David Levner Rants

Verizon Wireless, please stop calling me!

My home telephone number has received the distinction of being included in Verizon Wireless's telemarketing database. I regularly receive "abandoned" calls from 800-310-5479: I pick up the phone and immediately hear a dial tone.

So how do I know it's Verizon Wireless? Each time I get such a call, I press *69 on my phone, and my local phone company tells me the last number that called.

A few weeks ago, I called the number back and listened to a recorded message thanking me for calling Verizon Wireless and asking me to please wait for a representative. After half an hour, a human came on the line. I asked her to have Verizon Wireless stop calling me and she said she would have my phone number removed from the database.

But the calls continue. Here is a record of the recent ones:

Of course, I am on the FCC's "do not call" list. On January 23, I filed a complaint with the FCC (reference number 08-T00097023) by filling out FCC Form 1088, Junk Faxes and Telemarketing. You can go to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/#howtocomplain for information about how to complain, or https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx to put your telephone number on the "do not call" list.

If you receive unwanted telemarketing calls, and especially if you are getting abandoned calls from Verizon Wireless, I encourage you to file a complaint. It's easy--it took me five minutes.