My husband and I went to tour an apartment community. It was a tax credit community, so the leasing agent asked us what our combined annual income was. As per the instructions, we gave her a number that would not disqualify us from renting at that particular community. During the meeting, I gave the agent my cell phone number, my address and my email for follow up.
As we ended the tour, the agent asked us if we wanted to fill out an application and we replied that we were still looking around.
With that being said, we left.

This morning, an agent from the apartment community left me a voice mail asking if we were still interested. I didn't return her call. Then, in the afternoon, my husband got a call on his cell phone from the apartment community's phone number. No voice mail was left at this time.

We were both very surprised that the agent had my hubby's cell number, as we never gave it to her. In case they called up his work, wouldn't it be illegal for his employer to give out his number without his approval? Even if they did give out his number, what right does the apartment community have to track down numbers that weren't willingly given to them?! Or call his workplace, for that matter? We didn't fill out the rental application, nor give permission for a background check.

What would you guys do in this situation? I'd like to call the apartment community and ask how they got my husband's number and then take it from there.

Any advice? Thanks!

Let your scheduler know what happened.


cirmi2000 Wrote:
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> My husband and I went to tour an apartment
> community. It was a tax credit community, so the
> leasing agent asked us what our combined annual
> income was. As per the instructions, we gave her a
> number that would not disqualify us from renting
> at that particular community. During the meeting,
> I gave the agent my cell phone number, my address
> and my email for follow up.
> As we ended the tour, the agent asked us if we
> wanted to fill out an application and we replied
> that we were still looking around.
> With that being said, we left.
>
> This morning, an agent from the apartment
> community left me a voice mail asking if we were
> still interested. I didn't return her call. Then,
> in the afternoon, my husband got a call on his
> cell phone from the apartment community's phone
> number. No voice mail was left at this time.
>
> We were both very surprised that the agent had my
> hubby's cell number, as we never gave it to her.
> In case they called up his work, wouldn't it be
> illegal for his employer to give out his number
> without his approval? Even if they did give out
> his number, what right does the apartment
> community have to track down numbers that weren't
> willingly given to them?! Or call his workplace,
> for that matter? We didn't fill out the rental
> application, nor give permission for a background
> check.
>
> What would you guys do in this situation? I'd like
> to call the apartment community and ask how they
> got my husband's number and then take it from
> there.
>
> Any advice? Thanks!

If your husband did not say where he worked then that would not be the issue. It seems like it would be illegal for your husband's employer to give out personal info, but I'm not sure. I would certainly consider it unethical. The leasing agent business is highly competitive so it's not out of the realm of possibility that the agent did some digging. Another thing, cell phone numbers can be hard to come by unless you are willing to pay for them.

Do you know if your number shows up with your name or your husband's on caller ID? The reason I ask is, on our family plan, my mother-in-law is the account owner and somehow my number comes up with her name even though my line is my husband's and my old landline number ported into the wireless plan. I learned about it when I forgot to block my caller ID on a phone shop once and the salesperson called me by my mother-in-law's name at the end of the call, saying she had my number from the caller ID and would keep in touch!

If your husband is the owner on your wireless plan, is it possible his name came up and the agent searched for his name and found some reference to it? So many names and numbers can be found in searches - kinda creepy.

Good one, totally forgot about that aspect. Guess that's why you are our Tech guru;D

Some folks are passionate about quilting, some about sports, and some about the Internet. Guess which one I am? LOL!

Another possibility -- Since family plan phone numbers are sometimes are assigned in sequential blocks of numbers, is your husband's number one number off from yours? We have friends whose numbers are three sequential 4-digit numbers and I'm forever trying to remember whose is whose if I don't have my contacts to pull up! LOL

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> Good one, totally forgot about that aspect. Guess
> that's why you are our Tech guru;D

TechSavvy Wrote:
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> Do you know if your number shows up with your name
> or your husband's on caller ID? The reason I ask
> is, on our family plan, my mother-in-law is the
> account owner and somehow my number comes up with
> her name even though my line is my husband's and
> my old landline number ported into the wireless
> plan. I learned about it when I forgot to block my
> caller ID on a phone shop once and the salesperson
> called me by my mother-in-law's name at the end of
> the call, saying she had my number from the caller
> ID and would keep in touch!

> If your husband is the owner on your wireless
> plan, is it possible his name came up and the
> agent searched for his name and found some
> reference to it? So many names and numbers can be
> found in searches - kinda creepy.


