wrong #'s . . . .

[gardenmom5]

you'd think people would take your word for it when you tell them they dialed THE. WRONG. NUMBER!

I rarely give out my cell # - so it had to have been a misdial.

 

oh no I got the nutcase.  she initially wouldn't even say whom she was calling for.  just acted insulted I didn't know she was calling her son - Michael. "this is your mother".

I told her three times she called the wrong number before hanging up, with her getting more angry each time.  makes me wonder if her son is avoiding her.  (can't say as I blame him if he is.)

 

afterwards I thought how I could have gone on about how my mother is dead and I was there when she was removed from life support . . . . . . (so it this prank of hers is cruel to make me think it is my mother calling me from the dead. . . . )

and btw:   my name is NOT micheal.

[twoxcell]

Ugh, I have had that happen before. One person called me like 3 times in a row before they got the picture. They kept saying but they gave me this number. lol

[Mrs Mungo]

I was once a call from a guy asking for a girl. We'll call her Tiffany. This is how the succession of calls went:

 

Me: Hello?

Guy: Hey, is Tiffany there?

Me: Sorry, you have the wrong number.

Guy: Okay, sorry.

 

Me: Hello?

Guy: Hey, is Tiffany there?

Me: Still the wrong number.

Guy: Oh, bye.

 

Me: Hello?

Guy: Hey, is Tiffany there, this is Guy.

Me: Dude, she gave you a fake number. I'm a stay at home mom with 3 little kids. This is not Tiffany's number. If she had wanted to go out with you, then she would have given you her real number.

Guy: Oh, man, that's harsh.

[justasque]

 

My approach:

"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number, there's no one here by that name. What number were you trying to dial?"

 

Then, if they tell me the number, I can help them decide whether the number is right or not:

 

"That's this number, but there's no one here by that name. I'm sorry."

vs.

"That's not this number - I think you dialed it wrong - you might want to try again. Good luck!"

 

Seriously cuts down on repeat calls, and helps the person decide how to proceed.

[Kjsotr]

I had a heart breaking message on my answering machine about how she was sorry that she had lost touch with her dad and would he please call her. Talked about forgiving him for whatever it was. She didn't leave a number and it was before the days of caller ID, so I didn't have a way to tell her she had the wrong number.

[school17777]

Several years ago, I got a phone call from some lady demanding to know why I was calling her husband.  I said I didn't call her husband.  A few minutes later, her husband called and wanted to know why I called him.  I told him I didn't call him.  I think I got another call from one of them demanding to know why I had called her husband.  I told them once again, that I never called the husband.  They said my number showed up on their caller id at such and such time.  I know for a fact I did not dial their number.  They wanted to know where my kids went to school, maybe figuring my kids pranked them or something.  They were in our school district, but at the time, my kids were young and homeschooled.  It was a snow day and they were outside playing in the snow all day and at the time the couple said we called.  I was the only one in the house and I know I didn't call.  Why my # showed up on their caller id, I have no idea.  Why it was such a big deal that my # showed up on their caller id, I have no idea.  I am guessing the wife didn't have much trust in her husband.

[school17777]

Several years ago, I got a phone call from some lady demanding to know why I was calling her husband.  I said I didn't call her husband.  A few minutes later, her husband called and wanted to know why I called him.  I told him I didn't call him.  I think I got another call from one of them demanding to know why I had called her husband.  I told them once again, that I never called the husband.  They said my number showed up on their caller id at such and such time.  I know for a fact I did not dial their number.  They wanted to know where my kids went to school, maybe figuring my kids pranked them or something.  They were in our school district, but at the time, my kids were young and homeschooled.  It was a snow day and they were outside playing in the snow all day and at the time the couple said we called.  I was the only one in the house and I know I didn't call.  Why my # showed up on their caller id, I have no idea.  Why it was such a big deal that my # showed up on their caller id, I have no idea.  I am guessing the wife didn't have much trust in her husband.

