Americans for Fairness in Lending

I just moved back from Europe on the 21 December, 2009.  I was assigned a phone number by Charter Communications on 24 December, 2009.  Apparently, the previous owner of this phone number owes many businesses in Cleveland, Tennessee and goes by various names of Melinda, Belinda, Yolinda, Eva, and Evonne.  How do I know this?  Because bill collectors are harassing me for her debts yet I do not know this person.  As far as I know, I've never clapped eyes on this individual.  I explain to debt collectors that I do not know this individual, am not a family member or even distant kin of this individual and request that they remove this phone number from their collection list.  They promise me that they will remove my number from their list and then call back within several hours from the same company harrassing me.  Even the elementary school in the Cleveland, Tennessee even repeatedly phones me  because this woman fails to pick up her child on time! If this lady has lost her job, then my sympathy goes out to her but I should not be harrassed for her debts!!!!  Want to know why I quit a very good job in Europe to move back to the USA?  It is because my mother is dying of terminal cancer (she is in phase 4 and has <1% chance to live according to live).  I don't need to be harrassed for another's debts.  Consumer protection laws are far better and this would never happen in the Europe.  A solicitor would lick their lips for a case like this.  They would own this company if this harrassment went on in Europe.  Why does Europe have far better consumer protection laws for its citizens than America?   

You shouldn't have to deal with harassment from debt collectors, whether or not the debt is yours.  We have information about how to make these calls stop for good here: http://www.affil.org/consumer_rsc/debt_collection.php

 For more information about debt collection and answers to commonly asked questions, visit another one of our pages: http://www.affil.org/consumer_rsc/more-consumer-topics/debt-collection2