The Ramblings Of Jenn Shuey

I’m ready to throw my cell phone out the window.  Nope it’s not screwing up on me this time.  Well, actually it is, but that’s nothing new.  I’m used to it’s quirks, and it’s getting replaced again as soon as I feel like venturing out to the Verizon store.

But this time…this is something different. This is extremely annoying.  It makes me want to run far far away, maybe settle down in a hotel where no one can bother me because they don’t know where I am.

Someone is apparently giving my cell phone number out as their own number to people they’d rather not talk to. This isn’t a case of debt collectors and old flames trying to contact the person who previously had my number because I’ve had this cell phone number for almost 7 years.  This is someone who either can’t remember their own number and gives it out incorrectly or blatantly is writing down a wrong number on purpose.

It started with debt collection calls for another woman apparently named Jessica.  Then I started receiving phone calls from people who are supposedly her friends and family members.  Originally it was 1 or 2 calls a week, and I would kindly explain I’ve had this number for 7 years, so they must either be dialing the wrong number or have been given the wrong number.

Slowly the calls progressed over the last couple of weeks, and now my phone is constantly ringing off the hook for this Jessica person.  I’ve had 17 calls today!  It doesn’t stop there.  People are texting me looking for this person day and night.  There are stupid email forwards and texts from giggly little girls that apparently are her friends.  From the sounds of things “Jessica” is a teenager, and apparently her little friends stay up half the night texting each other.

Add this to all the spam text messages I’m already receiving from a 209 area code that read things like “meet me at the office for a little fun ~BiGdAdDy~” and “this is grandma trying a new phone ~BabyGURL~” and it’s driving me crazy.  If these were from a business selling something Verizon would block them for me, but since it’s just regular old spam they refuse to block the number sending it.  There are a few ways to block spam based on your carrier, but Verizon doesn’t offer individual number blocking without a police report…or at least that’s what they told me.

It looks like I’m finally going to have to break down and change my number.  The only reason I haven’t is because I used my cell phone for business purposes.  If I change my number not only will I have to contact all my family and friends with the new number (it’s my backup contact for them), but I’ll also have to email and/or send out postcards to ALL of my business contacts.

Then I’ll have to redo my business cards, and the advertisements I just ran in the local paper will do me no good.  I’ve already gotten quite a few calls from the advertisements, and if I have to change the number I could lose new business.

Of course changing my number doesn’t guarantee this won’t happen again.  These days it seems everyone around me is complaining about debt collections calls for other individuals and people driving them crazy on recycled numbers. There’s a good chance I’ll just end up with another number from another person who’s changed theirs because they were being harassed over unpaid bills.

I had this happen one time before.  There was a girl who apparently didn’t want to be found by an ex-boyfriend or her grandma in Georgia, so she was giving them a false number…a number that just happened to be mine.  Grandma would leave me voicemails begging her granddaughter to call her or singing Happy Birthday to her, and the ex-boyfriend would send me text messages at all hours of the night.  I finally, after both Hubby and I talked to them both numerous times, convinced them I was not the person they were looking for.

Maybe I will make that trip to the Verizon store today after all.  My phone does need to be replaced since the card port isn’t working, and it’s easier to get them to do a courtesy number change in person.