800-516-0216

"Mario" said that the call was "personal business."  Didn't give the name of his company.

I *think* this is a Collection Agency. Have had approximately 1 call every few weeks for maybe a year

Please state the "real" reason for this call.

I get calls from this number almost daily, but there is never anyone on the line. Of course, I've stopped answering them, but it's still annoying. I see comments by others that say it's a bill collector. How can that be true if I don't have any outstanding bills?

Found this call on my caller ID with nothing but the number showing, and they did not leave a message.  I dialed the number back and the person who answered simply said "Nationwide".  I asked "Nationwide what?" and he answered "Nationwide Credit".  I assumed that it had to be either a telemarketer or a bill collector, so I told him that I must have dialed the wrong number and hung up because I have no outstanding debts and certainly didn't want to talk to a telemarketer.  Since I'm on the do-not-call registry and thought it might be a telemarketer, I decided to do a little digging so that I could report the call to the FTC.  What I found out is that it is not a telemarketer but rather a bill collector based in Alexandria, VA.  If they call here again, I will send them a cease and desist letter since they have no reason to be calling me.  In the meantime, here is their website in case anyone else wants to look into it.     http://www.nccva.com/

UPDATE 3/18/08:  I used that webwithwes website to download the multiple (3) tone file (sounds like the beeps you get when you call a disconnected number).  I had the file ready to play at all times.  So when they called, I put the phone up to my laptop and played the sound file.  I played the beeps repeatedly (about 3 times) then hung up.  I had to do it a couple times (they called again an hour or so later).  But NOW...it is Day #4 with NO CALLS!!!  And 4 days may not seem like much...but when you are getting calls from them 10 xs a day...4 days is like a month!

So it works.  And for those of you that may be concerned...I guess I was the guinea pig. That website was a valid site and it really was free (and virus free).  It was definitely a sanity-saver.  I used that for other #s that were calling, too!

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Because of this and other numbers that are basically all the same thing...at first it seems as if no one picks up. But the caller is actually waiting for the computer to alert them that there is a live answer (not answering machine) on the other end...then it is routed to a rep. Each time they call, they ask for someone different.  BUT I found this site that allows you to download the beeps (as if the number is disconnected) that you can play from your computer (by putting the phone to the speaker of your computer-or putting the beeps on your answering machine before your message).  The computer dialer hears the beeps and marks the number as invalid...then it hangs up and goes to the next number on the list.  Here is the site: (It's Free!)
http://www.webwithwes.com/defeat.htm
I chose the multiple beeps to ensure the computer hears it, and I play it several times before I hang up.  I found this site by looking up info on the TeleZapper, which cost $35, and does the same thing.

Good luck!

Well if is personal business, I wish that they will make it known what type of business.  I am tired of these calls.

I get calls from this number but there's always two zeros in front of this number. I don't usually answer calls that I don't recognize the number, I'll just wait for a voicemail but I never get one from them. So annoying.

Same as teh others - a woman from an unnamed firm left a VM about some unidentified personal business.  I'm on the "do not call list" so I'm reporting them!

I received a call regarding a personal matter. I tried to call back, however the number is always busy. I decided to do a little research and I am happy I found this blog. I often see this number, and I am also on the DO NOT CALL list. I will report as well.

Thanks to all who posted website information to assist others.

receive calls from this number almost daily, never a live person leaving a voicemail, always a recording of a woman with a british accent and never more information than "calling regarding a personal business matter".

I get this call about once a month and it is really annoying.  It's always a female record voice saying, Hello, this is Linda Parker.  I've been trying to reach you regarding a personal business matter.  Please call 800-516-0216 between the hours of 8am-8pm EST.  Please refer to your reference number:____.  And then the volume went low so I couldn't understand the rest of the voicemail.  

This collection agency, if that is what they are, are also in violation of the Fair Debt Practices Act.

