Similar Phone Numbers and Crazy People

[An Haddock]

If I've learned anything from reading stories on here, it's:

1. most people don't pay attention to messages - recorded or written.

2. most people will not admit when they're wrong.


I recorded the voice mail message on our phone myself. I detail our hours, etc. but the first thing I say is that we're closed Mondays. And I still get people who will leave messages like "I was calling to see if you're open today" (Monday) right after they ignored my voice mail message saying we're closed.


A friend of mine sometimes gets calls from a guy in Miami (we're in NJ) wanting to talk to his mother. (the caller's mother, not my friend's mother) - apparently their numbers are only 1 digit off and the guy mis-dials all the time. (why he doesn't program her number in the phone, I couldn't tell you) It happened so often he finally saved the guy's number in his call list so it comes up as "Guy in Miami calling his mom". They actually have nice phone conversations when the guy miscalls.


Our business has a number almost identical to a place that does staffing a couple of towns over. I can always tell when they put a new ad in the newspaper because we inevitably get a few calls asking about the jobs available. Once I figured out the staffing place's phone number I would tell the callers the correct number to call. They were usually polite so I had no reason to go into full dick mode.


But I'm always amazed by some of the stories on here of people who just will not admit they could have (for shame! the horror!) MIS-DIALED someone! Based on their reactions you'd think they'd been accused of child molestation or bestiality. "I COULDN'T have mis-dialed your number! YOU obviously are wrong!" Amazing.

[dalesys]

I've had (desk) phones buggered up enough (switch corrosion and/or the tuning of the row & column frequencies) that they would consistently misdial.

[MadMike]

When I said they had the wrong number, the lady asked for my social security number so that she could confirm who she was talking to.

Something like that happened to one of my coworkers a few years ago. I overheard him on the phone but wasn't paying attention until he raised his voice and said, "I am NOT giving you my SS Number!" I think he hung up on them shortly after that.

I was curious, so I went over to talk to him, and he told me the story. Apparently it was a collection agency who was looking for another guy with the same first and last name as him (both of his names are fairly common), and when he told them they had the wrong guy, they asked for his SS Number to verify that. Even if they were legit, how stupid do you have to be to ask for that?

[manybellsdown]

Something like that happened to one of my coworkers a few years ago. I overheard him on the phone but wasn't paying attention until he raised his voice and said, "I am NOT giving you my SS Number!" I think he hung up on them shortly after that.

I was curious, so I went over to talk to him, and he told me the story. Apparently it was a collection agency who was looking for another guy with the same first and last name as him (both of his names are fairly common), and when he told them they had the wrong guy, they asked for his SS Number to verify that. Even if they were legit, how stupid do you have to be to ask for that?

At first I thought it was another contractor, but instead of saying they were calling for "Michelle", this one hemmed and hawed and said she wasn't sure of the name. The next day I got a call from a collection agency for my ex-husband. Now I'm starting to wonder if he put something in my name again, or he defaulted on something else and now they're calling me.

[Andara Bledin]

If you think someone's put something in your name without your permission, I'd suggest getting your credit report (you can get it for free, but I don't have a link handy) to ensure you can get out of being hit for their folly.

^-.-^

[Caractacus_Potts]

2. most people will not admit when they're wrong...But I'm always amazed by some of the stories on here of people who just will not admit they could have (for shame! the horror!) MIS-DIALED someone! Based on their reactions you'd think they'd been accused of child molestation or bestiality. "I COULDN'T have mis-dialed your number! YOU obviously are wrong!" Amazing.

Reading the latest set of replies to this thread I am reminded of another wrong number story. This is not mine; it was posted by someone on another Customers Suck type site...

Two guys are working at a Block Buster video store one night when an angry woman comes in ranting and raving that she called a half dozen times and an employee kept hanging up on her and she WANTS THAT GIRL FIRED RIGHT NOW!

They explain that no female employee has worked that day and ask what number she was calling. It turns out that the woman had transposed two numbers and had been calling a persons house. The person started off politely telling the woman she had the wrong number but after repeated calls she started swearing at the woman and calling her stupid.

The woman then demands that one of the BB employees call the wrong number, wake the person up (yup, the person getting the calls also told her they were in bed trying to sleep) and demand that they apologize to the woman for swearing at her.

The BB employees declined to acquiesce to the woman’s demands. Talk about the epitome of self-entitlement.

