Collection Agency call does not release phone line

[Royal Wulff]

I am getting automated calls from a collection agency seeking payment from the person who used to live in my apartment.

I cannot hang up on the calls. Even if I hang up, the call is still there if I pick up the phone after 30 seconds.

What's up with that? Surely that's against law.

[FreedomCalls]

I cannot hang up on the calls. Even if I hang up, the call is still there if I pick up the phone after 30 seconds.

That's the way all phones work. Always have. The line is kept open until the person placing the call hangs up, not the person being called.

[avg_freeper]

"Don't pay the phone bill."

Then you have to watch out for the phone police.^*

 

^*slightly obscure WKRP In Cincinnati reference

[Royal Wulff]

The original business seeking the collection is a large doctor's office here in town. They have a list of their MD's on their web site. Next time I get a call, I'm going to start right down the list calling them. Too bad if it keeps me up all night!

[chadwimc]

My phone number was one digit off the local whore house/crack den. I finally answered the phone at 0200 one morning. A ghetto voice asked if "...Urethea be there?" I replied in my best ghetto voice imitation "Urethea don't wanna see you no mo". "She say if you come up here, she gon let me blow yo hade off". I couldn't understand the incoherent rage on the other end. I never did receive another wrong number call...

[Stegall Tx]

The most likely explanation is that they are using a very old telephone system in their office. Until the mid-90s, all office telephone systems would not disconnect the line if either end of the conversation didn't hang up. This was remedied with what some call "positive disconnect" and is a standard feature these days.

So, take consolation in the fact that as long as you don't hang up your line, they can't call out on that line, either (and that costs them money). Of course, you can't get any more phone calls, either.

[CyberAnt]

I've experienced that at work from sales calls. I would hang up the phone and after a reasonable time pick up the phone again and the person would still be there spewing their stuff. It has to have something to do with not being able to break their connection.

Not sure what we can do about it - exept complain .. and the first place to start is the person who made the phone call to you - I've done that to the sales calls, and the calls have stopped.

[Vinnie]

my phone number was one digit off of the number for one of the sleaziest motels in town.

LOL
I had a number once that was 2 transposed numbers off from a bowling alley that was opened on weekends only.

Usually Fri. night I would get calls wanting reservations.

One night the caller wouldn't believe me when I tried to explain the number difference.

Finally, I took the reservation. Told him to be there at 8.
LOL

[festus]

Now that was funny !

[rwilson99]

Change your number with no forwarding.

Get on with your life.

[tiger-one]

When i worked as a cop, we got new cell phones for the cruisers, the one I drove had the same problem, calls and VM messages for Mr. ???. The fix was to tell them truth. Now I have the same problem on a second line in my home. When I have answered the call, they tell me they are calling for Mr. ???. I tell them they have the wrong number,and ask them for the number they are dialing. The number they give is correct except for the area code. They are looking for FL and I'm in NH. They don't believe me, so my fax machine is left on all the time on that line.

[Tinian]

That's the way all phones work. Always have. The line is kept open until the person placing the call hangs up, not the person being called.

Until about 1975.

Still on a party line?

[GraceCoolidge]

I had a phone number that was one digit off a business fax line. The fax machine would send, I'd pick up, hear the fax tone, hang up... then the fax would redial over and over and over..... I didn't have a fax machine to connect in order to get the fax through. The telephone company finally took over the line and ran it to a fax machine so I could get the information to call the sender.

On our current number, we too have a deadbeat who had the number in the past. The calls finally seem to have ended. We did learn, at one point, however, that the person still was listing the number as hers on new applications. Very frustrating....

[PhiKapMom]

I have a little button I push that came from Office Max that tells the caller that their type of calls are not wanted and to remove this number from the list and then it cuts them off. Heard a few cuss words but it works. I have had collection calls for accounts that we have never had and then I saw a warning that it is a scam and people are collecting money from unsuspecting people.

[streetpreacher]

You're scary...

[arthurus]

I used to get calls to my shop phone for another business, a church, and two different private parties, one of whom was the subject of a bill collector, that had the number before me. I was still getting those calls 6-7 years after I got the number. I located the fellow who had the previous business and he had relinquished the number 13 years before. I did get a couple of new customers out of it.

[Lancey Howard]

Change your number?

[Enchante]

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

Send ME money..... then I won't call you, ever, I promise...... :^)

Seriously, sorry to hear of your problem. I would think the phone company should be able to give you a new # and put you on a "do not call" list......

[Billthedrill]

Find an attorney. Give him or her a retainer - usually pretty nominal. Refer this sort of thing to them. They have pre-written letters all ready for exactly this eventuality. It usually takes only a single letter from an attorney to stop this stuff so fast it'll make your head spin and the $50 or so spent is well worth it. Plus, if it happens again you have a written record.

Most collection agencies are really pretty professional about this sort of thing but it's in their very nature to be pushy and persistent - that's how they get paid. A smile and a handshake and a gun beats a smile and a handshake every time - metaphorically speaking, of course.

[Royal Wulff]

OK. Let me just contact all my clients and let them know I'm changing my phone number because a collection aganecy is harassing me.

[Vinnie]

I changed my wife's cell phone plan to a prepaid plan as we/she use the thing about 5 min a month, or less.

Anyway it required a new number.
When she calls, the ID shows the previous owner of the number.
Its been at least 3 months since we got the number.