Americans: telemarketers to get your cell numbers

[Dr Mordrid]

Wife got this at work today;

JUST A REMINDER;

Starting Feb. 1, 2006 some cell phone numbers are being released to public directories, including those used by telemarketing companies and you will start to receive calls from them.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.

To prevent this call the following number from your cell phone;

1-888-382-1212

This is the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry. It will only take a minute of your time and blocks your number from the list for 5 years.

You can also block your number here;

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

You can also register your home phone if you haven't already.

Dr. Mordrid

[Umfriend]

In the US you get charged for incoming calls??

[Dr Mordrid]

Minutes connected is minutes connected, no matter who generated the call.

Dr. Mordrid

[az]

Wtf!

[Sasq]

Wtf!

That is what I said first time I heard of that system as well.
They accept it, they sign the contract, more foo them.

[Claymonkey]

Yeah but we have no choice in the system. But hey, we don't get charged by the MB for internet like a lot of countries do.

[degrub]

direct from the FCC website for number registry mentioned above:

You may have received an email telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database; however, that is not the case. FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

[gt40]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

[cjolley]

...FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

And Oklahoma has it's own law about not using auto dialers to call any Oklahoma numbers.
The AG goes after violators for wads of cash too.
Hit's 'em where it hurts!

[Wombat]

That is what I said first time I heard of that system as well.
They accept it, they sign the contract, more foo them.

It comes out cheaper per minute than European systems, in comparisons I've read. For example, I can get 1000-1500 "prime time" minutes, free nights and weekends, and can call FROM anywhere in the US TO anywhere in the US, for $45/month. *edit* Oh yeah, and usually free in-network. Plus, we don't SMS anywhere near as much, b/c they cost 5-10cents per message. Also, it's hard to tell cell numbers from land numbers, so a text message could just disappear if you send it to a land number.

[dZeus]

When you SMS to a landline here, you get a computer voice pronouncing the message. Quite funny at times to fool with

[Umfriend]

Not sure how it is in other countries, but my guess is you get it way cheaper than we do then.

[az]

Telephony, especially mobile, used to be quite expensive here. Lately, there have come about some flat rate plans: Unlimited mobile (within the network) and mobile-to-german-landline calls for 25 EUR/Month, Unlimited Mobile Data (UMTS) for 40 EUR (Exception: You're not allowed to use VOIP except Skype), Unlimited DSL Internet + landline-within-germany telephony (ISDN) for 45 EUR, for 15 EUR more up to 16 Mb down/800 kb up. And to think that in 1998 I sometimes had to pay over 400 DM (~200 EUR) a month for being online too much with a freaking 28.8! (Though I could have of course used a 56k Modem, or ISDN for little more)

[Paddy]

So the call charge is shared between the caller and receiver?

Here it is very different. You call me as long as you want and I wont pay a penny (unless i am in another country using someone elses network), but i pay by the second if call you.

I get 500mins and 500 texts any time for £30 a month with orange.

Swings and roundabouts i guess. It all depends on how you use your mobile.

[Wombat]

In America:

Land lines
-calls cost to send, not receive
-local calls are free
-callers pay long-distance fees for numbers that are not local
-no interaction with SMS

Cell phones
- Minutes are consumed during calls, whether you made the call or received it
- Almost all plans come with free long distance (no extra charges)
- You can be charged "roaming" fees - using your phone outside of your "home" geography. It's usually $5/mo to get a no-roaming-fee plan
- Most cell phone companies are letting you call within their network for free/$5-month
- Most plans include free nights & weekend calling (no minutes used)
- SMS usually costs 5/10 cents. ~25cents for a photo message
- Contracts are generally 1-2 years long, with high fees to end early. Phones are generally tied to the carrier, since our networks all use different frequencies & protocols. Phones are heavily discounted as part of the contract signing, tens or hundreds of dollars below retail/eBay.


What this usually means is that if a friend calls my cell from their landline, I will usually call them right back, so that I would be the one paying the charges (that is, it's free if I make the call), instead of them paying long distance.