Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
1 edit | Telcos need to get a clue
That the solution to their POTS bleeding isn't charging more for stupid crap like $7.50 for Caller ID, $1.50 to stay out of the phone book and "you didn't use enough long distance" fees.
But that will never happen and they'll continue to lose customers...deservedly so. |
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Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA
1 edit | the "stay out of book fee" is charged by the company that owns local phone book not the phone provider and the charges are passed on as it is the person requesting it not the provider. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
| It's not their business to put my private information in their book. And in my area, the local telcos print their own books.
If not for the telco turning over the information, they wouldn't have it.
They charge it for one simple reason, it's desirable and people are WILLING to pay it. |
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Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA | well in all fairness the number isnt your private information, it is owned by the company not you, you are leasing it, so yes they can put it in the local phone book. If you opt out then it will be charged. |
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voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT
| reply to Dogfather
One of the reasons I quickly moved off of POTS once I moved west and had to deal with a large, east coast based company that services as the RLEC here is that they charged much more than Verizon did back in DC, plus after paying more monthly for a private, non-published phone number, I started getting more calls from telemarketers than I did back east. Now I know that telemarketers can get phone data from multiple sources, but I asked one of the local vendors who called how they got the phone number--the caller claimed it was from the very RLEC I was paying extra money to not to publish my phone number. |
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Corydon
Cultivant son jardin
Premium
join:2008-02-18
Denver, CO
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to Dogfather
Actually I believe that the telcos still collect and turn over your directory listing information even if you're unlisted. They just flag it as unlisted. Collecting the information is necessary because it's used for other purposes besides directories (like E911).
As far as I'm aware, every landline provider, including VoIP providers charge extra to keep you out of the directory.
That tells me that, unlike calling features like Caller ID, this really is a charge that a third party (the maintainer and publisher of the directory) is passing back to the telco.
And if you think about it, it does make sense for the directory publishers to give you an incentive to leave your number in the phone book: if large numbers of people starting getting unlisted numbers then the directories would become useless.
Also, FWIW, I believe that all of the ILECs have spun off their phone directory services. They may still share the same name, but they're separate companies.
--
"Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea." |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
1 edit | reply to Ebolla
said by Ebolla  :well in all fairness the number isnt your private information, it is owned by the company not you, you are leasing it, so yes they can put it in the local phone book. If you opt out then it will be charged. The number is theirs. The name and address are mine. They charge 'cause they can. They sell your name and number for profit and you have to pay to opt out. It sucks and it's part of the reason why telcos are losing subs hand over fist to competitors. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Hey hey! We agree!
What that $1.50, in some cases $2.95 for private number, (435.40 annual) is really getting people is a little check box in a database somewhere so when reports are generated, the information isn't included in the book and/or online.
This has GOT to be one of THE most expensive stored bits of data ever sold.
This is guaranteed income. If they don't get it from the book publishers, they are going to get it from you, and, it's likely they are getting more from the user than they are the publisher.
Even worse, they charge per line, not per billing customer. I have 4 lines in my home, and it costs me $11.80 a month and $140.60 a year to own my privacy.
Personally, I'd like to see the phone books done away with all together. If people want to be in them, they can pay for them. Otherwise, maybe go all online. And, for those people that don't have internet, then they can pay for access to 411.
Tree-huggers should love this idea.. just think of how much "carbon footprint" these phone books put out each and every year. The number of trees it takes, the process of the factories to make the paper, to deliver the books, pick them up, those not even used, and then to recycle these things. I HONESTLY can't think of that many people that I know that USED to use the white pages who still do today. I for one haven't picked up a white page book in over 10 years. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to Corydon
The white pages ARE useless. The data should go online only, or through a user subsidized service such as 411 where they can pay the 25 or 50 cents per call if they can't use the internet. (The internet, you know, that thing that everyone needs so badly and wants to throw the kitchen sink at?  )
If it went purely online then the cost to operate the site should become reasonable, right? I mean, AnyWho, Dexonline, and other directories on line look up white pages for free, right? AND, the data there should be MORE up-to-date than a white page book that can be outdated before it's even printed.
The fact is that people move so much, change numbers, etc these days more than in the past when the books started.
Maybe it's time to evolve. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20 | reply to voipdabbler
The day AFTER I got my Comcast native line, I was already getting solicitation calls BY NAME and that number was private. THIS solicitor even told me that they get lists from phone companies and mentioned comcast by name.
SHAME! |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | reply to fiberguy
Look at the stock of IAR (Idearc Media, Verizon's yellow-page spinoff)- down over 93% since it was split off... Those yellow pages may be gone soon enough. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| I think they should all go.. the internet is a viable resource.. HOWEVER, the yellow pages are pretty much supported by the advertisers themselves and still do serve a pretty good purpose. Still, however, they ARE a big waste of resources AND they can easily out-date. |
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LP Eliezer
join:2008-06-10
Morganville, NJ
·callwithus
| reply to EPS
Yellow Pages do seem less and less relevant. In my area, we have the Idearc (Verizon) Yellow Pages, and their competitor YellowBook.
What I have seen is that many people no longer pick up the books off their lawns and take them into the house! They just leave the Yellow Pages book on the grass and let it decompose.
I feel torn about this. On one hand, I am actually a Yellow Pages advertiser, so I am upset. On the other hand, I hate Verizon and Idearc, so I reluctantly admit to a little pleasure.
No surprise that Idearc stock is way down since spinoff from Verizon. Here's what some of those smart executives and MBA types failed to realize:
1) Of course, the most obvious point, why bother with the Yellow Pages when you can Google?
2) Idearc is such an awful name. How can these people be trusted for advice on advertising when that's the best name they could come up with?!
3) Idearc has been having lots of trouble getting people to pay their Yellow Pages advertising bills. Here's why:
a) Before the split from Verizon, Yellow Pages advertising charges were billed on the monthly phone bill. People paid the bill because they were afraid not to. Now, with separate billing, there is no big fear associated with delaying payments to "Idearc", especially in a poor economy, and especially because the bills arrive after the books are already printed and distributed.
b) Likewise, when YP charges were just a part of the Verizon phone bill, businesses never looked at them very much. NOW, with a separate Idearc bill each month, businesses look at that bill and say WOW! WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR THOSE YELLOW PAGES ADS EACH MONTH!
Am I wrong about this? It is hard for me to believe that so many big-shot executives did not see this coming. |
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