Telephone Tips

DoNotCall: Want to get rid of those nagging calls in the evening and weekend from mortgage banks, phonecards etc but do not want to pay monthly fee for call blocking? Register your telephone number in http://www.donotcall.gov/ You'll see big reduction in those types of calls. You may still get such calls from charity etc. but avoiding charity calls is easier than avoiding people trying to sell you interest-only mortgages or trying to extract your social security number.

Collect Calls: This is a common nuisance but you may not know if you do not check your phone bill with care. You may find in your telephone bill a charge from nowhere for "collect calls" although your sharp memory tells you that you never accepted any such call. You call your local telephone company and they only ask you to contact that company (may appear in you bill beside that charge for that collect call). You contact them and they say, "No way! You have to pay! orrr ..ok! We are giving a partial credit" as if they are doing you a favor. Here is your solution: If you are unable to resolve your dispute, contact your local telephone company and ask confidently to offer you a "recourse adjustment". A recourse adjustment will remove the charges from your local telephone bill. However, the service provider (for that fictitious collect call) may pursue collection of the charges directly from you. But Usually they will not bother you because they know that the charge was fictitious in the first place. If they contact you - it's your turn to reject them!