Cell Phone Directory Coming Soon 219
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.
Do Not Call List (Score:5, Interesting)
Expensive (Score:5, Interesting)
Never get calls (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
even if you don't register (Score:3, Interesting)
*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
Instant obsolescence? (Score:5, Interesting)
old news (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Expensive (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Do Not Call List (Score:5, Interesting)
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
Re:Maybe I'm Naive but..... (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re:Most cell phone plans have free nights and week (Score:3, Interesting)
The law still applies, as does the one that telemarketers cannot call you on Sunday.
i have the opposite problem (Score:4, Interesting)
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!
bluetooth as well? (Score:1, Interesting)
SprintPCS (Score:5, Interesting)
Cell phone spam (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Expensive (Score:3, Interesting)
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.
FCC and Rulemaking! (Score:3, Interesting)
T-Mobile (Score:5, Interesting)
Do not call list doesn't Work Outside of IE (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:i have the opposite problem (Score:5, Interesting)
do-not-call webbots (Score:3, Interesting)
src="http://g6589dcs.nyc2.aens.net/DCS000003_6D4Q
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.
Off topic a bit but... (Score:3, Interesting)
why are we paying for incoming calls? (Score:1, Interesting)
calls to cell phones are illegal..clearcut (Score:1, Interesting)
1) The website is not business related, no advertising, no banners, and nothing commercial related. If they were calling a business, there might be an excemption, however there is not.
2) In order for an entity to call solicit by junk fax, prerecord, or to a cell phone, you must have given express prior permission. The mere listing in a directory (i.e. membership list, phone book, etc) does not constitute express permission.
Had they even ettempted to talk to me once, I wouldn't be likely filing, but they failed to send me a copy of their company do-not-call policy, didn't train the reps in the use of a DNC list, and failed to follow state and federal law. They leave me little choice but to file suit, and I have a pretty substantial bit of case-law backing it up. I've done a lot of research into this. If anyone has goten a call from these people (or even email) then I'd love to hear it and will keep you updated as how the case goes. Right now I'm looking at at a $4500 suit in trebled statutory damages.
If you paid for your calls ... (Score:3, Interesting)
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.