I was harassed for months by a collector who used robo-calls 5 and 6 times a day and blocked its caller ID, for what turned out to be five different debts, none of which were mine. Robo-calls were not answered; if I picked up, nobody was there, and no messages were ever left. The blocked caller ID was "1 Unavailable," which is designed to outfox call-blocking from the recipient's end, and makes it impossible to identify the caller using reverse number lookups and the like. One day I picked up and finally there was someone on the other end, so I was able to figure out who was calling, although they were very reluctant to say who they were. I then looked them up on the internet and got a phone number for them. I repeatedly stated I was not the person they were looking for, but they refused to stop calling. I finally got an attorney and after months of the attorney bickering with them, I did get a small money settlement. This was occurring when I was getting chemotherapy treatment for cancer and was very ill. My life was hell for months because of these practices. Collectors should be prohibited from concealing either their identity or their call-back numbers. This happened because I had moved and was assigned a new number that evidently had belonged to a number of individuals who had outstanding debts. I was afraid to change my number again because it would just usher in a new batch of collectors. There should also be much, much, much stiffer monetary penalties for violations. The guilty party in the above scenario was a national collection agency with huge annual revenues; the piddly amount I was eventually paid was to them a tiny fraction of one cent compared to their annual revenues. I just happen to be an attorney myself, and ran their name on Pacer--they had been sued over and over in state and federal court and had actually paid million dollar fines to state attorneys general--also just a small cost of doing business for them compared to their enormous annual revenues. We need much, much stiffer penalties. These people are cyber bullies with absolutely no scruples. At the very least they should be required to identify themselves on caller i.d. with a legitimate callback number, and robo-calls should be made illegal.
I left a long comment about one particular collector, but recently was harassed by yet another one who was trying to collect from someone else who was not me. Their caller ID was not a phone number; it was just the names of different states, but turned out to be the same company. These people are bottom-feeders with no scruples. Accurate caller ID should be required so the victim can at least identify the collector and have a call-back number for them. And monetary penalties should be much, much stiffer to discourage their outrageous, predatory and harassing practices. Harrassment is part of their business models. These people are scum and should be required at the very least to identify themselves accurately. Robo-calls and ID spoofing should be illegal with stiff fines.
They will just continue to call. Not answering does not stop the constant calls. They need to be required to identify themselves accurately so the consumer has at least a fighting chance to speak with them. In my case I have no debts of my own but am constantly harassed for other people's debts because I have a fairly common last name. They just start calling everyone with the same last name as their actual debtor.
There are currently no "teeth" in the enforcement mechanism as well. Right now filing complaints with the regulators does absolutely nothing except get you into some database but nothing is every done about violations. Requiring accurate identification of the collector with a working call-back number should be the bare minimum. At least that way the consumer has a fighting chance of at least talking to them and trying to get erroneous calls stopped. Right now government enforcement is non-existent and completely worthless.
It doesn't just "occasionally" happen. It happens all the time. Those of us with common names are sitting ducks for these scumbags. I am constantly harassed by collectors looking for someone else. Call blocking programs do not work out of area, so call-blocking is no protection whatever.
Right now collectors are legally required to stop phone contact when notified by the consumer. They do not stop. And the law is not enforced. Reporting violations to regulators does nothing except get the complainant into some sort of database, and the regulators are never heard from again. There are decent laws on the books. It's the enforcement that is a failure.
The problem is enforcement. When collectors are notified to stop calling the consumer's workplace, they refuse to obey the law that requires them to stop. Reporting violations to the regulators is futile, because nothing is ever done by way of enforcement and the collectors know this. Put teeth into enforcement.
Calls to the workplace should not be permitted at all. Harassing the consumer at his her/workplace can come to the attention of the employer and get the consumer fired or limit advancement. The collector then does not get paid because of the collector's own egregious conduct.
Collectors constantly abuse laws concerning phone contacts, and there is no enforcement for violators. Collectors should be limited by law to contacts by mail. These people are bottom-feeders who ignore the law. Cut them off from phone contacts altogether. They have proven again and again over decades that they are scofflaws. No phone contacts. Period.
