Debt collector phone calls/prank thread/evil.

I've been getting a call from the same number on my cell twice a day for the last two weeks. Figured it was just a wrong number, so I called back and it's such and such "Financial systems." Whatever. I FINALLY caught the call this morning and get this:

"To hear this message in English, press 1" deal. Okay. Then it tells me to hold for an operator. Dude picks up and says "So and so financial, how can I help you?" Not in uber-dick mode, but definitely "firmly," I say "Well, I've been getting calls from this number twice a day for two weeks, and you called me, so why don't YOU tell ME how you can help me."

Dude chuckles and hangs up on me. I googled the number and it's a berkeleying collection agency(?) I have no outstanding debts, and an 820 credit score. Also, my number is in the "do not call" registry or whatever.

I planned on calling back today, and explaining what happened this morning/whoever they're looking for, it ain't me. But should I decide to go for the nuclear option (berkeleying with them incessantly,) any suggestions? The prank thread has me thinking....

EDIT: Nevermind. Apparently I need to look for Jeffrey Miller and berkeley with him instead. Craigslist ad: "HUGE FREE GAY PR0N COLLECTION! CALL xxx-xxx-xxxx"

Have a fax number for them? Thinking a big piece of black paper fed through a fax machine and taped to itself so it loops...

A more productive solution might be to report them to the do not call list - they're in violation.

What Keith said, though any vengeance you can exact will get applause from me... We keep a land line specifically for stuff we don't want to get on our cell phones, but 75% of our calls are still either audiospam or the same sort of crap you're getting with no relation to our legitimate contacts...

Anyhow, here's the FCC's report page: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

Keith Tanner wrote: A more productive solution might be to report them to the do not call list - they're in violation.

Not quite. Any business is allowed to call a person whom they do business with. A collection agency has "business" with whomever they think is on the other end of the phone number. This is why it is not illegal for SirusXM to "cold call" you if you are a former subscriber, even if you are on the so-called "Do-Not-Call List."

I've gotten numerous collection calls for my ex-wife. I simply tell them there is nobody by that name at this number and to stop calling me. If they call again after that, then they are in violation of a law.

Then tell them there is nobody here they do business with, and report them after they call back.

Want to really have fun with them? Do what I did when I kept getting a call from Minnesota looking to collect on a debt my ex owes:

Name changed to protect the guilty.

Phone rings Sky Render: "Charlie's whorehouse. You got the dough; I got the ho."

Debt Collector: "Uhh. (Pause) I'm looking for Ms. Gertrude Kaputnik."

SR: "Gertrude, Gertrude... Oh! Yes, Gertrude. She was one of my best girls, but she hasn't worked for me in quite a while. She's an independent contractor now. But she does do housecalls. Would you like me to give you her cell phone number?"

DC: "Uhh. Yes?"

SR: "555-1212. Tell her Charlie says 'hi!'"

That number never called me after that.

Yeah, when I get those calls I ask them where they got my number from. They usually hang up real quick. Or hand the phone to my wife and tell her to talk to them in Korean. That gets them off the line quick also.

A trick I learned about the insurance sales calls, ask them about "perform frequent aerial flight as a crewmember". That gets them off quickly too. That was true for me when I first started getting those types of calls. They used to really freak when I told them my job was test flights to either check out a fix or find out what was wrong or to recover a broke helicopter to where we can fix it right.

The automated internet calls from hacked smart phones are the worst.........its always "Account Services, offering to reduce your interest rates" Oddly enough, I don't have credit cards or credit debt......

If you call the number back, it automatically hangs up. I get these no less than 5 times a week.

I do enjoy talking to the guys who call and say that "my car's warranty is about to expire". I start asking them which car. You can lead them on for a while before they realize you're just screwing with them. The credit card companies aren't anywhere near as much fun.

Tom Mabe, revenge telemarketer, has the answer to your problem...

...say I want to mail your ass a letter? what would I have to write on the outside of that envelope to make sure the mail mancould deliver it right to your ass?

If it's on your cell, get the Call Control app. You will never hear from them again.

It will also dump any call from an unknown number. That takes care of 95% of the salesmen.

You can either dump them to voice mail or just hang up on them.

4cylndrfury wrote: Tom Mabe, revenge telemarketer, has the answer to your problem...

...say I want to mail your ass a letter? what would I have to write on the outside of that envelope to make sure the mail mancould deliver it right to your ass?

