Wrong Number!

[pltkcelestial18]

So back in November I got a new phone and number. I've got a few calls looking for someone who no longer had this number or it was a mis-dial or what have you. Normally if I didn't recognize the number, I wouldn't answer it, but if they kept calling back I answered and told them they had the wrong number.

Well I've had one number that's kept calling me asking for some guy. It's not a individual person calling, but rather a business, but I wasn't sure what. They left a voicemail asking to verify an appointment or something. They keep calling me several times a week. I called them back once and told them no guy by that name exist at this number and to please stop calling me. They've since continued to call and have left another voice mail. I know I answered this week telling them it's a wrong number and to please quit calling me.

They called again today and this time I wasn't so polite. I said "You guys keep calling me and it's always a wrong number. I've already told you to sop calling me so stop!" He then promptly hung up. I know it doesn't seem very mean but they called me on a Sunday morning and I had told them twice to quit calling me, so I made a point to sound annoyed and pissed.

I looked up the number today that was left in the last voicemail and it's a lending company it looks like, and it's not too far from where I live, so I'm tempted to go by there if they continue to call me.

[TheSHAD0W]

Even going by there isn't likely to help. The best way to get them off your back is to keep them on the line for several minutes. They have a quota to make call-wise, and if you delay them they're not happy. Don't get loud, don't get agitated, just drone on: "No, this isn't his number... No, I've had this number for 5 years... Are you sure you have the right number? I knew a Ted once, but his last name was Kowalski..."

[Pixilated]

Or just put the phone down, very quietly, and walk away. Let them babble to themselves until they realize there's nobody on the other end of the phone. Repeat as often as needed.

Seriously, I think there may be some legal recourse if they don't stop, now that you've told them -- repeatedly -- that So-and-so doesn't live there. Maybe at some point in the near future you can drop the word "harassment" into the conversation ...

[fma_fanatic]

I had that happen once many years ago with my cell. I had some idiot from a Georgia number calling me asking for some woman. I'd keep saying no, wrong number and hang up. He always seemed to call in the evening or late at night.

One day the guy called I think no less than three times and on the fourth call (I'd hit ignore on the first three calls, he never left a voicemail), I answered and told him "Look, I've told you for the last few months that you have a wrong number. No one by [womans' name] is at this number. Even if she was, I doubt she'd want to talk to someone who couldn't get the number right. Stop.Calling.My. Number."

Never heard from him again.

Or just put the phone down, very quietly, and walk away. Let them babble to themselves until they realize there's nobody on the other end of the phone. Repeat as often as needed.

Seriously, I think there may be some legal recourse if they don't stop, now that you've told them -- repeatedly -- that So-and-so doesn't live there. Maybe at some point in the near future you can drop the word "harassment" into the conversation ...

If you have the address, write them a cease and desist letter. Cite that you've requested numerous times for them to stop calling and have refused. I think that them continuing to call might be a violation of the FDCPA, but it depends on what capacity they're calling - as a collector or strictly as a business. If they aren't saying, then it's probably going to be harder to collect if you toss in an intent to sue if they don't stop harassing you.

[EvilEmpryss]

pltkcelestial18, if you're in the US, you can start keeping a log of when they call you and then take them to court to collect a nice fine from them for harassment. I don't recall the specifics of how, but you can find the information on how to go about it on some pretty reliable websites. There's a particular little speech you have to give them and then keep track of when they call. Usually warning them that you are going to start keeping track of their calls for legal purposes is enough to make them stop.

If they're a debt collector, they may not believe you when you say that the person doesn't live at that number. You could try telling them that you no longer wish to be contacted by phone and all correspondence must be done by mail. If they think you're the person they're looking for, I *think* they're obligated to stop calling you and switch to snail mail, and hopefully they have the debtor's correct address.

I'm not a lawyer, though: this is just stuff I've picked up here and there with my own debt issues. In North Carolina the "contact me only by mail" bit works great.

[the lawsmeister]

Even going by there isn't likely to help. The best way to get them off your back is to keep them on the line for several minutes. They have a quota to make call-wise, and if you delay them they're not happy. Don't get loud, don't get agitated, just drone on: "No, this isn't his number... No, I've had this number for 5 years... Are you sure you have the right number? I knew a Ted once, but his last name was Kowalski..."

My wife's grandfather is an expert at this. Despite his age he's still really switched on but whenever he gets nuisance calls he suddenly becomes a doddering old man
"No you'll have to talk to my wife about that, She should be back soon, she's gone out for a drive in the car. Its a rather good car we had to get it when the old one stopped working some time ago. Our mechanic said that it would cost more to fix than it was worth and he knows what he's doing Geofff does, he's been looking after our cars for the last 20 years when he bought the business from his father Bill, did you know Bill? No? Oh you would have liked Bill. What were you calling about again?" and so on
Its like he's channeling Grandpa Simpson.

