Looking for recordings to play to collectors
I’m TRYING to work on a court filing and CONTINUALLY the phone rings. It’s probably WaMu, some 800 number from a collection department.
On 6/30 I talked with WaMu rep Goodwin for 1.5 hours. I started a posting on this call, but haven’t had time yet to finish it.
The original creditor can harass me all they want since I live in Arizona and there is no law protecting me. They figure if they make it impossible for me to work, I’ll set up a payment arrangement.
I’ve notified them in writing that I won’t pay and I advised them on the phone to PLEASE sue me (I’d really like to conduct discovery), but to let me do my work and stop calling me.
Their auto dialers just won’t quit until I talk to them.
And I’m done explaining myself over and over and over.
A few days ago I got so pissed off, I called that woman every swear word I know. Unfortunately, I only know a few 4 letter words, but they actually didn’t call for a day.
Since being polite and reasonable doesn’t work, I just had the idea to get some recordings to play to them. It would be great to have a library for people to select recordings to play to them. I hate being abusive, but having to talk to these idiots is too aggravating.
The recordings could be educational or just plain mean.
It would be cool to have a variety of recordings. I once had a neighbor who loved to “rip you a new asshole.” Her tirades would have been PERFECT. Seems like there should be some good rants on youtube or one could also use excerpts from movies. Please post or email links.
Of course it would be coolest to have some recordings about collections, with lots of pauses, so they start talking and maybe don’t even realize that it’s a recording. That could be very funny.
Any other ideas? Let me know. And next time you get angry and/or creative, let it all out and post or send me the recording.
Posted by Christine on 07/11/2008 at 10:06 AM
Credit - Collection - Economic News • (7) Comments • Permalink
I went to Fry’s and bought a voice modem for my PC so it could talk to the phone line and use caller id. You plug the modem into the wall and then plug your phone into the modem.
Then, I bought Identifone Pro to block callers I specify. When a normal call comes in, all it does is log the call and the combination phone/answering machine gets it. If it’s marked as blocked, it picks up the phone line, plays a reject wave file, and hangs up. This file has the three tones to signal auto-dialers that they’ve reached an disconnected number and to remove the number as inactive. But you can specify any wave file you want and it will play it to the caller.
When calls come in and get identified as ones you don’t want to hear from again, you just right click, open a new phonebook entry, click Block Caller, and click Update. It also will import and export the phonebook from a csv file, so you can easily create the list from something like Excel if you already have a list of numbers.
It has an option to block calls that come up Unknown Name, and it has a file where you can specify ranges of numbers. Right now my file contains these:
KJC
KJC VENTURES
AACC
OCWEN FINANCE
UNKNOWN NAME
2818958600,2818958999
3619923033,3619923070
4077375000,4077375500
This setup works very well. If someone calls that is blocked, you will hear only one ring before the computer picks it up. So you know when to just ignore the ring or pick up the phone.
Thanks much, that is GREAT!
I just looked up http://www.identafone.com/ and it’s $35, well worth it to be able to BLOCK those calls.
I don’t even know what my built in modem is and next week I’ll have more time and do some testing.
It’s Saturday, 8:18 AM and WaMu just called the 2nd time from 866-619-5494.
Many agendas here.
I just looked at identaphone.com yesterday. I have vista on two computers and NT (um, the OS before Vista) Can’t remember the trade name.
I have been getting hundreds of calls. I don’t speak to anyone right now, except an outburst yesteday to NOT call me.
Then I said that I got credit calls her all the time and the person used to have my number.
Then another call. I screamed do not call me! Seconds later, the woman called my Cell phone. I said, she’s not around and I don’t expect her to take calls, send it in writing, ‘she said’.
I opened the day’s mail - mail from First National of Omaha, and found that They lowered my available money due to length of time with the card (3 years at my estimation - it was a balance transfer for 3.99% for the life of the balance), lack of activity on my transaction list to exclude paying bills, and not using the credit line. At 3.99%. I wonder if I should pay this?
But then I see a fee for late - 35. A fee for rejected transaction - a payoff from another credit line? I don’t think so. I have so many creditors it will take me a while to see which would be the one and see if it’s even true. I doubt I’d be paying off this one with a rate lower than the one I have.
