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Cell Phone Directory Coming Soon

applemasker writes "According to this story on Yahoo News via the L.A. Times, an upcoming cell phone directory which supposedly includes 75% of all cell users is in the works. Some people are already receiving cell phone spam and telemarketing calls. Worse yet, unless you opt-out at the beginning of your contract, some carriers such as T-Mobile can gladly hand over your info (though the article says that T-Mobile is changing the contract now). Some good news though, Verizon Wireless has said that it will not share its customer lists. Still, maybe it's time to submit your cell number to the Do Not Call List if you haven't done so already." We had a related story last year.

53 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Do Not Call List by davidmcn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I just assumed the Do Not Call list was to apply to cell phones too, so when it came time to enroll, every number in my household, cell and not, became a "Do Not Call" number.

    --
    Memories become legend, Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten by the time that age comes again.-Robert Jordan
    1. Re:Do Not Call List by baudilus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The Do Not Call list could not have applied to cell phones because previously, telemarketers were barred from calling any phone where the receiver of the call could be charged for it (i.e. cell phone minutes). I guess that law has changed since inception, or otherwise, the cell phone companies have found a way to make incoming telemarketer calls "free."

      Conversely (and perhaps slightly O/T), I've always been suspicious of the Do Not Call list, because if you consider it, on one hand it's like a free list that unscrupulous telemarketers can get and spam, and on the other hand, the "gub-mint" can link you email address to your phone number. (We can't call but we can sure spam that email account!) Of course you can get around it by using a quick free e-mail (like yahoo or hotmail) but who do you know outside of us savvy /.'ers, who probably have "junk" accounts anyway, would go through the trouble of setting one up just for this?

    2. Re:Do Not Call List by strictnein · · Score: 2, Informative

      one hand it's like a free list that unscrupulous telemarketers can get and spam

      I believe there is a charge for the list, and they have to get the list quarterly.

      Strangely enough, the Direct Marketing Association feels that it is necessary to charge people $5 to help get them off the list if they do it online! What a scam. They don't link to the official site at all.

    3. Re:Do Not Call List by Senior+Frac · · Score: 2, Informative

      https://www.donotcall.gov/FAQ/FAQConsumersNew.aspx

      Q: Can I register my cell phone number?
      A: Yes.

      This was true when the list was first started as well.

    4. Re:Do Not Call List by ericspinder · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I still get sales calls on phone sometimes, they say that they are "surveys" and once an extermination service called just "because someone in the area needed their service". Those kind of calls are allowed by the DNC list. Trust me you will see more and more of them and with cell phone number avaiable, they might be hitting them hard. Right now telemarketers have a good list of people who will take the time to listen, but cell phones are a fresh market. Heck there are many teenagers and young adult who only use cell phones, they will want to tap that market. If the value of this fresh market is judged by the telemarketers to be greater than the costs (fines), we'll be seeing bunches of calls on our once private numbers, at least until it levels out.

      I still use the same old line that I used before the DNC list "I do not ever, ever respond in any way to unsolisited telephone calls of any type. Please take me off your list and I hope that you have a nice day ".

      --
      The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
  2. Expensive by thgreatoz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I thought telemarketing to a cell phone was illegal, due to the fact that you are charged for both incoming and outgoing calls on a cell phone. As I understood it, it's similar to the anti-junk fax laws, which were put in place because you pay for the ink and paper that is wasted.

    --
    When their numbers dwindled from 50 to 8, the dwarves began to suspect Hungry.
    1. Re:Expensive by TheBeardIsRed · · Score: 5, Informative

      it is, read more here: How To Make A Telemarketer Cry (or, Suing Bozos for Fun & Profit) - http://www.panix.com/~eck/telemarket.html

    2. Re:Expensive by periol · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Right, and I'm sure you know just how well the "anti-junk fax laws" work. Or maybe you don't have one of them fax machines.

    3. Re:Expensive by Anonymous+Custard · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What if they call you on nights or weekends when you happen to have free minutes? I bet the law doesn't consider that, but a telemarketer could make a good argument in court with that defense...