[zoobie]

DH kept getting wrong number texts from a guy who was trying to reach "Princess." He didn't believe it was the wrong number and thought Princess was just playing with him. He'd text periodically, looking for a booty call when he was in town. One day, after this had gone on for about 6 mos, he asked for a picture. DH had just had toe surgery and sent a picture of his feet. Never heard from the dude again.

[weddell]

Just a couple weeks ago I kept getting texts with a name and local address from someone I didn't know. After a couple in one day, I texted back and said "you have the wrong number". She/he texted me back and asked "So what's the right number?" I didn't respond, but I was thinking "how would I know what number you are trying to reach??"

[KidsHappen]

I once had the phone company call every single business day (same person) for a year asking for Mrs. ___ ___. They were trying to collect payment. Of course, I wasn't Mrs. whomever. She had that phone number before we did. They even complained that they had sent bills and letters which I failed to return marked that that person was not at this address. I explained that I wasn't the person that they were trying to reach nor did I live at her old address. I asked them to check the number and see that it was not longer held by that person nor was it at the address they had listed and they told me that they couldn't do that because they were in collections and didn't have access to that information.   :confused: I went through the supervisor and manager and still couldn't get them to stop calling. We even tried to report them for harassment and we get an injuntion against them but was told we could not because we weren't the people that they were trying to get ahold of. Finally we just set our answering machine to pick up after the first ring and turned it to mute so we didn't have to hear the calls and then I would delete them at night. It was one of the strangest customer relations experiences I ever had.  

[Stratford]

I got wrong # phone calls for SIX YEARS for a lady named Gina.  Gina gave my cell phone number to her employers and they called all.the.time.  Gina was a terrible employee.  She worked at a nursing home and was frequently late and sometimes she didn't show up at all.  We got lots of calls at midnight, asking where Gina was for her 11pm shift.  That was really obnoxious.  

 

We tried for years (did I mention it took SIX YEARS?) to get her employer to change her phone number.  She never did.  I'm not sure why they continued to call, since every single conversation included the fact that one, this wasn't Gina's number, and two, I had no idea who Gina was.  I spoke with their nursing supervisor, I had cease and desist papers sent by an attorney friend of mine....nothing worked.  I suggested that maybe they should fire Gina.  She really seemed like a lousy employee.

 

Finally, after six years, we moved and got a new cell phone number.  Bye-bye Gina!  The kids still ask about her from time to time.  

[Matryoshka]

I had this happen recently.  This company kept calling for some couple - let's call them Joe and Darla.  I kept telling them this was the wrong number; that no one by either of those names lived here.  They said "are you in X town"?  I said no.  They kept calling back   But often from different numbers - I think it was a bunch of reps working on the same database.  I think it really confused them when they'd ask for Darla and I'd say "Darla doesn't live here and neither does Joe."  Then I'd add "You have called me a number of times.  The number in your database is wrong.  Please delete the number from the database!! Do not call me back, they will not magically appear here if you keep dialing the same number".  I did block one of the numbers that called more than once.  They must have finally deleted the number - I got less and less polite about it. ;)

 

Slightly different, but our number is one digit off from a large hotel in town.  I just tell them "you want the hotel?  Dial XX00.  You're one number off."  I do get tempted to give silly answers like "Room 325 please?" "We only have 10 rooms here."  Or make a fake reservation.  But I have successfully suppressed the urge. ;)

[tori@thehomefront]

Once, when we moved, the phone co. gave us the # that had previously been the ambulance service. A lady called once in the middle of the night saying she had cut herself and needed help. I Told her to call the police. Sheesh...

 

And over the last two years, I keep getting texts from a stranger. They're always elaborate plans he or she is making with someone, so I text back that they have the wrong number. Then they ask if I'm sure it's the wrong number. Then nothing for a month or two, until they text again, and are surprised that I'm not their pal. For two years. Crazy...

[mmeblue]

There is another person in this city with the same first and last name as me, and she does not pay her bills.  Since we dropped our land line and went to cell phones only a few years ago, I haven't gotten calls for her...but man, was it annoying for a while.  We have different middle initials, and I got soooo tired of collections callers asking for Amanda L. Lastname when I'm Amanda S. Lastname, and refusing to believe me when I said that while I was Amanda Lastname, my middle initial is not and never has been L.  I even had difficulty getting a library card because, evidently, the other Amanda Lastname was as good at returning books as she was at paying bills.

