[jtdraig]

We moved to TV seven years ago. I got a phone number I really like. A few months after we moved in the calls started coming from Collection Agencies for the people who had my number before me. LOTS of calls..these people must have owed everyone from credit card companies to medical offices because the calls were relentless. So, I started fighting back. In one case, I tracked the Company down to a Chicago address. I notified the Illinois Attorney General's Fraud Office and they came down hard on that particular Company, very hard. I also tracked down the errant deadbeats who had about 7 addresses between Ocala and Orlando including a couple in The Villages. Soon, I referred any calls directly to them and the calls stopped..but not until five years later. Turns out this isn't an isolated problem for a number of friends have had the same problem.

I don't need any comments from those who feel sorry for them...to me, they are irresponsible deadbeats who have other ways of arranging for their debt solutions than running and hiding.

[graciegirl]

I don't feel sorry for anybody who runs up debt. It is stealing as far as I see it not to pay your bills. If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

[Trayderjoe]

I agree Gracie. My wife used to work for a credit union, and she used to tell me about members (no specifics, just general observations) filing for bankruptcy so that they could wipe out their debt and start over. What I found truly amazing was that these same members became indignant when the credit union (my wife in her role) refused to give them an unsecured loan (with a bankruptcy on their credit report!). Unfortunately it appears that the stigma of filing for bankruptcy is no longer present, it is more of an "etch a sketch" to start over fresh-besides, "these companies can afford it" (not my thinking BTW) or so some of these people believe.

[asianthree]

people can look up a phone number in the book and use it on credit app, it is a pain to fix

[batman911]

I believe most telephone service providers will allow you to block calls from designated numbers. There is usually a limit on the number of numbers you can block at one time.

[LittleDog]

We sort of had the same type of problem. When we moved here we kept getting calls for a local doctor who formerly had this number but had retired and moved. This went on for about a month or so. We contacted the phone company and fortunately there was another number available which we took. Problem solved.

John

[sueandskip]

Originally Posted by batman911

I believe most telephone service providers will allow you to block calls from designated numbers. There is usually a limit on the number of numbers you can block at one time.

I know Verizon has this option for all verizon customers...

[uujudy]

We had a new restaurant being built in our Utah town, and they put a huge banner on the front lawn that said they were hiring cooks & servers and they listed MY phone number on the banner! I couldn't call them to tell them their mistake -- it was my phone number, after all.

I called the phone company & directory assistance insisted that MY phone number was the correct number of the restaurant! I can't tell you how many phonecalls I got from people who wanted to schedule an interview, and how angry they were at ME when I tried to explain that the phone number was wrong. I finally went to the restaurant and explained the problem to them. They actually called the phone number to verify that it wouldn't ring in their restaurant.

After a few weeks, they finally took down the banner, opened the restaurant, and then I started getting phonecalls from folks wanting to make dinner reservations! As far as I know, the phone number mixup was never really fixed. We unplugged the answering machine & moved to The Villages.

[onbjames]

Originally Posted by uujudy

We had a new restaurant being built in our Utah town, and they put a huge banner on the front lawn that said they were hiring cooks & servers and they listed MY phone number on the banner! I couldn't call them to tell them their mistake -- it was my phone number, after all.

I called the phone company & directory assistance insisted that MY phone number was the correct number of the restaurant! I can't tell you how many phonecalls I got from people who wanted to schedule an interview, and how angry they were at ME when I tried to explain that the phone number was wrong. I finally went to the restaurant and explained the problem to them. They actually called the phone number to verify that it wouldn't ring in their restaurant.

After a few weeks, they finally took down the banner, opened the restaurant, and then I started getting phonecalls from folks wanting to make dinner reservations! As far as I know, the phone number mixup was never really fixed. We unplugged the answering machine & moved to The Villages.

I'll tell a quick story about my Dear departed mother in Law, She was meaner than a junk yard dog! When a local Pizza joint opened with a number very close to hers, She was getting many calls for orders, got tired of it, and began taking orders It didn't take long for the pizza place to change ther number!