Phone Harassment

[Northbrook]

I believe I am getting a new phone call from a collection agency. It has showed up on my caller ID for 2 days in a row. Normally, I do not call back if I know it is a collection agency. However, I was curious to find out who was calling. When I called 888-317-9443, I was informed the number was no good. Should this be a collection agency, have they found a way to make harassing calls with no way for us to verbally tell them to stop making such calls?

How do I handle this? Complain to the phone company or report it to the FTC?

Any input would be appreciated.

[avenger83]

The calls I hate are the automated ones, that tell YOU to call them back! What a lazy bunch of SOBs these CAs can be! I would call the phone company first to report it. Many of these CAs have call blocking, and use extensions that will give similar "not valid number" messages. In the meantime, since you have caller ID, just let it ring.

[Leadhead]

Contact your local phone company. They can trace it if you're harassed incessantly.

[DocDon]

Could it be a solicitor? There's been threads on here before about calls they believed were coming from a CA. Turned out to be a window company.

[Andyt293]

Isn't it a violation of the FDCPA for a CA to block its number?

[DocDon]

§ 807. False or misleading representations

(10) The use of any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer.

[Leadhead]

Could it be a solicitor? There's been threads on here before about calls they believed were coming from a CA. Turned out to be a window company.

Very true.

I kept getting calls from a local number here in Atlanta. When I called the number left on caller ID, I kept getting a message "your call did not go through...the number is most likely disconnected".

Finally they called when I was home. It was a company that phones you with a reminder about GNC's gold card and how I can save 20%.

So I went and bought some vitamins.