A few years back, well more than just a few, when my wife and I had just moved into a new house, we were receiving the usual spate of calls from telemarketers, including life insurance companies. One insurance salesman didn't like my response to his call, and he and his buddies in the insurance office, of a major ins. company by the way, decided that making a bunch of harassing calls to my home might be fun.
Seems as though these guys had never heard of caller id, which WAS brand new at the time, and also didn't know that it was legal for me to record the harassing calls. The main perp was arrested, fired, and convicted, and as a result lost his license to sell insurance - what a shame.
I do trace calls, and do file and follow up on complaints, and it's really amazing to me how few calls I receive these days, I must be on someone's lists somewhere.
I also have influenced my wife's doctor to change her policy. The doctor's office makes calls to remind people of appointments, tell them of test results, etc, and has always used a blocked number. Recently the Dr. complained to my wife that her reminder calls were (still) being blocked at our number.
My wife suggested that she unblock her number, and the Dr. said it was because she didn't want people calling in on what is her outgoing line, she wants them to always go through her own call screening system. My wife's response (ever my suppoerter) was that since the Dr. was calling known patients, all she had to do was avail herself of other options available from the telco, and avoid the ebarrasment of being blocked. The Dr.'s number now comes up on her reminder and follow up calls.
Not giving out my number would spoil half my fun.
