Jimmy No Live Here

[Jaybird180]

After nearly 5 years in our "new" home, we still receive mail and phonecalls intended for someone else.

Mostly the mail is just an annoyance, except occasionally we get one from the State or County Revenue Service in the name of a former occupant, who moved a few miles away. I've written letters and called asking them to complete all change of addresses. It still hasn't stopped.

Our phone number was recycled (aren't they all) and we still receive unwanted solicitation calls and personal calls for the previous holder of the number. We are listed on the National Do Not Call registry.

Wondering...is there another strategy or is this a long-term campaign?

 

[Ghery]

Beats me. I still get advertising mail for a business that a previous owner must have run out of the house at one time. And we've owned the place for a touch over 18 years. I just toss them in the paper recycling bin under the desk.

 

[Mason]

Get an answering machine or turn on voice mail, and screen your calls. Ignore the bothersome ones.

I was getting collection calls from some outfit looking for someone I have never heard of who has never lived at my address, until I finally told them I was reporting them to the attorney general and federal trade commission.

 

[JOhnH]

I used to get a lot of that, but they died out over time.
There was one particular business that kept sending mail even though I always returned it with the fact that the former occupant was deceased.
Finally, I just held onto all of it, including junk mail, regardless of who it was from, then when I had about 10 pounds of it I stuffed it into a box and paid the postage to return ALL of it to that worst offender, with big red letters on the outside of the box saying "deceased, please cease sending mail" and a letter on the inside explaining my previous efforts. I got a phone call with an apology and no further mail from that company.

After nearly 5 years in our "new" home, we still receive mail and phonecalls intended for someone else.

Mostly the mail is just an annoyance, except occasionally we get one from the State or County Revenue Service in the name of a former occupant, who moved a few miles away. I've written letters and called asking them to complete all change of addresses. It still hasn't stopped.

Our phone number was recycled (aren't they all) and we still receive unwanted solicitation calls and personal calls for the previous holder of the number. We are listed on the National Do Not Call registry.

Wondering...is there another strategy or is this a long-term campaign?

 

[Sac Arrow]

Back in my apartment days, I got lots of visits from bill collectors looking for former tenants.

 

[Jaybird180]

I used to get a lot of that, but they died out over time.
There was one particular business that kept sending mail even though I always returned it with the fact that the former occupant was deceased.
Finally, I just held onto all of it, including junk mail, regardless of who it was from, then when I had about 10 pounds of it I stuffed it into a box and paid the postage to return ALL of it to that worst offender, with big red letters on the outside of the box saying "deceased, please cease sending mail" and a letter on the inside explaining my previous efforts. I got a phone call with an apology and no further mail from that company.

Very clever solutions you employ sir.

 

[steingar]

Been in the Steinholme for a decade and a half and we still get mail for someone two owners ago.

 

[Hawker800]

You can register with USPS online and put in a change of address for this individual only. A lot of people are dumping their landline which solves that problem.

 

[Old Geek]

First owner house in a new neighborhood. After all, if we fly an airplane we must be rich.

 

[geneseib]

After nearly 5 years in our "new" home, we still receive mail and phonecalls intended for someone else.

We are listed on the National Do Not Call registry.

Wondering...is there another strategy or is this a long-term campaign?

People will continue to dig up outdated numbers. Once it's in the system it never goes away. After 6 years, we still get calls for the former user of our number. What's even more interesting is we get calls for the former resident of our home, even though he never had our phone number. Apparently someone is looking up the address to get a phone number.

 

[DJTorrente]

If the solicitations come with postage-paid response envelopes, take all of their crap, tear it in half, stuff it in that envelope, and let them pay to have it mailed back to them. The only thing they understand is bottom-line impact. It would require collective action for the impact to be palpable, but still.

Besides, funding the postal service (which basically lives on junk mail these days) keeps my brother-in-law gainfully employed.

 

[Jaybird180]

I would consider it a win if I could stop the robo-calls.

 

[airguy]

If the solicitations come with postage-paid response envelopes, take all of their crap, tear it in half, stuff it in that envelope, and let them pay to have it mailed back to them. The only thing they understand is bottom-line impact. It would require collective action for the impact to be palpable, but still.

