My friend had his home phone disconnected to avoid all the calls from bill collectors and got a cell phone not in his name.Well today guess what! he started getting calls from bill collectors.How in gods name did they get his cell phone number when he did not give his number out to anyone yet.Whats amazing is he only stopped paying on his credit cards about 6 months ago and already his accounts were sent to collection agents.I read on here where people did not pay on their credit cards for years before they started getting calls from collectors.One bill collector left a voice mail that said if this is not dan z. please to not listen to this message then the guy goes on to say this is so and so from nco collection calling about a debt you have with us.This is in violation of the fdca laws.Any comments?
If the cell phone was not in his name, did he provide it to any other creditors who report to CRAs? "One bill collector left a voice mail that said if this is not dan z. please to not listen to this message then the guy goes on to say this is so and so from nco collection calling about a debt you have with us." If it wasn't his phone, it would have been a violation, but it is not clear how he would have found out about it unless the party receiving it knew him. Even though technically he got the phone under a different name, he was the one answering it, so how far could he push the matter? It does, however, imply that they might leave messages about his debts on voicemail that might result in disclosure to others. NCO is reported to use messages like the above.
Also, if he used that # to call a creditor's 1-800 #, or any other 1-800 # for an account, that # is typically placed in the consumer's account. Unfortunately for them, it is a violation anyhow... 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. The difference between collect telephone calls, and cell phones are major. Unlike a collect call, the consumer doesn't have the option of hanging up the phone without being billed for the call, and in most cases they're billed for the call even if the phone call isn't answered, and is directed to voice mail. Unless the caller ID would specifically state that the call is from a collection agency, by name and not just their number; they are concealing the collection purposes of the communications. Some CAs even are dumb enough to admit that they knew they were calling a cell phone number.