Out berkeleying standing. Made my day!!! The chick that I talked to was really nice. Said she'd remove my number. This dude is getting some cyber-stalker treatment though. The hospital was calling my phone trying to collect a debt from this guy too. I'm guessing he gave them a number that's one digit off from mine or some E36 M3.

In reply to poopshovel:

No, I am sure the doofus gave a random easy to remember number for him or a previous number you happen to own now, and you are the victim of that. Although I get my fair share of idiots calling for people misdialing or not dialing the area code.

I hit on them, subtly at first and then it goes on from there.

What are you wearing?

I am wearing khakis and polo, and a thong from Julio, but his girlfriend doesn't know. Use your imagination, just make sure you use them in there too.

They hang up and never call again.

If you don't even want to mess with them, of course you can set up a contact on your phone called "Jerk" or something more adult oriented.

Any of those calls come in, add it to that contact. Set the contact to fail call with message/go to voicemail/(whatever your cell calls it). You'll never hear them again. My "Jerk" contact has about 10-15 numbers associated with it.

Yes, the interesting concept of numbers you do not remove from your cell phone contact list. Names and numbers that you keep in the directory for only one reason and that is to be sure not to answer them.

Better Business Bureau complaint? Long story short, I filed one after a salesman at the local cell phone store thought it would be cute to add a bunch of services to our bill that we didn't order. It took me an hour or two to straighten out the whole mess.

So I filled a complaint with the BBB. At the end of the form was a question: What kind of restitution would I like.

"I'm a busy guy," I wrote. "How about $200 for my time."

I figured that was the end of it.

Long story short, I got that much credited to my bill.

Ranger50 wrote: In reply to poopshovel: No, I am sure the doofus gave a random easy to remember number for him or a previous number you happen to own now, and you are the victim of that. Although I get my fair share of idiots calling for people misdialing or not dialing the area code.

I had one of those, I've had the same number for 8 years, and I get calls sometimes from hospitals. Apparently a guy keeps giving out my number to skirt paying his emergency room bills. Last time I mentioned the previous calls, and she informed me she was calling about a bill from early last year.

Ranger50 wrote: No, I am sure the doofus gave a random easy to remember number for him or a previous number you happen to own now, and you are the victim of that. Although I get my fair share of idiots calling for people misdialing or not dialing the area code.

We seem to get that a lot recently with the local school district calling about our truant son.

Apparently it took them several increasingly irate calls from my wife to understand that we don't have kids and that they should stop calling, with the fun part being that every time we called back on the number they gave us, we ended up on voicemail...

instead of your wife responding in increasingly irate fashion .. how 'bout just "yeah, ok, we'll work on that " and hanging up ... sooner or later someone ( do they still have truant officers ?) will show up at your house ... having them actually look around and see that there aren't any kids goes a lot farther than arguing over the phone

Toyman01 wrote: If it's on your cell, get the Call Control app. You will never hear from them again. It will also dump any call from an unknown number. That takes care of 95% of the salesmen. You can either dump them to voice mail or just hang up on them.

I would like one that answers, then replies as a fax machine.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: If it's on your cell, get the Call Control app. You will never hear from them again. It will also dump any call from an unknown number. That takes care of 95% of the salesmen. You can either dump them to voice mail or just hang up on them.

I would like one that answers, then replies as a fax machine.

yes please!

I got 11 calls in 6 days from a debt collector looking for someone I don't know. I talked to 3 people telling them they had the wrong number. 1) The collector that was convinced I was lying, 2) The collector that said they would stop calling ... but they didn't, 3) the supervisor that I was very firm with. The supervisor worked. I'd think about calling a lawyer if it didn't.
I was very polite with the first collector. But he came across as a little weasel that was basically calling me a liar. Oh, and he never said why he was calling, or who he was with.

spin_out wrote: I got 11 calls in 6 days from a debt collector looking for someone I don't know. I talked to 3 people telling them they had the wrong number. 1) The collector that was convinced I was lying, 2) The collector that said they would stop calling ... but they didn't, 3) the supervisor that I was very firm with. The supervisor worked. I'd think about calling a lawyer if it didn't. I was very polite with the first collector. But he came across as a little weasel that was basically calling me a liar. Oh, and he never said why he was calling, or who he was with.

If it isn't for you - just say "Yes. That is me. I'll never pay. Do your worst. Gay slur."