Besides, funding the postal service (which basically lives on junk mail these days) keeps my brother-in-law gainfully employed.

This is my favorite routine. I figure all that pretty glossy paper must be worth something, they took the time to print it and send it to me, the least I can do is send it back...

 

[FredFenster]

First owner house in a new neighborhood. After all, if we fly an airplane we must be rich.

Then you get the opposite problem. You order something online and the address verification won't let you complete the order because according to their system your street and/or house number doesn't exist.

 

[SomeTexan]

If the solicitations come with postage-paid response envelopes, take all of their crap, tear it in half, stuff it in that envelope, and let them pay to have it mailed back to them. The only thing they understand is bottom-line impact. It would require collective action for the impact to be palpable, but still.

Besides, funding the postal service (which basically lives on junk mail these days) keeps my brother-in-law gainfully employed.

You can tape the pre paid return envelope to a box weighing up to about 70lbs. Once they have paid to have your trash shipped to them a few times, they will take you off their lists. I've done this a couple times, always fun.

 

[deftone]

Then you get the opposite problem. You order something online and the address verification won't let you complete the order because according to their system your street and/or house number doesn't exist.

I sometimes get this and my house was built in 1999!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[denverpilot]

Still getting registered mail for the owners of our house over 8 years ago and their photo radar tickets, which would indicate that the State is allowing them to renew their car plates at our address.

 

[Hank S]

Still getting registered mail for the owners of our house over 8 years ago and their photo radar tickets, which would indicate that the State is allowing them to renew their car plates at our address.

Write "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS" in large red marker and send it back. They'll figure it out.

 

[Hank S]

You can tape the pre paid return envelope to a box weighing up to about 70lbs. Once they have paid to have your trash shipped to them a few times, they will take you off their lists. I've done this a couple times, always fun.

I LIKE this idea!! I normally just stuff them with whatever other junk mail I don't want, but make sure to not send anything with my name, address, bar code or "acceptance number" and duct tape them closed as necessary. Don't magazine publishers in Iowa care what pizza costs in Alabama? And don't they need cheap life insurance at low, low monthly fees per unit?

 

[SomeTexan]

I LIKE this idea!! I normally just stuff them with whatever other junk mail I don't want, but make sure to not send anything with my name, address, bar code or "acceptance number" and duct tape them closed as necessary. Don't magazine publishers in Iowa care what pizza costs in Alabama? And don't they need cheap life insurance at low, low monthly fees per unit?

I found it to be a good way to take care of the dog crap in my yard. A Neo Mastiff and a pit bull excrete quite a bit.

 

[RJM62]

When I was a kid, we had this rather involved prank call we'd do on occasion.

We would pick a number, usually at random, and ask for Stanley. The person would reply that it was a wrong number and that there was no Stanley there. Then we would repeat the call, several times a day, for weeks at a time, until the person became totally exasperated.

At that point, when the person was fit to be tied, we'd wait an hour or two, and then call back and say, "Hi, this is Stanley. Any messages?"

Rich

 

[PW_Plack]

When I get collection robo-calls for other people on the phone number I've had for many years, I suspect people have submitted fraudulent loan applications with phone numbers picked at random, and have run up bills they never intended to pay.

 

[ateamer]

My first roommate's apartment phone number had been assigned to a produce distributor five or six years before he got the number. Every now and then, a restaurant would call, he'd explain that the produce company had gone out of business and that was that.

One afternoon, the phone rang. Restaurant assistant manager calling the produce company. Roommate explained they were out of business, yada yada yada. Less than two minutes later, the phone rang and he answered using the produce company name. Yep, same restaruant manager. He'd run into a problem with their current supplier and wanted to place a large order to be delievered for the next day. Roommate happily told him it would be delivered by 6:00 AM and they'd call later to arrange billing.

The guy never called again.

 

[N747JB]

We added direct lines in addition to our switchboard about 10-12 years ago. I am real sure who Donna is, but I can tell you she her old phone number is the same as my office line and she never paid anyone!
I bet I've had 500 calls over the last 10+ years from collection agencies, mortgage companies, and lord knows who else. If they leave polite messages, I sometimes call them back and tell them, wrong number, otherwise I just ignore them.

