Databases and phone numbers

In the great glory that is the modern world, there pretty much aren't any new phone numbers. Another part of the great glory that is the modern world is the database.

When I moved to this place a few years ago, I wasn't able to transfer my old phone number since it's a different area code and all that. So I ended up with a recycled phone number. It would seem that the people that had this number before me don't understand the concept of paying bills in a timely manner so I keep getting robo collection calls. Normally I call the agency back, tell them that the deadbeat doesn't have this phone number and that is that.

Then there is the beauty of companies like ComCrap and Sprint. Apparently with these companies, once you give them a phone number, that number is linked to your account forever and evers. Even when you move and get a new phone number, that old number is still the basis of your account. Then when you fall on hard times, that is the number that they call to tell you the obvious, and that you are past due and you need to pay up or else.

Last night I was the lucky one and was called by Sprints collections department. Seems someone is seriously delinquent on their wireless account and are gonna get cut off. So I call the number that the Sprint-bot left for the deadbeats. No humans to talk to at that number. BRILLIANT! Google Sprint, and call their customer service. Go through the menu tree all the way to the end to talk to human.

The CSR tells me that they can't violate their customers privacy and change, or remove my phone number from the system. But that I can call the FCC Do Not Call registry and then I will not get calls from Sprints billing department. Well howdy son, I'm all ready on the FCC Do Not Call list! Oh snap! It will take them up to 45 days to fix their system so that I don't get called every day from their billing robocaller.

I think it's time to go with Skype and a cell phone and ditch the land line. Of course the beauty of that is that out where I live, I might lose cell service, and internet, if we get a big wind. Then I think maybe I should just go with smoke signals...

SC