Hey all,

Starting next month, our cell phone numbers will be published to advertisers:

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free. Your registration will be effective for five years.

You can register your home/cell phone numbers two ways:

1. Call from your cell phone: 888/382-1222. It takes a few seconds...really quick. Remember, it MUST be from your cell phone.

or

2. Go to: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx and register your number.

Remember, if the advertisers call your cell phone, then you will be charged for it!

This thread will be in the GENERAL section for a few days...and then it will go to OFF-TOPIC.

Thai.

This is one of those "urban legends" floating around. There is no cell phone telemarketing directory that will be circulated, and one that was proposed will only contain your name if you "opt in" and want it listed.

Register any phone number, cellular or land line, at http://www.donotcall.gov and you're good to go.


http://www.snopes.com

Jeff, I missed your point. On one hand, you seem to say cell phone #s wont be listed in any telemarketing dir; on the other hand you say register your cell in donotcall site anyway. Am I getting this right? Thanks.

The site has a FAQ section. It states that you can register cell phone numbers.

Why would you be able to register cell phone numbers if there isn't a possibility of receiving telemarketing calls?

Thanks Thai for the heads up!!

Okay, sorry for being ambiguous in my last post. First of all, DEFINITELY REGISTER both your cell phone number and your land line numbers at the Do Not Call Registry. With portability, people take a land line number and change it to be their wireless number - and vice/versa. There are no longer "exclusive" cellular prefixes as there used to be just a year or two ago.

Second, a cellular directory (of sorts) is supposedly in the works....but the difference is that you opt in if you want your name & number included -- versus the way you opt out of the traditional white pages by paying an extra fee for an unlisted or non-published number.

Some companies, including Verizon Wireless, have said that they will not divulge their customer names and phone numbers unless they first receive permission to do so. I use Sprint, and do not yet know what their position is. Of course, if I want someone to have my number, I simply give it to them. Otherwise, I would rather they leave me alone!

Since I registered my wireless number with the Do Not Call web site last year, I have not received a single telemarketing call at all - except maybe for someone with whom I already do business. I highly recommend you do the same. It takes about two minutes and may save you a lot of headache later.

Cheers!!

Hmmm...ya know, the link that you gave is in my original post.

Thanks Jeff. I got it. Now I can go to bed ;-) Can you imagine how pissed I'll be if getting called on my prepaid cell phone (TMobile) by a telemarketer!

As Jeff mentioned, this is an urban legend that pops up in e-mail and on web sites and causes needless anxiety.

Here's the link to the full explanation on Snopes.

Bottom line: there is no "urgent" need to rush out and register your cell phone number with the National Do Not Call database.

Thanks Thai!

Koz

I'm sure there's a smidge of truth to advertising phone calls.

I received such a call from Discover card on my cell phone this morning. All the voice mail said was to call "Discover Card" along with a phone number.

I don't even HAVE a Discover card (did 15+ years ago) so I have no idea how they got my cell #. Plus only a small handful of friends/others have my cell phone #.

Could be like land-lines, the automatic dialers that telemarketers simply increment the phone number to the next one and blindly dial it.

And YES, I have to pay with my airtime to listen to this crap

Bump for new members. I remembered this thread because i just got a new home phone number.

The Do Not Call registry does not stop charities from calling, and it seems I get the most calls from them. I am constantly (during supper, while sleeping Saturday morning, etc) getting calls from either the Georgia Firefighters, State Patrol, Sheriffs, Police, Deputies, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I've given money to some of them and do support their cause, but at the moment I'm already a bit extended with a commitment to donate money to mission work, and getting 3-4 calls in one day asking for more money is getting pretty inconvenient. It's getting to the point where I'm being hassled. I just wish they would be a little more considerate, seeing as they are asking for donations.

Sorry, had to rant

My current number was previously assigned to someone in debt. I get messages from machines, collection agencies, and lawyers. Once I call back, I wait on hold for 20 minutes just to tell them not to call my number. It has finally slowed down after 3 years. But a pain.


Plus all the calls from non-profits.

Thanks Thai udaman!
CV

Couple of techniques reduce the calls.

First, you don't have to answer the phone. So I don't answer during dinner. Period....unless I'm expecting the call.

Then, use the answering machine -- if we don't recognize the number on Caller ID, we simply don't answer the phone. Most of these callers use a system that waits for the call to be answered, then it connects to the telesales rep...but they don't connect when it's an answering machine.

To be safe, I recorded the three tones for a disconnected line and they are at the beginning of the answering machine message. Supposedly, it tells their computer to take your number off the call list. Not sure if it does, but it doesn't hurt.

And, remember the Do Not Call Registry for all your numbers -- cell phones, second lines, etc.