Some of you may have heard today about a new directory enquiries service for mobile phones called 118800.com. Now I don't know about you, but my mobile phone number is very private, I only ever give it out to people that I know, and even then only if I want to. If you don't have my number, I don't want to speak to you. Simple.
I don't think I'm too comfortable with a company being able to contact me via my mobile without my consent, but thankfully they have to have a facility for making your number ex-directory.
The fact of the matter is that they might not even have my number on their list, but I'm not taking that chance. I sent a text containing the letter "E" to 118800 as per their opt-out policy.
Best be quick, it goes live next week.
The fact of the matter is that they might not even have my number on their list, but I'm not taking that chance. I sent a text containing the letter "E" to 118800 as per their opt-out policy.
Best be quick, it goes live next week.
4 comments:
Quick Inchy, run and hide! They'll be taking photos of your house next! Oh no, too late, they already have. And they've posted them all over the internet! DON'T PANIC DON'T PANIC!!!
As usual, you are having a paranoid over-reaction to just another service with a business idea. At least if someone wants to phone me through 118800 there are a couple of barriers in place that will prevent misuse.
1. It'll cost them a quid to attempt to contact me, so instantly casual cold callers and the curious are dissuaded.
2. 118800 will call me and ask me if I want to be connected to Mr Creepy Bogeyman who is attempting to call me.
3. You don't have to answer the call coming from 118800. Let it ring!
You don't have any of these safeguards in place for your home phone.
1. In the same way that 118800 have obtained your mobile number over the last 2 years, your home phone number has been sold and passed around in a similar fashion, anybody can call it at any time of the day and night and it doesn't cost them anything.
2. I find a call to my home phone more intrusive than a call to my mobile, and nuisance calls are comparatively hard to stop.
3. Even though I'm ex-directory and have registered my number at that website to get it taken off mailing lists, I still get cold calls from survey companies, mobile phone salesmen etc etc, without being asked by a controller if it's all right to do so.
4. And anyway, if you're really that concerned about your privacy, then why have you got countless photos of yourself, the interior of your house and workplace, your Facebook page, your e-mail address, and a direct link to your home address and telephone number all on your freely accessible blog?
Has Mr Creepy Bogeyman attempted to contact you through here or even turned up outside your house? No, didn't think so. So why would he pay a quid for the privileged?
I shouldn't have to say no to a service that I never gave consent to be be part of in the first place.
I choose what, where and when to place information about me in the public eye, but never my mobile number.
You may find cold calls to your mobile a jolly event, but I certainly don't, and I damn well shouldn't have to be in a position where I "just let it ring".
"As usual, you are having a paranoid over-reaction to just another service with a business idea."
Paranoia?? I don't want people who I don't know to have my mobile number, is that paranoia?
I'm sure cold-calling is a profitable 'business idea' but I know for a fact that you're not a fan.
And yes, as soon as Google Street View has images of my house, I'll be politely asking them to be removed, thank you very much.
I shall be doing the same. Too many people have access to my mobile as it is through work... plus my job requires me to have my phone on 24/7... I really don't want some marketing buffoon is China calling me at 4.0am in the morning to sell me a new bank account.
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