[Hypatia.]

I used to get a ton of wrong numbers when I first changed my cell phone number after moving to this state.

 

"Hi Professor so-n-so, this is Joe, I'm *fake coughing* sick so I won't be able to make the exam today..."

 

My favorites:

"Hi Bob, this is Ted, letting you know that we'll be in your apartment next week for maintenance.  We're planning on such-n-such day & time."

"Hi Bob, Ted again, just reminding you we'll be there tomorrow afternoon."

"Bob, this is Ted... we need to speak about some items that were present in your apartment..."

[mommymilkies]

I've had my new phone number since late summer and EVERY day I get calls for some idiot named Elise who gets calls from collections and lawyers and every other thing.  It's so freaking annoying.  They just don't understand that I am NOT her. 

 

A few months ago, dh kept getting giggly inappropriate calls and texts from some youngish girls looking for some guy with a different name (forget now what it was).  They didn't understand that it wasn't him.  Finally he told them that he's going to talk to their parents and they freaked out and apologized and didn't call/text back. 

[happi duck]

Around here we have many area codes and that is often the culprit. If someone keeps calling we suggest trying another area code.

[Cinder]

I've had my new phone number since late summer and EVERY day I get calls for some idiot named Elise who gets calls from collections and lawyers and every other thing.  It's so freaking annoying.  They just don't understand that I am NOT her. 

 

I get collections calls all the time on my cell phone. I've had this number for at least 15 years and the calls started intermittently about 10 years ago. I don't answer them but one time I had dh did and "they" were looking for Cathy. He told them there was no Cathy at that number and the calls stopped for a couple years. Then they started up again. Curse you Cathy! :glare:

[Forget-Me-Not]

I think the phone companies must recycle numbers too quickly. When we first moved into our current home, we'd get collection calls for someone too. I can't remember the name, but it wasn't anyone I knew or had ever heard of. I had one collector ask me for all kinds of personal info (which he did not get) in order to "prove" I wasn't the person in question. Luckily the calls stopped quickly.

 

I've gotten a some collection calls on my cellphone # which I've had for ten years, but those are mostly 800 numbers and some Googling revealed they were probably scams. I was so happy when the blocking feature was added to iOS.

[DawnM]

I had a wrong text one time.  Some woman named Linda who had had a one night stand.  She was apologizing for telling him to leave so quickly.  I texted back repeatedly that she had the wrong number.

 

She kept saying, "Oh, so THAT is how you play?  You stupid, cold (fill in words I won't type)"

 

I texted back and told her I was a WOMAN and that she really did have the wrong number.  She would NOT believe me.

 

I had to laugh.  

[Amira]

We've been lucky to not get too many wrong numbers in the US, especially since we switch phone numbers often. When I was growing up, we often could tell people the correct number when they accidentally dialed us. They usually were trying to get a family we knew who lived nearby, or a window business.

 

But I hate wrong numbers overseas and they happen all the time. We always get more wrong numbers than right ones, both here and in Kyrgyzstan, and everyone always wants to discuss it when I tell them they have the wrong number. Since I hate speaking in another language on the phone (I cannot speak another language without nonverbal clues), it's even worse. I've never liked answering machines, but we finally got one here so we can filter out the wrong numbers. I love it.

[gardenmom5]

what usually causes trouble is they look up a name, and think it's me.  (my former gyn has someone with the same first and last name, resided in different town.)  I've had several different people calling for someone with my name - but who formerly lived in OR.  (never lived there.)  this was my landline - which I've had for 25 years.

 

one time I had them calling three nights in a row - after 10:30 pm, multiple times each time.  they always state this was the # the phone company gave them.  (I don't care, it's wrong.  that's not me.)  I started asking the woman why she kept calling when I had repeatedly told her I wasn't who she was calling.   I'm wondering if that one was a collection call. 

