I know I've mentioned it here before, but the Evil Twin and I have lived in this house since March 2004. We've had the same phone number for that amount of time also.
Yes, we still have a land line in addition to each having cell phones, but we don't use our cells often, so we have the pay-as-you-go accounts for those. I prefer the sound quality of a land line over cell service anyway.
I digress.
So, we've had the same phone number for years and yet, we routinely get wrong number calls on that line.
It's astounding that YEARS later, we still get calls for the same people. There are three in particular and if I ever find any of the three, I will pimp slap them for not notifying whoever to change their number.
Or, who knows - they may have just "made up" a number (happens to be ours) to apply for credit or mental health help (those are the two places that contact me about these people).
One wrong number person actually asked me if I KNEW the party they were trying to contact.
Oh, how I laughed about that. I said, "Um, ya know, when we moved in here, I called the phone company and they assigned me this number and I said 'okay'. I have no clue who had the number before it was assigned to me or their whereabouts or even who they are."
We have caller ID and an answering machine (chip or whatever). If the companies calling for Virgie, Sandra or Karen get our voice mail (which clearly states our last name), they leave a message, which I must then return the fucking call to let them know it's not the right number.
I mean, let's face it, I don't want them calling all hours of the day and night looking for Virgie, Sandra or Karen when not one of those characters live here. So, if I can set them straight and they remove our number from the database, it saves me at least that one call.
But, there will be more. Oh, don't I know it. Because, apparently, people who try to keep the mentally ill in check and to remind them of their appointments (Virgie) or people who are trying to collect on past due bills (Sandra and Karen)... these people don't give up.
If you call my house and my line is suddenly no longer in operation, you'll know I've had enough and switched to our cell phones. Thanks Virgie, Karen and Sandra! Oh and I can't sign off without mentioning "Pound Puppies". Thanks guys, thanks a lot. Get your own damn number!
pound puppies?
ReplyDeleteI have no land line anymore!
ReplyDeletek - it was called something like that, like a dog rescue type thing and our number was listed for it.
ReplyDeleteInanna - I really do like my land line and if we went to cells only, we'd have to find a different plan. It'd be too expensive for "pay as you go" the way I like to talk on the phone sometimes. LOL.
I had a cell phone # once where people would call and leave all sorts of medical information. I actually changed my incoming message to say quite clearly that this was a personal phone and not a business. Can you believe people still would leave messages? Some actually left their number so I could call them with the correct numbers?! WTF
ReplyDeleteI hate that. I had the same problem before I switched to cell only (although I do have this one guy who wrong numbers me about once a month still.). It took me a year before I could finally make the choice to let the land line go, but it definitely wouldn't be practical for you.
ReplyDeleteYou could always keep a whistle by the phone for a great big "I told you to stop calling me"! ;)
I would stress that if calls continue to come in for these people, the Better Business Bureau will be contacted on the companies calling.
ReplyDeleteYou could always get call screen/dump for your phone. Make the companies jump through hoops to get to you. They'd have to enter their phone number to get put through to your voice mail or phone ringing. If it's a blocked number, the phone goes dead.
One of my friends has it and LOVES it. Sadly, I don't know where she got it or what it's called. If I still had a land line, I would ask her myself.
I was always happy to have the same home and the same phone number for years, until women talked me into fancier places.
ReplyDeleteI don't allow that anymore. I'm here, I'll die here, screw moving up.
My uncle John bought a home when he got married and raised four kids in it and died in it.
It's the only address I have ever remembered. "Grow where you are planted."
Was I supposed to call you this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon? Was Blue Mass tonight or tomorrow? Wait, its at 5, so it must have been tonight. I'm so confused... I'll call you tomorrow, or rather, today.
ReplyDeleteRon - what is wrong with people? LOL.
ReplyDeleteLaura - I know! If we could find a decent plan, maybe, but I still think I'd be unhappy w/o a regular phone. Think, think, think.
BBC - we'll be here until we both keel, that's for sure.
Inanna - I'll talk to you later today. :-)
Theson wants me to get rid of the land line (i've had it for 34 years) and just use the cell. Unfortunately that is not workable, although I have AT&T, I live between two major hills and the signal sucks. I like the quality of the land line.
ReplyDeleteRenn- I need one of them things! :-)
ReplyDeletethemom - We have a decent signal, but I still think the land line has better sound quality.
Had ONLY cell until I couldn't stand the dropped calls here ath the signal wasteland that is the Tiny House.
ReplyDeleteGot a land line.....and love it. The sure-fire signal is something to behold.
That makes me CRAZY! What's better yet? When they get an ATTITUDE because you don't know where Virgie,Sandra, Karen is. Like you are LYING about it.
ReplyDeleteDrives me nuts.
That makes me CRAZY! What's better yet? When they get an ATTITUDE because you don't know where Virgie,Sandra, Karen is. Like you are LYING about it.
ReplyDeleteDrives me nuts.
Sorry. I don't know how that happened...
ReplyDeleteI did forget to mention that we have only had cell phones for about two years now. It has actually saved us quite a bit of moolah...
A woman left a msg. on my home phone once after we moved here. She obviously didn't listen to my outgoing msg. She left a "laundry list" msg. to the public attorney about her case that went on and on, divulging information I'm sure she didn't want anyone else to hear. I returned her call and told her she had left it on my home phone and I was a private number not associated with the public attorney's office, but I thought she'd want to know her mistake so she could call him instead. She had the gall to (in a loud, demanding way) ask me to give her his number. I said I didn't know it. She grumbled something and hung up! The b***h!
ReplyDeleteWe've had this number since 2000. We still get calls for Jerome. We don't know Jerome any more than you know Virgie, Karen, or Sandra. Once when we'd been here for at least five years I got a call from Jerome's aunt. No lie. We had a lovely conversation while I assured her that I have no idea how to contact Jerome, but would love it if she'd let him know that I still get his calls.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder what happened to Jerome that his family doesn't know his number.