[Keiara]

If it's a cell phone you could put that number on an auto reject list

[pltkcelestial18]

I told a co-worker about it today and what he said was pretty much along the lines of telling these people I would report them if they tried calling me again.

[Argabarga]

I get calls all the time for student loan collections for my brother, who hasn't lived here for YEARS, probably because he doesn't have a listed number that I know of, so when they shake the info tree, this is the only one that comes up.

Despite the fact I've told them in no uncertain terms that he hasn't lived here since he was in high school, and that I have no idea how to contact him (we are not close), and they promise to stop bugging me, the very NEXT day, they call again. I finally blew up at them and asked why they don't update their info, because none of what I've told them is going to change, he STILL does not live here, we STILL are not close, and you STILL haven't done what you said you would do just YESTERDAY. i.e. stop calling here.

I've just stopped answering the phone between coming home from work and 9pm at night figuring it's them, and any attention at all will just encourage them to call some more.

[Polenicus]

One time when I first moved to Vancouver, I got a phone number that one belonged to a company named 'Performance Engineering'. Naturally, I got some nuisance calls for them, but nothing serious. I lived at that address for about six months before I got fed up and moved due to my Landlord creeping around my place constantly (And IN my place. I was young, I didn't know tenant law well yet).

So I moved to a new place, far enough that my number CHANGED. Keep this in mind, so I no longer had Performance Engineering's number.

I got even MORE calls for Performance Engineering. A LOT of them. Apparently all the people calling for them called, got the recording that the number had changed, wrote down MY new number, and proceeded to call that.

I changed my answering machine message to indicate that this was a private residence, and in no way connected to Performance Engineering, but this one gentleman simply would NOT stop calling. He was calling to have some custom piece of gear machined up, evidently did not hear the recording, and was getting more and more irate with each call that I wasn't contacting him back. He was ranting about how this wasn't any way to run a business, and he needed this part rush, etc. What's ironic is he was getting the message, because he got my name off of it, but apparently didn't listen to the part that said 'This is NOT Performance Engineering'.

He was always calling while I was at work, so I was never able to intercept him. Finally, I sucked it up, ate the long distance fees (He was calling from another Province) and called him back.

Polenicus: Me
Clueless Idiot: Clueless Idiot

Me: Hello, CI, this is Polenicus.

CI: Polenicus! Finally! I've been trying to reach you for two weeks!

Me: I know. You've been filling up my answering machine. This isn't Perfomance Engineering.

CI: What now?

Me: This isn't Performance Engineering. This is a private residence. I'm calling you, at my own expense, to get you to stop calling me, please.

CI: Oh... you wouldn't happen to have their number, would you?

Me: No, but if you ever find it yourself, I wouldn't mind knowing it. I get enough calls for them it'd be nice to add that to my answering machine message.

He was a nice enough guy when I talked to him, but utterly oblivious. Don't know if he ever got his part or not.

[Eevie]

When I got my phone for the first time for my birthday, almost immediately I started getting calls from people asking for a hospital. Four years later I still get calls, mostly because it's so many people that it's hard to block every number. I have dealt with my fair share of crazies, but more often than not, there are no problems and it's pretty amusing!

[Argabarga]

I'm amazed people are so desensitized to the opening messages of calling businesses/institutions that they don't even LISTEN to them to make sure they got the right one, they just wait for the talking to stop and then go ahead with what they were going to say anyway.......

I've had people call the dispatch desk and, despite having listened to a hold message before getting me that made it clear this was "Friendly Neighborhood Towing" and me identifying myself as "Argabarga, Friendly Neighborhood Towing", start in completely unaware that they haven't called their doctor's office/girlfriend's house after all........

[EvilEmpryss]

I've had people call the dispatch desk and, despite having listened to a hold message before getting me that made it clear this was "Friendly Neighborhood Towing" and me identifying myself as "Argabarga, Friendly Neighborhood Towing", start in completely unaware that they haven't called their doctor's office/girlfriend's house after all........

Maybe they're looking for you to "hook them up"?

[blondescales]

I learned back in my college days ('88-'92) that people do not listen to answering machine messages. Despite a message that started "College, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship NLU" we still had people leaving a name and number for the Louisiana Department of Labor to call them back. They were also too stupid to realize that the number they were calling was not in the 318 area code (back then Louisiana had 2 area codes). I actually did find a phone book at the campus library and looked up the number to see if it was the same other than the area code and it was.

Of course now we get people switching the numbers around and calling the house when they want the sheriff...

[Rock Lobster]

I kept getting calls for some guy I never even heard of. These places just kept calling and harassing me even though I told them I don't know this guy. One woman wanted to argue with about it and asked me for my name. I said 'none of your business' and she got mad!

The topper was a medical facility called left a message with the guys account number. I was able to go online and look up his account!

I sent letters to all these places saying 'cease and desist' or I am filing harassment charges with the State Police, my attorney, and the Attorney General. Funny how they quit calling after that!!