    4. Re:Expensive by pavon · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The fact that it costs my company money hasn't stopped people from spamming the hell out of me. Why should it stop people from telemarketing to our cell phones?

      1) Telemarketing cell phones is definately illegal while the spam laws are worthless.
      2) Telemarketers can be easily traced and caught while spammers cannot.

      I have gotten two telemarketing calls on my cell phone (both of which were quasi-legitimate purchase "follow-up" calls) and both times when I told them I was on a cell phone they immediately appologized, voluntarily put me on their DNC list and hung up. That is what accountability gets you, and it doesn't exist for email.

    5. Re:Expensive by rwiedower · · Score: 5, Informative

      And here's the official FCC link to the TCPA which details that it is illegal to call not only a cell phone, but also hospitals or any service where someone is charged for the call. Read. Learn. Fight back.

  3. Never get calls by lukewarmfusion · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I almost never get telemarketing calls on my cell. I get a wrong number sometimes.

    As soon as I get a telemarketer calling my cell phone, I demand their name, number, organization, address, etc. (as the DNC registry stipulates). Then I will inform them that I will be sending a bill to that address to recover the cost of the minutes that their company just used for me.

    Once, I got a telemarketer and as soon as I realized who it was I informed them that it was a cell. She apologized profusely and voluntarily put me on their do-not-call list.

    I'm in Indiana, so we have a stricter DNC anyway. :)

    1. Re:Never get calls by T-Ranger · · Score: 2, Funny

      Tell the Oracle salesdroids that it is a home number.

  4. Maybe I'm Naive but..... by MacGod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Maybe I'm naieve, but I personally think this would be a good idea. Telemarketers are irriting, no question, but worse still is losing a phone number and being unable to find it. I don't have to refer to the phone-book too often for landlines, but every time I do, it saves me mucho effort or results in me being able to contact someone I otherwise would not be able to.

    --
    "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one " -Albert Einstein
    1. Re:Maybe I'm Naive but..... by sixteenraisins · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I understand that for many of us, a mobile phone is as fundamental as a land line phone at home. For many others, a mobile phone is the only phone they have.

      However, I'm sure I'm not the only one who views a mobile phone as follows: The phone is for ME to call PEOPLE, not the other way around. The only people I want to receive mobile calls from (indeed, this applies to home line calls as well) are the people to whom I GIVE the number. That's why my home number is unlisted.

      I can count on both hands the number of people who have my mobile number, and I like it that way. I would much rather see this directory be opt-in only.

      --
      When you're not looking, this sig is in Latin.
  5. even if you don't register by atari2600 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It is like a firewall - take the call once.
    *Phone rings*
    Me: who's this? Them: We are calling to see how many children you have..
    Me:I have registered this number in the Do not call registry
    *click*
    There you go :)


    What can i say? I am a lonely guy :)

    1. Re:even if you don't register by baudilus · · Score: 3, Funny
      *Phone rings*
      Me: who's this?

      I love how you answer the phone. No business calls on your cell, eh?
  6. Instant obsolescence? by darth_MALL · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Admittedly, I know only a bit about cel-phones, but the many people I know and work with tend to change numbers frequently. What's practical about a list like this, if the information is consistantly out-of-date? I realise an electronic DB would be easy enough to keep current, but who's goign to use it (besides spammers?)

  7. Already on the DNC list by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    funny- when I first signed up for the Federal DNC list, it asked me to provide up to 5 phone numbers. Didn't anybody else enter their cell numbers at that point?

    --
    SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    1. Re:Already on the DNC list by JuggleGeek · · Score: 2, Informative

      I didn't enter my cell phone number when I joined the DNC list. It isn't getting any telemarketing calls anyway, and telemarketing to cell phones is illegal according to the TCPA already, so it seemed unnecessary. If I start getting telespam calls to my cell, *then* I'll register it.

  8. Great! by stinkyfingers · · Score: 5, Funny

    So the bastard next to me in the movie theater can ruin the experience by getting a call from a jackass he *doesn't* know?

