[ale] OT - Rant - I don't want your toner cartridges

[tfreeman at intel.digichem.net]

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004, Geoffrey wrote:

> tfreeman at intel.digichem.net wrote:
> > Two years? You are much too patient with them.
> > 
> > If this is happening on your home phone, have the phone company change 
> > your number and pay for being non-directory. (That cuts an amazing number 
> > of phone calls from telepests right there.) The fee for being not in the 
> > phone book has been well worth the money for me over the past 16 years. 
> > This is not appropriate for a business phone obviously.
> 
> If you do any business with financial institutions, including banks, CUs 
> , credit card companies, loan companies, you're out of luck.  They're 
> all selling your info.
> 

My experience is not so much as "out of luck" as "situation not perfect". 
Being not listed in the directory cut out a whole slew of telepests, 
although I have the various phone companies, Fraternal Order of Police, 
the odd Fireman, and opinion survey show up. The money beggers usually 
understand (for two years or so) the statement "You have heard of Robbing 
Peter to pay Paul? Good. You're James. Sorry."

For the opinion pests I'm trying to train myself to say "Thank you, I'm 
not interested" and hang up _immediately_. Of course, it would help if I 
could convince my son to do the same and save me the time.

The unlisted number seems to keep me away from the funeral services (used 
to be big here in Charlotte), most all of the free vacation get-away 
fools, and just about everything else. I don't even get political campaign 
solicitations!

Is the cost of non-directory worth it for me? yes. Is being non-directory 
a solution? no, far  from it. YMMV of course.


-- 
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If you think Education is expensive
Try Ignorance
                   Author Unknown
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