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Cell Numbers To Be Added To 411
darthC0der writes "Looking for a friend but don't have her phone number with you? For now, you can call directory assistance for her home number, but her wireless digits are off limits from 411. Not for long. The cellular providers are now getting close to making the cellluar numbers available to 411 callers. Here's the link to a CNN article. I don't about you guys but I personally do not want my cellular number to be made available so easily."
The only number telemarketers can't call me at. The article says telemarketers will be banned, but they are one industry I don't trust.
And their intention is clear: To add on another charge so they won't list your number. Instant $3 in revenue per subscriber. Normally it's called extortion, to the phone companies it's called "value added service".
No, I think the next paragraph makes their intentions clear: "Individual carriers would determine whether subscribers would have to pay to be unlisted."
I wish someone would explain to me why I have to pay someone NOT to include my name (and why I pay every month).
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
Just because your number is a cell phone doesn't mean you're safe. All the marketers need is a prefix (like that's a big secret), then they set their automatic dialers to go down the list, starting with 0001 and on. Didn't you watch "The Simpsons"?
In Australia you have the OPTION to have your mobile number listed. I know a number of people who choose to do this, but the majority do not.
This is a sensible approach, as those people who want their number to remain private can keep it that way.
lounge around on the blue couch
The phone companies charge us for unlisted numbers on our land lines. On our cell phones, however, they've realized they have been giving away for free something most people want.
By switching the system as a so-called "benefit" - allowing people to find out our cells numbers to call us, which we have pay airtime for incidentally, they EXPECT that most people will say "hey! Keep my number unlisted!" To which they will happily say "Sure, we can do that for $6.95 a month." BAM! Instant stealth revenue enhancement in a very price competitive industry.
-Mp
Except precedent already exists for this. We have to pay our local telco a monthly fee to keep our regular land line unlisted.
On a side note, if telcos actually had the customers interests in mind, they might consider getting rid of at least the white pages and using the money saved to provide directory assistance at little to no charge. Of course the yellow pages will probably be around forever.
Read the next sentence: "Individual carriers would determine whether subscribers would have to pay to be unlisted." Want to guess what the carriers will decide?
If all the companies start charging for unlisted numbers, there's no competitive disadvantage to them, just as competition didn't protect us when the banks all decided to start charging for use of automatic tellers.
Dear World,
Phone books...man don't get me started. They should only go out to those who specificly request and pay a s*** load for them. I very rarely use a phone book, because I am able to look things up online and call 411 without of killing a tree.
I hate how it is a huge waste of paper. I also hate all of the junk mail I continuously receive for the same reason.
Around here, there are area phone books independent of the bigger Bellsouth edition, and we do get all of them. A couple of weeks ago, each house in my neighborhood was left two, not one, two of one of these area books. It must have been 300 pages. Why would any house need two? They both went directly into my recycling bin as I brought in from the curb.
What a waste!
Later,
-Slashdot Junky
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Landfill Mining Co.
Managing the (Un)natural Resources of Tomorrow
i submitted this story because my bank wellsfargo couldnt seem to stop calling me on my cell. i tried in good faith many times to get them to stop. i received over 5 calls from them. when i contacted my cellphone provider at&t on getting help on getting the numbers of the person calling because under the tcpa solicitations are not allowed to be made to phones. you guesed it though. att was about as much help as, well, dead flash light batteries when the power goes out.
-- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount}
For years my local phone company had a policy stating you could _spell_ your name any way you wanted for the phone book.
So, for years I was listed in the phone book under an alias.
...Me: "Here's how I would like my name listed."
...Phone company rep: "Um, is that a roommate, or something?"
...Me: "Um, yep."
At least the "or something" part was true. This was quite a deal, since unlisted numbers cost an extra $1.25/month (something like that), but an aliased name was free. Now the phone is listed as [spouse's name] (she wants to be listed).
The alias method instantly identifies telemarketers, who can then be dealt with as you wish:
..."Is this Mr. [alias]?"
..."Add this number to your do-not-call list." [click]
..."May I speak to [alias]?"
..."Oh!" [adopt somber voice] "I'm so sorry, he died a week ago."
..."Um -- "
Method A)
Method B)
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