 

[N801BH]

You can tape the pre paid return envelope to a box weighing up to about 70lbs. Once they have paid to have your trash shipped to them a few times, they will take you off their lists. I've done this a couple times, always fun.

Hmmmm..

Do you use the " if it fits, it ships" USPS boxes or any cardboard box?

 

[Zeldman]

Years ago I worked for a business that was owned by three people. One of the partners embezzled a large sum of money then left town.

For months collection agencies would call the business looking for this person. I would explain that this person is no longer a partner and no longer works here, but the calls kept coming.

I finally decided to give all the callers the ex-partners new phone number. It just happened to be the same number as the pay phone at the county jail in the general population section.

 

[TheTraveler]

I would consider it a win if I could stop the robo-calls.

That is one of the bonuses I have found with an iPhone. The block number function is awesome!

First and second time I am polite, and let them slide. Third time? BLOCKED! Works perfectly, hasn't failed me yet.

I am really surprised as I thought that robocallers would have multiple numbers. But it looks like each one I've ever blocked has never returned.

Tom Mabe does a great job with getting the best of telemarketers.

 

[Florida Cracker]

I would consider it a win if I could stop the robo-calls.

My wife taught me a neat trick about robo calls.

Just pick up the phone and don't say anything. After about five, or so seconds, the call disconnects and the robo dialed removes our number because she tricked the dialed into listing it as non occupied.

 

[Doggtyred]

Hmmmm..

Do you use the " if it fits, it ships" USPS boxes or any cardboard box?

Don't you have to pay for the It Fits/It Ships boxes?

Just grab an empty box of any kind. Tape the return mail thing to the outside.. And drop it off.

 

[SomeTexan]

Hmmmm..

Do you use the " if it fits, it ships" USPS boxes or any cardboard box?

Just any box with the postage paid envelope tapes to it. All the flat rate boxes are too small for what I send. Of course I haven't had and postage paid envelopes in about 2 years.

 

[N801BH]

Just any box with the postage paid envelope tapes to it. All the flat rate boxes are too small for what I send. Of course I haven't had and postage paid envelopes in about 2 years.

Yeah... Me too.. Used to get one about every week from the AOPA till I starting sending them back full of junk mail....

They must have put me on the "do not send the postage paid envelopes to this idiot" list.........

 

[SomeTexan]

Yeah... Me too.. Used to get one about every week from the AOPA till I starting sending them back full of junk mail....

They must have put me on the "do not send the postage paid envelopes to this idiot" list.........

70lbs of dog crap works great. But now I have to find a new way to keep the yard clean. A bunch of used motor oil too. Of course mine were for pre-approved credit cards, no more card offers in the mail. Lol, I don't get 5-6 pieces of junk mail a week anymore.

 

[Zeldman]

My wife taught me a neat trick about robo calls.

Just pick up the phone and don't say anything. After about five, or so seconds, the call disconnects and the robo dialed removes our number because she tricked the dialed into listing it as non occupied.

According to former phone spammers, it will list the number as not answered and puts it back on the active list to be called again.

My land line phone is unlisted, so when it rings, and if I answer it, I don't say anything, I just listen. People that know me will just start talking. If I hear a voice I don't know, I just put the receiver down next to my aviation radio that picks up the AWOS and let them talk to the weather.

That also puts the number back in the active list.

 

[RJM62]

According to former phone spammers, it will list the number as not answered and puts it back on the active list to be called again.

My land line phone is unlisted, so when it rings, and if I answer it, I don't say anything, I just listen. People that know me will just start talking. If I hear a voice I don't know, I just put the receiver down next to my aviation radio that picks up the AWOS and let them talk to the weather.

That also puts the number back in the active list.

Using a SIT tone used to work pretty well. I once built a box that would play a SIT tone every time I answered the phone. And I still start my answering machine message with a SIT tone.

Back then, any robot that called would hear the tone, immediately hang up, and take me off the list. I don't know if it still works that way.

Nowadays I just use a Magic Jack. That's the number that anyone except family and friends are given. It's also the outgoing number I use to call anyone except family and close friends, so it's the only number on file for me on any "official" database as far as I know.

I never answer it. And because the voice mail message is a SIT tone, no one leaves me messages. So I really can't tell you who calls -- nor do I care. That's the idea behind having that number: It's a number to give to people I never want to hear from.

Rich