Cell Phone National DO NOT CALL List!

[Smartypants]

In a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. You will be charged for these calls.

Call this number from your cell phone 888-382-1222.

It is the national DO NOT CALL list. It only takes a minute of your time. It blocks your number for 5 years.

Please pass this on to everyone you know who doesn't want to be hassled.

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I just received the above info. Note that this is a national do-not-call list, but a California agency, so I do not know if it is the number to call if you live outside of California. For those of you in other states, you might consider looking into the agency that informs the list in your state before numbers are released in a few weeks.

[Avalon]

I found this just now. But read the entire article for information about a cell 411 release.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar..._directory.htm

[Max Headroom]

I guess that solves that issue

[Smartypants]

Originally Posted by Avalon

I found this just now. But read the entire article for information about a cell 411 release.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar..._directory.htm

Yeah, I saw that too, after I posted. The urban legend has to do with the fact (or falsity, actutally) that they are "releasing phone numbers" in a "few weeks." That isn't happening.

But they are publishing cell phone directories in 2006, and you CAN register your cell number with the Do Not Call list, which if I recall you couldn't (and didn't need to) do originally, and the number given IS a real number to register. I don't know about you, but registering my home phone did stop the incessant marketing calls, and I don't think it's a bad idea to have my cell phone registered as well.

[Avalon]

The whole thing stinks; that is why I said for everyone to read the entire article.

The do not call list hasn't helped much as I had hoped; there are ways to get around it and non-profit orgs. don't have to recognize it. I find myself having no patience for solicitors on my land line, I can only imagine how I will react to a call to my cell.

[xfox]

Thanks Mr. Smartypants!

[Smartypants]

Originally Posted by Avalon

The do not call list hasn't helped much as I had hoped;

When the call list first went into effect, the telemarketing calls nearly stopped completely on my home phone, but they increased 20 fold on my business line. If I still had employees I was paying and they had to answer these calls all day I would have a shit fit. Now that I have caller ID, I don't even answer the phone in my home OR office unless I know who it is, because 90% of the calls to my company are sales calls.

Now the calls are increasing again on the residential line despite the Do Not Call list and I've noticed this new thing that drives me up the wall -- salespeople calling and leaving messages that say that they are returning MY call to THEM. This has got to be some new scam to skirt the do-not-call laws.

A friend told me today that she got four calls from people who told her they were responding to her e-mail request for information about re-financing her home. Then they acted confused when she said she never requested it. The last one, when questioned, told her he had the e-mail in front of him, but the e-mail address he told her it came from wasn't hers. My guess is that the company generates the false e-mail so that if prosecuted can innocently show the e-mail as evidence they didn't think they were making unsolicited calls, and what's worse (based on what my friend says sounded like genuine confusion on the caller's part) is I think they dangle these fraudulent "requests" in front of people who are looking for jobs and tell them they're going to be provided with all these real leads of people who have shown interest in whatever crap they're pushing, so all they have to do is dial 'em up and rake in the commissions. The whole thing smells like bad fish to me -- for the people who get called and the hapless salespeople as well. Phooey.

[Con ate dog]

If Zefrank gives out annual awards, I hereby nominate Smartypants in the Public Service category.

Well done, sir.