[fraidycat]

This reminds me of a wrong number call that we got repeatedly when I still lived at home. The caller was quite old, if her voice was any indication. She called daily for months, asking for Mary or something like that. She would NOT accept the fact that she had the wrong number and kept trying day after day. We finally told her Mary died to get the calls to stop.

[Butter]

My best friend was telling me the other day that when her younger brother, Bobby Larsen, was about 7, they'd get multiple daily calls from teenage girls for "Bobby Larsen."  This was back in the phonebook days so I guess the girls were trying all the Larsens.  Apparently the Bobby Larsen they wanted was a very attractive teenage boy given the number of girls who regularly called.  Eventually their mom started calling little Bobby to the phone and as soon as he, with his little 7 year old voice, said hello the girls would hang up.

 

My parents have the same phone number my grandparents had when my mom was a girl.  We're talking a telephone number belonging to the family over 60 years now.  It is one digit off from a Pizza Hut Delivery that opened about 15 or 20 years ago.  They get LOTS of calls for Pizza Hut, especially after the few times Pizza Hut printed my *parents'* number in ads instead of their own.  My mom is always nice and tells them the correct number.  My dad always threatens to take orders.

 

My daughter got a strange wrong number on her cell phone the other day.  A message was left on her phone while she was at school from an HR person saying so and so had given them this number for her previous supervisor and they wanted a reference because so and so had applied for a nursing assistant job.  Not long after the message was left she got a text message from so and so saying she gave this number (clearly thinking it was her friend) and would she please play along pretending to be her former supervisor and give a good reference.  My daughter texted back saying it was the wrong number.  So and so responded saying "Uh-oh!"  Guess she didn't get that job.

 

My dad's first name begins with L.  In the phone book he is listed as L. ClearlyMaleMiddleName LastName.  For a while they were getting several calls a day for "Lillian LastName" from collections agencies.  They were looking in the phone book and saw the L (Lillian was not listed).  We'd ask about the clearly male middle name and they never really had an answer.  My mom eventually started telling them Lillian LastName died (which is true - that was my great-grandmother's name - she died in the early 90s long before these calls started so they weren't trying to reach her).  After 3 or 4 years the calls stopped.  It's HARD to get collections calls to stop!

[MollyAnn]

I had a texting war with some teen age girl. Apparently the guy she had met the night before had given my number out and she would not believe me that she had the wrong number.

Accused me of being the guy's girlfriend and trying to keep her from him, begged me to stop joking around and let her know what time I would be picking her up, told me all kinds of nasty things she would do to if I would just pick her up and take her to the club. At that point I called her and told her to have some self respect and realize that she had been given the wrong number. She again accused me of being the girlfriend and yelled at me to stop interfering with her relationship. She was screaming at me so I hung up on her. She texted the next day and I had DH call her and lecture her. Never heard from her again.

[ThisIsTheDay]

A PP reminded me of my wrong # story. 

 

Our pastor called dh, looking up our number in the phone book. He knew we lived out of the city, and he knew our number had a historically significant year in it.  He thought he found us (not a common name), dialed the number and began talking to whom he thought was me.  The woman was very short, telling him she would not be coming to church that night, she didn't know if her husband was going, or even where he was. They conversed for several minutes, with the pastor trying to calm her down and find out if he would see her husband.

 

It wasn't until after he hung up that he began to wonder about the number (but, hey, it xxx-1776!).

 

We showed up at church that night, totally oblivious.  He had been quite concerned about the state of our marriage. :lol:  

 

And my phone number has a different last four numbers, but famous all the same.  ;)

[Grover]

I had a number that was two digits reversed for a restaurant - so xxxx12 and xxxx21.  Mostly I just gave them the right number but once there was a message left on my (clearly not a business) answer phone from a lady desperate to get a booking in for that night but unable to call back after 12 when they opened.  I was feeling nice and not doing anything else urgent so I called them and made the reservation for her.  I always wondered if she ever realised I saved her that day.

 

I also had a texting issue with someone who thought I was someone else.  When I replied and said they had the wrong number they quickly went from annoyed to death threats.  At that point I contacted the phone company and the calls stopped.