collections calling family members

[tobee43]

Definitely. These violations might also be so blatant that it might possibly be worth it to look for an attorney to take on the case. If not that, at least consider bringing it to small claims yourself. If you can document it I would think almost any judge would rule in your favor.

they most likely would. but since we filed the complaints the calls seems to have MOSTLY stopped. it's one of the reasons i attempt to encourage people to file the complaints! the more the better and the MORE the FTC gets, hopefully they will start to really punish these creditors.

[tobee43]

We received debt collection calls on our phone number for 4 years for another family. Each and every time we told them the same story, but company after company kept calling. The family was still using our number, so new companies kept calling. It got very old, especially after our debt calls stopped! My heart would skip a beat thinking what horrible surprise was on the other end of the phone!

nomoney, i think that's exactly what happened with us. i think this family continued to give our their old number, which was now ours. the phone company said that the number had not been used in over 2 years, so the ONLY way these creditors would have this as a "current" number for these people. so, i think the ONLY way it could have happened is they were still giving it out as their main number. what a pain.

[frogger]

nomoney, i think that's exactly what happened with us. i think this family continued to give our their old number, which was now ours. the phone company said that the number had not been used in over 2 years, so the ONLY way these creditors would have this as a "current" number for these people. so, i think the ONLY way it could have happened is they were still giving it out as their main number. what a pain.

Happens all the time! We haven't had a home phone in 3 years, however we still use that old number for everything. It's tied to all of our reward/discount cards at grocery stores and such, and the wife and I both give it without hesitation when asked for our phone number. We don't give our cell numbers out to anyone unless they are family and/or close friends. You want my number? Here ya go.......

[Resigned2BK]

My parents have informed me that they get calls on their answering machine. The "voice" leaving the message is obviously computer generated and the message goes something like this: This is a very important call for Don Iglesius. If you are not Don Iglesius, please hang up now. By continuing to listen to this message, you are certifying that you are Don Iglesius. If you are Don Iglesius, please be sure you are in a private area as we will be providing private information and hold the line. This is an attempt to collect a debt.

We get the exact same thing too and I think that might be what was used to tip my mom off that I defaulted on a CC (although that particular collector did make up a story to a business contact just last week, so could be my mom did speak directly -- I don't want to open the can of worms with my parents further by probing). I cannot possibly see how that doesn't breach privacy hugely. I know the company doing the robocalls like that thinks they are skirting the issue with that disclaimer, but no way in hell is that a secure private message if it's just out there on a message machine like that!

I will have to look up Tobee's link for complaints. I'd read something last week (after my lawyer decided he was going to charge us up front to do any work on the multiple FDCPA violations from this one specific collector) that it costs something like $350 to file a claim against a collector. That would seem to deter people like myself, who are poor and can't afford to pay their atty expenses just in case I get an ******* judge who seems to violating privacy isn't a bad deal.

[treehugger1]

Frogger, Funny and sad at the same time. LOL. I've known people who have used pay-phone numbers for years. I used to question why they did this. They always replied, "It is none of their business what my phone number is." Of course, it is harder to find a pay-phone number these days. In hindsight, these folks simply did a good job in limiting information that identified them.

If you want CA's or OC's to not call your family, job, friends, etc. then you need seom method that clearly let's the CA's know they have "contacted" you. As already mentioned, the best thing is probably to answer your phone; at least initially.

[frogger]

Frogger, Funny and sad at the same time. LOL. I've known people who have used pay-phone numbers for years. I used to question why they did this. They always replied, "It is none of their business what my phone number is." Of course, it is harder to find a pay-phone number these days. In hindsight, these folks simply did a good job in limiting information that identified them.

If you want CA's or OC's to not call your family, job, friends, etc. then you need seom method that clearly let's the CA's know they have "contacted" you. As already mentioned, the best thing is probably to answer your phone; at least initially.

Limiting the information is our reasoning. After all, I no longer have any CA's or OC's after me. Relief is sweet.