[Treasure]

4 of my family's "Wrong Number" stories:

The first one if from when my dad was younger - his parent's phone number was 1 digit off from a bar - so like if the bar was 1234567 his parents number was 1234576; One night an intoxicated gentleman called after 10pm asking for "Cindy"; Grandma told IG - Sorry, you dialed the wrong number you dialed 4576 and need to dial 4567. this went on 2 or 3 more times, and grandma got simpler and simpler in her explanations til the final call where she told him - Just saw her go out back with a customer.....
she still feels bad about that one as the next day in the paper there was a story about a "Cindy" who worked at that bar ...........

the next story is from shortly after my parents go together - the phone would ring and these kids would ask for "Harold" mom and dad would tell them - no one by that name
this went on for about 2 months - the kid would call get told No, and then about 4 or so days later they'd call back - finally one night Mom and Dad knew it was the call for Harold kids, and when they answered the phone they informed those kids "I'm sorry, Harold passed away and the funeral was yesterday" - never heard from them again

Then we had the dyslexic - it was weird b/c he would call and ask for the same name as one mom's ex's..... and his name was the same as my uncle's.... and the first couple of times he called and asked for Jim* he was told wrong number, then one day he called and I told him wrong number and he asked me a question so I asked who he was - found out he's George - took the phone to mom and she ended up talking to him for awhile and found out about him being dyslexic - and so then he finally got a phone where he could program his speed dial and we didn't hear from him for the longest time except occasionally - and when that would happen, because he now recognized Mom's voice he'd just tell her "Oops, sorry its your favorite Dyslexic - dialed it wrong! have a good night!" I guess he finally got a cell phone cause its been Y E A R S since we've heard from him.

and finally - a business' phone number was XXX1212; our phone was XXX1213 and we would often get calls for them - and at first had NO IDEA who they were..... then that business ended up being one of my mom's floral corporate customers - and so when they would call the house looking for Business person (who happened to be mom's Contact Person @ business) we could now let people know you dialed it 1213 they're 1212 - and yes mom did explain to the company that we got their calls sometimes and why...

[Argus]

I'd suggest getting your credit report (you can get it for free, but I don't have a link handy)

Rather than try to memorize the URL, I just go to http://www.ftc.gov/ and follow the relevant links from there.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Mrs. IA and I had a series of wrong numbers in the past. For this tale, we will assume the names Bill and Judy Smith, which is how the phone book lists us. When I met my wife, it was at a party she attended with woman named Gail.

One day I answered the phone.

Me: Hello.

Gail: Hi, is Judy there?

Me: No she isn’t.

Gail: Is this Bill?

Me: Yes.

Gail: This is Gail.

I thought it might be the Gail I met a few years earlier, although my wife had not kept in touch with her.

Me: Yes.

Apparently my voice somehow indicated I didn’t know who she was.

Gail: Is this Bill Smith?

Me: Yes.

Gail: Colonel Bill Smith?

Me: No.

It turned out that another couple in the area had the same first and last names as both of us. We received phone calls for them off and on for a few years. Mrs. IA answered one of the last calls and found out the other couple had divorced.

Then there were the crisis hot line calls. Their number was one digit different from ours. Mrs. IA got to talk one woman out of committing suicide one night. The woman said she was so messed up she couldn’t even dial the number right and was going to end it all. Mrs. IA said “Hey wait, you woke me up, you can’t just go off and leave me hanging.” They talked for a while. The woman finally said that since a complete stranger was willing to talk to her about her problems, maybe things weren’t so bad and she wasn’t going to end it.

[dragon_wings]

Then there were the crisis hot line calls. Their number was one digit different from ours. Mrs. IA got to talk one woman out of committing suicide one night. The woman said she was so messed up she couldn’t even dial the number right and was going to end it all. Mrs. IA said “Hey wait, you woke me up, you can’t just go off and leave me hanging.” They talked for a while. The woman finally said that since a complete stranger was willing to talk to her about her problems, maybe things weren’t so bad and she wasn’t going to end it.

I'm so glad this had a happy ending (as far as we know). And kudos to Mrs. IA for being there for a complete stranger.

[Kristev]

Yes, kudos to her.

[EricKei]

Totally illegal. Creditors cannot call a cell phone because the owner must pay for the call.

I have a question about this one -- I got rid of my land line and had the number moved to my cell back in January. I don't know if I ever explicitly told the one collection place I deal with (school loan) that it IS a cell number now (I'm on a non-unlimited plan) -- which would theoretically make them in the clear. Oui? Non? Is there some grand list out there that companies like this must review periodically to make sure that they're not calling cell numbers?

The thing is, back in April or so, they called me when I was at work (delivery driving) -- I TOLD them I was at work (tho they were calling my real number so that right there pretty much screams CELL PHONE to me), didn't help. Most of the people there are reasonable, some of them, not so much,. I was able to get in a few words with them when stopped at light or on deliveries (I detest speaking on the phone while in motion, tho it is legal here) -- and I TOLD them that I was making deliveries, hence, a portable communications device of some sort.

