| When you call toll-free or pay-per-minute | | | | or sold to any other company. You can also tell |
| telephone numbers your telephone number is | | | | them that you do not want the company to call |
| identified and recorded. Even when you call a | | | | you in the future if it is not related to your |
| business on their local telephone number, your | | | | current question or concern. |
| phone number may be recorded. Often, your | | | | 2) Avoid calling any pay-per-minute number such |
| telephone number will be used for future sales | | | | as numbers in the 900 area code! Pay-per-minute |
| calls from the company you called and will often | | | | numbers charge you a fee for calling them and |
| be sold to other companies as well. Think you're | | | | are sure to collect, use and sell your phone |
| okay because you have call ID blocking or | | | | number. Some examples of these types of |
| because you registered your telephone number | | | | numbers are lottery, horoscope, psychic, dating, |
| on the Do Not Call List? Think again. | | | | and sex lines. |
| Call ID blocking only works with other residential | | | | 3) The best way to keep your number private |
| phones. You cannot block your phone number | | | | and avoid unwanted calls is to use two telephone |
| when you call a business, toll-free number or | | | | lines. Use one telephone line for calling businesses |
| pay-per-minute number. The process is called ANI | | | | and for a fax if you have one. Use a second |
| or Automatic Number Identification. ANI is | | | | telephone line for friends and family. |
| approved by the FCC, automatically passed | | | | I have one telephone line which I never answer. I |
| through to businesses by telephone companies | | | | use this telephone line to make outgoing calls to |
| and is not affected by call ID blocking. | | | | businesses and toll-free numbers. When |
| There are no current regulations concerning the | | | | companies ask me for my telephone number, I |
| use of ANI and consequently, businesses which | | | | give them the number I called them from. If you |
| collect callers' telephone numbers are not required | | | | have a home-based business, give this number as |
| to inform callers that their phone number is being | | | | both your business and home number. I also use |
| recorded. Since you called the business, you are | | | | this telephone number on forms and on the |
| now an existing business contact which gives the | | | | Internet. Never give out your personal number to |
| company the right to call you with their sales | | | | anyone but friends and family. When companies |
| pitch, even though you have registered your | | | | call me back, they can leave a message on my |
| telephone number on the Do Not Call List. The | | | | voicemail which is then e-mailed to me. If I'm |
| company may also sell your phone number to | | | | expecting a callback which is important to me, |
| other companies. | | | | then I will answer the phone. I never call |
| Not all companies use your information for future | | | | companies or toll-free numbers from my second |
| sales calls or sell your information to other | | | | telephone number which I use for personal use. |
| companies. For instance, my company | | | | This number is only given to friends and family. |
| 1-800-HURT-911, Inc. regards this information as | | | | When using two telephone numbers, provided by |
| private and has never sold information to other | | | | your regular telephone company, it is important to |
| companies when people hurt in an accident call | | | | have both numbers on one bill and to use the |
| 1-800-HURT-911. | | | | listed phone number for your business calls. The |
| There are three ways that you can avoid having | | | | second phone number on your bill will not be listed. |
| your telephone number used by companies for | | | | Never use a fax machine on your personal |
| sales purposes. | | | | number. Many companies also collect fax numbers |
| 1) When you call a business, toll-free number, or | | | | and you may get junk fax calls at all hours of the |
| pay-per-minute number, tell the company that | | | | day and night. |
| you do not want your information to be given out | | | | |