[NewPage]

Finding someone is easy.

http://www.peoplefinders.com/ shows my Dad, step-mother, and husband's name. All anyone needs is my first and last name; they don't need my city/state.

http://www.usa-people-search.com/ -- Enter my name and see my Dad, a brother, and my husband.

And so on and so on. If someone inputs my husband's name to find more relatives, they get my inlaws -- *even though* they absolutely have no online presence, don't even own a computer. Unlisted phone number, etc. Very very private people. But nothing is private any more!

[shark66]

Finding someone is easy.
[snip]
But nothing is private any more!

You got that one right, and then some...

Good luck to us all.

[frogger]

Finding someone is easy.

http://www.peoplefinders.com/ shows my Dad, step-mother, and husband's name. All anyone needs is my first and last name; they don't need my city/state.

http://www.usa-people-search.com/ -- Enter my name and see my Dad, a brother, and my husband.

These are only the tip of the iceberg when attempting to locate.

[GoingDown]

Here is a good one for you. About 10 years ago, a Debt Collector called my neighbor looking for my son who lived 150 miles away. My son had not lived with me for over 10 years and had a Oregon address. Talking about being mad. I had a phone number that was listed in the phone book and the guy could have just called me. But yes, he got my attention. I called my son asap and asked him about the debt.

This was exactly what they wanted to happen!

They wanted to upset you enough to contact your son about the debt, and they hoped the embarassment or whatever would cause him to end up contacting them directly and perhaps paying the debt.

Or at the very least they hoped get more info about the debtor.

I have someone calling my pay as you go cell phone asking to speak to someone I've never heard of because she was listed as a reference for a debtor I have also never heard of because they want to get a message to the debtor. I assigned her a silent ring tone, and I'm just going to ignore her and I think after a few months, she'll give up and stop calling me. It's not worth 44 cents to stop the rather infrequent calls from a debt collector trying to find someone listed as a reference. I'm just going to let this one go and see what happens.

[DYLAN150]

GoingDown: Yes, your right. I was so mad! Now if this happen again, I would just let it slide.

[DirkDiggler]

Had one call my father in law, who took a message and relayed it to my wife......I had her call her dad back the next day and she told him that whoever called him was a scam, trying to get personal information and that if anyone ever called back that he should tell them there is no one there by that name and it was the wrong number. I saw him this weekend and he said he hasn't had a call since Might try that route if you don't want family to find out about your financial problems

[sunshinepa]

Is it legal for creditors to call and harass family members? How do they even find their numbers? My sister who lives a in a completely different state has informed me shes getting debt collection people calling her trying to reach my husband. We haven't told anyone what has been going on with our situation now shes asking me a bunch of questions on why they are calling her and whats going on with us.
We have changed out number several times but they keep finding out the new numbers as well.

I never had that happen, not once. I simply identified myself on my answering machine and let it pick up. If they have found you, they can't call other people without violating the law. Of course, most people don't prosecute which they probably know. If it happened to me, you bet your a%$ I would have got them someway.

[IamOld]

Resigned, it's a shame that some parents and people in general - measure others solely on finances. I hope you all make it through this well and my best wishes to you!

My dad disowned me because I didn't get a prenup set up even after I told him my lawyer told me we'd have all kinds of ridiculous accounting hassles because WA is a community property state. I wasn't rich, my parents aren't rich (although they seem to want to act like they are the way they use money to smack my brother and me in the heads), and neither my husband nor I had any children of our own before getting married. So the main reasons for logically getting a prenup weren't in place but Bill O-Reilly said something in a book about how everyone should get a prenup and that was enough to convince my dad. So it's not really that much of a stretch to think my mom might disown me for BK even as completely stupid as that sounds to you and any other rational person on the planet. People can be strange. LOL. Although to be fair, she's not talking anything like that because I still haven't told her specific plans yet. She only knows one of her children is officially a deadbeat now.