My3cents.com - How do you get Wells Fargo to stop harassing phone calls?

Posted by Sparticus on 2008-04-13:

Advice that I've researched from one of our debt collection experts on the site (Debtorbasher):

"If you want the calls to stop, legally, you should send them a cease and desist letter, stating they are not to contact you."

Here is a link to a sample cease and desist letter:

http://credit.about.com/od/debtcollection/a/ceaseanddesist.htm

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-04-13:

Thanks Sparty...
When you send the letter, be sure to send it certified with a signed return receipt and if they contact you after the date of the signature of that receipt, they are in violation of the FDCPA and can be sued for even just one phone call...keep record of the calls and any names if they are leaving messages...there are links on my blog that gives you samples of form letters you can fill out for different issues with a collection agency....good luck and keep us posted.
Also, if you wanted to, you can give them the contact info of the person, since it is an extended family member.

Posted by Robf on 2008-04-14:

DebtorBasher...
Just a quick question for my own education.
Can WF be sued under the FDCPA if they are the original debt holder? I thought the FDCPA only applied towards third party debt collectors. I know most companies that have their own debt collections usually follow the FDCPA but I wasn't sure if they could be sued under it.

Posted by MRM on 2008-04-14:

Just send them straight to your answering machine or voicemail. Why even bother talking to them when they fall on deaf ears...

Posted by Principissa on 2008-04-14:

I just want to say that we used to get phone calls like this when we lived in Virginia Beach. The person had the same last name but was no relation to either of us. The cease and desist letters do work. And most places take them very seriously because they don't want to risk a violation. Send the cease and desist certified/returned receipt, and if they contact you again send them another letter certified/return receipt letting them know that you will be contacting an attorney. Keep a log of all calls (copies of phone/cell phone bills that they call any messages they leave on your answering machine).

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-04-14:

RobF...The first thing you'd have to do in a case like that would be to make sure it ISN'T a 3rd party agency that is trying to collect, by using the Original creditors name...which would be mis-leading/failure to ID...the FDCPA is mainly for 3rd party collections, but there are some guidlines and State Laws that 1st parties should be following...but yes, the FDCPA is mainly for 3rd party companies. In the case of the poster...they would have to verify if the call is actaully from the first party or a third party...some clues would be a collector stating, "I'm calling in regards to .... or I'm calling on behalf of....."
Most people will hear, "This is John calling in regards to your Wells Fargo account"...calling in "regards" and calling "From" are two completely different things but most people will hear that and assume it is the original creditor that is calling.

Posted by MSCANTBEWRONG on 2008-04-14:

frazzledaunt, do as the above posters have suggested. These cease and desist letters do work!! Again, make sure you send certified/return receipt requested. Good Luck!

Posted by Robf on 2008-04-15:

Thanks DebtorBasher. I learned something today. It's true. You can teach and old dog (at least this old dog) new tricks.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-04-15:

Glad to help, Robf!

Posted by Lidman on 2008-04-15:

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (aka FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., is a United States statute added in 1978 as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purposes are to eliminate abusive practices in the collection of consumer debts, to promote fair debt collection and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. The Act creates guidelines under which debt collectors may conduct business, defines rights of consumers involved with debt collectors, and prescribes penalties and remedies for violations of the Act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection_Practices_Act

So what I’ve learned here and by what I read here is that all debt collectors are a bunch of liars, cheats and law breakers. Hhhhuuuuuuu.

Posted by keli449 on 2008-06-30:

I would contact the bbb and file a complaint with the attorney general! they are&^#)()) i am hoping to change my financing institutions.

good luck

Posted by Pinecone on 2008-09-28:

I get calls from collections people trying to collect from people I do not know. I have sent letters and faxes and they keep calling. I digitally record the messages on my answering machine or voice mail and save them to CD's. I also have a call log file I update each time I get a call.
Collections people do not care that they are breaking the law.

Posted by estefan2020 on 2008-12-25:

yea, phone calls the 1st grace day and continue.

1st call the call centers phone number, and tell them to only call your cell number. do that for 3 or 4 das, and verify thay have your cell number on file, otherwise thay will call your relatives, and your neighbors. next program your cell phone with the call centers phone number. next record dead sielence under voice record. next edit there profile in your cell phone to play the dead silence as a ringer tone. This way it will not disturb you. you can change your voice mail greeting to start with " hello....hello.....Hello.... the rest of your greeting abput 35 seconds worth, this will fool the computer that someone really did pick up the phone, and transfer you to a live operator, wich then thay can here your automated message. lol. At this time, we are a agreen light to refinance with someone else. the few minuets after the signing, Im gonna call them and tell them thay are "fired" I will never do any banking with WF.

if you are a relative of the mortgage or loan to wf. send this to the relative thats the account holder. I have logged 75 calls in 148 consecutive days from them friday / thursday are there main calling days 8am to 8pm cst. wednesday/tuesday/monday 8am to 8pm cst. saturdays are rare but do happen from 8:00am to 11am. and sundays happend twice from 10:00am to 12pm. It seams mythreesents have other horror stories from WF I may upload my own with complete calling details.

ps the sease and decist letter is not that good idea, as thay have a blanket from that covers phone calls as well as written. so documents that may be important wont rech you. WF is so done with us.

Posted by westasset on 2010-03-20:

I was reading a post from somone on here stating to say hello three times and then it gets to an operator please don't do that I work for a call center for wells fargo we are on dialer and we try to stop the calls the best we can unfortunaetly wells fargo won't help us get a better system to do this we really try to stop the calls! The best way to handle this is again the cease and disist letter we have to stop calling once we recieve that letter and yes we have to practice the fdcpa rules just for everyone's information! Oh and when you call remember it's not the person's fault that the calls won't stop, we stop them but the dialer doesn't always do the trick! We hate calling people in general trust me everyone I work with hates calling all of you! The only calls we like are the one's coming to us! Please remember this the next time you keep getting calls!

Posted by Fangs on 2011-12-15:

My kid signed into a contract with microcenter, I witnessed the conversation. The worker and manager there conned him into a 6 month no interest rate or payment till after six months. It sounded good, the workers assured him he didn't have to pay till after the six month period, and he even verbally asked them if he could pay in one lump sum before the six month period of interest and payments would begin. They assured him that was fine. And that he would have to pay absolutely no interest or payment. About 2 months later I began recieving 4 calls a day from wells fargo demanding and demeaning that he had to pay a late fee. I explained to them. Naturally they keep giving the run about. I told one guy, "the kid has a job due soon and when he gets the position he'll pay you. Can this be froze?" The man replied for $35.00 they can freeze it for a month. Told him you can't get blood out of a stones." He replied, "we don't do business with stones. I replied, "this might happen to you one day too." And he hung up. THis goes on 3-4 times a day. And they say we will keep harrassing you till you pay the late fee. My son did not read the small print. ugh! Microcenter also sells refurbished NEW equiptment we found out through researching. Please becareful of this business.