Why do they not identify who they are?

[momof5]

I just checked my voicemail from yesterday. 78 calls and only 4 messages. Out of those 4, 2 hung up after breathing into the phone. The other 2 left messages like this.." You must call before 9pm Eastern...blah blah blah... You have to call us back etc. Demanding that I return a call from them.

BUT they never say who they are. Just leave a phone number.

I am wondering why they do this. I would think they would have a better chance of getting a return call if they properly identified who they were. I know that these creditors get avoided but after trying to call hundreds of time you would think they would change their strategy.

Is there a reason for this? Are they trying to avoid being identified on purpose?

Just makes no sense to me.

[vegas911]

I have a job where I am required to be on the phone and usually cannot grab my personal cell phone to answer those calls. So I google the number and see who it was, add to phone to book on cell so when Chase or whoever calls, that name appears.

Now if they would leave a message and not call so much, I would return the call when I can.

The automated dialers sometimes seem to be ignored by the person who s/b answering on the other end and when you do pick up - no one is there or even better a recording asking you to hold.

Since I retained an attorney - my cell phone is very quiet!!

[BigJohn]

So far, the collectors have been real nice. When they ask for me, I tell them I am sick and probably will be back later in the evening. If they ask about my wife, I tell them I don't think he has a wife.

[MomIcantFindmy]

I got so tired of the creditors calling multiple times of the day and never leaving messages. We use our cell phone for all our calls. Finally, I started storing numbers in my cell phone and put the ringer on silent. Also, I set up an account online at Grandcentral and changed my phone number for just my creditors to my Grandcentral line. Then I made a message there telling them to call my attorney. It seemed to stop many of the calls.

[HereInOhio]

We have WaMu calling us all the time.

It's really funny, to be honest. They call and ask for DH, when I say, "He's not here," (which isn't a lie as he works out of town all week and sometimes the weekends as well), then they ask for a spouse. Not my name, but a spouse.

So I say, "And what is his spouse's name?"

"Um, I'm sorry? What? I would like to speak with his spouse."

"I understand that, but what is her name."

"I don't have that information. I need to speak with his spouse."

"But how can you speak with her if you don't know her name?"

That's when they hang up on me. This has been going on for weeks! And everytime they hang up on me.

[BigJohn]

My wife has a name but it is so difficult to pronounce, that I don't think I pronounce it right. Virtually everybody does even try. I just call her by her nickname.

[Martha13]

Oh my gosh--you guys are SO funny!! Thanks for giving me a good laugh, I needed that. The whole "spouse" conversation really cracked me up. We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the phone calls. I've noticed quite a pattern to them-that they begin shortly after 8am, sometimes they let me "sleep in" til 8:20 (ok, who am I kidding, I'm up by 6:30) My kids and I have started a contest to see how far they get thru our outgoing message before they hang up....I am planning to start answering soon, as we've officially retained an attorney as of yesterday, but I want to wait until 1. we've decided what to do about the house--still debating that whole issue, it's the toughest and 2. when we're ready to surrender the cars. I think that's who is calling most of the time anyway...we haven't gone late on much else..YET...Thanks again for a giggle when usually I'm feeling sooooooo low!

[BigJohn]

A lot of times, my wife answers the phone. She says she doesn't understand what they are saying. They say something like Blah, blah, blaah, blah. When they mention my name, she says he will be back probably after 7:00 tonight. They never ask to leave a message, but then she doesn't understand what they are saying. She can read and write very well in her own language but she doesn't know how to read or write in English.