Replies

Thanks, that’s a good site.

One thing I want to point out. I keep my home phone number unlisted and nonpublished, refusing to give it out even to my health care provider, which is an HMO these days. Naturally I’ve never given it to my credit card companies, who are the worst offenders for marketing.

Problem is, opting out of pre-screened credit/insurance offers gave them a phone number connected with my name. (Creditors occasionally monitor the credit reports of current customers, too.) I changed my number after the first call from those jerks, and consider it a lesson learned.

Also, never contact a business via a toll free number unless you’re content for them to know the number you’re calling from. Because they pay for the call, they can bypass Caller ID Block to see where you’re calling from.

Finally, one would think that if you specified to your phone company that you want your number unlisted/nonpubbed, they would take the hint. Well ... no. You also have to tell *them* to put you on their Don’t Call list, or they will telemarket you themselves.

Thankya for the opportunity to unload, Slings. Worked nights for many years, would happily kill a telemarketer on sight! (I’ll throw in a spammer for free, too.)

Oh, and most FReepers already know about this one, but people who fill out those printed surveys about household products use should be informed that the data collection agency that collates the information often contracts with prisons for the data entry. In other words, you could be supplying a convict with information on your most intimate details. And store brand discount cards, if you must fill out a form before receiving the card, also allow for collection of your shopping info. Some peeps don’t seem to mind if it results in customised sales offers, but I don’t like someone aggregating the details of my buying info.