answer a call, especially one I don't recognize. If you dont have enough brain power to leave a damn message, you deserve to call 40 times in vain.

[blas]

Another good question here: Why do some people feel it so necessary to use *67 when calling me or try to call me from a "blocked" number so my phone only registers it as "Call". You really think I'm going to answer that?

[LewisLegion]

Cookies!!

*nomnomnomnomnom*

[draftermatt]

RK, I've had friends get annoyed at me because they called and I didn't call back.

But I was on vacation, phone off and in my condo. How was I to know they called?

[powerboy]

If I do not know you, I will not answer. If you leave a Vm and you are someone that I know, I will return it. Other wise you are Awol. If by some slim chance, that I do answer and you are a wrong number, do not call again.

I once had someone call me alot of times, accusing me on lying to them - when I told them they had a wrong number. Finally they stopped

[Dreamstalker]

RK, I've had friends get annoyed at me because they called and I didn't call back.
People who give me that line tend to either leave messages with no identifying info (sorry, I need more than "it's me"...which me are you?), or don't leave messages at all. Avoiding someone requires knowledge that they're trying to talk to you.

I'm usually very good about returning calls, but for that to happen I need to know who and why.

[BlaqueKatt]

Other wise you are Awol.

Absent Without Leave?
Qua?

I think you meant SOL-"Spit" out of luck

[Eric the Grey]

When I first got my current cell number, I kept getting calls for some dude from various women. I finally got one live and asked her when she got this number. She said it was "the other night." :eek:

So this guy somehow had MY number, and was giving it to women he picked up and apparently didn't want to talk to again...

Then there was the time I got a call from, Qwest, and the Thornton, CO Police Department, all looking for some woman named Lakisha somethingornohter... I told each of them in turn that I'd had this number for well over a year, and I knew nobody of that name. Luckily they didn't continue.

All of these stopped eventually, thank god.

Oh, and Blas, my answer to the phone waking me up in the middle of the day is to mute it. I get calls, they go to voice mail and I get a record of who calls...



:cool: Eric the Grey

[Caveat Emptor]

What I *really* love are these idiots who leave messages for "Ann" or somesuch to call "mumblemumble" back. Two days in a row. Uhh, listen to the outgoing message, you moron. Do you recognize the voice? Is that a woman? No? then why aren't you questioning who's MALE voice is on the machine?!?!?

[Misanthropical]

I use to get calls for Rene on my cell phone. My VM has my name right on it and my name is nowhere near Rene.

One lady called and asked for Rene. I told her she had the wrong number and she yelled "NO I DON'T!" I explained to the bitch that she did and to not call again.

I also had people ask me why Rene would give them my phone number. I told them I had no idea, maybe because she doesn't want to talk to them? Ya think?

Oh, and just because she gave my phone number out to people does NOT mean I know who she is! GEEZ!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

RK, I've had friends get annoyed at me because they called and I didn't call back.

But I was on vacation, phone off and in my condo. How was I to know they called?

They called, didn't leave a message, then got mad you didn't call back?

Um...I'm guessing they weren't handled carefully by their mothers as babies and got dropped a lot.

I've had someone get mad because "they knew I was there and was screening my calls, and I ought to pick up the phone." He left an angry message to that effect. Apparently, I'm not even allowed a romatic evening with my husband when this jerkwad calls. I'm supposed to drop everything.

Yeah.

I made a point to never pick up that guy's calls ever, ever again. And I always called back in such a way as to make absolutely certain he knew that I was home when he called. I'm a bitch that way.

[draftermatt]

They called, didn't leave a message, then got mad you didn't call back?

Um...I'm guessing they weren't handled carefully by their mothers as babies and got dropped a lot.

That could be it yeah.

We were on vacation with some other friends, and they happened to be down there the same time we were (arrived middle of our stay). 1st night they get there and he calls wanting to chit chat while he's "waiting to get laid" Yeah. I had to explain quite a few times that I was at a restaurant and had 3 people waiting for me.

So I turned off my phone the next day and apparently he called 3 times, was miffed I never called him to do something (he was also there with other friends), and that I didn't call him back.

I can't explain that one.

[Jester]

If I don't recognize the number I don't answer. You don't leave me a voice mail then you don't get a call back. That's that.
I'm the same way. The odds of me picking up a number I don't know is slim to none.

I agree. The only time I ever answer a number I don't recognize is if it's the local area code or some special circumstance, like, say, I'm looking for a roommate and anyone could be calling me with any number....but then, they can always leave a message.

Other wise you are Awol.

I believe you mean "SOL." I think that if these people were absent without leave, we would welcome it!

So this guy somehow had MY number, and was giving it to women he picked up and apparently didn't want to talk to again...

