When is it harassment?

[indigo_rose99]

I've been getting some strange phone calls at home.

One is an Indian voice, who claims to be in Buffalo, NY.  He says that I have won something, that I filled out a coupon in mid-December.  He uses words like "American Airlines" and "Hilton Hotels."  I have no record or memory of this.  The two prizes are a cruise that sounds short and Caribbean (no, thanks. I can hear the "no flights paid for" on that one.) or a trip to Orlando, Florida (no, thanks).  He always seems to call when I am busy.  So I have told him at least twice to call back later and at least twice to not call back at all.  I've actually told him "Take my name off your list, do not call me back.  I am not interested."  T has told him the exact same thing.  I've said that, and then hung up on him.  He called us back.  Seriously.  "Why did you hang up on me?!" 

T seems of the opinion that if you tell them "no" three times, they are legally required to stop calling and asking.  I've said no (in the last conversation alone) way more than three times.

*grrr*

The other is an automated system.  It always seems to call when I am (a) asleep or (b) 5 minutes from walking out the door.  It claims that it is not trying to sell me anything, but that they must talk with me (by name).  The automated system claims that if I stay on the phone, an operator will pick up the phone and explain.  I've waited as long as 20 minutes, but no one ever picked up.    It seems to call every day.  It seems to have called at least once every business day for the last two (perhaps three) weeks.  I have never managed to speak to a human to tell them to stop calling, nor gotten an explanation for why they are calling.

Comments

[ovrclokd.livejournal.com]

there are definitely rules for people calling you when you've asked them to stop. it sounds like he's breaking them. next time he calls, you could get enough business info to find out where he's based, and then point him at those regulations and tell him you'll file a complaint with the FCC and with his local better business bureau if he calls again. (altho it sounds like he's slimy enough that it might not deter him...)

for the automated system, is there any way you can get its phone number? i've killed a couple of those by snagging their calling number off my caller-id, googling for it, and then calling the company responsible. i also have incoming calls blocked if the number isn't available by caller-ID - if they don't want to tell me who they are, i'm not willing to let them make noise in my house, period.

other options: see if your phone company offers any features to block calls from individual phone numbers? or get a house phone with caller-ID display and just ignore them?

[indigo-rose99.livejournal.com]

Finally got the automated caller. Something called "RMS - Receivables Management Solutions". According to Google, it is a debt collection agency. I called them back and... it is not me they want. Not me, not my name. But similar enough that slurring or a machine makes it sound like my name.