If you're like me, then you hate the collection calls. Because I work the midnight shift, I absolutely hate the collection calls I get during the day. Sometimes when you answer, and you are completely honest with them (such as you don't have ANY money to give to them), they might stop calling you for a couple weeks. But most collection agencies are royal buttholes who will call you five to ten times a day. When you have a couple of debt collectors calling you everyday, this gets really irritating.
There are a lot of options when dealing with creditor phone calls. After trying various methods, I found the following the best way to get some silence back into your life. This costs a little bit of money, but if you do it correctly, the calls should stop until you screw up and disclose your new phone number.
Basically what you need to do is get rid of your current phone number, or have your current phone number ported to a virtual phone service such as Google Voice. Because of all the prepaid phone options that exist, this is relatively easy. You can cancel your current service, purchase a new prepaid phone, and instantly get a new number. This give you a clean slate, because for the most part, the only people that will know your phone number are the people that you inform.
Google Voice is an amazing product because it basically gives anyone the ability to have a free virtual phone number. What this means is, you are given a phone number and a mailbox. You don't need to install any software if you don't want to. Then whenever someone calls you, it takes the caller to voice mail. Then, Google Voice will send the email account associated with it an email with a transcription of the message.
Now this is what you need to know about Google Voice. For around $10, they will port your existing number to their Google Voice service. This means that, if all of your creditors are calling a specific number, you can have them all be leaving you voicemails on Google Voice, and your primary phone will never ring. This is also helpful if you forget to tell some specific people your new phone number, and don't want to lose track of anyone.
Should You Get A New Number And Give Up / Or Port Your Existing Number?
Getting rid of your phone number sends a red flag to the creditors. As soon as your creditors realize that the number is defunct, they are going to start searching for a new number. They expect you not to answer, but when they find out you changed your number, the hunt for your new number is on.
Porting your existing number to Google Voice pretty much sends a big "F You" to the creditors. The number still exists, and the creditors can still leave you stupid voice mails. They still think they have a valid phone number for you, and think they are bothering you, but in reality, they aren't doing anything to you.
So basically, the whole idea is summed up as.
1. Port your existing number to Google Voice or cancel your current service.
2. Get new phone number and share with friends.
3. Enjoy peace and quiet until you screw up.
How Will I Screw Up?
Months may pass, but eventually the creditors or collection agencies will find your new phone number. If you give out your new phone number to anyone other than friends or family, chances are they are going to find it. Use your Google Voice number for all business related items, unless its absolutely necessary for you to be contacted. Just remember, we live in such a great place where everyone shares everything they have. That means, once you tell that department store your new phone number (For coupons, of course!) it will end up in a database that will eventually be searched over by your creditors / collection agencies.
I had a phone number for six months that only two people knew. Then one day I disclosed that number in JCPenney's optical department so that they could call me when my glasses were ready. Within one month, a collection agency had found that number and was calling me ten times a day.
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