Hi tech! Thanks for trying to figure this one out for me . My husband IS the owner of our wireless plan, but I used the *67 feature when I called the community. Also, they knew his name as he accompanied me to the assignment and the agent wrote his name down. She actuallu asked a lot of questions -- not only where he worked, but also what type of work he was doing. To be honest, I never encountered an agent ask so many specific questions, especially if we were there just to tour the apartment and not to fill out an application form.

I googled my husband's name and his phone number as well, and couldn't find anything that would link one to the other. My only explanation is that the agent called up his workplace and somehow got his number.

I'm mad because mystery shopping is my job, and I don't want anyone to be bothering my spouse with any questions, especially if neither of us authorized this. They can call me all they want, this is why I gave them MY contact information. I can't help but think that the agent somehow violated my husband's privacy. Am I overreacting?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2011 05:11AM by cirmi2000.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> If your husband did not say where he worked then
> that would not be the issue. It seems like it
> would be illegal for your husband's employer to
> give out personal info, but I'm not sure. I would
> certainly consider it unethical. The leasing agent
> business is highly competitive so it's not out of
> the realm of possibility that the agent did some
> digging. Another thing, cell phone numbers can be
> hard to come by unless you are willing to pay for
> them.

Hey Lisa,
I understand that the leasing agent business is highly competitive, but being intrusive is hardly going to earn the agent any brownie points (at least that's my point of view). After what happened, I will certainly be smarter about giving out real information beyond what is absolutely necessary. I feel stupid for being so trusting.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2011 05:11AM by cirmi2000.

That would bother me, too. It's bad enough when collection bureaus look up the friends and relatives of people who owe money and start hounding them. I'd definitely say something to the scheduler and hope the company says something to the client.

You don't suppose the leasing agent had someone who could run his license plates for her, do you?

I love a good mystery -- sorry it's at your expense!

First of all, don't feel stupid. We've all gotten caught up in things like that at some point. I was offering up some information and there is no way I condone what that leasing agent did. To me that was a huge violation of your privacy! Many reports ask if the salesperson asked you preferred method of contact. If this report has a question like that you have the opportunity to include this information. Otherwise, do what Tech said and let the scheduler know. If the number came from your husband's employer it will be interesting to find out what the agent said to them. Keep in mind too, the agent may have been asking a lot of questions, but you are not necessarily required to answer them and not required to provide real employment information. When a salesperson is getting too nosy I divert the conversation. I've actually even ignored a question or given a one word answer and immediately directed the conversation back to the apartment or car.

A couple of years ago I completed one of those in-home shops for remodeling my bathroom. The pitch was fine until I refused to sign up that day and it went down hill fast. The salesperson was downright rude when leaving. About a week later I got a call from his manager about the report. I was livid. He was nice and wanted to apologize, but it didn't change the fact he had gone back through that guy's appointments to figure out who I was.

something tells me many of these stories ruined first impressions

You know car dealers do the same thing to get a sale. The sales pitch is fine and dandy. The test drive, the loan approval and they are practically handing you the keys and then you say, "I am not buying today, I just was interested."

Their tone turns to, "Why are you wasting my time?' For the next two weeks the manaager is hounding you for the sale. And that's when you have given them the information. :-(.

I use a google voice phone number for situations like this. They are free and as long as you use *67 when making the appointment, you can avoid them getting your real number. Even my cell phone allows me to use my google number to hide my real number when making calls. I highly recommend it.

ahmaynard Wrote:
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> I use a google voice phone number for situations
> like this. They are free and as long as you use
> *67 when making the appointment, you can avoid
> them getting your real number. Even my cell phone
> allows me to use my google number to hide my real
> number when making calls. I highly recommend it.


That's a great idea. Can they call you back on a Google number, too?

Yes, they can. Your Google number can be forwarded to another phone, such as your cell. With smartphones, you can place you Google number on "Busy" so it doesn't ring if you want. It will go to Google's voice mail.

After dealing with a few car dealer shops, I love Google Voice.

or you could give them pizza huts number...

plausible deniability...

Google numbers are the bomb and free, free, free!

data1025 Wrote:
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> Yes, they can. Your Google number can be forwarded
> to another phone, such as your cell. With
> smartphones, you can place you Google number on
> "Busy" so it doesn't ring if you want. It will go
> to Google's voice mail.
>
> After dealing with a few car dealer shops, I love
> Google Voice.

Wow! This is so amazing! Thanks for telling me about it! I just set up a Google Voice Number and my husband and I have been testing it for the past hour. I have to say that the transcript portion of it can turn out to be quite amusing at times .

Regarding transcriptions: [technologizer.com]

Heh, good stuff. We love seeing Google's latest goofs. It's still amazing technology, though!

Funny stuff. Just like damnyouautocorrect.com it made me laugh out loud.