Harassed? SUE THE PHONE COMPANY?

Edwards Finance > Phones

Q. Regarding telephone harassment, crank calls, etc: The phone companies PROFIT from these, so are not about to stop them. They also PROFIT from their sham "services" for victims of such harassment. They EXPLOIT both the criminal and the victim!

A. In 1996 I had my phone number changed at no charge after going through the time-consuming and ineffectual process of filing a police complaint and using *57 to try to trace the insane person harassing me. In 1998, I had to PAY $48.95 for yet another phone number change, as the harasser somehow obtained my new number. I ONLY give my number to a few people that are trustworthy, and can prove I take great care to keep it private, so the information was obtained through no fault of my own. For over a year I have again been receiving harassment calls, up to 10 a day. The phone rings, and there is total silence when it is picked up. I keep the phone off the hook much of the time, but the calls start as soon as I make it available. I have, AND PAY FOR, an unlisted number and the anonymous call rejection service. Your *69 service is unable to identify the source of these crank calls. I contacted your offices (800-518-5507) on Sept. 20th for help with this matter. I requested another number change at no charge, but was refused and told the change would cost me $48.95, as the calls, though harassing, were not threatening. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. Harassment is a CRIME, even if no overt threats are made, and knowingly enabling such criminal acts may well be a crime in itself! I consider VERIZON, alias NYNEX, alias Bell Atlantic, etc., to be RESPONSIBLE for the ease with which this insane harasser has been able to get my new phone number each and every time. AND YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BELIEVE I WILL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE - IN COURT IF NECESSARY - SHOULD I NOT RECEIVE SATISFACTION IN THIS MATTER! I am an electronics engineer and a free-lance writer, and am researching an article on the ease with which one can get anyone's unlisted phone number, directly or indirectly, from phone companies themselves. I am also documenting my observation that your so-called annoyance call help services are an ineffectual, time-wasting SHAM intended to PROFIT FROM more than to assist the victims of telephone harassment. Private detectives and the police can easily get an unlisted number, and the internet has information on methods anyone can use to pose as a phone company worker to do the same. There are various “reverse” directories, and information is made available by you to telemarketers, long distance carriers, and others, all with ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD for the privacy of any individual whose number is listed or given out! And any clever harasser knows how to bypass your worthless “anonymous call rejection service,” as the sick person harassing me easily does. And you have the audacity to CHARGE THE VICTIM for using *69 (worthless) and *57 (often worthless, and difficult to use as you require) under the pretense these can identify the clever crank caller. You put a price on privacy by EXTORTING a monthly fee for an unlisted number - “pay us, or we’ll tell everyone your phone number.” And you further VICTIMIZE THE VICTIM by charging for your useless anonymous call rejection service, and by having the nerve to charge almost $50 to change a phone number, which probably takes no more than a few strokes on a computer keyboard to accomplish!

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