Other than the inconvenience to you, you kinda have to admire the ingenuity of that plan.....

[Dreamstalker]

A pattern seems to be emerging with a certain number (805 area code, I don't know anyone at all in that neck of the woods).

Every day, 7:20 PM local time. Never a message left, so they can't really be looking for anyone (that smells of a telemarketer to me, but those critters don't usually use traceable numbers). The wrong number theory is torpedoed by the fact that whoever-this-is is so damn persistent.

Ah, screw it. I'm not picking any of these calls up, I'm considering seeing if my cell provider can tell them to piss off or at least find out who the hell they are (so far to date, 15 'missed calls' from this tool).

[Gawdzillers]

I was gonna guess Snakes On A Plane.

[Librarybabe]

Turns out, my second phone line is one digit off from a local Ophthalmologist (who happens to by MY eye doctor). Now I understand why I get REPEAT calls from wrong numbers!

[Sheldonrs]

A pattern seems to be emerging with a certain number (805 area code, I don't know anyone at all in that neck of the woods).

Every day, 7:20 PM local time. Never a message left, so they can't really be looking for anyone (that smells of a telemarketer to me, but those critters don't usually use traceable numbers). The wrong number theory is torpedoed by the fact that whoever-this-is is so damn persistent.

Ah, screw it. I'm not picking any of these calls up, I'm considering seeing if my cell provider can tell them to piss off or at least find out who the hell they are (so far to date, 15 'missed calls' from this tool).

Type the number in Google. If it's A telemarketer or a collection agency, it will most likely show up on some list. It works for me. :-)

[MadMike]

Here's another site you could try: www.whocalled.us (http://www.whocalled.us).

This is a site for people to record unknown numbers, and put up information about who it was if they did talk to them.

I used it to find info on this one number that was calling almost every day for the longest time, and found it belonged to the American Cancer Society. I'm sure it was because I donated some money to them earlier this year. Some of these sites I found have a link to remove you from their calling list, but theirs did not. So I sent them a email telling them that if I had known giving them money would result in me getting calls from them, I would not have done it.

I got an apology from them, and an assurance that I would not be called anymore. After that, I never saw that particular number come up again.

[Dreamstalker]

It appears to be a residential number. I'm now wondering if it isn't a cold-call...I have heard of telemarketing agencies recruiting people to call from their homes so as to dodge the DNC.

EDIT: Some progressive fundraising deal. No clue how they got this number...as a political thing they're exempt from the DNC, ne?

[MadMike]

I have heard of telemarketing agencies recruiting people to call from their homes so as to dodge the DNC.

So that's why I got one from what showed up as a residence on Caller ID awhile back. Up until then, I'd answer those, even if I didn't recognize the name. Just not anything from a business or "OUT OF AREA."

[Chanlin]

Yes not for profit companies and political offices/campaigns are exempt from DNC rules.

I have seen several similar types of calls happen in working for a cellular phone company. Every now and then we get complaints from customers who receive calls from numbers that when looked up or called don't exists or are disconnected. I suspect scammers or telemarketers spoofing caller ID to dodge FCC rules regarding telemarketing calls to cellular phones.

As an aside it is against FCC regulations in the US for a telemarketing firm to call a line in which the called party has to pay to receive the call IE: cellular phones.

[Dreamstalker]

it is against FCC regulations in the US for a telemarketing firm to call a line in which the called party has to pay to receive the call IE: cellular phones.
I've heard that as well. That is reportable, ne (and if so, to whom and what proof is needed)?

[Chanlin]

I would imagine the name of the company that called you as well as the date and time at least to begin an investigation.

[draftermatt]

Got a call yesterday from what appeared to be a collections agency (*** Fincl Svcs on the caller ID) asking for the lady who used to own our house.

She never had our number, so apparently they saw the address and figured she changed her number and the name it was under?

Anyway I told them she doesn't live there anymore, and they said I'd be taken off the contact sheet for her name. I hope so because I really don't want to deal with this.

Especially seeing as how I know where she lives now and I'll tell them her contact info if I have to.

[Kyree]

Ever since I got my T mobile phone, I've been getting calls once or twice a week (For about a year now) for Roy Rodriegez. I've told them repeatedly that I'm not Roy, I don't know Roy, no I don't know how to contact him. They still call, mostly when I can't answer so I can't speak to them. When I call back, I get the run around. "The number isn't in our files, but we'll make a note of it, don't worry we won't call again."

Some of them are local, some of them are 1-800's. T-mobile "can't" block numbers, but they're very willing to charge me $15 to change my number. /sigh

[blas]

I suppose before we think we have it bad, imagine the poor girl who got Paris Hilton's old phone number.