Well it seems while our backs were turned, our wonderful lawmakers passed a bit of legislation that releases all cell-phone numbers to the Tele-Marketing industry. So now along with being annoyed and hounded to death by this scum of the earth, YOU WILL BE CHARGED (!!!!!!!) for these calls. Fortunately my cell phone carrier sent me a heads-up. We all have to the end of this month to register our cell phones on the National Do-Not-Call list to block these assholes. Number is 888-382-1222 and must be called from the cell phone. All automated and only takes one minute, which registers you for a five-year period. (www.donotcall.gov) SWAMP

It's a hoax. Read the second paragraph of section 10 at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm and http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml#donotcall

From those 2 links; --------- "FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers" "It is already illegal to use utodialers on cell phone numbers, which eliminates most telemarketers" (keyword=most) --------- So, what's to stop telemarketers from just doing it without an autodialer? Sounds like to me...nothing.(?)

People whom you have a relationship with, such as a businesses you have/do buy products from, surveyors who do not sell anything, etc..are not considered telemarketers by the FCC, and are permitted to call you. {you also can request that these people remove you from their call lists} If however a surveyor calls you and you somehow find out that they offer services for a fee, you can report them. Telemarketers are the ones who call you up and try to sell you things. {such as those long distance phone companies trying to annoy you into paying them for 10 cents a minute long distance services....}It doesn't matter if they use an autodialer or not...they are not supposed to call you at all after you have registered your phone number. {they do have 31 days however to remove your number from their lists} Those are the ones DonNotCall registration is for.

My carrier, which is Cingular, sent me this notification in my monthly statement.
In the memo it said the telemarketing industry will have access to all issued cell-phone numbers and nothing is to prevent them from calling except being registered on the Do-Not-Call list.

In order to circumvent your airtime from being used up by unwanted calls of this nature, we recommend registering (with the Do-Not-Call list).

And auto dialers are the little gizmos that randomly dial numbers and leave a recorded message (then holds to see if you respond), which has nothing to do from preventing an actual person calling you from a listautomated or not.

I seriously doubt my carrier that is responsible for billing me, is sending me a hoax.

But do as you wish,no sweat off my brow. Im registered!

Message edited on: 09/10/2005 21:41

Registering your cell phone isn't a bad idea. Just because cingular put the notice in the bill doesn't mean it's not a hoax. There's idjits at every level. Someone there probably got the hoax e-mail and figured it was true without verifying it.

Attached Link: Get the facts before you freak

If you included your cell phone on the Do Not Call List when it first came out, you're already covered. If you indeed did receive that notification along with your monthly statement you should probably doubt the intelligence of your provider, for the content within your post is certainly yet another variation of the urban legend that's been circulating around the net since the list was first made available. Did you hear about the free cash from Microsoft? People made millions.....of forwarded e-mails, that is.

Thanks for the verification link.

Erm... You are telling me that in the US you pay when you RECEIVE a call??????? 8O

"You are telling me that in the US you pay when you RECEIVE a call?" Yup. Well, it (can) eat into your own minutes, is what it normally does. I would assume it would depend on your calling plan you bought. But, in some cases, like I have Verizon, and if anyone else in the USA calls me on their cell, and they also have Verizon, its completely free (from eating into your minutes (plan). AS

I would say; The absolute HYPE...is a hoax. But, hey, its free to register my cell with the don'tcall.gov, so why not? Can't hurt. btw, jumpstartme2, thanks for that info. ;o) AS

Well, I have to say, I find it hilarious that a service provider is willingly passing on urban legend type nonsense. ;-) bonni

I know this one's a hoax, but if you live in the UK you can block calls from markeeters, by registering free at: www.tpsonline.org.uk The site also has links to other services to stop junk postal mail and junk faxes. It's not perfect, companies do breach this, and it doesn't stop calls from outside the UK. Plus theres new laws coming in soon to make really easy to opt-out of those mobile ringtone schemes.

"Yup. Well, it (can) eat into your own minutes, is what it normally does. I would assume it would depend on your calling plan you bought. But, in some cases, like I have Verizon, and if anyone else in the USA calls me on their cell, and they also have Verizon, its completely free (from eating into your minutes (plan)." Understood.

The site also has links to other services to stop junk postal mail Oh THAT would be wonderful here ~big sigh of wishful thinking~....but one could always do what I do from time to time...gather all the junk for the week, and pick randomly, one of the junk mail senders, put all the junk in an envelope, and send it to them >:D {or ya could take it one step further, and accept what they are offering and sign up...under one of the other junk mail senders names and addies ~hehe, I know...Im evil. @AS...no probs ;)