There’s a couple of pretty good reasons why people like to keep the same phone numbers when they can – it’s annoying to have to change them, primarily.
That said, there are people in your life who need your actual phone number so they can get ahold of you in a timely manner.
OP got a new phone number and for awhile, was understanding of still getting calls for its old owner.
So, I’ve had my number for 5 years, maybe 6, I don’t remember exactly.
When I got this number, the previous owner still got regular messages and phone calls, which is completely understandable that she didn’t have everyone up to date on her newest number or lack of number.
Then, the other person’s daughter’s school started to call.
The first 3 months it was nothing to me, I’d answer the calls, send them on their way.
Well, that was until I got a phone call from an elementary school looking for, let’s call her Sarah.
Sarah’s daughter was throwing up and running a high fever and needed to go home. I told the school that this was a new number for me and there was no Sarah around.
I thought certainly this issue would make her come to the realization that she needed to update her number. But no.
I had to block the schools number because I continued to get calls and texts that had way too much information about Sarah’s daughter. Including her name, age, and school events with times and changes in school schedules.
I wasn’t comfortable receiving that info, so I blocked it.
Nothing they did seemed to make a difference.
Maybe 2 or 3 weeks after i blocked the school, Sarah’s grandmother calls me because I assume the school couldn’t get ahold of Sarah.
But I have to tell grandma that I’m not Sarah & to please ask her granddaughter to update her information. Sarah still did not.
With all of the information that I unwillingly had on Sarah (full name, age, where she attends college, her home address, and where she works), I found her on Facebook and kindly asked her to not use her old number anymore.
I’m not sure if she saw the message or not, but it didn’t help my problem.
This has been ongoing for years and it’s not just spam, it’s people she knows, co-workers, family, doctors, her real estate agent even….
So OP started canceling all of their appointments.
So, before, if she had appointments that were asking to be verified via text to my phone, I would just ignore them.
But she had an appointment this time and I am just so fed up of Sarah STILL giving out this number after 5 years of this nonsense that I canceled her appointment for her.
A few days later, a new appointment to the same place needed verification & I canceled it again.
And the next one I get will be cancelled also.
Get your stuff together Sarah!!
The top commenter understands why OP has had enough.
There aren’t a whole lot of options left.
Who could live like this?
I suppose this could be the case.
Now, I could have a little fun with that.
I’m not sure what else OP could have done, to be honest.
They’re at the end of their rope.
If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.