Any way to stop collection calls regarding someone related to you?

[Reality's Fringe]

So, my dumbass sister made a series of very unfortunate mistakes and is in a great deal of debt. I keep getting debt collectors calling my house at all times of the day, starting very early in the morning and lasting until the evening. I've told them that she does not live at this address/telephone number, but they keep calling.

Is there any way to stop this? If I keep getting calls at 7 AM on Saturday, I'm going to kill someone.

[happy]

Just tell them she doesn't live there (don't say you're related). And tell them that if they continue to call you'll file charges for harassment. Also ask for their name and the name and number of their manager.

[lordwow]

Have her pay off the debt.

[Reality's Fringe]

Have her pay off the debt.

Well, she's a single mother on welfare which as a result of a series of very poor decisions. She was irresponsible, but if she can't pay it, she can't pay it regardless of how I feel about the situation (and I agree, she does need to pay it or at least pay SOMETHING on it).

Besides, why should I be hassled over someone's poor decisions?

[shrike4242]

Why're they calling you? Do you think she put down your name as a co-signer, or a responsible party for the debt?

[Reality's Fringe]

She used to live at this address, so I'm sure she used it AND the phone number for any official papers.

[CouRageouS]

Probably used him as a reference when she bought a car or took out a loan. Tell them to remove your number from their list, complain about harrassment, talk to a supervisor etc. Give them the right contact information even if you need to. I'd imagine they're calling her all day regardless.

[the_deej]

house phones are teh suck

[camoor]

Wow.

You're sitting on a barrel of fun and you don't even know it.

http://www.realmofdarkness.net/sounds/drphil/drphil-soundboard-2.htm

[rodeojones903]

Give them her new information. They keep calling you because they don't have it probably.

[shrike4242]

She used to live at this address, so I'm sure she used it AND the phone number for any official papers.That would explain it. She couldn't have put you down as being financially responsible, unless you co-signed on the papers, so I'm sure the collection agency is just going through the motions.

I'd just keep telling them that she doesn't live there and that you have no idea where she's at. I'd also make sure if something shows up in the mail from them or someone else like them, cross out her name information on the from part of the envelope, mark it as "NO LONGER AT ADDRESS, RETURN TO SENDER" and toss it into a mailbox.

I had an issue with the prior owner of my house didn't choose to forward their mail to their new address and asked to give any mail that showed up for them to one of my neighbors, who's good friends with them. After a number of collection-related letters showed up, I kept up with the process above, and most of them took the hint. On the couple that didn't, I contacted the sending party via phone and told them that the people they're looking for didn't live there any longer and I had no idea where they were at, or a forwarding address. Eventually, that took care of the issue.

That is, assuming you don't want to just give them your sister's info and have them deal with her directly.

[The Mana Knight]

So, my dumbass sister made a series of very unfortunate mistakes and is in a great deal of debt. I keep getting debt collectors calling my house at all times of the day, starting very early in the morning and lasting until the evening. I've told them that she does not live at this address/telephone number, but they keep calling.

Is there any way to stop this? If I keep getting calls at 7 AM on Saturday, I'm going to kill someone.We have the same problem in my household too right now. My sister just moved out, but she's in tons of debt and we are getting calls everyday from a Banana Republic (A collection agency for them).

[Chacrana]

We have the same problem in my household too right now. My sister just moved out, but she's in tons of debt and we are getting calls everyday from a Banana Republic (A collection agency for them).

In debt at a clothing store? For shame.

[The Mana Knight]

In debt at a clothing store? For shame.She's in debt at several clothing stores, like:
Express
Limited
Macy's
Nemen Markus(sp)
Sak's Fifth Avenue

and probably more. She also has debt on 1-2 VISA cards. She just keeps buying and doesn't pay it off.

[rodeojones903]

She's in debt at several clothing stores, like:
Express
Limited
Macy's
Nemen Markus(sp)
Sak's Fifth Avenue

and probably more. She also has debt on 1-2 VISA cards. She just keeps buying and doesn't pay it off.


This sounds horrible, but people like that need to be shown some tough love. You guys need to give the collection agencies their new information. Its the only way they will learn their lesson and hopefully change their habits in the future.

[The Mana Knight]

This sounds horrible, but people like that need to be shown some tough love. You guys need to give the collection agencies their new information. Its the only way they will learn their lesson and hopefully change their habits in the future.My sister has been in debt before. We keep telling her the numbers, but we keep getting them. Most bills, she takes care of online.

My sister's problem is that she got fired from her job for never getting their on time, and she's still in tons of debt. My parents don't feel like bailing her out on cell phone bill, cable bill, car insurance, and apartment rent anymore either (which sometimes they paid for, but she still had debt problems). Even if we turned them to her, she still has no way of ever paying them off.

[happy]

Some people need to learn about the beauty of peanut butter and jelly and ramen. Of course if your debt is from buying too much clothing (or any other non-essential item video games included)... that's just plain dumb.

[Chacrana]

Some people need to learn about the beauty of peanut butter and jelly and ramen. Of course if your debt is from buying too much clothing (or any other non-essential item video games included)... that's just plain dumb.

Seriously. I can understand if someone's behind on car payments or they're in debt because they're buying a house or something... but I'll never understand how someone can get into debt with small, clearly unnecessary purchases.

[zewone]

Change your number.

[Reality's Fringe]

Change your number.

Can't. I have resumes floating out there with that number. At least they don't have my mobile.

I guess I could just keep telling them she's not here, or try to talk to a supervisor. It's just, fuck, you'd think after all the time they spent trying and failing to reach her here they would figure it out.

[olde_english]

http://www.consumerlaw.org/issues/seniors_initiative/cc_debtcollection.shtml

Go here and do what they say. The legit people will stop bothering you. You may have to do this on a semi-regular basis; if the collection agency doesn't get any money for the delinquent account, they will usually cut their losses and pass on (read: sell for pennies on the dollar) the account to another firm, at which point you will need to send a cease letter or some such to this new firm as well.

[Calamityuponthee]

Can't. I have resumes floating out there with that number. At least they don't have my mobile.

I guess I could just keep telling them she's not here, or try to talk to a supervisor. It's just, fuck, you'd think after all the time they spent trying and failing to reach her here they would figure it out.

I know a fair amount about this...

First of all, it's not a human on the line 90% of the time. It's all automated calls. They set the computer to call every hour, and bam. They could careless if no one answers. When you do pick up the phone, you have to press 1 to speak to a live person.

There's a few ways to stop the calls:

Tell them she died.
Tell them a fake number (probably won't work, but it could for awhile)
Tell them her REAL number (wouldn't recommend this, unless you want her to be pissed at you)
Tell them she filed bankruptcy (maybe she should, and it would stop the calls :P)

They could careless that she doesn't live there anymore.