How are we dealing with 'unwelcome' calls these days?

**wotnot** · 03-12-20, 01:07 PM

So I just got a sms from my mum, saying she's being pestered by a debt collection company ringing her phone, trying to get ahold of my younger sister (who has obviously let her lifestyle get ahead of her bottom line). You can't effectively block the calls as they keep using different numbers, so she's reached out to me asking what can she do?...who can she complain to?

Best strategy I've ever come up with, goes like this;

''Only realistic option is to change your phone number ; they're not doing anything illegal, just trying to recover a debt....OR....

This usually works - when they call, start reciting passages from the Bible --- don't actually listen to what they're saying, just pick up the 'good book' and start reading until they hangup.... eventually they'll write you off as a religious nutter, and stop wasting their money.... DO NOT ANSWER AND SAY HELLO OR ANYTHING....just recognize its a number you don't know, pick up and start the verbal sermon~ have fun with this, think drama class.. I'd suggest the Book of John =)''

Results later hopefully ... but here, just wondering if others have any other strategies like this to combat the unblockable unwelcomed call?

**fandtm666** · 03-12-20, 01:48 PM

**snacker** · 03-12-20, 03:42 PM

Just tell the Debt collector to stop calling. your mum is under NO obligation to deal with the debt collector. she can simply say she does not have any contact information, or will pass on the collectors details.. that's it.. She then advise them that if they keep calling she will lodge a formal complaint via the Accc. your mother is well within her rights to stop harassment. once she has either advised them them she has no ability to contact the Debtor or she says she has passed on the contact details, they must stop calling.

IF she really wants to put the boot in ask them how much and who does she owe.. If they disclose that information, they are in breach of the privacy law around debt collection.

Good luck and perhaps the sister needs a lump of coal from Santa this year..For dropping her dear old mum into it

**enf** · 03-12-20, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by snacker

Just tell the Debt collector to stop calling. your mum is under NO obligation to deal with the debt collector. she can simply say she does not have any contact information, or will pass on the collectors details.. that's it.. She then advise them that if they keep calling she will lodge a formal complaint via the Accc. your mother is well within her rights to stop harassment. once she has either advised them them she has no ability to contact the Debtor or she says she has passed on the contact details, they must stop calling.

IF she really wants to put the boot in ask them how much and who does she owe.. If they disclose that information, they are in breach of the privacy law around debt collection.

Good luck and perhaps the sister needs a lump of coal from Santa this year..For dropping her dear old mum into it

All of the above...........

I had a similar experience..I told them that we were estranged and the last time I had heard from her was over a year ago somewhere in Melbourne (in my case as that's where the debt was owed..use somewhere near the debt if you can)...never heard from them again.

Oh yeah....give her the lump of coal too.............

**wotnot** · 03-12-20, 05:55 PM

As it turns out, my sister claims to know nothing about it, so either some scam's afoot -or- her hubby has something to answer for she's unaware of ; time will tell there =)

Not that it worries me none ; I'm only interested in extricating mum from being a filling in somebody else's sandwich...she's 79yo, not about to give them anything wrt her daughter, and every time she's asked them to identify themselves, they don't. You'd need wonder how to track these buggers when they seemingly have this ability to change caller id (or spoof/have a big pool of numbers)...not to worry....it's not as though these buggers matter.

Mum's right now .... she's got everything ready to go, the 'good book' at the ready replete with bookmarks, I reminder her of drama classes at highschool, play the part...when you see the call come in, say nothing or perhaps clear your voice while sticking them on speaker, place the phone down and imagine them sitting in a pew looking adoringly up at you, open the book and start orating at a nice volume....she's actually looking forward to the next call ; like I say to a lot of people, "don't be the victim"

She's happy and looking forward to some impromptu oration, I'm happy 'coz mum's no longer stressed out (and she's a Buddhist living at an Ashram up north, so all good on any religious fervor...I told he she could use other books =)

Observations above are right though ; if she's totally unaware/uninvolved then not sis' fault ; else she better pick up her game a notch ; these ppl could've easily got mum's number from being next of kin contact or any shit like this tho', so it's hard to assign blame.

It's better to turn the tables, and make these callers be the victim of a phony religious nutter scam =)

**VroomVroom** · 04-12-20, 07:34 AM

get your mum to install the Hiya app on her phone , from then on she can either block the calls or if someone else has reported the number it will show who is calling. I would say its a good idea to report them to the ACCC , they need to be taught a lesson in not harassing elderly people. that phone could be her lifeline if she gets crook!

**wotnot** · 04-12-20, 10:58 AM

I'm actually a little staggered all input here is one of considering oneself to be a victim....??...must be an upbringing thing or something...oh well.

The plot seemingly thickens .... I got mum to check through her call log ; she says....at first glance...it appears that some of these calls (that she answered) are marked as outgoing - as if she made the call or the charges were reversed.

If that's the case, I can ramp this up quite a bit higher than the public placebo that is the ay-triple-cee ; time for me to see what size balls her telco has.

@VroomVroom -- valid point wrt a phone being a lifeline, however in this instance it's not the case (due to her residency and a bunch of Monks always at hand =)