I'm being harassed!

G

greenfreak

New Member
A month ago, a delivery guy knocked on our door. Rusty answered it and signed for a fedex package that had our address, our phone number, and my last name on it. When I opened it, I found legal documents advising that my account had been turned over to a collection agency and they would do whatever possible to get their money.

I was like what?! I have ONE debt, my car. And the payment is automatically debited from my checking account ever month.

Then I noticed that my last name was on the papers but the first name and middle initial were wrong. Way wrong. My first name and middle initial is Patricia A. The name on the paperwork was Coleen L.

So I called them up, told them the mistake and they assured me that I could throw away the paperwork and they would send it out again to the right person.

Well. Ever since then, I've been getting automated messages on my answering machine looking for Coleen L. and telling her to call them. Twice a day, every day. I've called them twice after business hours but I've gotten an answering service and left messages with them.

Today I finally got someone on the phone and she told me what house Coleen L. lives in on my block. They have her address correct now but not her phone number. I was assured it would be changed (again).

Assuming that they keep screwing up and calling me, do you know of any recourse I have? I'm on the Do-Not-Call list and looked up information on Verizon's website but they don't have anything about reporting harassment.

Any ideas? I went to their website but there's no email to put it in writing. Maybe next time I get their address and send them a registered letter? I just don't know what else I can do. They might not even believe me that I'm not her.
 
greenfreak said:
Assuming that they keep screwing up and calling me, do you know of any recourse I have? I'm on the Do-Not-Call list and looked up information on Verizon's website but they don't have anything about reporting harassment.

Any ideas? I went to their website but there's no email to put it in writing. Maybe next time I get their address and send them a registered letter? I just don't know what else I can do. They might not even believe me that I'm not her.
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block the phone number, call consumer protection, some ideas
 
Google. Federal fair debt Collection Act. It may help.

Call them back during business hours. When you get a human being, say, "Hello. I'd like to speak with your immediate supervisor please." You will get transferred to the next cubicle. Repeat the process at least 4 times. That might land you on the line with someone with more than a 10th grade education and a passing acquaintence with the English language. Calmly, slowly, and in detail explain the situation. Politely ask that they change their database NOW. Then inform them that if you ever receive correspondence from them again, you will immediately notify the Better business Bureau, the first civil attorney you find in the Yellow Pages, and anyone else you can think of and persue every avenue the law permits.

Then cuss 'em out.
 
2 things.

First, tell these guys all about it.

Second, check your credit reports. If these assholes are calling you wrong, they might also be reporting wrong. And THAT would be a problem.
 
Get a lawyer .. isn't this causing you pain and suffering and emotional distress? :D .. umm.. sorry ...

I agree with Uki .. we have this thing here called 'Action Line' that's sponsored by a news station and is staffed by lawyer volunteers. You call them with what's happening to you unfairly and they investigate. Much of the time, the situation is resolved. Do you have anything like that there?
 
A molotov cocktail, while considered extreme in some circles, is a solution to a problem.

Seriously though, if it continues it may be worth a personal visit. Inconvenient, I'll grant you, but face to face with the person on the other end of the harassing phone call carries a lot of weight.
 
That's if they don't live in India.......


Do-Not-Call list isn't going to help at this point. The dnc lets people with whom you have an account (or they think they have an account) with call you as much as they like (though each org is supposed to have it's own dnc but I doubt that a collection agency would).

SnP, I work in a call center, as much as I don't believe that most of my co-workers give a shit about anything there are a few of us who actually do our jobs, who actually care about the people that call (as I had to tell a business man that called me the other day with about the same line but was *shocked* helped without a single transfer after reaching me).

Definitely check your credit right away, make sure that there aren't any errors on there. If nothing else, look up the real person, get the right number for them, call them, and make sure it's changed. Call your phone comp after that and report the harassment that way there is a record at the very least.
 
Wow you guys really came through, thanks everyone!

It never occurred to me that they may have fucked up my credit report too. Crap, definitely need to check that out now. I'm ashamed to say that I have never seen my credit report. I need to figure out how to do that, how much I have to pay, etc.

Oh wait a second. My boyfriend works for a mortgage company and has friends in the credit department. He's already talked to them about us buying a house next year. Maybe I'll see if they can run it as a favor... :)
 
Call the local popular radio station. They'll just eat it up. Everybody hates 'collectors' and find them heartless. This'll play like an evil corporation stepping randomly on an innocent person. I'll look for your photo in the NY Times tomorrow :)
 
chcr said:
A molotov cocktail, while considered extreme in some circles, is a solution to a problem.
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but if you're from Belfast, it's considered the first step in dispute resolution.
 
greenfreak said:
Wow you guys really came through, thanks everyone!

It never occurred to me that they may have fucked up my credit report too. Crap, definitely need to check that out now. I'm ashamed to say that I have never seen my credit report. I need to figure out how to do that, how much I have to pay, etc.

Oh wait a second. My boyfriend works for a mortgage company and has friends in the credit department. He's already talked to them about us buying a house next year. Maybe I'll see if they can run it as a favor... :)
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The link I provided has instructions on how to get your free copies from all 3 agencies.
 
HomeLAN said:
The link I provided has instructions on how to get your free copies from all 3 agencies.
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Got 'em! Thanks hon. No sign of this collector but there are two items that I'm going to dispute. Don't know if you recall but I told a few of you about a situation back in 2003 with Bank of America and Chase. As I recall, the thread title was "BOA and Chase are mother fuckers!!!!!"

Turns out they did not "fix" my report like they said they would. It didn't hold me back from getting my 1.9% rate car loan but it's the principle of it. I wasn't late, it was their fuckup and I was punished for it. Good think I saved all my records, letters, etc.
 
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