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	iwanttobeasleep 2007-01-20 12:30 am UTC (link)
	By my understanding, that might soon end. Apparently, since so many people are ditching landlines for cell phones, the telemarketing companies are lobbying to be allowed to call cell phones. Which is just all kinds of evil, if you ask me. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	hallidae 2007-01-20 12:49 am UTC (link)
	Oh, goddamn. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	antigone 2007-01-20 01:01 am UTC (link)
	But as long as people pay for incoming minutes (which is another scam altogether, imo), that can't be made legal. Can it? It'd be like PAYING to talk to a telemarketer. At least most cell phones come with caller ID. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gloria_mundi 2007-01-20 02:19 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, but a lot of cell phone plans now are just one flat monthly rate, as far as I know. Paying for incoming calls no longer really applies. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	antigone 2007-01-20 02:22 am UTC (link)
	Well, insomuch as incoming calls count as "minutes" and if you go over your minutes it's very expensive. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mydruthers 2007-01-20 02:33 am UTC (link)
	You can call... someone (the FCC, maybe?) and your number will be put on the no-call list: 1-888-382-1222 I was actually just discussing this with my mom. Yay! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	thesilentsenshi 2007-01-20 02:36 am UTC (link)
	Which would mean people being even bitchier to telemarketers. (Reply to this)(Parent)

lady_red
2007-01-20 04:11 am UTC (link)

Wait, you pay for incoming calls?! I saw people mentioning that in the thread, & assumed they'd got mixed up while typing, or I was reading it wrong...

At least most cell phones come with caller ID.

Trouble is often that comes up as 'private number', which could be a company trying to sell me something, or it could be a company I've sent a job application to offering me a job.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	loonylupinlover 2007-01-20 05:50 am UTC (link)
	I have a pay-as-you-go type phone, and yeah, picking up incoming calls is just the same as sending one out myself. cry Lucky I don't use it for much besides seeing how many times I can slide the screen out again and again and again before I go crazy! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	bubosquared 2007-01-20 11:50 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, my understanding is that if you call a mobile in the States, you pay for the call and the person you're calling pays as well (or it counts on your minutes if you're on a contract rather than pay-as-you-go). It took me ages to catch on to that as well. America: weird! (Reply to this)(Parent)

(Anonymous)
2007-01-20 04:14 pm UTC (link)

Wait, you pay for incoming calls?!

[begin possible tl;dr]

If you sign a contract instead of doing a pay-go system, most cell phone companies have free nights and minutes plans, and some plans also allow you to call other people using the same company for free at any time during the week. For example, Sprint has a basic plan that's $40/mo., which includes free night calling (calls after 7 PM), 450 minutes a month, and free calls between Sprint customers. That may not seem cheap at first, but a lot of people use Sprint, so it's easy for many to talk a lot but never get charged for minutes. Then there are discounted family/group plans, etc. Other companies probably have better plans, but I'm still on my Sprint contract, so . . .

I'm not sure if there are any land line contracts that require you to pay for incoming calls, but I've never dealt with one if they exist.

[/end possible tl;dr]

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	felinephoenix 2007-01-21 08:34 pm UTC (link)
	I use a Tracefone, and I'm charged by the minute regardless of whether I'm the one making the call or not. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	rosalita 2007-01-20 01:01 am UTC (link)
	What? I don't see how that will fly since it costs me to get a call on my cell. OTOH, I'm glad I put it on the do not call list. (Reply to this)(Parent)

telemarkers are not going to get your cell phone number

mrbimble
2007-01-21 02:08 am UTC (link)

trust me. it's not going to happen. I work for a Very Large Cellular Company and every 3 months this rumor flies around and we get deluged with calls.

The large cell companies in the US have plans that use plan minutes for incoming as well as outgoing calls (I think Sprint claims all incoming calls are free but I don't know the fine print so I'm going to go off what I know). The cell companies already have our hands full with people using all their minutes and there's no freaking way they're going to put out a directory of cell phone numbers to increase our customer service calls.

That said, if you give out your cell number? There's no way to control where it goes (I know JC Pennys, for example, sells their credit card customer list because my name is spelt one particular way on their card adn when I get mail from other marketers I know the source).... and I certainly wouldn't put it past telemarkers to randomly put numbers in their systems and hope to get someone. Like someone else said, I've had good luck with the "this is a cell phone and if I hear again from you I'll be on the phone to the BBB and your corporate headquarters" line (had to do that for my 16 yr old son who got a new phone number and more than a half-dozen calls from bill collectors. Between "16 yrs old" and "not at this number/this is a cell phone" not one called back.

So. Cell phone number? Keep it safe, keep it secret. Don't give it to businesses as your contact number. And don't worry about a general directory of cell phone numbers. If it changes, believe me, you'll be seeing MY name all over the Net wanking about it. I don't need more upset customers calling me....

(please note: I'm in customer service. They call ME, I don't call THEM. *whew* mops up)

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	Re: telemarkers are not going to get your cell phone number iwanttobeasleep 2007-01-21 02:10 am UTC (link)
	Aw, you're kind of awesome. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2007-01-22 04:52 am UTC (link)
	This will probably piss you off, but... here in Australia, I work at a market research company (we don't sell things, we just ask people a bunch of questions) and we're allowed to call cells. And apparently whatever legislation we're using to allow that is rolling right over to other countries and occupations. So in effect, it's already happened :p (Reply to this)(Parent)

	bigbigtruck 2007-01-22 06:37 pm UTC (link)
	I already get calls from telemarketers, actually... usually selling insurance. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bigbigtruck 2007-01-22 06:37 pm UTC (link)
	Er. On my cell phone, that is. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	miraba 2007-01-22 07:16 pm UTC (link)
	You should let them know it's a cell phone and that you'd be happy to report them. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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