    1. Re:Great! by MrBlackBand · · Score: 2, Funny
      It's Inconsiderate Cell Phone Telemarketing Guy!

      ICPTG (Shouting at a funeral): I can save how much on my long distance? Sweeeeeeeet!

      --
      "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
  9. Terrible!!!!! by Mz6 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    With the abundance of web pages that allow users to simply type in a cell-phone number and a text message, I feel this might be a huge mistake publishing all of these numbers. How long would it take for a spam bot to cultivate through the database, pick-up all the numbers and spam them? My guess is that it shouldn't take more than a day to do.

    "Wireless carriers say they doubt there will be widespread abuse. They point out that most mobile phones come equipped with caller ID, distinctive ring tones, call blocking and other tools to manage unwanted calls. And several carriers say they have made refunds to subscribers who have received unwanted calls. "

    What they fail to understand is that, atleast with my carrier (Sprint), text messages pop up all the time. I have no options to block text messages from certain users, or only allow messages from those in my phone book. I think the biggest area won't be the unwanted calls, but rather the unwanted text messages that cost about as much as it does to send spam messages.

    By far.. Worst idea EVER!

    --
    Hmmm.
    1. Re:Terrible!!!!! by euphonaesthesia · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not to mention, on most plans, one pays for text messages received [either deducted from a package of a number messages that one buys for a certain amount of money each month or charged a fee for using more messages than the number bought]. The inbox sizes are also quite small; even a small bit of spam would be even more annoying as it could quickly fill a relatively small quota.

    2. Re:Terrible!!!!! by prshaw · · Score: 2, Insightful

      >>How long would it take for a spam bot to cultivate through the database, pick-up all the numbers and spam them?

      Why bother go through the database? Why not just spend a message to every number possible? It doesn't cost them anything to send the message, so they don't care if it is really in use or not.

    3. Re:Terrible!!!!! by The_K4 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have sprint and have only gotten 1 spam sms message to my phone in 5 years i've had a cell. I reported it to SPRINT PCS and the tech said that with the exact time of the message and the number it was sent to they could get the IP address of the sender's computer. If you get spam on your phone report it!

  10. old news by arabagast · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This has been avaiable here in Norway for several years now.. allthough I do imagine there is a certain difference in volume between Norway and the US. Had a funny experience with this btw, one day when I was bored, I looked up my number in one of the online catalogs - and behold, they had gotten hold of even more information about me than I ever gave my cell provider, it was kinda scary I can tell you :)

    --
    Doolittle : ...What is your one purpose in life?
    Bomb no.20 : To explode of course.
  11. may not be as bad as it sounds by winsk · · Score: 5, Informative

    According to this article , the CTIA claims that all the carriers who are going along with the plan are doing so on an opt-in basis for existing customers, and an opt-out basis for new customers, without any additional fees.

  12. Re:The solution? by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Don't get a cell phone. Not only will you not get annoying calls but you also won't be one of the lucky recipents to get a brain tumor 20 years from now. Oh you know it's coming....... "

    You should get rid of your computer. Not only will you not get those annoying spams, but you also won't be one of the lucky recipients to get skin cancer 20 years from now because you didn't switch to LCD soon enough. Oh, you know it's coming....

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  13. Jerks by thebra · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Until recently, when customers switched carriers, their numbers changed as well, so marketers were reluctant to invest much in compiling databases.

    For once I thought that something good was being done for the consumer...my mistake.

  14. Re:Most cell phone plans have free nights and week by baudilus · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There is no guarantee that you have "Free Nights and/or Weekends."

    The law still applies, as does the one that telemarketers cannot call you on Sunday.

  15. i have the opposite problem by claykarmel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I run my business from my PCS phone.

    Did you know that you CANNOT get a white pages listing for your cell phone unless you get your cell phone service from your local RBOC?

    Try getting a D&B on a number they can't verify with the RBOC!

