I start getting phone calls from a doctor’s office for my ex-husband. My ex-husband and I have been divorced for ten years at this point. They keep leaving voicemails for him to call back.
Receptionist: “My name is [Receptionist], and I’m calling from [Doctor]’s office, trying to reach [Ex-Husband]. Please give us a call back.”
I have not been in contact with my ex-husband in several years, and he changes numbers all the time, so I have no way of getting in touch with him.
The next week, I get another voicemail.
Receptionist: “Hi, [Ex-Husband]. This is [Receptionist] calling from [Doctor]’s office. I need you to give me a call back today.”
The doctor’s office always seems to call when I am at work. By the time I get off work, they are already closed so I cannot call them back to tell them they have the wrong number.
The next week, I have another voicemail, and it is the same as the previous ones.
I tell my coworkers I am going to take a ten-minute break to attend to some important business, and I call the doctor’s office back.
Receptionist: “[Receptionist] speaking.”
Me: “Hi, [Receptionist]. I have been receiving phone calls from you. You are trying to get in touch with [Ex-Husband], and I am calling to tell you that this is not his number.”
Receptionist: “Okay, thank you for letting us know. I’ll make a note in his file.”
The next week, the doctor’s office calls again.
Receptionist: “Hi, [Ex-Husband], this is [Receptionist] calling you from [Doctor]’s office. We need to give us a call back.”
I manage to call them back, and I tell them the same thing. Again, I am told they will make a note of it and remove it from the file.
But they don’t do it for the next three weeks. I still continue to receive calls for my ex-husband. I call back one more time, and this time, I ask to speak to the office manager.
Me: “I am receiving phone calls for [Ex-Husband], and I have told your staff members that this is not his number. They have told me they will make a note in the file and remove the number.”
Office Manager: “Oh, I am so sorry about that. Let me get into his file. Are you [My Name]?”
Me: “Yes.”
Office Manager: “He has you listed as an emergency contact.”
Me: “We have been divorced for many, many years. I don’t know why he would have it listed. I also don’t know how to reach him as we haven’t spoken in many years.”
Office Manager: “Oh, we need to speak with him about an urgent financial matter.”
Me: “I’m sorry, but I do not know how to get a hold of him.”
Office Manager: “Okay, we will remove you from his file.”
A few months later, I tried to finance a new car and, to my horror, there was a negative mark on my credit file. And guess what it was? The doctor’s office bill!
I got the original bill, and it was only in my ex’s name. I had to fax my divorce decree over to the collection agency, and I also sent it to the doctor’s office. It was removed from my credit file.
I don’t know why they put me on this bill as we are divorced and I am not obligated to any of his bills. When I told them we were divorced, that should have been a clue!
I also don’t have a clue why he would list me as an emergency contact. He probably just did it so they would call me since he changed numbers frequently and had no intention of paying that $100 bill.
