Harrassing Credit Agency

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

How do I get a credit agency/collection service to stop calling me? For the past three months I've been getting phone calls on my cell from 866-249-4693, Torres Credit Services. There's no one on the other end of the line when I answer the phone. It's only by calling back the number that pops up on caller ID that I found out the name of the company. They claim they're looking for a Marina Ubongen. I've told them it's obviously an incorrect number. They claim to take my number off their call list...yet I still continue to get calls from them. Other than just not picking up when they call, how can I get them to stop calling me?

legion · 02-20-2013, 06:49 PM

Answer the phone: "FBI field office."

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Funny, and I'll try it. But I doubt anyone's listening on the other end of the line. There's never anyone there when I pick up. No human. No recording. Nothing.

Steve Carlton · 02-20-2013, 06:56 PM

Just pay the bill, Marina.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Very calmly and politely ask for the name of the person you are speaking to. Next ask to speak to supervisor. Get their name. Lastly ask for the name, address, and phone number of the company and who the owner is. They'll get the hint. If not, ask who their attorney is.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Very calmly and politely ask for the name of the person you are speaking to. Next ask to speak to supervisor. Get their name. Lastly ask for the name, address, and phone number of the company and who the owner is. They'll get the hint. If not, ask who their attorney is.

We have huge call centers that do nothing other than make collection calls. The "supervisors" are the level 2 guys on the phones, somewhere above that is a "lead" then a manager, etc. The supervisor will likely just give lip service and go and get another coffee.

I've seen only two effective ways to stop this, change your phone number, or have an attorney write them a letter. We respond to legal issues entirely different than someone that calls in and claims they are not the debtor.

A motivated attorney can spell big losses for us, it can and has happened a bunch in the past.

trekkor · 02-20-2013, 07:18 PM

You can block the number.

KT

trekkor · 02-20-2013, 07:22 PM

As a follow up to the above:

You can likely set up the block online.
I've done it many times from the Verizon web site.

KT

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Hey! How do you know I have Verizon...?

trekkor · 02-20-2013, 07:24 PM

I've been repeatedly calling...

I mean...

KT

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott R

I've seen only two effective ways to stop this, change your phone number, or have an attorney write them a letter. We respond to legal issues entirely different than someone that calls in and claims they are not the debtor.

Appreciate the insight. I think it's odd that no one responds when I answer the phone. What's the point? Collections? (Doesn't seem like it; it's hard to collect money when you don't tell people that's what you're after.) Or just harassment?

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekkor

As a follow up to the above:

You can likely set up the block online.
I've done it many times from the Verizon web site.

KT

Only for numbers originating in you state, and not for 1-800's. Also that option is only available in certain states. To further complicate things the collection agency can remove the block in an effort to collect the debt. Part of the "Fair Debt Collection Act"

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

This gave way to much power to the collection agencies imo.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noah930

Appreciate the insight. I think it's odd that no one responds when I answer the phone. What's the point? Collections? (Doesn't seem like it; it's hard to collect money when you don't tell people that's what you're after.) Or just harassment?

There is a piece of "IVR" (interactive voice response) software out there that does a "dial and detect." After the detect is deemed to be a valid number with human on the line we then assign it to an agent.

I'm not sure though how many multiple times they do the "detect" however, I thought it was just one time, but now I'm wondering. We use "Verint" mainly and I can't stand the stuff.

Steve Carlton · 02-20-2013, 07:53 PM

Possible to dummy up a letter from an attorney?

trekkor · 02-20-2013, 07:55 PM

The calls I was getting were similar.

Not local, when I would answer, never anyone there.

Several times a day.

The block was permanent.

KT

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Possible to dummy up a letter from an attorney?

bad idea as it is like pretending to be a doctor - i.e. illegal

what they are doing by calling you after you have stated it is a wrong number is illegal - that is why a letter from an attorney works

or report them to your state's Attorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs

Hugh R · 02-20-2013, 08:15 PM

Torres Credit Services, Inc. | Collections

Fax No. (717) 243-4623

Set your computer fax to dial it every minute with a message to remove your name. After a few hundred pages of faxes, maybe they'll get the message.

pwd72s · 08:29 PM

I guess I was lucky. I bought a prepaid phone from T-Mobile...the number I was given must have been previously owned by a total flake. I kept getting calls...tried to tell the caller I wasn't the right guy. Finally, I was up the chain high enough after I called them. Told the same tale, saying I wasn't the guy and I'm not a deadbeat. She told me my number was being removed, and she believed me because: "Deadbeats never call us back." The calls stopped.

GWN7 · 02-20-2013, 08:40 PM

Send them a fax explaining that you are not the person they are looking for and you have talked to their staff about having your number removed from their call list and the calls have not stopped. Tell them they can continue calling you but they must now pay you $100 per call (payable monthly) and that their acceptance of your terms will be the next call from them.

I did this with a travel company that found my fax number and would send me "Specials" every couple of days. The only difference is I told them they had to pay me per page they sent. The calls stopped.

Steve Carlton · 02-20-2013, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

bad idea as it is like pretending to be a doctor - i.e. illegal

what they are doing by calling you after you have stated it is a wrong number is illegal - that is why a letter from an attorney works

or report them to your state's Attorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs

So you think a collection agency is going to vet a letter appearing to be from an attorney? And if they do and figure out it's phony, then what? Continue to do their illegal phone calls? I think there's a pretty big difference between pretending to be a doctor and trying to get rid of a harassing collection agency without having to hire an attorney.

I like the idea of reporting them to a government agency, though. As long as they do something.