    1. Re:i have the opposite problem by Ween · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I currently run my business with my cell phone. What I did was contact my local land line phone provider (sprint) and asked for a business forwarding number. It is about $12 a month, gets you a listing in the white pages and most importantly, gets you a listing in the yellow pages under the heading of your choice. They then give you a unique local number and that number just forwards calls to whatever number you tell them. In my case, it was my cell phone. You give people your local number number and magically your cell phone always rings. I have not once ever gotten a long distance bill, even if the people who called me were far away, not so far away, or just in the extended local long area. Seems to be quite a good deal.

      --


      Tis better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt --Abraham Lincoln
  16. SprintPCS by wytcld · · Score: 4, Interesting

    With SprintPCS I was getting occassional spam text messages, so I when to their Website and turned that feature off - except then I kept getting spam text messages from ... SprintPCS. I had to call and have them "unprovision" text messaging entirely in order to get any assurance that they could stop themselves from spamming me!

    --
    "with their freedom lost all virtue lose" - Milton
  17. Cell phone spam by maeltor · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Some people are already receiving cell phone spam and telemarketing calls.
    I've gotten cell phone spam on every carrier i've been with for the past 2 years (3 carriers). TMobile was the worst....i got 25 spam messages in one day. I also got billed for it (SMS overuse). They claimed that since I never logged in to change my "cell phone number email address" on TMobile's site, I was getting the messages and didn't try to prevent them. Man did that customer retention supervisor get her ass chewed. After I got done with her, I ended up with a new phone, a changed "email address" and 4 months free :)
  18. Re:Before banning a directory... by pknoll · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is already illegal for telemarketers. In 2004, the government's amended telemarketing sales regulations proscribed the sending of their phone number when calling and, if possible, their name.

  19. Re:Verizon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...and that's why you never, ever sign up for a contract for cellular service.

    Of course another great reason is that at the rate technology is improving, in a year or two the contract will become a noose. How about when the new plans include unlimited data transfer for less than you're paying for voice only now?

    Try one of the prepaid plans. At AT&T for example it's 25 cents/minute (which is high if you use it a lot so it's not suitable for everyone), but there is no contract, no hidden fees like the fake taxes that were dicussed here recently, and unused minutes roll forward. For very light use, you can have a cell phone for $3.50/month including extras and taxes with AT&T. That $3.50 doesn't force you to use 14 minutes either; if you use less than 14 they still roll forward.

  20. Re:Before banning a directory... by baudilus · · Score: 2, Informative
    There are already facilities to block calls block their caller ID information. Not only for cell phones, but for land lines as well.

    From this site (which I believe is standard across land lines):

    Anonymous Call Block--(Included with Caller ID and Caller ID on Call Waiting, and available as a stand alone feature.) This option has some notable caveats, so please understand what it will and will not do before ordering or activating. Basically, this features allows you to reject calls coming from parties who have enabled Caller ID block on their line, thus preventing the display on your ID display unit of their name and/or number (you see "Private Caller"). Such callers are redirected to a message telling them you are not accepting ID-blocked calls and that they need to remove the block and call back if they wish to each you.

    Note: This means that some cellular calls and calls from business's PBX phone systems may not get through to you. Callers on those systems may not be able to remove the ID block in order to have their call ring through.

    This feature will not screen out most telemarketers' calls, nor any other calls where the caller's telco does not transmit ID info or the info is not available (these display as "Unavailable," or "Unknown Caller," or similar). Again, it works only on calls where the caller has enabled their own Caller ID block ("Private Caller").

    * To activate: press *77
    * To deactivate: press *87
  21. FCC and Rulemaking! by enforcer999 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The FCCis in the process of making rules to protect consumers regarding cell phones and spam. On another related note: The American Teleservices Association filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of the National Do Not Call Registry. If the Court takes the case, I do not believe that they will over turn the 10th Circuit's decision.

  22. Re:Verizon by falcon5768 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    apparently your the minority since verizon was rated the best in customer service and support recently (with at&t as the worst, no surprise there)

    As for picture phones, there are a ton of them for verizon, infact i know of one that is great and by LG.... but it begs the question.... who really needs their phone to take pictures... PDA replacement i can see, ability to be used as a modem yes... but PICTURES?

    --

    "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

  23. Verizon sucks by -tji · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Verizon already phone spams their own customers.

