Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

The LONG post subject says it all--we moved 10 months ago, and got a new phone number. From the start we received TONS of collections calls for the previous owners of the number. I added the number to the do not call list, tell every collector that the people do not live here, but the calls continue.

They are all hours of the day and night, and I have a 7 month old, so when they call at 10PM or 7AM, they wake him up. Any suggestions?

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

can you call the phone company and have your number private or can they block 1 888 or 1 800 numbers? I cant believe they call at those times,unreal!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Tell them they are violating the FDCPA by calling at those hours and if they call again you will be reporting them and they will be fined and that you will also sue them......

They will stop.

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

is it an option to change your number? it happened to my mom and she changed it. I know its a PIA to have to give out a new number with everyone and every dr. etc. but IMO its worth it if they are calling that much. Good luck!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Oy, welcome to my world! We even had the sheriff come by for the old owners and we're here nearly 2 years! I just reiterate that they do not live here and if they continue to harass me, I will call the police...some business these old owners get themselves into!!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

I had that happen to, I think finally a year later all of the CA stopped calling our number looking for this lady who never lived here...it was very annoying

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

We moved in almost 3 years ago and STILL get phone calls - and it's not even the previous owners. I have no idea who Jose Santos is but a lot of people are after him!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

4 years..... and only after 3 years it is about stopped. They told us if you pick up the phone they will keep calling.

So I would take note of the number and not answer for 3 weeks. Then they stop calling. They would call about 5 times per day. During DS's nap. I was furious. 8am to 9pm. Until another agency called.

We still get his final notice/collections in the mail. I made a fraud complaint with the USPS. It stopped for a while but the guy keeps giving our address so the mail keeps coming in waves. But after 3 years, finally it has almost stopped on the phone and the mail.

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

change your phone number make sure the number has not been in use for over 5 years...

we had to get a new number and it was an old fax number, we got calls at all sorts of hours from other fax machines

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

We had this happen to us. Unfortunately these collection companies sell their old list and your number will still appear as a working number even though it is not for the people they are looking for. Call Verizon and explain the problem to the customer service rep. They should transfer you to someone within the company who can remove your number from those auto generated delinquent lists. Also go on google and check your phone number. Whose name is the telephone number listed under? For us, it listed both our names and the old owners. I contacted google to figure out who was feeding them the incorrect info and then called them to have their internal database corrected. It is really a PIA. HTH

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Thank you for the the advice and support! I called Cablevision and we are changing our number (and requesting one that hasn't been in service for a while!). Cablevision was very nice, and said this happens frequently.

It's just awful b/c it wakes up DS constantly! Everyone we know knows not to call between 8PM and 8AM when DS is asleep, but these calls come til 9 or 10PM, and from 7AM!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

we had this too when we 1st got our number....It was really bad the 1st year.....I was calling the numbers back and telling them look all cablevision the people have a new number. Cable said I can change my number but it has been a year of telling my friends, family doctors etc this number so we kept it. It has been 3 years now and we do get calls now once in a blue moon

but OMG was it annoying what a bunch of deadbeats these people were!

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

i have a relative who is in serious debt, and i had lived with this person a while back...either he gave them my cell number, or somehow they got it, and recently (years after i had lived with him) collectors started harassing me on a daily basis, yelling at me and calling me a liar when i would tell them it was the wrong number.

i don't know what the laws are or who you can call but i DO know that as soon as i yelled back and used the word "harassment" the calls stopped. but i had also called my relative and yelled at HIM too, so maybe he just straightened it out w them to remove my number.

HTH...good luck, that's really horrible...especially when they are waking up your little one. if the h word doesn't do it, i think i would call the police.

ETA...just read your update, glad you are changing the number, good luck!!!!!!!

Message edited 2/18/2010 9:04:18 AM.

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

I honestly don't think it will stop, I think its probably best to change your number

DO you have Optimum voice?

Thats what we have, and we are unlisted and never get any type of telemarketer calls etc.

You have only had the number 10 months, Try to call your carrier and get a number that has never been used before!
This is what optimum does.

HTH

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

I have the same thing happening to me but on my new office line!!! what a pain!!! everyone is looking for some guy "errol"

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

We have had our number for over 4 years and we are still getting calls for the people who had our number before us! Until maybe a year or 2 ago, we were getting calls from doctors and pharmacies confirming stuff Not only was this person (or people) in serious debt, we are pretty sure he had some sort of dementia or mental problems because at one point, he called the number himself!
We called the phone company as well as the police because it was harassing and they said there was nothing we could do about it. We were also getting multiple calls at all hours of the day and night.

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

after 4.5 years, we STILL get calls. Although it's not the previous owner though, it's someone else who obviously must have wanted to "disappear" Not only do bill collectors call, but FRIENDS and Dr. Offices calling with confirmation of appointments.

Re: Moved in 10 months ago, and still receiving harrassing collector calls for previous phone # owners?

Since these people apparently do not care to listen to you, get a whistle and blow it into the phone. Maybe that will get their attention.

At least that's what I would do