A woman asked to speak to me by name but when I asked who was calling she said only, Harris and Harris. When I informed her no message would be passed to the individual she was calling unless she explained what kind of organization H&H is, she refused to tell me because it was none of my business unless I was the person she was calling for. I informed her that as long as she is calling MY home, I made the rules and that no information would be passed to anyone unless I knew who was calling. She got angry and said she'd call back and hung up.
I hate this crap. Who are these people to call my home repeatedly and then get all cryptic. If they call again I'm blocking the number. Creeps!
This is Harris & Harris. They are debt collectors for all types of debt including medical bills, so even if you think you don't have debt, this may be a lab or hospital bill.
Harris and Harris (law firm, but THESE calls are from the collection agency division)
When attorneys or other debt collectors buy debt, they buy in bulk. The majority of debts bought by attorneys and debt collection agencies are credit card debt. Following credit card debt are car loans, telephone company bills, and retail bills. They also buy and sell personal loans, electric bills, different utility bills, medical bills and mortgages. In general, when a company holds debt it does not sell it right away but will hire a collection agency or attorney. Attorneys typically charge an hourly fee or portion of the debt, or combination of both. When the company is unable to collect on the debt through these processes, it then may choose to sell it after an evaluation.
Purchasing debt usually costs 3 to 16 cents per actual dollar of debt depending on the risk involved. With the downturn in the economy after 2008, the cost of purchasing debt went down to the 3- to 7-cent range because the risk went up in all asset classes. It is harder to get people to pay debt if they have no savings, income or employment. With loss of employment and financial trouble, people also move away. This makes it harder to find them and collect the debt.
Easiest way to get out of their telephone calling scam... change your phone number to an unlisted number. Yes, PAY for an unlisted telephone number for at least 2 years. If your old number is disconnected; they cannot harass you. And DO NOT give out the phone number!
This is not a scam, but a really obnoxious collection agency. They robo called my phone several times a week for over a year, asking for someone I had never heard of. Following the directions during their call to remove your number will not work. I did the research and located the company, Harris & Harris, and called them directly, requesting them to stop calling, but that did not work either. I finally mailed a certified letter telling them to stop calling, and that worked beautifully. After a year of calls, it was worth the effort.
Here's their current address:
Harris & Harris
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1900
Chicago, Illinois 60654
These people have been harassing me for weeks. They claim to be looking for a person that I never heard of. I am an elderly person with numerous ailments and they call all hours of the day and night. This is extremely distressing. How do I get rid of them? I called the return # and told them they were making a mistake and was ignored. Does anyone know the address of these people. I have acquaintances that would like to pay them a visit.