    About a month ago, I got one of those annoying automated calls offering me "great new services" through Verizon. The recording said "Push 1 for more information".

    So, I pushed '1' and waded went through several levels of systems until I could talk to a human. I asked him to set all my privacy preferences to prohibit any further calls or sharing of my personal information, and he was totally lost at how to proceed. He acted as if this was an unprecedented request.. "I don't have any idea how I could do that. We don't have any settings for that in the user accounts."

    After spending 30 minutes on the phone with this guy, I was pissed to have wasted so much time and just wanted to hang up. But he agreed to submit some paper form that was supposed to ensure this did not happen again.. He did not inspire a lot of confidence, but I haven't gotten another call.. yet.

  24. What a coincidence.... by NIN1385 · · Score: 2, Informative
    I have wireless service through iwireless(formerly Iowa Wireless) who is an affiliate of tmobile. They recently sent me a notice that they were raising their prices by like 3 dollars. The reason they said they were raising the price is because of the bill that passed allowing a customer to take their cell phone number with them anywhere they go.

    I have many friends with cell phones through different companies, and none of the other companies seem to be raising their prices at all because of this bill. T-mobile is a horrible company that doesn't give a shit about the customer, everytime I had a problem with them they simply told me that is the way it is and they wont make any effort to change it. I don't know where they got their business practices but where I come from the customer is ALWAYS right!

    I am now switching to Verizon for reasons such as them not giving out the personal information of customer THAT PAY FOR THEIR SERVICE! Until companies start caring about the customers and not their profits...their profits will continue to go down.

    I highly reccomend to anyone that is considering moving to T-Mobile or any of their affiliates to think twice and look at Verizon or Nextel instead. Peace...

    --

    If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up. - Comedian Mitch Hedberg R.I.P. 03/30/68-2/24/05
  25. Re:illegal??? by JuggleGeek · · Score: 4, Informative
    I believe it's on a state-by-state basis.

    No, it's not. Telemarketing to cell phones is already illegal and has been for some time.

    The FCC has information on their website.

  26. In Europe... by Jott42 · · Score: 2, Informative

    You have to remeber that they are talking about the US. It is new there. And it is a problem, as they are paying for incoming calls. And they seem to not have a general, working do-not-call registry(?).
    Strange, but true.

    (Have Karma, flame away...)

  27. T-Mobile by JuggleGeek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm not surprised that T-Mobile has been selling personal information. They also send email spam, via "affiliates". I'm shopping for a new cell phone (camera phone) to replce my old cell phone, and the spam they sent me kept them from consideration. Never do business with spammers.

    1. Re:T-Mobile by Geoff-with-a-G · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Friggin' slashdot.
      Let's look at the quote again:
      Worse yet, unless you opt-out at the beginning of your contract, some carriers such as T-Mobile CAN gladly hand over your info

      No, it does not sound like they are selling personal info. It sounds like the boiler-plate contract that their lawyers created to be as all-encompassing as possible grants them the right to do that (along with probably the right to eat your children and harvest your organs). That is not at all the same thing as actually acting upon those rights. This particular clause in the contract just came under scrutiny, and the first thing they did was say "don't worry, we'll fix it."

      Look, I agree that it's important to review these contracts, and to reign them in to prevent abuse. But there's this absurd mentality that all big corporations are like a ship full of Borg, bearing down on you, bent on destruction. There are good companies, and there are bad companies, but pretty much every large company has lawyers, else they would have been sued back to being a small company over something ridiculous (think googol-family suing Google). Those lawyers write the contracts, and they try to write them so that there's no chance their company can ever be held liable for anything bad at all. That doesn't mean the company is evil and intends to actually do all the things that it's allowed to.

      As soon as you have credible reports of T-Mobile selling personal information, then feel free to start yelling about it. But right now the only facts that we have are that their contract would have allowed them to do that, and that as soon as this was pointed out, they said they're changing it.


  28. Roaming by grahamsz · · Score: 5, Funny

    How can a telemarketer know if you are roaming or not?

