How can I prevent telemarketers from obtaining my phone number?
Ever wish you could completely stop telemarketing calls? While this may not exactly be a realistic goal, there are many things you can do to protect your privacy and your personal phone number. Telemarketers obtain entries for their corporate calling lists in two main ways: All information in public directories is fair game, as well as other corporate calling lists or business databases.
Public directories contain all of the commercial and residential landline numbers published in the nation, and this is understandably a natural resource for telemarketers because these directories are free and easily accessible, as well as completely legal to call. However, you can request to have an unpublished number. While this will often require changing your phone number, it will almost certainly greatly reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive. You can also use resources such as caller complaint services to share your experience with specific telemarketing numbers.
Of course, since public directories are not the only way telemarketers obtain information, preventing them from obtaining your number requires a bit more attention. Any personal data obtained through a legitimate business relationship can be used by telemarketers, which includes corporate call lists maintained by other telemarketing companies. It is common to buy and sell these directories between companies, so giving your number to a telemarketer can have a snowball effect. The most important lesson in avoiding caller complaints is to be careful who you give your number to and what kinds of offers you subscribe to. If you suspect a number, call complaint services allow you to read about other people’s experiences with a specific telemarketing company or number.
No matter how diligent you are with private directories and business relationships, you may still be bothered by unsolicited callers. Fortunately, there are caller complaint websites that allow you to learn more about telemarketing numbers, register official complaints, and even read up on the telemarketing complaints of others and add numbers to the telemarketers’ blacklist.