Telemarketing on Cell Phones

[Detector]

In September, cell phone numbers were released to telemarketing companies and you WILL start receive sales calls. You WILL be charged for these calls. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. This is the national DO NOT CALL list. You can also register your cell phone and other telephone numbers on-line at www.donotcall.gov

[Lone Gunman]

Thanks Detector. I've registered.

[K C Muffin]

Ouch! I had registered my phones once, but it's been about a year and I'm starting to get them again at home, so I prolly ought to just do it again. Thanks for the heads-up!

[dodgehighforeve]

If I remember right, the registration is good for 5 years. I registered my phone today, and said it would be on the list till 2010. They aslo had a way you could check your phone number to see if it had been registered, and if so, when. You might look into it, but remember too, if you ever signup for something, and give them your number, they have the right to call you. And if they have a box that says something like, "Don't share my number with affiliates" or something to that effect, and you don't click it, it's understood, that you don't mind if they share it with their partners, and it's then legal for them to call you.

[Tee]

Originally Posted by dodgehighforeve

And if they have a box that says something like, "Don't share my number with affiliates" or something to that effect, and you don't click it, it's understood, that you don't mind if they share it with their partners, and it's then legal for them to call you.

just like spam!

....and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends.... and so on and so on....

Hey whatever happened to that commercial?

I called the number and registered all six of mine. Thanks for the info!

[wordsmythe]

That every time you sign up to win somethign in the mall and put your phone number on the sheet or anytime a cashier at a store asks you for your phone number so they can "track where sales are coming from," you've given that company permission to call you.

Any time you give your number to them you've gone off the list.

A polite "no" usually works and my wife no longer signs up for things in the mall.

[Lars]

I used to work for a call center and we were always informed that it was against the law to call a cell phone and that if we did so, our company could be sued specifically because it costs the person money to call them. This was in 2002. When did this law change?

[K C Muffin]

Originally Posted by Lars

I used to work for a call center and we were always informed that it was against the law to call a cell phone and that if we did so, our company could be sued specifically because it costs the person money to call them. This was in 2002. When did this law change?

It probably never did - some places take advantage of the little people's lack of knowledge.

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by Tee

I called the number and registered all six of mine. Thanks for the info!

Yikes, I thought I was bad with two cells - Must be a sight to see you carry around 6 of them.....

[Detector]

After some investigation it seems I may have posted some inaccurate information. Cell phone numbers WERE NOT released to telemarketers but major wireless providers, with the exception of Verizon, plan to establish a 411 directory of customers cell phone numbers. At this time it is still illegal for telemarketers to call cell phones.

Not everyone is convinced that consumers' privacy will be adequately shielded, however, as evidenced by a privacy protection bill already introduced in Congress which would modify the plan to allow 411 callers to be directly connected to requested parties without the latter's phone numbers being given out. Lawmakers have yet to act on the legislation.

The fact still remains you will be charged for telemarketing calls so its remains a good idea to add your cell phone numbers as well as home phone numbers.