Help with the calls!

If you have high speed internet service, I would recommend getting VOIP phone service. They have a couple of features available through a web portal called WhiteList and Do Not Disturb where you can setup a list with the phone numbers of all your friends, family, neighbors, boss, doctors office, etc. that you want to be able to call you. Then you enable Do Not Disturb. Once DND is enabled, only the numbers on your Whitelist will ring through. The rest are sent to voicemail. You can even block specific numbers completely so they will either get a busy signal or a recorded message telling them that they have been blocked, not to call again depending on your selection. There are a couple of companies out there right now offering an unlimited local and long distance plan anywhere in the US and Canada for $199 a year with a free second year. The only downfall is that you have to pay the $199 up front to get the free second year and you will need a telephone adapter. The total upfront cost is about $253 for two years of unlimited phone service. There are also monthly E911 fees and taxes which run about $2.50 a month. All in all, it works out to be about $13 a month for unlimited calling. It is a lot cheaper than traditional phone service and the features are great. They do have month to month plans available as well. They are more expensive at about $22.95 a month plus taxes and E911 fees.

I had 16 cards and I know about the calls, it was awful... I ended up getting caller ID and would not answer when they called. If I had company over, I would just turn the ringer off. This process is just awful and I will never go into debt AGAIN!

I had 13 accounts when I started this process last April. Right before I knew I was going to have to stop paying I changed my phone number to be my cell phone on all my accounts. This helped somewhat as many calls went to my cell. I could set my cell to only ring for certain numbers sort of what is described.

Because my home phone was listed though I started to get lots of calls to my home phone number. So I just had it changed and also have it as unpublished (not just unlisted).

I only had one call to my home number after that and it was after I called a collection company from it. Even though I used *67 they seemed to be able to ID the call!

how to handle company calls

Even if you have your number changed and unlisted, they can get your new number, and if you use *67, your number shows on their caller ID. There is a gadget that you can purchase at Radio Shack or Best Buy for $39.95 that you install into your computer, when you do it gives you a NEW number and unlimited local and long distance service for as low as $60.00 a year. I haven't had a call from ANY collectors since I purchased one and installed it on my computer. I put the name of this gadget on here before, but it was deleted, so I guess it violated the TOS. Just ask at Radio Shack, they will tell you what it is and how to use it.