Long story short, there's no way a reasonably sentient individual would have NOT copped to the fact that I was on my cell...My question is, upon whom is the onus in this case? Is it my bad for not explicitly saying "The cell is my only number, you're not allowed to call it" (which raises other issues -- does an exemption exists in such a case?), or should they just have ended the call then and never called me back, presumably communicating with me exclusively via mail or my own intentional calls in to them? The thing is, having been unemployed since June, I'm apparently on their "call every month just in case he magically finds money coming out of his arse" list x.x and they do call every month like clockwork.

I am of a mind to see if I can get them to send me an unedited copy of that call's recording (without letting on as to the reason) for, uh...."possible future use"/documentation. Any idea as to how to go about this? The thing is, I really do answer their calls and I don't mind speaking with them per se as long as they're civil (not always, and they have crossed the harassment border more than once), but it HAS been on my cell even since January...

[Catwoman2965]

It won't help. People don't listen anymore than they read signs.

I had the same problem when I was in my first apartment. I kept getting all kinds of messages for people who didn't live there. I ended up changing my message to something like, "This is Mike. I'm not available right now. If you're trying to reach Mike, leave a message and I'll get back to you. If you're trying to call someone other than Mike, you probably have the wrong number." And I'd still find messages that said something like, "Hi, this message is for (name other than Mike.) This is so-and-so, give me a call as soon as you get this."

I also get quite a few wrong numbers at my job from people wanting to advertise in some newspaper. I finally got around to googling it just a few minutes ago, and found out their number is the same as mine if you transpose the first two digits. Like the OP, I never felt obligated to waste my time in calling these people back and setting them straight. I don't have time to chase down every wrong number at work, and most of these are from other area codes. I'm not allowed to make long-distance calls on my work phone, and I'm not going to waste my cell phone minutes on these people.

I had the same problem with my last phone number; it was one digit off from a local temp agency. I'd get all kinds of messages from people calling about jobs, etc. I never called them back; not my responsibility, and if they weren't able to figure out that there was NO business greeting on my machine, and therefore they had the wrong number, too bad. And quite honeslty, most of them mumbled so badly I couldn't make out waht they were saying, or who they were trying to call.

I also got multiple calls from someone who apparently thought my number was their doctor, and was trying to make an appt. Again, she mumbled so badly I had no clue what or who she wanted, so I let them go.

I only called someone back once; a woman had left a very clear message for the temp agency, about a missing paycheck. As I had been there, done that, AND she left her name and number, I called her back to let her know that she had left a message on MY machine, and she might want to try again. She was very grateful, and I'd like to think someone would ahve done the same for me, although I think I would have figured out that I was calling the wrong number!

Now all I get is calls for someone named Inez, who apparently is a deadbeat as all the calls are from lawyers and collection agencies. I will say when I call back and tell them she doesn't live here, I don't know her, and this is not her number, they are pretty nice, but since I'm sure they all share info, Every now and then the calls start up again as someone new tries to find her and collect!

[emax4]

I have a question about this one -- I got rid of my land line and had the number moved to my cell back in January. I don't know if I ever explicitly told the one collection place I deal with (school loan) that it IS a cell number now (I'm on a non-unlimited plan) -- which would theoretically make them in the clear. Oui? Non? Is there some grand list out there that companies like this must review periodically to make sure that they're not calling cell numbers?

Collections agencies are not allowed to call cell phones. In in your case, being that the cell number is your main number, and there's no house number for them to default to, this one seems iffy. From their point of view, how do they reach the client when the client's only means of contact is by cellphone? They may try to bend the rules but not break them...

[Andara Bledin]

I have a question about this one -- I got rid of my land line and had the number moved to my cell back in January.

If you give out your cell number as a contact number they may call it until you tell them otherwise, at which point, they must stop, as with any other contact number you have, regardless of whether it be a cell or land line.

The prohibition on cell phones is for marketing calls for companies with which you do not already have a relationship, and even if you do, a single statement that they are not to call that number again should suffice.

I detest speaking on the phone while in motion, tho it is legal here

Though there may not be a specific prohibition, it's probably still illegal. I know that it's not legal in California to drive on public roads without having both hands on the steering wheel except as necessary to shift, or signal. The cellphone laws are just on top of those that they already don't enforce. Completely redundant, but it advertises that it's specifically prohibited.

My question is, upon whom is the onus in this case?

As I mentioned earlier, if you provide a number, cell or otherwise, to a company, you are granting them permission to call that number until such time as you revoke permission. At that point, you can force them to communicate with you by physical mail only.

Some of the scummier/scammier collections agents/agencies, will argue that you can't make them stop calling, but the ones that don't like litigation will abide by your instruction. I would suggest, when telling someone not to call again, that you are also noting the time and date of the revocation of permission and that any additional calls will be prosecuted to the fullest extent, which in some cases can include the removal of the debt in its entirety.

^-.-^