Telemarketers

[Rick Cantrell]

I just received this email, thought I would pass it on

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.**************
REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON.. It takes about 20 seconds.

[Matt Shapiro]

It is a mostly false urban legend.

Cell Phone Numbers Going Public? - Do Not Call List - Urban Legends (http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm)

[Rick Cantrell]

The number is real

call toll-free, 1-888-382-1222

The service is real
Federal Trade Commission - The Do Not Call Registry (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/donotcall/index.html)
You can register online at WWW.DONOTCALL.GOV (http://www.DONOTCALL.GOV)

So what is the urban legend?
Maybe the part about the cell phone numbers are being released, so what.

If you want to continue to have telemarketers call you, good for you.

If on the other hand you would like to have fewer telemarketing calls, well then this message might just help.

[Rick Cantrell]

As I was typing this I got a call from a telemarketer
Automated of course.

Worst thing is, they make you listen to the whole @#$% thing before they tell you which button to press to be removed from the call list.

And, yes, some of them actually will remove you from the call list.

Before the automated calls, I would say "Can you hold on for just a second?". Then set the phone down, checking back in about a minute. Let them say a little more then put them on hold again. I once kept someone on on hold for almost 20 minutes, then said "I'm not interested" and hung up. Felt good to waste thier time.

Many years ago in the days of dialup modems, I programmed my computer to call thier 800 #, hold about 10 seconds, hang up, then call again.

[Randy Hooser]

From the Q&A about the National Do Not Call Registry on the FTC website (Q&A: The National Do Not Call Registry (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt107.shtm))....


<H4>Can I register my cell phone on the National Do Not Call Registry?

Yes, you may place your personal cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry has accepted cell phone numbers since it opened for registrations in June 2003. There is no deadline to register a home or cell phone number on the Registry.
You may have received an email telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database; however, that is not the case. FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.
</H4>Unless the FTC is slow at updating their Q&A, looks like nothing to worry about.

[Rick Cantrell]

looks like nothing to worry about.

What, am I the only person that gets telemarketers on my CELLPHONE EVERYDAY?
Some times several a day.
Most of them automated.

[Ted Menelly]

I get calls and have gotten calls on my cell for years. I am not sure what has changed. I get at least a couple calls a day for years. You cell is public knowledge in this business. How many companies are you list4ed with. How many websites have you company name. All the years I have had a website my name is every where. The website before this my name is everywhere.

There is absolutely no way to keep your phone number from being out there. If you can then you will get no calls for work, from any one.

[Jim Luttrall]

Me too. How can they tell if it is a cell phone? My business number used to be a land line but has been ported to a cell phone over a year ago.
My automated calls are increasing exponentially lately.

[Matt Fellman]

I've also been hearing this warning for years now with various dates and deadlines.... but nothing has really changed. I have my company landline forwarded to my cell 99.9% of the time so I don't usually know which number the call is coming to. Typically, I just don't answer 800 or 888 numbers.... sometimes I answer them briefly and then hang up to prevent having to listen to a voicemail. This can burn you though since sometimes there important calls/message from 800 #s.

[Nick Ostrowski]

I use my cell for work but forward my landline business phone to it when I am out of the office. And I don't give out my cell number. When clients or realtors ask for my cell number, I just tell them to call my office number because it forwards to my cell. I also have my cell number blocked so it doesn't show up on caller IDs unless I need to unblock it.

[Jim Luttrall]

Speaking of spam!

[Jerry Martin]

Check out this link to snopes



snopes.com: Cell Phone Numbers Given to Telemarketers (http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp)

[Bill Hetner]

I have heard that for a couple hundred bucks you can buy the no call list from the goverment. then guess what your going to get a call but maybe not about that list. maybe they need to make an app for that?!! so that you don't get telemarker's or get a message it is automated call coming in...