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Blocking Annoying Cell Phone Callers?
RobertB-DC asks: "Twice a week, for the past several months, I receive a call on my cell phone, from a 'Restricted' number. It's always the same: 'Please hold for an important non solicitation message.' It then tells me to call 1-800-842-0640 for further instructions. When I call (from a CID-blocked work phone), all I can get from them is the company name: NCO. They won't tell me more about their company unless I tell who I am. Verizon says they can't block the caller. Short of exposing my own identity to someone I don't know, how can I get rid of these annoying calls?" Are there cell phone carriers who are progressive enough to offer call blocking services of some kind?
That could be the case if this is the "NCO" that is calling you.
They're a credit agency .
...have you tried telling them to put you on their "do not call" list? If they call you again after that, call the police and report them for harassing you over the telephone. If they continue to call you, the police should be able to trace the number.
NCO is a collections company. Odds are they're calling to collect on an outstanding bill; have you tried giving 'em your cell# (since they obviously already have it) to try and find out what the hell they're calling for?
Also, keep in mind, they already have your cell number -- it's not like it'd be all that hard for 'em to get your name anyway. After all, you gave your credit card info to your cell provider, right? Yes? Well, your info's already in the system, then, so quit worrying about what *might* happen, 'cause it already *has*.
Owners of smart phones running Symbian OS can install call-blocking software:
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http://www.pdabuyersguide.com/software/nokia_36
There may be similar software for other phones.
Or you could install one of those Microsoft phones and be free of all incoming calls.
Seriously, under no circumstances should you call them back and give them your information.
Once you do that, you then have a "business relationship", and they are free to contact you any time of day, any day of the week.
Chances are, what is going on is they got your information from an old database of "outstanding claims" that they purchased from a company. Even 'tho it might be something a decade old that you've already paid off. It happens a lot.
The best advice would be to call an independant credit bureau and see what you actually have on your credit report through them. If there's nothing outstanding, then don't worry about it. If there is, contact the company and confirm if it was sent to collections, and see if they have records that it was paid off. If no record, sorry to tell you but you're screwed, even if you paid it.
Use a public fax and fax NCO, asking them to send you a copy of the bill via registered mail. That way they will not fudge the amount, something these places do a lot. Then send in a money order for that amount.
A pain in the ass. Yay capitalism!
Very good information to help you deal with collection agencies at:
Freeadvice.com
This is a link to the forums. You can find decent credit and collections-related information off the main site, as well.
There ARE ways to get around ANI though. The fact that you know the difference means you probably know that already but figured that someone here might need to know. A really good publication to read for such things(including the crap that NCO is putting this guy through) is 2600 Magazine: The Hacker Quarterly
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I'm in the UK and just last week I asked British Telecom if there was a way to block all calls that withheld the caller ID info. I've been getting a lot of nuisance calls lately.
BT: "Yes there is sir! And it'll cost you 40 pounds per year."
That's right, 40 quid to *not* receive nuisance calls.
Always remember when dealing with phone service providers and telemarketing companies that it's in the phone service provider's best interest if the telemarketer DOES call you.
Why exactly would a telecom company want to STOP people from calling you?
#include "no_european_symbols_on_slashdot_complaint.txt"
Perhaps you should use the following to get them to cease communication via your cell phone. I am convinced that accruing minutes on your cell phone (I know some plans are unlimited, but most aren't) would be tantamount to causing you to incur a charge. In English, that means it's your dime, not theirs. You are paying out money to accept their call. If it was a landline and you were not limited on minutes of usage, it would be an entirely different story. Perhaps you should return their call and insist on alternate means of communication. If it is a collection agency for a debt that you do owe, then you should communicate with them. If you do not owe the debt, then you should notify them verbally and in writing of a dispute.
Here's what the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has to say about it.
808. Unfair practices [15 USC 1692f]
(5) Causing charges to be made to any person for communications by concealment of the true propose of the communication. Such charges include, but are not limited to, collect telephone calls and telegram fees.
Your right. I posted this story here a while ago. I was unable to get at&t to help me unfortunatly, so i dropped them as a cell phone carrier. Before i dropped them however i was getting these calls quite regularly. What i did was write nasty emails to the company repeatadly quoting the tcpa. Good luck!
-- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount}
You're only legally obligated to give the correct number to the IRS, Department of Social Security and your employer so that they can accurately report your wages. You *DO NOT* have to give any information to these debt collection agencies. None. Zero. Zilch.
- Sometimes you're the pidgeon, sometimes you're the statue.
There is a national Do-Not-Call-List now. It works for cell phones as well as land lines. Find the link on Slashdot here(I'm too lazy just now) and sign up. If they call you get $500. Sound good?
"Engineers do the work of man, Physicists do the work of God"
Calling an 800 number bypasses the caller-id-blocking system. An 800 number can always see your phone number via a system called "ANI" (automatic number identification?)
The theory that I've heard for this is: since the callee is paying for the call, they get to know your phone number.
Anyway, you have no privacy protection when you call an 800 (or 888, or 877, or any of its friends) number.
If it's the debt-collection agency, it's NOT telemarketing or solicitation, so the telemarketing rules do not apply here. Also, the debt-collection rules do apply, meaning they have to know who they're talking to before they can discuss anything, even the fact that they're trying to collect on a debt.
Thank you to all for your help! Here's my action plan:
:)
* I know I didn't have any unknown outstanding debts on my record in April, but there are some medical bills that may have been added since then. I'll get a new credit report and see what's been going on lately. I used myFICO once before, but their price seems to have gone up... I'll have to look for an alternative. Fortunately, I've been turned down enough times while looking for new home financing, that I should be able to get a free report.
* If nothing shows up there, I'll follow up on the company name that this AC managed to get out of the 800 number. NCO Credit Services has three numbers and several emails listed on their "Contacts" page... someone should be able to tell me if they have a gruff-voiced robot that calls and leaves "non solicitation messages".
* Once I feel like I have a clue who's calling, I'll be more comfortable telling them who I am. Your information has been very valuable, especially the part about collection agencies in the US being barred from costing me money when they collect. That implies that these folks *will* care that they're calling on a cell phone.
Thanks again, everyone, for your help. Good luck, and God bless!
Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.