dwl@hou4b.UUCP (D Levenson) (07/17/84)
Junk phone callers tend to dial consecutive numbers. A non-published number won't deter as many of these as you hope it will. It will cause your friends, family, and business associates much trouble when they need to contact you. Even if you gave them your number, they may not have it handy when they need it. I deal with junk phone calls in one of three ways, depending upon the mood I'm in when I answer... If I'm in a mood to play, I'll play with them. Ask them all kinds of questions, or keep them talking for a long time, before telling them I'm not interested. If I'm in a mood to fight, I'll fight with them: "What's that? You are offering me a home-improvement bargain? Who do you think you are? Are you trying to suggest that my home needs improvement? Just what is it that you think is wrong with my home? I'll bet you've never even seen my home, and I think you've got a lot of nerve telling me it needs improvement. You are insulting me!" etc. louder and angrier by the second, until THEY hang up!!! Default: Say nothing at all; hang up.
rb@houxn.UUCP (07/18/84)
I made a simple modification to my phone listing that solves all these problems!!! Rather than opt for an unlisted number (which costs money!) I made up a phony name under which my phone is listed...(no charge for this) If anyone asks for Mr. XXXXXX (fill in your phony name here), DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200, JUST HANG UP!!!!!!!! End of problem.....If they use that name they are calling from the book, and I don't need 'em!!!
eac@drutx.UUCP (07/19/84)
This is a slight tangent from the original subject. People conducting surveys also make up a portion of junk phone calls. I find it interesting that anyone would survey via telephone if they are at all interested in a true cross section. People in higher income brackets usually have unlisted number. People in lower income brackets either don't have a phone or are unlisted so bill collectors can't track them down. It is estimated that about 25% of the population is not listed in the phone book. Maybe if this were more widely known we could get rid of a portion (even though small) of the junk phone calls. Betsy Cvetic ihnp4!drutx!eac
bob@sdcsvax.UUCP (07/23/84)
Here in California, Pacific*Smell wouldn't let me list under a bogus name unless I already had a listing in my *REAL* name.
ray@othervax.UUCP (07/28/84)
If everyone did as I do I believe we might see an end to the problem: I always express interest and ask for their representative to call. When he/she does I then say I have no interest and hope they have enjoyed having their time wasted as much as I enjoy having mine wasted.
advisor@utcsstat.UUCP (Milan Strnad) (07/29/84)
The reason most phone companies won't let you have a listing under some assumed name is that, in effect, you'd be getting an unlisted phone number for no charge. I've tried it, and failed. They'll get you every time. milan
mikey@trsvax.UUCP (08/01/84)
#R:hou4b:-99300:trsvax:70900014:000:641 trsvax!mikey Aug 1 10:36:00 1984 Press the issue. They cannot deny you the name you want your phone listed under. When I was in PA, Bell asked me what name I wanted my listing under. The law, at least there is very specific, that there must be NO INTENT TO DEFRAUD. This applies to credit cards issued in PA as well. If you are taking legal and financial responsibility for a sibling for example, would they make you list their phone in your name? I'd scream up their corporate ladder. Don't deal with the little people that have no incentive to help customers. Brush off the vermin and get to the meat of the problem, ask for their supervisor. mikey at trsvax
essachs@ihuxl.UUCP (Ed Sachs) (08/02/84)
=============================================================== The salesmen do not get paid to waste their time (or your time). They work on commission. -- Ed Sachs AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxl!essachs
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (08/02/84)
My solution to the little envelopes of postpaid replied cards that are sent to me is to drop them into the mail. That does cost them. -Ron
chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq) (08/10/84)
>The salesmen do not get paid to waste their time (or your time). >They work on commission. Not strictly true. Many firms hire armies of high school kids to canvass phones at minimum wage. If they get someone that sounds even vaguely interested they are then passed along to a salemen (who usually works on commission). This means that most of the harrassing phone calls you get are by people who get paid whether or not you buy, are usually reading a script, and normally don't care. -- From the depths of the Crystal Cavern: Chuq Von Rospach {amd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA Dreams, dreams, enchanter! Gone with the harp's echo when the strings fall mute; with the flame's shadow when the fire dies. Be still, and listen.
advisor1@utcsstat.UUCP (Milan Strnad) (08/15/84)
The vermin at Bell in Ontario are very persistent. I tried to press the issue, but they stated their policy is to have the phone under a name that exists AND the person with that name must agree to this. milan (..utcsstat!advisor)
opus@drutx.UUCP (ShanklandJA) (08/17/84)
> The vermin at Bell in Ontario are very persistent. I tried to press > the issue, but they stated their policy is to have the phone under a > name that exists AND the person with that name must agree to this. > milan (..utcsstat!advisor) Ah, yes. When I was an undergraduate, some students concerned with nutrition and food issues rented a house from the University one year. They had their phone in the name of Arthur Nafi ("Nutrition And Food Issues"). Come the end of the school year, Arthur Nafi disintegrated, leaving behind him several hundred dollars worth of unpaid phone bills. Get it? Jim Shankland ..!ihnp4!drutx!opus
hosking@convex.UUCP (08/18/84)
#R:utcsstat:-203900:convex:57100008:000:1404 convex!hosking Aug 18 13:45:00 1984 Re the "Arthur Nafi" story: There's a difference between intentionally trying to defraud the phone company and wanting to minimize junk phone calls. As for phone company policy, let's consider a different situation. Suppose you called the phone company and explained that your grandmother was becoming forgetful, and would be likely not to pay her bills on time. You therefore wanted them to send you the bills for her phone service. I would think that there would be no complaints from the phone company about such an arrangement, since it is likely to increase the chance that they will get paid on time. So now we've got a phone listed under one person's name and billed to another. I don't see this as a whole lot different than asking for your phone to be listed under a different name. As long as the phone is BILLED to a real person, I don't think any real harm has been done. I had an interesting experience with the phone company and names. A roommate had a phone installed in his name. When he eventually moved out, he didn't bother to call the phone company, since I wanted to keep the phone service. After he left, I called Ma Bell to get the name changed. They said they couldn't do it unless he called himself. I said that was fine, but since his mail was not being forwarded, there would be nobody to pay the bill. You'd be AMAZED how quickly they agreed to change the name!
dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) (08/19/84)
Either different areas in Bell Canada territory have different policies, or their policies have recently changed. The telephone line which I am using to type this is listed in the Waterloo phone book as "P. Flamingo". The phone book also lists A.P.L. Flamingo, Abner Flamingo, Dennis Flamingo, Jack Flamingo, and James Flamingo - most of these are second phone lines for people who work at the university. And there is also Flamingo Online Graphics Ink I, II, and III - these are various offices at the university. These are better than an unlisted number. When someone phones asking for Mrs. Flamingo (they HAVE to be just going through the phone book calling people) you can tell them that Mrs. Flamingo died recently and see how the caller reacts.
ljdickey@watmath.UUCP (Lee Dickey) (08/29/84)
I think that there are more than a few homes in my city
with pairs of listings that look something like this:
Doe, John 123 main st. ........ 555-1234
Doe, Family 123 main st. ........ 555-1235
Surely there is noone named "Family Doe".
There is also a certain family name ("X" to protect the innocent) that has
several listings in my local phone book. Some have first names, one looks
like a language, and some look like businesses. For instance:
X, APL
X, Abner
X Online Graphics
X, William
Some of them are second lines into residences and many do not
even have telephones associated with them.
One allows calls to come in to the office when the main
switchboard is closed.