Sneaky agencies

[BKcrazy]

I had a missed call on my cell. I heard the voicemail, and it was a recorded message, just saying to call an 800 number.

I blocked my number on my cell and called. It's a collection agency. Surprise, surprise!

I didn't ask identify myself. I just asked for their fax number.

Is it worth it to even call back and see what creditor of mine sent me to collections? I know this happens a lot. Or, should I just forward their fax number to my attorney?

[chpxiii]

Forward the number to your attorney. If it is a collection agency, they have violated the automatic stay of your bankruptcy.

Also, just an FYI. Even though you blocked your number, calling a 800 number almost pretty much insures they have your phone number. Blocking your phone number is mostly for consumer calls - i.e. individual person to individual person. Companies, most especially collection agencies, pay for the service to see your number regardless of whether you have blocked number.

I used to write IVRs and we'd get what is called the "ANI" of a phone number all the time and store it in the database - if the client wants it. It doesn't matter if the person blocked their phone number, we could still get it.

Again, that's just an FYI. Find a phone booth (I know, those are VERY rare now a days) next time if you can.

[BKcrazy]

Oh, I called from my cell phone.

I have tested that theory with the phone before. I dated a private investigator whose business had an 800 number. If you call from your home number, that will come up even if you block it. A blocked cell phone number will not come up. We tried it both ways. Just the home number came up. He would get statements of all the phone numbers too. We were bored.

[roki]

I am telling you? collection companies are so desperate and sneaky that if your debt is a big amount they even hire detectives to put a trace on your phone so they harass people that you know in an effort to get you to call them and pay. They do allot of things that are illegal so what they do is that they have your cell and what they do and i do not know how they do it what i know is that this detective somehow puts a trace on your phone and this systems tells them who you call and then they start calling your friends and aquaintences and they put pressure. Another thing they do is that they start doing background checks on you and your family in order to find an address like they start calling people that have your same last name that live around or near your city or state and they start investigating were you are!!! My suggestion is that you go to your cell company and change your number do that because they are going to put a trace on your phone??? Actually i asked once a lawyer if this is illegal he tells me as long as the detective does not record or hear your private conversation they can easily obtain or even buy your telephone records from cellphone carriers? Incredible?

[roki]

I recommend that if you are either from Florida or California and you have a cellphone provider like Metro PCS it will be perfect this people do not ask you for a contract and also you don,t have to show ID you could tell them which ever name you want you only need a password which you create to access the account. This company is great you pay 55 dollars you have everything Text messages, Unlimited local and anywhere long distance there is no limit all you do is pay and that is it. So they cant trace because you could give Metro PCS your first name and your third last name and this will make you invisible.

[chpxiii]

Oh, I called from my cell phone.

I have tested that theory with the phone before. I dated a private investigator whose business had an 800 number. If you call from your home number, that will come up even if you block it. A blocked cell phone number will not come up. We tried it both ways. Just the home number came up. He would get statements of all the phone numbers too. We were bored.

Ok.

But I'm telling you that I used to program those 1-800 numbers that you call. It's called an IVR - or Interactive Voice Response system. You can either punch or say your menu selection. (I'm a computer programmer. My boyfriend still works for that company infact. That's where I met him. hehehe) We have NEVER had a phone number come up blocked. Ever. And with millions of phone calls coming nearly every day, I'm sure 1 or 2 might be a blocked cell phone number.

There's actually a different part of the information that is accessed to get your phone number called the "ANI." I forgot what that stood for. But incoming phone calls *always* have the caller's phone number. Always. It's in the "ANI."

Edit to add:
If you are calling a 1-800 number, that is a toll free line, as you know. This is what my boyfriend just IM'd me with:

"actually, it doesnt matter if its a cell or a land line or even a satellite phone, because the person/company that has the 800 number has to pay for the call, they are entitled to have all the information"

This is why I say that if you call a 1-800 number to a collections agency, they can still get your phone number.

