Unknown callers, Angieslist, and AT&T Wireless

[[Syl]]

So, for the last few days I've been receiving calls on my cell from unknown callers who immediately hang up when I answer. Nothing horrible, like in the middle of the night, or anything, but annoying.

Coincidentally, I also signed on to angieslist.com about a week ago to see if I could find someone to finish the moulding on my new floor (laying the floor down was easy, but the transitions and the part around the fireplace was kicking my ass). Now, I always skip the part where they ask for your phone number, but they wouldn't let me register without it. Well, I heard the ad on NPR and the site swears they don't give your number to outside people, so... Stupid, stupid!

So I call up AT&T to see if I can block these calls. Not without the number, they tell me. So I hang up, go through my call logs on my cell (not like I make all that many phone calls. it's one of the reasons why I don't bother with a landline), and though one caller doesn't have a number, two other repeat calls do.

So I call back. Nothing they can do, they tell me. Then why didn't they tell me that the first time?! Instead, they tell me I can either change my number (no way. the last 4 are 8000, not to mention the pain of telling everyone my new number) or selling me a $5/month parental control plan. F*** that. Apparently, they can sell you out to the man for little more than a 'pretty please,' but when it comes to actually using any modern advancements in technology to help you...

Well, I put two and two together after I talked to them. Went back to the angieslist site (I ended up just getting a friend at work to help me. It looks good) and changed all my personal info. Probably won't undo the damage, but maybe it will minimize it.

Now I just have to uncondition myself from answering the phone without looking at who's calling (like I said, not many calls, so...) and hope they go away.

[High Lord Tolkien]

I get about 1 or 2 wrong numbers on my cell every couple of months.
(I don't answer numbers I don't know anyway. Thank you voicemail.)
It could also be that your number is close to another, say a teenager's, so when they don't hear their friends voice they just hang up on you.
If your number was sold I'm sure someone would be trying to sell you something and not just hanging up.
I don't know.
Good luck.

[sgt.null]

i have never received a wrong number on the cell. but we get at least a dozen on the house phone. we ignore it.

[Prebe]

Apparently, they can sell you out to the man for little more than a 'pretty please,' but when it comes to actually using any modern advancements in technology to help you...

Actually the man is charged throught the nose for it. At least in Denmark, but I doubt that it is much difficult over there, as our largest phone company is partly owned by a US company.

After receiving a court order to divulge the in and outgoing calls for a particular phone, the phone companies charge anywhere from 10.000 to a 100.000 $ for a complete report, depending on the volume of data. And all they have to do is enter a number and press a button, and send an e-mail. Ah, the ethics of big businesses. Ah, the wonders of privatisation.....