Question Many questions about Google Voice

[lostinLV]

Here is my introduction in case some of you may he questions.

https://www.bkforum.com/forum/news-g...ne-great-forum

I'm currently unemployed and plan to be unemployed for a while. I'm OK financially now.

I live in Las Vegas.

In Nevada there is a new law where bill collectors are required to notify debtors 60 days in advance before the bill collectors can take any action.

https://www.acainternational.org/new...y-1-in-nevada/

I did receive a notification in the mail from the hospital but I may have thrown it out and didn't really read it carefully. I think I may have gotten the letter a month and a half ago.

I did read a few other threads on BK pertaining to the subject of Google Voice but they were dated back to 2010 to 2013 so I believe that Google Voice has made many updates since then. So, I have ton of questions.

First of should I change my current cell phone # now and just give it to my family and friends and tell them not to give out my new # to anyone that calls because I'm expecting the bill collectors to call ?

Is there any way to fall of the face of the earth with my new cell number ? Since I'm not currently working ,which ways will the bill collectors try and track me down ?

Or, should I wait for my bill collectors to start calling my current # and then transfer their calls to Google voice and then change my cell phone number after my bill collectors have already called me ?

Now, I have some questions about Google Voice .

What is the benefit of Google Voice ?
-- why cant I just block the bill collectors ?

What does it mean when , Google Voice will "port " a call to my current cell number ?
What are the benefits of porting a call from my current cell number ?

I read in several threads that I should use the phone number that Google Voice assigned to me and "update" my number with the bill collectors.
--What does it mean to "update " ? ( The bill collectors have not started calling me yet )

If I signed up to Google Voice using my current number on my cell phone that I have now, will that Google Voice still work if I changed my cell number ?

One final question, I'm setting up Google Voice on my phone now and I'm on the screen that says

"Enter your phone number

Inbounds calls to your Google Voice number will be forwarded to this number

(555) 555 5555 "

Should I enter my current cell # that I used to sign up with Google Voice or should I enter the phone # that Google Voice assigned to me ?

[lostinLV]

I've sat here for three hours and waited for a response and haven't got any yet.

So, that gave me plenty of time of to think about my questions.

I realized that the Nevada legislators did a great job muzzling the bill collectors. The bill collectors cant sue and cant report to the credit reporting agencies nor can they tack on attorney fees that they will use to sue me.

So, I'm thinking I should just let the bill collectors call my current #. After three phone calls, I will send out a C and D letter and that will be the end of it. Should I do this ?

[justbroke]

Your request may be too specific to Nevada. I don't know anything about Google Voice. I'm also no expert in collections as I have never been at that stage (outside a mortgage).

[lostinLV]

If anyone has the answers to my first post, I would still appreciate them.

I don't know when the bill collectors will prevail in their challenges to this law.

https://www.acainternational.org/news/medica-debt-collection-bill-takes-effect-july-1-in-nevada/

Here the article says "and will create confusion for debt collection agencies, attorneys, and consumers alike, because of tensions and conflict between applicable state and federal law"

[Carmella]

I don't know anything about using Google Voice for phone numbers. When we had collectors call I silenced or put the phone on vibrate most of the time. I unplugged the home phone and we stopped using the landline since no one called it except sales calls or collectors. I would ignore calls and not answer unless I knew who was calling. I figured if it was important they would leave voicemail.

[Zombie13]

Carmella - Yep! That's what we do.
With our new phones, we get a caller id of: "Scam Likely". And I'm thinkin... wow, what a strange name! They're not in my contact list... Oh yeah I see... LOL!

[lostinLV]

Update on my situation.

When I read this web article I was overjoyed and I thought that ALL debt collectors cannot sue me for non payment.

https://www.acainternational.org/news/medica-debt-collection-bill-takes-effect-july-1-in-nevada/

But my bubble burst when I read another article that clarified that bill collectors of debts UNDER 10,000 can not sue. I owe the hospital 79,000 so they can definitely sue me. *groan*

https://www.insidearm.com/news/00047437-nevada-enacts-new-law-regarding-medical-c/