Creditors calling neighbors

[freefall]

I've read alot of talk lately about this tactic, and I was hoping someone would shed some light on it:

I could care less if creditors call my family, or my former place of employment. In fact, in some cases, I'd kind of like that (I have some issues with some of them, obviously)

But what about my neighbors? I don't really even know my neighbors. Will B of A or Discover actually look up who my neighbors are, find out their phone numbers, and start calling them about me?

Is that legal? How do I avoid that?

[justbroke]

It is legal.

To avoid it... answer your phone.

[danoct]

Yeah they're nasty.. My friend fell behind on his car payments, to the point the repo man was out looking for the car. Somehow they got my phone number and offered me $100 to let them know when I knew where his car was.

[justbroke]

Yeah they're nasty.. My friend fell behind on his car payments, to the point the repo man was out looking for the car. Somehow they got my phone number and offered me $100 to let them know when I knew where his car was.

Wow! So, what did you do with the $100? ;)

[hopeforus]

Yep our neighbor (only one that I know of right now) has been called. Fun times.

[rockyroad]

Our neighbor rang the doorbell recently, saying someone had called their house looking for us and asked him to deliver a message to call them. It was Nationwide credit, although they only gave him a number to pass on and did not identify themselves as a CA.
We own a business and told the neighbor it was a disgruntled customer threatening a lawsuit and to disregard any future calls.
He must have good credit as he didn't suspect anything. Most people who pay their bills aren't really aware of these tactics. I know I had never heard of it until I started reading this board. When the neighbor rang the bell...I had to chuckle...they really do call your neighbors!!

[dingdong]

Check out this video on You Tube.

Gives you a bit of insight as to why they call your neighbors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAorbJK-e_M

They are nasty!

[Naomi]

I've lived here for 4 years now and have never even spoken to my neighbors.
So, hopefully if they ever get a call, they won't come over to my house. I don't even know their names and they probably don't know ours.

[amei]

I've heard they actually will hire people to drive to your house and ring your doorbell. I think that it should be illegal for them to call your neighbors about a debt that you owe. What does your neighbor have to do with the debt that you owe. Thats like a telemarketer calling and saying hey I want to sell your neighbor this widget. Go over and get him for me so i can tell him about it. I would think it would be harrassing to the person receiving the call.

[catleg]

I have had US Bank call my parents and my neighbors. It freaked out my wife. But she came around very quickly and realized that the worst thing you can do at that point is to make a payment. It just reinforces the behavior a.k.a. "the terrorists win".

[liz417]

To prevent this (I hope it has ), I pick up the phone every once in awhile to let them know I'm still alive I stopped paying my CC's over a year ago.

[BigJohn]

I had a banker from Wells Fargo show up at my bussiness. I wasn't at the store when she arrived. I was at our house. I decided to go to the store and told my wife I was on the way. My wife, who is a foreigner, had one of her friends at the store visiting. She told her friend, in a foreign language, to go to the back door and tell me not to enter the store until the banker had left. When the banker left, I entered the store.