tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May) writes:
The downside is that calls _from_ or _to_ my phone during "business" hours are charged 42 cents a minute, airtime (tying up a channel and all), plus whatever other fees may be applicable at each end. Thus, every "junk call" I get trying to get me to buy aluminum siding, or to vote Democratic, or to switch my long-distance carrier (!), costs me a minimum of 42 cents, depending on how fast I can realize who they are and get rid of them ("Let me forward you to Jim Bell's AP hotline...").
Wrong. It also costs your TIME. Junk e-mail takes TIME to recognize and delete. TIME (even Tim's time) costs more than 42c.
Needless to say, my cellular number is only going out to a handful of folks, and with recommendations that they not call me during business hours unless its urgent.
I had an interesting conversation with a New York Daily News telemarketer a while ago. (Note that 1) I speak with a noteceable accent, 2) NYDN is a left-wing tabloid, generally marketed toward blue-collar/minorities.) RRing. DLV: Hello? NYDN: blah blah would you like to subscribe to New York Daily News? DLV: No thank you, I don't read your newspaper. NYDN: Well, you could at least look at the pictures <click>. (Hung up on me before I did. :-) A few minutes later: RRing. DLV: Hello? NYDN: blah blah would you like to subscribe to New York Daily News? DLV: Someone just called a few minutes ago and I said I wasn't interested. Please don't call this number anymore. NYDN: I call every number in the exchange. We don't use a list for this. We don't do blocking. (Fortunately, they haven't called me since.)
These rates have really come down a lot. The unlimited calls is what sold me.
As you yourself point out, their charging you for each incoming call during business hours is unacceptable. Why don't they bill the 42c / minute to whomever is calling YOU, as they do with LD and 900 numbers? --- Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps