I hate moving and getting a new phone nu mber!

“I moved a little more than a month ago, and had to set up a new phone number. Of course, immediately after I got it, I started receiving telemarketing calls. I sign up for the do not call registry, but have to wait 31 days before I can file complaints (My 31 days is this Monday, thank goodness). This isn't the big issue, though.

The thing that irritates me the most are the FAX MACHINES that call me. They call AT LEAST twice a week, and when they do, they fill my answering machine with . They usually come up on my caller ID as "Unknown" or "Private" so I can't call the bastards back and yell at them...nor can I just tell the phone company. I have to record 3 dates and times of the occurrences (3 for each heading on my caller ID) and call some 800 number to report them.

This has happened to me on three different occasions in two different states now. Needless to say, it's getting old.”

“The previous owner of that number probably had it as a bisiness number. I can relate to that too. It took 2 years for 99% of the fax calls to stop. We still get them 2 or 3 times a year though. Also, our family business' 800 number is very close to that of Saks 5th Avenue so it gets silly around Christmas time. Many people fatfingering the number just can't get it through their heads that they misdialed. Then of course they hit redial.”

“A friend of mine in high school had a phone number that was one number off from an asylum. Needless to say, they had some interesting calls/messages on their machine.

At least I don't have creditors trying to hunt somebody down. When I opened my cell phone number, I was constantly calling some guy's creditors telling them that he doesn't have that number anymore, and I have no association with him.

Phone companies should be required to let a phone number lay dead for say a month or so before they give it to someone else. That way, it eliminates most of the people who think they are calling the previous owner of the number.”