Cell Phones to Go Public - Unsubscribe Now (USA specific, hoax?)

[Arrowwind]

All CELL PHONES will go PUBLIC this month. CALL 888-382-1222 and get your cell phone off the telemarketers' lists for FIVE YEARS! Tip of the day, so pass it on.

[ThePythonicCow]

I added the qualifier "(USA specific, hoax?)" to this thread's title.

I think what Arrowwind is reporting is that she's heard reports that cell phone numbers in the USA will become publicly visible for telemarketers to use.

I am pretty sure this is misleading. It remains illegal to call a phone number that has to pay to receive calls. Most cell phone subscribers in the US pay per minute, or have minutes per month limits, that apply even to incoming calls. (This might apply elsewhere as well - I don't know.)

This warning has apparently been floating around for years, and is essentially a hoax.

See further:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/truth-about-wireless-phones-and-national-do-not-call-list
http://www.idthecall.com/888-382-1222
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/celldirectory.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/04/dnc.shtm
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cellphone-numbers-going-public.shtml

[TigaHawk]

They did this in Aus years ago

You have to apply to the "do not all register" to have it taken off the list... For 5 years.

Im on the do not call list... They still call.

Its great! Really! /scarcasm

[PurpleLama]

I'm not sure about the above listed phone number, but I registered my phone number here when I first got it years ago, and do not receive any calls from solicitors.

https://www.donotcall.gov/Default.aspx

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Arrowwind's number goes to the same place....

[Arrowwind]

ok, i see.

[Arrowwind]

I added the qualifier "(USA specific, hoax?)" to this thread's title.

I think what Arrowwind is reporting is that she's heard reports that cell phone numbers in the USA will become publicly visible for telemarketers to use.

I am pretty sure this is misleading. It remains illegal to call a phone number that has to pay to receive calls. Most cell phone subscribers in the US pay per minute, or have minutes per month limits, that apply even to incoming calls. (This might apply elsewhere as well - I don't know.)

This warning has apparently been floating around for years, and is essentially a hoax.


See further:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/truth-about-wireless-phones-and-national-do-not-call-list
http://www.idthecall.com/888-382-1222
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/celldirectory.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/04/dnc.shtm
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cellphone-numbers-going-public.shtml



Ok Paul... so is this site a fraud too?
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/04/dncfyi.shtm

and this site which seems to be an FTC site and they list the same phone number for the do not call registry
http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm

[Arrowwind]

so is it just the "all cell phones will go public" part that is a scam?

[TigaHawk]

I am pretty sure.. From memory... When u get your sim card/phone # and your registering it your asked if you want the number listed. Thats just for the phone book. If you say no it wont appear in the phone book when someone searches your name.

What has changed is the govt has agreed to sell your mobile # and name to marketing company's... On the condition that if someone registers for the do not call list that they are not to be called.

Pretty much a way the govt can make more money without too much public outcry because you can choose to "opt out"


http://australia.gov.au/service/do-not-call-register-service-directory

[ThePythonicCow]

[

Ok Paul... so is this site a fraud too?
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/04/dncfyi.shtm

and this site which seems to be an FTC site and they list the same phone number for the do not call registry
http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm


so is it just the "all cell phones will go public" part that is a scam?

I listed an FCC (fcc.gov) and an FTC (ftc.gov) site in my post too - the Do Not Call registry is legitimate - no problem there.

The claim that there will be a "411" information service for cell phone numbers based on a list gathered from the major cell phone companies, which would make all cell phone numbers publicly available, has been being made for years now, according to some of the other links I posted. That claim has not yet been realized, so far as I noticed (I could easily have missed something here), though the major cell phone companies have said now and then they are working on doing that.

However even if and when it is realized, and cell phone numbers become "public" this way, it will remain illegal to make unexpected, non-emergency, calls to a phone that likely has to pay to handle incoming calls (which means mobile and cell phones.)

The opening post did not mention that this was a USA issue (we have forum members from elsewhere too), and that this same alarmist sounding warning has been circulating for years now, without adequate basis, both because the cell phone list has not actually gone public yet, and even if it did, you would not have to have your cell phone number on the Do Not Call registry to make it illegal to spam your cell phone ... it would be illegal anyway.

(Of course, just because it would be illegal doesn't mean it wouldn't happen ... but typically it would happen less, being on the registry wouldn't help anyway, and you'd have a legal basis to attack back if it did happen.)

Ideally, you could have done the same research as I did before making this post :). Or, at least once I had provided the links, you could have done so. Also, ideally, you would have kept in mind the world-wide audience of this forum when posting. For extra credit, you might have noticed the "scare mongering" "alarmist" nature of the warning in the first place, and then, suspecting it was overstating it's case, looked into this closer before passing it along.

Now -- I could still be very wrong in what I concluded above. My research and reading was hasty and superficial. You or any other member are welcome to look into this further, and report other interesting or contrary results.

The goal, as usual, remains to share useful material with others, but to balance one's own time and effort spent checking things out with the time of others who might take an interest in what we post here.

[Arrowwind]

I guess I jumped on it because a number of years ago I was overwhelmed with sales calles on my home phone. I received and advisement like this, called the number and the sales calls ended almost immediately. I didn't stop to consider all the issues with cell phones. Personally I dont have one, did once got one due to my husbands insistance and threw it in the trash after a few months of constant issues with it on many levels. Will never have one again. sorry if I caused undue alarm :o

[Shiva]

Meh- I use a pre-paid phone under my.....uh..... "other name". ;)

I bought a used Android that was easy to..... uh....."customize".

[ThePythonicCow]

I guess I jumped on it because a number of years ago I was overwhelmed with sales calles on my home phone.
Ah - my sympathies.

I have found a workable solution to that problem. I switched to a VOIP (Voice Over IP) phone, instead of an old-fashioned land line. I use CallCentric; another one that seems well recommended is Voip.ms. I have a small box that plugs into my internet, and my base phone (the same one I used before, with a regular land line) plugs into that. Other people who use the phone, and others who call us, never notice the difference. I kept my old phone number.

But ... if I get a sales call, I click a few buttons online, and that phone number never gets through to me again. Right now I have perhaps 30 black-holed numbers, in a slowly growing list.

More features, less money, and another "electronic gadget" ... what's not to love?

Cable companies are selling VOIP is part of their "Triple Play" packages (Cable TV, Phone and Web), but I prefer working with a company that specializes in (Internet) phones, not 120+ channels of idiot box programming.