9 grand. NO.
It sounds like I need software and hardware. Was thinking about contacting Radio shack for the hardware.
Have you seen my posts on recording?
http://fight-back.us/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=96
There are LOTS of options and it really depends on YOUR setup, how many phones in your house and where you answer and how technically inclined you are. I still use the recording software TRX because I’ve always had a hard time getting recordings transferred on the computer. It’s so convenient to have it on the computer right away.
Re. cell phone calls
Prerecords and auto dialed calls to a cell phones are illegal unless you gave express permission according to the TCPA.
Just about all creditors and collectors use dialing software.
In your case, I’d notify them in writing not to call and especially not to call the cell phones (list the cell #) along with the general dispute similar to Target:
I hope to update soon with an “enhanced” dispute to Household.
Leckler v. CashCall - 5/20/08 N. Cal. ORDER prerecorded / auto dialed calls to cell violate TCPA
Judge Illston OVERRULED the scum at the FCC, who tried to accomodate the ACA (collectors association).
“… Thus, any call to a cell phone number using an autodialer or a prerecorded message is prohibited by the TCPA, regardless of the purpose of the call or the existence of a business relationship between the caller and the called party, unless the called party has given its “prior express consent. ...”
If it’s a collector calling, you also get the FDCPA violations since you have to pay for the cost of the call.
Since you subscribe to CreditFactors, search the LITIGATION knowledgebase for “TCPA” and you’ll get the 12-page order with LOTS of great info on the TCPA.
You’re looking at $500 statutory damages and treble damages for willful violations for EACH call violating the TCPA. The SOL for TCPA violations is 4 years and you don’t have to rush to sue as with FCRA and FDCPA violations. Even if you don’t want to sue, those violations make for great counter claims if a creditor sues you.
The TCPA is MUCH more powerful than the FDCPA with damages limited to $1,000. I’ve seen judgments for MANY thousands of dollars because EACH violation comes with the MINIMUM $500 statutory damages.
Can’t comment on the balance transfer issue. You really need to make a list (Excel works good) of all accounts with the creditor name, limit, balance, interest rate and date opened. Then I can give you an idea of which accounts to pay.
It will help your FICO scores tremendously for MANY YEARS (as long as the account is open + 10 years) if you keep at least one old account current.
Christine, how about something simple (and funny), you’ll love this ... if you look around online, you’ll find a ringtone of the freecreditreport.com jingle (the one where the dude is getting laughed at in his dumpy little car). Plug that puppy into your system! LOL
Another thought I just had, was to get a toll-free number at Kall8 ... either you can change your number with all these people (GOOD LUCK) or you could forward your calls to your toll-free number.
Why?
(1) Digital voicemail—they will email all your voicemails to you. VERY nice feature.
(2) You can set up a menu system for callers, so depending on the option they choose, they are told something different.
(3) You can block specific numbers too. You have the option of what they hear: a busy signal, a “this number not available” message, etc.
(4) You can also set up custom routing for specific incoming calls.
Of course they have Caller ID and all that good stuff as well. It’s $2/month and some-odd cents per minute after that.
This is NOT an ad for their service… rather I have used it for years, and I have set it up so the calls ring through to my cell phone—IF I feel like it. And a lot of days I don’t 
so they go to voicemail, and I listen to the voicemails in my email when I get to it. (Depending on who it is) The cost is very low, and it’s a very flexible and useful service for screening and routing calls around.
Oh and supposedly, you can have folks fax you at your number there too 
so it’s a built-in digital fax machine as well.
Karin, thanks so much for all the info. I’ve been using and recommending the free k7.net virtual numbers for fax/VM for many years. It really sucks that I can’t CONVERT the K7 # to Kall8.
My problem now is that I’d have to forward all the calls from my landline to Kall8 and then I’d have no way to actually talk to anyone. But this is definitely THE way to go for people who can just change their number before they become delinquent.
I’ve briefly looked into VOIP services, seems there’s concern with privacy, especially with Skype, another Ebay owned service.
It would be perfect if I got a new # that I could actually answer, noticed that several VOIP services offer options to RECORD the calls too.
Of course those services are not free, so I’ll be doing some research and maybe try a few.
Appreciate any reviews!