[chpxiii]

I recommend that if you are either from Florida or California and you have a cellphone provider like Metro PCS it will be perfect this people do not ask you for a contract and also you don,t have to show ID you could tell them which ever name you want you only need a password which you create to access the account. This company is great you pay 55 dollars you have everything Text messages, Unlimited local and anywhere long distance there is no limit all you do is pay and that is it. So they cant trace because you could give Metro PCS your first name and your third last name and this will make you invisible.

I plan on going with Metro PCS myself. I have a cell phone I use, but I'll be getting a basic cell phone from Metro PCS with no frills on the phone number to put on my credit applications when I'm applying for credit to rebuild.

I don't know if a person can be invisible with this... that I can't speak on. I don't necessarily want to be invisible. But I also don't want credit card companies to have my personal number. The Metro PCS phone will be like a personal business line.

[BKcrazy]

They have my cell number anyway. I just didn't want to get into a whole convo about why they won't get a cent from me. I just wanted the fax number for my attorney.

I'm just not sure which creditor did that.

[magyar123]

Whenever I received creditors' requests to "update" personal information, including changes of my phone #, I gave some of them the # of a pay phone down a block from where I live, and the others 111-111-1111

[jp2861]

I had a missed call on my cell. I heard the voicemail, and it was a recorded message, just saying to call an 800 number.

I blocked my number on my cell and called. It's a collection agency. Surprise, surprise!

I didn't ask identify myself. I just asked for their fax number.

Is it worth it to even call back and see what creditor of mine sent me to collections? I know this happens a lot. Or, should I just forward their fax number to my attorney?

Chances are, they didn't know that you filed yet. Call them and give them your case info. Contrary to popular belief, not all CA's are gremlins. Most are pretty straight up if they know what going on. Like anything else in life, the bad stories are the only ones posted, so people assume all are bad. I had one call me two months ago. I told I was filing in a few months. They said, Thanks for the heads up, and I haven't heard from them since. I think it's better to be on the up and up with them, until you have a reason to think otherwise. Playing silly games with them is just a waste of time.

[BKcrazy]

Most of the time, I don't answer my phone, even when I know who is calling me. I don't like to talk on the phone.

I'm not playing games with them.

And if they are calling me, it can't be for anything good.

There was that article that was saying creditors are selling those accounts before you get to the 341 meeting or are even discharged. I filed Nov 2, the creditors knew, so they sent or sold the account anyway. But they were quick about closing my accounts.

[jp2861]

Most of the time, I don't answer my phone, even when I know who is calling me. I don't like to talk on the phone.

I'm not playing games with them.

And if they are calling me, it can't be for anything good.

There was that article that was saying creditors are selling those accounts before you get to the 341 meeting or are even discharged. I filed Nov 2, the creditors knew, so they sent or sold the account anyway. But they were quick about closing my accounts.

It's quite possible that an account could be sold before the 341, it's all about timing. Most of the time when accounts are sold they're sold in blocks, so it may just have been coincidence.

I don't like the idea of accounts being sold off like what you describe. It just makes it nasty to get everything cleaned up if some shmuck collector has your info and "claims" he was never informed of your BK.

[BKcrazy]

Well, I only got one phone call. My attorney told me not to worry. I'm an overthinker and I worry. But, right now, I'm trying to focus on the paperwork for the trustee.

[chpxiii]

Well, I only got one phone call. My attorney told me not to worry. I'm an overthinker and I worry. But, right now, I'm trying to focus on the paperwork for the trustee.

That's really all you can do. I know that I had gotten to the point where I just HATED to hear the phone ring. I'm STILL skittish and I STILL jump when I hear my phone ring. As many of us here know, it got that bad.

What took my mind off of the creditors calling and harassing was the paperwork. That helped a little. Once I filed and they got notice, then the phone quit ringing and it was nice and peaceful.

[BKcrazy]

Well, about the same time everyday, the mortgage company would be calling my home phone in beginning. Very rarely did they call my cell. Sometimes I would just pick up the phone and hang it up. Usually, I just wouldn't answer. Then it stopped before I filed for the most part. I just thought it odd about getting that random collection call. But, that was the only call I got. I love caller id.