Huge Vent - why can't people give out the CORRECT fax number...

There is a doctors office (orthopedic surgeons) that has a similar fax number (I think it is something like one number off from ours). We have had our phone number for 5 years - I hate to change it b.c all our friends know it and family etc. Well there must be someone who gives out our number on a regular basis. Every time I call them and tell them that they are giving out the wrong number they swear that they aren't but every week we get 5 different people trying to send faxes to this same office- when I call they stop for a few weeks then it starts over again. Sometimes I get the person who is trying to fax on the phone - and they swear that our number is the number they were given or was written down for them.

Anyway most of the time we get faxes from things like large offices (insurance companies or businesses) and there is no way to get them on the phone - they must set their faxes so that if it doesn't go through it will just continue to call until it does. So we get 20 - 50 calls a DAY sometimes when it does happen.

We have have been getting calls since 2pm today from this doctors office in queens. I just called them b.c they are calling every 2 mins, I politely told them that they are faxing to the incorrect number and to please cancel the fax. The girl told me it isn't her problem, she doesn't know how to work the fax machine - I explained that I don't want calls going on all night (usually we don't get them this late) and the girl told me I would probably have to wait until tomorrow as she has no idea how to stop the fax machine and it isn't her problem and she hung up on me.

Thank you for letting me vent.

Re: Huge Vent - why can't people give out the CORRECT fax number...

At our office, our fax # begins with 888, not the area code, it is the exchange. All day long every day, we get faxes from therapists to an insurance company the they are trying to fax to a toll free # and do not know enough to dial 1 in front of the area code.
There is nothing we can do. We waste a ton of paper every day because of this. It is so annoying. How does anyone not know to dial 1 for a toll free #.

Re: Huge Vent - why can't people give out the CORRECT fax number...

It drives me crazy - sometimes it leaves a ton of voicemails beeps - other times it just rings but doesn't go through to my voicemail - but if you pick up it just beeps at you. When it happens it dials here every 2- 3 mins sometimes. I have a fax machine but never hook it up unless I'm faxing something - but I'm sure whoever is doing the faxing wouldn't be pleased to think that some stranger could have access to their files or whatever forms are being sent (I would assume it is things like private info and medical records since it is a doctors/surgeons office).

I can't even block them - and turning off my ringer only keeps me from hearing it - but then they fill up my voicemail. It is just frustrating.