Collection Agency call does not release phone line

[Graybeard58]

from the person who used to live in my apartment.

His phone and number stayed with the apartment?

[JennysCool]

Get caller ID and use an answering machine. Most recorded collection and sales calls will terminate when they get an answering machine.

[Responsibility2nd]

Send them the money. Then maybe they'll stop calling.

[buccaneer81]

Air horn, baby!!

[MizSterious]

Why would someone send money they don't owe?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Wait 35 seconds.

[rdl6989]

I used to work in that field. This would likely be a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

[FormerACLUmember]

Aggravated harassment is a crime.

[MizSterious]

Unggggg!!! Believe it or not, we've had our current phone number for almost 12 years, and we STILL get some of these calls from collection agencies looking for the deadbeats who had the number before us. Some collection agencies just don't give up--ever.

[Verloona Ti]

Do they leave a number for you to call back? The same thing happened to me, and I called the number and asked to speak to a supervisor. I explained to her that I'd been assigned that number in 11/04, and the previous owner was unknown to me. I never got another call from them. Hope that helps.

Oh, and the deadbeat previous phone number owner was a sheriff's deputy. I know because his employer (the county jail employees) would call and leave long messages on my answering service telling what happened on earlier shifts and mentioning inmates BY NAME!!!! Needless to say, I called them back and warned them, and for over three years I didn't get another call. And them, just a few weeks ago around thanksgiving, I get another call from the jail. This time I was able to pick up and talk to the caller and insist they purge the number from their employee records. Good grief!

[I see my hands]

Don't pay the phone bill.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Don't feel bad, for a couple of years my phone number was one digit off of the number for one of the sleaziest motels in town. It was quite interesting for a while.

[Responsibility2nd]

Good question.

And why would I post a rather lame attempt at being funny?

Who knows?

[lowbridge]

Find out the name and address of the collection agency. Tell them that you want to come down personally to make payment in full.

Grab your shotgun on the way down there....

[Alouette]

When I got a new cell phone I received collection calls from the person who had that number before I did.

Some of the calls were very nasty, one guy threatened to send sheriff's deputies to "my house."

I said, "Y'all come on down, I'll have beer and pizza for you!"

[krb]

I thought it was funny.

[Responsibility2nd]

You're goofy.

And I oughta know.

[HIDEK6]

I get collection calls for the guy who lived in my house before I did.

The collection agency looked up what phone number was assigned to the address.

[Larry Lucido]

Don't pay the phone bill.

Which raises the question - When the phone company cuts off your phone, how do they call to collect?