If they are indeed calling from a collection agency, they should approach it validly giving information such as this is a call regarding a collection, not a personal business matter.  I know for myself, I have perfect credit and record, so I know it isn't ture.  However, for those of you who are not sure, I would get one of the three free credit reports (don't get all three all at once but spread it out through the year) and check your credit.  DO NOT go to that website that have commercials on tv either (freecreditreport.com) they are also a scam--they charge you for the reports when it's suppose to be free.  Rather, go to one of the bureaus or the government's site for the free reports (annualcreditreport.com)--you'll see that this site is sponsored by each of the three bureaus.

I am glad that I am not the only one who have to go through this stupid situation. They keep on calling me almost everyday. Whenever I don't answer, they keep on leaving me messages to call back (which is very annoying). So I call the number back to see what's going on. Then a guy named "Mario" picked up the phone. Once I told him that he's been calling the wrong number (he was asking for "John", who didn't own my number), he hung on me. Now that's very disrespectful. If that's the case, maybe they shouldn't call my number and leave those messages at all. Sorry. I have to somewhat vent. BTW, my number is also on DO NOT CALL registry.

I called this number back from another phone line. Some guy with a clearly Australian accent said, "thank you for calling Nationwide. May I have your reference number?"  I hung up. I don't have Nationwide insurance, if that is who he is from, and I've not seen any written collections notices from any collection agency named Nationwide, so, if that is who they are, I didn't want to get into it.

I get a call from this number at least once or twice a week.  I never answer it because I don't know who it is, but they leave voice messages that say "This is not a solicitation call".  I don't owe money to anyone that would be calling me from a collection agency.

This is a collection agency.  Trying to collect on a debt that wasn't mine!!!  I monitor my credit on a regular basis and this is not there.

I've received repeated phone calls from this number over the past 6 months.  Sometimes I will get a call from this number 4 or 5 times in one business day.  I always get a message, "This is Linda Parker.  I've been trying to reach you regarding a personal matter.  Call 800-516-0216 between the hours of 8am and 8pm eastern time. Refer to your reference number 3997309" Sometimes she has a British accent and sometimes she doesn't but I can tell it's the same person. I've even listened to the messages back to back; first no accent then British. Amazing. I've attempted to return this phone call and after a 20 minute wait spoke to Linda (answered her phone with an accent but then forgot about it) and found out that she was calling from a credit collection agency for someone else.  I asked her to please remove my number from her call list as that was not me.   TWO WEEKS LATER I STILL GET PHONE CALLS WITH THE SAME MESSAGE!!!!!  I refuse to waste anymore of my time trying to tell these losers that whoever they are trying to get ahold of changed their number. These guys SUCK!

Got a call from this number at 2:08 pm and didn't pick up cause it showed up as " +800 5160216" on my iphone screen and it just seemed shady. English Accented person left a voicemail named Linda Parker about a Personal Business Matter. Apparently my reference number is "4266944"


grrrr! Second time they have called me.

I've gotten the same things many, many times over the 2 years I have had my number: Linda Parker with English accent calling about a "personal business matter." Never leaves any additional information.

No matter how many times I call back or answer and tell them that nobody named "Manuel Gonzalez" is here, nor do I know who they are, please take my name off the list, they continue to call.

I use to have a similar problem.

Told them to it was illegal to call me at 2 and 3 am!  Which it is.  And at the time they were calling, I was in Hawaii, where it was 2 and 3am!

Told them I had had the number for all of 1 month, had no idea who they were calling for, and that they needed to remove the PHONE NUMBER from their list.

I told them one more call and I was reporting it as harassment.  Said I had my phone log that clearly showed THAT number calling me repeatedly between 1 am and 4 am!

The next call was received at 8am.  I angrily, but firmly told them to REMOVE the PHONE NUMBER from their records!  I said if they had business with someone connected to my phone number -- which they shouldn't -- but if they did, they were to do everything through the mail.

I have not heard from them again!

Btw, they really did have the WRONG NUMBER!