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Posted on 08/13/2007 11:27:23 PM PDT by llevrok
No more choice to be unlisted? Are you listed or unlisted? That's a choice we've always had about our home-phone numbers.
Now, a Bellevue company is coming up with a directory for cell phones and you may already be in it without knowing it.
It probably goes back to the days when airtime was much more pricey, but it seems most of us are pretty sensitive about giving out our cell phone numbers.
The Bellevue company says it's getting all these numbers from public and private databases, which means, whether you know it or not, you may have already given them your number.
By some estimates, 8 percent of people now use a cell phone exclusively. They don't have a landline.
So what do you think of having your number in a cell phone directory?
"That's not what my phone's for," said one cell-phone user.
With a 140 employees in Bellevue, Intelius is building a huge database and selling background searches online for $15 – whether you're checking out a prospective employee or your next date.
Now, cell phone numbers are added to the data.
While state law prohibits the cell phone companies from publishing a directory without customer permission, third parties, like Intelius, are allowed to do it.
Intelius says it has had no problem finding mobile numbers in public records or from retailers:
"Geez, tons of ways, everything from going out to a Web site and buying a ring tone for your phone to putting your phone number down at anything from ordering a pizza, there are literally dozens and dozens of ways that a user or a consumer could opt-in to a data base," said Ed Petersen, Intelius co-founder and Executive Vice President. "But when they're ordering pizza, they're not thinking about opting into a database… The only reason why I say that is, if you look at it, it's the same process quite frankly as the landline."
Suzanne Martin is more than happy to give out her cell phone to anyone who wants it. She's a real estate agent and proof that some would warmly welcome an online cell directory.
"It's on my Web site, my family has it, all my friends have it, everybody has it," she said.
Intelius claims that it has about half the mobile numbers in this country in its database and KING 5 tested it.
We did a half-dozen searches, put in names of local politicians and celebrities and even people around the newsroom, spent about $75 and didn't come up with anyone's mobile number.
If you want to opt out, you can by calling Intelius customer service. But the only way to find out if you're in the database is to pay $15 for a search.
Call customer service to opt out
You may call Customer Service at 425.974.6100 (Monday-Friday 6:30am - 4:30pm PST)
http://www.intelius.com/search-name.php?ReportType=1&&PHPSESSID=b810f6587546b423b77195229bcc960d
Hey Peasley Canyonman.
Unless you’ve registered for something, providing your cell number in the process, my guess is your number is still private.
Now when they start buying off carriers, then the alarm goes out.
That's probably how they get a bunch of their numbers. You are probably safer ignoring them unless you start getting spam calls.
Heard this on a local talk-show yesterday. Somebody tested it, to see if he was listed. Got somebody else’s phone number instead — and if I recall correctly, Intelius is not refunding his $15.
Perhaps we need to find and publish the home numbers, addresses, and social security numbers of everyone working for this company. Maybe we can even gain more personal info on them. They need to take people off the list for free -— we should not have to pay them blackmail.
Got the drift from Lori Matsukawa (King 5 News) that they have gleened phone numbers from the internet some how. The guy on the news was quite cocky about this, IMHO. He made it sound like he had your number, so there!
BTW - did I hear you left the Island and are in the Valley of the Sun, Jeff?
I just checked with the company. It does not cost any money to opt out. You do that through their website.
Phone numbers and other info are on the Internet, from various “people search” sites. Hm... Looks like Intelius has been buying up some of those sites... a lot of stuff that used to be free now directs to Intelius.
Not there yet. Still working on the house. Just replaced the floor, about to embark on the bathroom and plumbing.
Hoping for mid-September, now.
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