Fun with phone charges

So I just got my phone bill, which includes $131 worth of "outside billing" for "adult phone services".

I called Verizon and while they cleared the bill, they suggested that I put a block on "outside billing" ... which is of course not free, but costs $8/month.

Genius racket. I realized I am fine with my cell phone, so I canceled my landline.

My situation isn't quite as bad as yours, since I am not being billed for calls I haven't made, but it serves to illustrate another phone company racket...

I get data calls at ALL hours of the day and night, always from the same number. If I ignore the phone, it doesn't stop ringing after four or five rings--it continues for ten or more (I don't have an answering machine--people who truly need to call me use my cell number). This is especially annoying at 6 or 7 am, since I am very much a night owl and I consider anything before 9 am to be an obscene time.

I contacted the local phone company (Embarq) and they told me that data calls--even if persistent and repeated--are not considered harassment, so there's nothing they can do... UNLESS I want to pay an additional $5 per month; then I can block five numbers of my choice. They told me that my only other option would be to contact the FCC... yeah, good luck with that!

Don't even get me started on the electric company (they charge me over 24 cents per KWh... over half of that is the delivery charge!)

-Ben

My biggest gripe with the land line was the $10 worth of state tax every month. I got rid of the land line too. I don't miss it one bit.

*raises hand* I got rid of the landline too.

Actually they gave me one back when I got my current DSL service, but I don't pay for it if I don't make any calls, and since I haven't connected a phone (and don't intend to do so) it's not a problem.

Fallingwater said:

*raises hand* I got rid of the landline too.

Actually they gave me one back when I got my current DSL service, but I don't pay for it if I don't make any calls, and since I haven't connected a phone (and don't intend to do so) it's not a problem.

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That's the joke - I had already moved out of the apartment, and there was no phone connected to the line anymore.

*raises hand too*

I got rid of my landline a few years ago. Never miss it. Never miss the bill either. I can't remember the last I got a telemarketing call either. :thumbsup:

Fallingwater said:

*raises hand* I got rid of the landline too.

Actually they gave me one back when I got my current DSL service, but I don't pay for it if I don't make any calls, and since I haven't connected a phone (and don't intend to do so) it's not a problem.

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Anche tu Fastweb?

LightBen said:

I get data calls at ALL hours of the day and night, always from the same number. If I ignore the phone, it doesn't stop ringing after four or five rings--it continues for ten or more (I don't have an answering machine--people who truly need to call me use my cell number).

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What exactly is a data call? I'm asking because sometimes we get calls where the caller ID says "unknown caller". The phone will ring about 5 times then stop. At first we thought it was telemarketers who only let it ring a few times, assuming the person wasn't home if they didn't pick up by then. After getting a few of these calls per day I figured I'll pick up right away, and tell whatever telemarketer it was to f*ck off so as to be rid of them for good. It turns out when I tried to do that, I never got any answer. Is this a data call? And why aren't these things automatically blocked to those who aren't set up to receive them?

LightBen said:

I get data calls at ALL hours of the day and night, always from the same number.

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Won't the phone provider do something since it's from just one number? Or could you call that number via fax and ask that they remove your number?

LightBen said:

...since I am very much a night owl and I consider anything before 9 am to be an obscene time.

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I'm with you on that! Same thing with neighbors lawnmowers on Saturday morning.

Tachikoma said:

Anche tu Fastweb?

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Anche io fastweb

I could get a special offer for phone calls if I wanted, but really, I scarcely ever use the phone to call, so I never bothered.

The lawnmower comment made me laugh! It's eight forty five pm here, my wife has a migrane :sick2: and my neighbor is firing up his mower right now. However, I can understand why. He's due, it's been at least 28 hours since the last time he mowed.:shakehead

jtr1962, I know what you mean about the calls where nobody picks up even when you grab the phone after the first ring or two... I get these too sometimes, but I don't know their origin. I recall reading somewhere that some of these are a result of the phone company doing routine testing on the lines. As far as the data calls, what I mean is that I pick up the phone and I'm greeted by a screeching fax or computer modem... beeps and howls, basically.

LED_Thrift, well that's the weird thing--I've tried to call the number, both with a normal phone and with a fax machine. Whenever I call the number, it is either busy, or else nothing picks up. It seems to be an outgoing-only number. I've also left my computer set up to automatically answer incoming data calls, but it has never been able to grab any data (one or more settings must be wrong). Standard reverse directory lookup returns nothing. The phone company is totally unwilling to do anything unless I fork over an extra $5 per month; then they'll gladly block the number for me.

addictedmatt, your comment made me laugh--a couple of my neighbors across the road are like that... and they barely have a lawn to mow! I hope your wife feels better soon.

I hate when people call me when I'm sleeping; or trying to.

I have resorted to taking my land line off the hook, when I go to bed.

I have a cell phone; only a few people have the number. If there's an emergency (family, work) I'll get a call on my cell phone.

The water company is pissed because they read my water meter over the phone like, about 3 or 4 AM. The phone is ALWAYS busy when they try to read the meter.

I told them since I pay for the line, I can do whatever I want with it. I don't have to leave the phone in operation so they can make a reading, although they tried to tell me I do. I asked for the number of the law/ordinance/statute that give the water company control over my private phone line. Of course, there isn't one.

I get the data (automated telemarketer) calls too. I have caller ID. When the phone rings, if I don't know the number, I lift the phone, and then hang it up immediately. End of call.

It doesn't eliminate the calls, but they no longer **** me off as much, and they seem to be tapering off.

the one thing the landline in my area(in the Bay Area where i am attending my graduate school) is needed for is for dialing 911.

it;s not uncommon to get put on hold for 10+ minutes when dialing 911 on a cell phone, and then it must be transferred from the CHP that handles 911 calls from mobile phones to local agencies, and half the time there is an additional wait.

on land lines I have had slightly better luck, only got put on hold once for about 5 minutes when my car got stolen.

a good reason to be prepared.