    Sure i might have free minutes when i'm in colorado, or even the usa. But if i fly home to britain i'll be paying for every second.

    Another peeve of mine is that they don't consider the time of day where your phone terminates.. as such when i was living in the UK, i'd get telemarketer calls at 1am since I found it convenient to have a 303 (Denver) number.

    It should be illegal to call a phone if it's possible that it rings in a country where it's after 9pm.

  29. This is a pretty pointless story... by Caeda · · Score: 3, Informative

    All cell phones are already a "Do Not Call" telemarketing item. You don't have to be on any list because its the same as a fax machine. You pay the charges for the call because its your minutes, and so they can be reported and fined with no signup.

    --
    ~~ Please keep your arms, legs, and outright stupidity inside the ride at all times. Thank You ~~
  30. do-not-call webbots by mabu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    a scan of the do-not-call registry page reveals this little tidbit:
    src="http://g6589dcs.nyc2.aens.net/DCS000003_6D4Q/ njs.gif?dcsuri=/nojavascript"

    Nice of AT&T to be monitoring/logging all the traffic to that site.

    I won't register because they have no business associating an IP or e-mail with a telephone number in an opt-out list.

  31. Off topic a bit but... by Proc6 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I just got a new cellphone yesterday and I started thinking... I have 5 phone numbers in my area code just of my own and Im just an average guy. With so many people having a home phone, a cell phone, a work phone, often a fax number or a second line for (heaven forbid) dialup access, that kind of thing... it sure seems like 9 million phone numbers isn't very many for a given area code... Maybe it is, I dont know, but I think theres a few million PEOPLE in my city, let alone the other 1/3 the state that share the same area code, and if most of those have 2-3 phone numbers... seems suprising to fit them all within that 9 million cap?

    --

    I'm Rick James with mod points biatch!

  32. Telemarketing outside the USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    As far as I know it, in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Asia, it's free to receive cellphone calls, generally speaking. Callers can tell by the phone number prefix that it's a cell phone, and they pay when they call.

    (Yes, that means you can receive all the calls you like on your cellular phone for something like $10 US per year to stay connected.)

    There are schemes like call-diversion that send calls to (e.g.) your home phone line to your cellphone. In these cases the cellphone user pays because they made the decision to send the call over the cellular network.

    It's no wonder cellphone penetration is so low in the states when having a cellphone means taking on a huge liability for bozos ringing you up!

    Why is the system so different in the US to everywhere else?

  33. Cell phone been registered by SnapperHead · · Score: 2, Informative

    I registered my cell phone and house line at the same time. Since I use my cell more then my house line, I figured it was important.

    However, there are a lot of ways for telemarketers to get around it. First off, they claim its not a sales call, when it fact it damn sure is. Second, they make it look like it was something I requested.

    I got 5 calls total from a local (same state) car dealer. They claim I submitted a request via car.com and couldn't verify anything beyond that. They also claimed all of this was via E-Mail and I was talking to a rep for 2 weeks about a car.

    a) They couldn't verify my E-Mail address, opps sorry, its listed as unknown or invaild.
    b) Its a car I never would buy to begin with.
    c) I called there managment each time telling them to stop calling me before I file a complaint.

    Needless to say, not only did I file a complaint with the FTC, I also filed a complaint with the BBB and the local police. They are looking into changes being pressed for harrasment.

    This is the only problem I have had so far with cell phones and telemarketers. Eitherway, I would be VERY pissed if they called my phone, if I didn't have an unlimited package through nextel, so for me its not a big deal.

    I just hope if they are building a directory of cell phone numbers, they include some sort of feature to allow customers to request there names and numbers NOT be included.

    --
    until (succeed) try { again(); }
  34. If you paid for your calls ... by Mr_Silver · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It's worth pointing out that in the UK (and most of Europe) the caller pays for the call and not the receiver.

    After all, if you want a service (eg. to talk to someone) it seems only fair that you should pay for it and not someone else - when I go to get my hair cut, it's not as if the barber pays me for the privilidge of me coming to him.

    Because of this, cold calling by companies to mobile phone users is virtually non-existant.

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