When I answer the phone THEY hang up on ME!

[LadyInTheRed]

I stopped paying credit cards on April 1. My 4 cards are now 10 to 19 days overdue. My 2nd mortgage is 4 days overdue. The phone started ringing about 1 week after my first late payment. My husband works at home. He says Capital One calls all of the time. Everything is in my name, so he doesn't answer. But, they almost never leave messages. Sexy Linda left one message. I've started to pick up the phone when I'm home if I'm not in the middle of something.

Last weekend, I talked to a guy from Capital One who hardly spoke English. I told him I couldn't pay right now and would know more in the next 30 days. I heard a click and dead air. He hung up. A second guy called form Capital One later that day. He spoke much better english. I told him I already talked to somebody from Capital One that day and repeated what I told the first guy. He appologized for the repeated call and started to go on, but "click", silence. Disconnected in the middle of his sentance.

There were a couple of calls over this weekend from Kentucky that I didn't answer because I had company at the time. They did not leave messages. AT&T Universal Card just now called me on my direct line at work and asked me whether payment was on the way. I told him it wasn't and that I didn't know when it would be. I went on to say that I couldn't discuss it now because I'm at work and.... "click"... dead air.

I expected these guys to be persistent and try to keep me on the phone. I thought I'd have to be the one to hang up! I'm almost disappointed!

In California, original creditors calling to collect a debt are considered Collection Agents. I wonder if they are hanging up before I have a chance to tell them not to contact me by phone, especially on my work phone.

It's been pretty mellow so far. I'm glad I got call waiting before I stopped making payments. I just got a bonus which, after almost half was taken out for taxes, is a little more than I need to retain an attorney. But, at the rate these calls are going, I won't even have a chance to give them his name and number!

[jalex]

That's odd...really doesn't match up with my experiences at all. Whenever I would get calls, they would try their hardest to force me to pay. They would even ask me if I had another card I could charge the payment on...

I always felt like it was one step away from them reaching through the phone and grabbing my wallet!

I wonder if this is just a sign of the times...they are probably so busy that some places are giving up easier and moving on to the next caller.

[flyinbroke]

Well, most are automated. You can pick up the phone and they hang up on you. My guess is they have too many on the line at once, so if they hustle a "refusal to pay" off the line they may nail that low hanging fruit.

I also got the "Can't you put it on another credit card" and he nearly hung up on me because I could not stop laughing. Then I suggested that since I had 3K in available credit that he put it on that one. Needless to say my limit was chopped on my next statement.

[LadyInTheRed]

Well, most are automated. You can pick up the phone and they hang up on you. My guess is they have too many on the line at once, so if they hustle a "refusal to pay" off the line they may nail that low hanging fruit.

I also got the "Can't you put it on another credit card" and he nearly hung up on me because I could not stop laughing. Then I suggested that since I had 3K in available credit that he put it on that one. Needless to say my limit was chopped on my next statement.

LOL. Now, that's the kind of fun I was hoping to have!

I think you may be right about the low hanging fruit. I'm so ready with my response that they can probably tell they aren't going to get anywhere with me.

[GoingDown]

Don't worry, they'll call back.

Send them a cease and desist communications letter, and they'll probably stop doing this.

A computer is calling you, and when you answer it looks for a live operator to route your call to, but if no one is available at the moment, it simply hangs up, and then calls you again later.

[LadyInTheRed]

Don't worry, they'll call back.

Send them a cease and desist communications letter, and they'll probably stop doing this.

A computer is calling you, and when you answer it looks for a live operator to route your call to, but if no one is available at the moment, it simply hangs up, and then calls you again later.

The hang ups I am talking about are in the middle of a conversation with a live operator. One was in the middle of the operator's sentance, the other two were in the middle of my sentance. I wonder if maybe the operator types into a computer what my response is (or chooses from a list of options) and the computer automatically disconnects the call if the response is "refuses to/can't pay" or "contact in 30 days" (I'm telling them I'll know more about my situation in 30 days).

I'll send letters if it gets intollerable. But, I'll probably be able to give them an attorney's phone number before it gets to that point.

[NoTomatoCan]

I had a couple of the hang ups as well! Just like you say... mid sentence, then click. Always with Cap One.

Since the 8am round would typically come in on my "home phone" (actually cell phone) I would take some of the calls on my drive to work when I was bored!

The hang ups sort of bummed me out!

I had all types of fun with them... like putting phone on speaker and turn up the NPR and just place the phone in cup holder. Good times...

[LadyInTheRed]

I had a couple of the hang ups as well! Just like you say... mid sentence, then click. Always with Cap One.

Since the 8am round would typically come in on my "home phone" (actually cell phone) I would take some of the calls on my drive to work when I was bored!

The hang ups sort of bummed me out!

I had all types of fun with them... like putting phone on speaker and turn up the NPR and just place the phone in cup holder. Good times...

I listen to NPR in the car in the morning too. Darn! If only I wasn't so protective of my cell phone number...

[flyinbroke]

Buy a prepaid cell phone and let the good times roll.

[GRINGO]

How to Stop COllection Companies from Contacting YOu.

I changed my phone number a year ago after defaulting on 40,000 on cc from just about every company. Used to get 30-40 calls a day-phone sounded like a sewing machine. I changed my phone number, i payed extra to have it unlisted and unpublished. MY voice mail says the phone is temporary out of order for repair.Then I went to each company on the intenet and changed the current phone number listed to a different number. If they still call(they can still find your #), I inform them That that the party they have reached(myself) is not living there-they hitch hiked(whatever excuse), and not to ever call again as this is an assisted living home. That works very good. I haven't spoke to a collection agent in over 1 year. I send a debt validation letter on each company, informing them that most of my income is protected from garnishment(military retired pay, disability pay-I don't tell them what type of pay-they would have to sue me before I would give them that information), numerous other collection companies are in various stages of legal collection, submit proof(signed signature),ect. Has worked for 95% of companies. Also informed them a bankruptcy is imminent. I can file another chapter 7 next June. The only company is Portfolio-They illegally re-aged the debt when they added that on my credit report. They put a new date of April on it-I have filed a dispute twice. They said that I would need to send them information to assist them. If they can't validate, obviously i"m not sending them nothing-must be they thank I an dumb. I have let them and all other collection companies knew if they sue me, I will be there fighting. They don't like that. They want the pushovers rather than the fighters like myself-Its not worth it for them. Of course I'm not a lawyer-I have researched everything needed to stop them in their tracks