Community Chat

[lulu2]

The number of our land line has been ours for many years. Apparently it is similar to a department at a hospital. We get a lot of fax calls. I do not answer numbers I do not recognize but when someone is sending a fax, if it doesn't go through they are apt to try again, and again.

Is there any way to let the callers know they have the wrong number?

[scotttie]

Do you know which hospital? Contact them and see if they can help you out.

ETA: Also if you pick it up and hang it up it cancels the fax. Do that a couple of times and the sender will be forced to check the number. I realize this is still an annoyance but if you have your portable phone handy just do that and you won't have to listen to the ringing.

[hckynut]

I would call them and tell them they have the wrong number. Had that happen with a Lawn and Tree Service because that company put out a flyer with our phone number on it. I first called the company, but obviously they could not change the flyer that was put out.

When someone called I would give them the correct number and if they left a message I would call them back and tell them the correct number. Couldn't see letting people that wanted yard work done thing the company had ignored their call.

The company did offer to do free work on our yard and I took them up on it. The calls eventually stopped, but there were a whole lot of them before that happened.

[scotttie]

John, the only problem with your suggestion about calling them back is that you can't call a fax machine back usually. It is just a fax machine and if you call it all you will get is the fax squeal. Unless it is someone's home phone as well as fax like mine is.

[DoneTryin]

I've had that happen a couple of times, but they either got the fax number changed, or the senders finally caught on.

Made me think of a call I got once back in the early 80s. When I picked up & said "hello" the man on the other end asked me what my hourly rates were. (!!!!) I told him he must have the wrong number & he asked me if this was the "something" motel. When I replied "no" he apologized, sounding flustered, & hung up. I grabbed my phone book (remember those?) & looked up that motel. It was not far from where I lived, & their number was one digit off from mine. I'm still laughing over that one. Wish I'd come up with a snappier answer, like "I don't know, what are you offering?"

[Lipstickdiva]

I know this isn't funny because this happens to us A LOT at work. Sometimes it will go on all day long where our phone rings, the secretaries pick it up and it's a fax tone.

But, does anyone remember the Seinfeld episode when Kramer gives Elaine's number to companies to fax stuff to him? She saw him at Jerry's house and told him she had his faxes and proceeded to get right in his ear and make a horrible sound like a fax machine.

[scotttie]

On 3/24/2014 VCamp2748 said:

I've had that happen a couple of times, but they either got the fax number changed, or the senders finally caught on.

Made me think of a call I got once back in the early 80s. When I picked up & said "hello" the man on the other end asked me what my hourly rates were. (!!!!) I told him he must have the wrong number & he asked me if this was the "something" motel. When I replied "no" he apologized, sounding flustered, & hung up. I grabbed my phone book (remember those?) & looked up that motel. It was not far from where I lived, & their number was one digit off from mine. I'm still laughing over that one. Wish I'd come up with a snappier answer, like "I don't know, what are you offering?"

funny! My cousin used to have a number that was close to a cab company. Drunks would call and want a cab. She finally got sick of it all and would tell them the cab was on the way.

[lulu2]

Thank you for the suggestions. This last caller gave up after 5 tries. You cannot call a fax machine to tell them they have the wrong number.

I do know the hospital they are trying to contact and called them about the problem. They suggested we change our number. This has been our phone number for 25+ years. I could not even begin to count the number of places I'd have to inform with a change of number.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[DoneTryin]

On 3/24/2014 lulu2 said:

Thank you for the suggestions. This last caller gave up after 5 tries. You cannot call a fax machine to tell them they have the wrong number.

I do know the hospital they are trying to contact and called them about the problem. They suggested we change our number. This has been our phone number for 25+ years. I could not even begin to count the number of places I'd have to inform with a change of number.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Do you have Caller ID? If so, maybe you could Google that number to find out to whom the fax belongs & then get their voice line number. Just a thought.

[dooBdoo]

lulu2, If you're seeing their phone number on your caller ID, do an Internet search on that number (including area code). There's a chance you'll find the name of the company since many of them list their fax numbers online.