posted on October 21, 2000 08:19:17 AM
If you are a user of Pacific Bell Local Phone System, and run your online sales out of your home, here is some very inportant up comming changes in your phone service. If approved, effective on or about 01/01/2001 for a small fee of .95 anyone with your phone number will be able to get your address. This is a major problem for homebased online sellers, as we must post our contact number with the online selling venues. Please think of using an alternate contact number, or have your phone changed to unlisted. I do not want my home address to be in the public domaine. ED
edhdsn
posted on October 21, 2000 08:32:56 AM
I don't think this is a new deal at all--there are other ways to do this, and, FWIW, is hardly a concern for people who have good security. People can find almost anyone fairly easily.
As an insurance agent for over 25 years, I will tell you that any home security system only keeps the amatures out, kids ect. A pro will get in. Ed
edhdsn
posted on October 21, 2000 08:52:47 AM
yes this is not new I am in upstate new york and before we got a unlisted number are road and town address was printed right in the phone book with our number all you need was our name to get out address and zip codes are in the phone book as well
Also this is not a big problem for online sellers as you not only have to give a phone number when you register but you also have to give your shipping Address which is avalable to anyother registered user who requests this info
Even if you got a second number for your sales the The billing address for that number will be attached to the number usually all your bills will be delivered to your mail box .
WWW.dman-n-company.com
This is different, as random callers will be able to get your name and address if your phone is listed. Reverse directorys have been published for years, but you needed to prove need to the phone company to get them.
edhdsn
posted on October 21, 2000 09:10:43 AM
Yes but under stand you mean random callers willing to pay a buck for each address they try to get.
also keep in mind if this passes you will more then likely be able to block this service both ways just like 900 numbers caller ID and all others.
im sure parents will want this .95 service block from there kids as this could add up the phone bill in to the hundereds monthly by kids just haveing fun on a day off school or what ever.
posted on October 21, 2000 09:11:23 AM
Reverse directories (AKA criss-cross directories) are on the shelf in the reference section of most any public library.
[ edited by abingdoncomputers on Oct 21, 2000 09:12 AM ]
posted on October 21, 2000 10:48:34 AM
Pretty much everybody's address is in the "public domain" somewhere. Whether via voting records, motor vehicle records, property tax records, credit report headers- it's out there. Cat's out of that bag, and has been for some time. Online databases have only served to make what was previously public but hard to collect, very easy to obtain.
And it's not only home addresses. DOB's, SS#,s neighbors names and addresses, spouse's names, employers- most can be had instantly, online, for just a few bucks and minimal "need to know."
posted on October 21, 2000 10:52:25 AM
Only if you are foolish enough to allow them to list your address in the phone book.
For free they allow you to not list your street address in the phone book. So only my name, number and city are in the data base. I have confirmed this with many on-line sources.
posted on October 21, 2000 11:28:04 AM
Thanks for posting this info, edhdsn. Actually I feel that this does concern me.
Ever since Ebay has decided to encourage phone calls between seller & buyer, I have been very apprehensive. As of right now both my home address and my home phone number are listed in my contact information. I am planning to rent a P.O.box but right now there's a waiting list at my local P.O. so I've been sidelined for the moment.
Just this week I got an email from Ebay that a customer had pulled my contact information. The customer in question has -2 feedback in her feedback profile and was unfortunately high bidder on my auction. I am not jumping for joy about this situation, and am trying not to get paranoid, but it still bugs me...why did she pull my contact info?
I used to use voice mail service through some company I found in the L.A. weekly. It was really inexpensive. I think getting back my voice mail plus a renting a P.O. box will be the way to go. There are just too many nutcases out there for me to want to keep things as they are at present.
eBay contact info no longer includes address. Just name, city, and phone (unless they've changed something in the past few days..). But the voicemail phone # is a reasonable security measure to take.
posted on October 21, 2000 07:50:08 PM
Hi - In our area, when this service began users were able to call the phone company and just tell them "NO" - do not give out my address. There was no cost to opt-out.
