NT - how to get collections to stop calling the wrong number?

[jklcpa]

My mother is 86 years young and has had a cell phone for about 2 years that she has for emergencies only and that she carries with her when she goes somewhere by herself (and hopefully she remembers to take it with her!). Apparently that phone number used to belong to someone that has ongoing credit problems. At least once or twice a week my mother gets collection calls that are coming from a variety of collectors or the companies themselves. About a year ago I got the name of this deadbeat woman when one collector asked to speak to J---- T----.

If the phone rings when I am there, I try to explain and the caller says they will remove the number from their records but I doubt that they do this. Most of the time I am not there to deal with the call and this is upsetting for my mother. She hasn't given the number to anyone except to me. I know that she could simply turn off the phone, or she could request a different number that might be even worse, but that isn't the point. Someone suggested that she write to the 3 credit reporting agencies and that her number would be disassociated from the person with the debt collection issues. Does anyone know if that is true, or does anyone here have any other suggestion as to how to stop these calls?

[Catherine]

The easiest way to make them stop is to get a different number. If you don't want to do that, ask your phone provider about selective call blocking. This assumes you have the caller list with numbers that have been used... and you will have to have the phone company block each of those numbers and add new ones as they turn up.

Really, if you are the only one with the number... why not just get a different one assigned? It's a pain, sure -- but less of a pain than constantly updating the "blocked caller" list. Yes, there should be a way to stop all these calls -- but there isn't. The person with the problems made up a number specifically so s/he would not get those calls, and it is working brilliantly as far as they are concerned.

[jklcpa]

I've had a couple of friends switch to different numbers only to find out that the second number was even worse. One friend was also receiving lots of collection calls and calls for back rent for the previous owner of the number. The other friend receives many calls from "patients" for some so-called doctor to get Rx of pain pills refilled. Probably some drug pusher and not a doctor at all.

ETA - as far as having the numbers blocked, I've done that through the phone but there are now so many that the phone gave a warning that the max limit of stored blocked numbers had been reached.

[Janitor Bob]

I don't know what cell provider she uses, but I know Verizon allows you to go on their web site and temporarily block a few numbers....they charge a fee for the ability to perminently block numbers, so I just jump on and re-block if the calls persist...but usually after a few time of getting blocked, the calls cease. I do this with several charities and companies trying to sell me stuff via my business cell phone.

[David1980]

Some phones have a feature on the phone as well to reject/block calls. On mine, from the call log I just have to use a long-press and then select "Add to reject list".

[kcjenkins]

Which provider is that, David?

[kcjenkins]

I had the same problem, and did not want to pay to block. So when I get a sales call or call for the previous user, I put it in my Contacts list under the name DNA [for do not answer] and I assigned it the Cricket ring, since my phone does not have a 'no ring' option. So if I hear the cricket chirp, I ignore those. My phone allows 7 or 8 numbers per person, so over time I've created several DNA contacts. Over time, most of them stop calling a number that never answers.