Lori
1
I was harassed for months by a collector who used robo-calls 5 and 6 times a day and blocked its caller ID, for what turned out to be five different debts, none of which were mine. Robo-calls were not answered; if I picked up, nobody was there, and no messages were ever left. The blocked caller ID was "1 Unavailable," which is designed to outfox call-blocking from the recipient's end, and makes it impossible to identify the caller using reverse number lookups and the like. One day I picked up and finally there was someone on the other end, so I was able to figure out who was calling, although they were very reluctant to say who they were. I then looked them up on the internet and got a phone number for them. I repeatedly stated I was not the person they were looking for, but they refused to stop calling. I finally got an attorney and after months of the attorney bickering with them, I did get a small money settlement. This was occurring when I was getting chemotherapy treatment for cancer and was very ill. My life was hell for months because of these practices. Collectors should be prohibited from concealing either their identity or their call-back numbers. This happened because I had moved and was assigned a new number that evidently had belonged to a number of individuals who had outstanding debts. I was afraid to change my number again because it would just usher in a new batch of collectors. There should also be much, much, much stiffer monetary penalties for violations. The guilty party in the above scenario was a national collection agency with huge annual revenues; the piddly amount I was eventually paid was to them a tiny fraction of one cent compared to their annual revenues. I just happen to be an attorney myself, and ran their name on Pacer--they had been sued over and over in state and federal court and had actually paid million dollar fines to state attorneys general--also just a small cost of doing business for them compared to their enormous annual revenues. We need much, much stiffer penalties. These people are cyber bullies with absolutely no scruples. At the very least they should be required to identify themselves on caller i.d. with a legitimate callback number, and robo-calls should be made illegal.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
2
I left a long comment about one particular collector, but recently was harassed by yet another one who was trying to collect from someone else who was not me. Their caller ID was not a phone number; it was just the names of different states, but turned out to be the same company. These people are bottom-feeders with no scruples. Accurate caller ID should be required so the victim can at least identify the collector and have a call-back number for them. And monetary penalties should be much, much stiffer to discourage their outrageous, predatory and harassing practices. Harrassment is part of their business models. These people are scum and should be required at the very least to identify themselves accurately. Robo-calls and ID spoofing should be illegal with stiff fines.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
3
They will just continue to call. Not answering does not stop the constant calls. They need to be required to identify themselves accurately so the consumer has at least a fighting chance to speak with them. In my case I have no debts of my own but am constantly harassed for other people's debts because I have a fairly common last name. They just start calling everyone with the same last name as their actual debtor.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
4
There are currently no "teeth" in the enforcement mechanism as well. Right now filing complaints with the regulators does absolutely nothing except get you into some database but nothing is every done about violations. Requiring accurate identification of the collector with a working call-back number should be the bare minimum. At least that way the consumer has a fighting chance of at least talking to them and trying to get erroneous calls stopped. Right now government enforcement is non-existent and completely worthless.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
5
It doesn't just "occasionally" happen. It happens all the time. Those of us with common names are sitting ducks for these scumbags. I am constantly harassed by collectors looking for someone else. Call blocking programs do not work out of area, so call-blocking is no protection whatever.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
6
Agree. Laws are in place now, but there is no enforcement by the regulators.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
7
Right now collectors are legally required to stop phone contact when notified by the consumer. They do not stop. And the law is not enforced. Reporting violations to regulators does nothing except get the complainant into some sort of database, and the regulators are never heard from again. There are decent laws on the books. It's the enforcement that is a failure.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
8
Obviously you are a collector. [remainder of comment was removed by moderator for violating site terms of use]
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Lori
9
The problem is enforcement. When collectors are notified to stop calling the consumer's workplace, they refuse to obey the law that requires them to stop. Reporting violations to the regulators is futile, because nothing is ever done by way of enforcement and the collectors know this. Put teeth into enforcement.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
10
Calls to the workplace should not be permitted at all. Harassing the consumer at his her/workplace can come to the attention of the employer and get the consumer fired or limit advancement. The collector then does not get paid because of the collector's own egregious conduct.
View this comment in the discussion thread
Lori
11
There are laws on the books. There is no enforcement by the regulators.
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Lori
12
Agreed. There is simply no enforcement and collectors know this.
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Lori
13
Collectors constantly abuse laws concerning phone contacts, and there is no enforcement for violators. Collectors should be limited by law to contacts by mail. These people are bottom-feeders who ignore the law. Cut them off from phone contacts altogether. They have proven again and again over decades that they are scofflaws. No phone contacts. Period.
View this comment in the discussion thread