Does the FCC really require Directv to get cellphone numbers from customers calling for service?

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vibraro

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Mar 18, 2017
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Staunton, VA
I know I'm getting OCD on this but I was told 4 different reasons why they wanted my cellphone number in the last 72 hours. The guy in the U.S. I finally talked to said he was reading from "an FCC script." Is this the case? Thanks and I won't bug you folks anymore.
 
That's B.S. They might require 'A' number, but I'm sure it doesn't specifically have to be a cell number.

Were YOU calling them, or did they call YOU out of the blue and demand your cell number?
 
No, I was calling to get tech support. They already have my landline number and have since 2002. As I wrote in my other thread between all the people I talked to in the Philippines I was told AT&T needed it to verify my account, they needed it to send me information about the 771 outage I was calling about, they needed it for "security," they needed it to send me information in general, and finally that they weren't actually required to get it at all and I didn't have to tell them as it was just a "client request" from AT&T. A Fillipino tech guy told me it was an FCC rule as did a tech guy from the U.S. today. When I asked the guy today for details he had no clue and finally said he was just reading from an "FCC script." Beyond this issue, at this point I'm convinced the reps in the Philippines and India will say whatever they think will get you off the phone the quickest. Whether they're improvising under the pressure of quotas or deliberately trained to do that I don't know. I waited forever for a tech guy from India today, they finally said they would call me back. Never did. I finally got through to the North American tech by calling a customer retention number I found online somewhere. He gave me a logical technical explanation which completely contradicted what they Fillipino guy said.
 
Are you a bundled ATT cell and Directv customer? If not a simple "I don't have a cell phone" should end the demand. Thinking about, even if you have a bundled account tell them that... :)
 
It's happened where a business wanted my cell phone number and I made the mistake of saying I don't have one then they tried to sell me one!. I just politely say no and that's it.
 
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Asking for the cell phone number up front is part of the call center script now. The agents get dinged by QA if they don't ask that question (I get the feeling the CSRs don't like this any more than you do); it's a demand pushed down from the ATT overlords so they can text you surveys and assorted other crap.
 
Asking for the cell phone number up front is part of the call center script now. The agents get dinged by QA if they don't ask that question (I get the feeling the CSRs don't like this any more than you do); it's a demand pushed down from the ATT overlords so they can text you surveys and assorted other crap.
Thats all we need, theres a reason people went to cells awhile back (obviously not the only ) you didnt get robo calls and political and all that on them.

Now you do get some of that, even if your on the Do Not Call list.
 
Thats all we need, theres a reason people went to cells awhile back (obviously not the only ) you didnt get robo calls and political and all that on them.

Now you do get some of that, even if your on the Do Not Call list.
Not to mention the scammers that won't stop calling and continually harass you. Being on the "Do Not Call" list won't help on that either.
 
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Are you a bundled ATT cell and Directv customer? If not a simple "I don't have a cell phone" should end the demand. Thinking about, even if you have a bundled account tell them that... :)

This is probably going to sound ridiculous, but I don't want to have to lie to conduct business with anyone, especially a company I'm paying this much money to. And I don't want to be lied to. I never was before during the 15 years we've had the service. I'm not getting lied to by most other people I'm doing business with. Once again, a small point, but when someone who is obviously from India insists her real name is Michelle, that's a lie. That's a lie to start off a conversation that included more lies. If it comes up why can't she say something like "My real name is difficult for you to understand or remember so I'm using the name 'Michelle' to make things easier for North American customers." Then at least it's two humans honestly interacting with each other. Talking to these people I got the same vibe you get with the scammers who claim to be calling from Microsoft about your operating system.
 
I wonder if AT&T/Directv wants your cell phone so they can look up the carrier and Blast you with offers to switch.

You know AT&T ain't happy till they got your Tv, internet, home phone, cell phone and security system all on the same bill
 
I wonder if AT&T/Directv wants your cell phone so they can look up the carrier and Blast you with offers to switch.

You know AT&T ain't happy till they got your Tv, internet, home phone, cell phone and security system all on the same bill


Most likely it is this. They can tell if you are unbundled with AT&T, bundled and or with another carrier and likely what carrier you are with by your number.
 
Thats all we need, theres a reason people went to cells awhile back (obviously not the only ) you didnt get robo calls and political and all that on them.

Now you do get some of that, even if your on the Do Not Call list.

It's known as the Do Not Care List by the telemarketers. They call anyway knowing the chance of getting caught is low to none. Getting more crap calls now on my cell due to auto-dialers and spoofed caller ID. Changing cell numbers is really no help besides the inconvenience of telling the people that need to know the new number, cell phone companies recycle old numbers faster now so there are calls for the previous owner like bill collectors. Some apps do help block some unwanted callers, with caller ID spoofing it sometimes it can be a losing battle. It didn't happen to me last election with political calls but I don't know why they are exempt from the list. I get enough hot air from my furnace as it is.
 
Not to mention the scammers that won't stop calling and continually harass you. Being on the "Do Not Call" list won't help on that either.
Speaking of which ...
in the last 1/2 hour I had 2 calls to my Home phone (numbers I don't know, didn't answer) and them 5 minutes later another called my cell phone ... also didn't answer, however theres a program on the cell that showed it as a Sales call ahead of time.
 
Those robo-dialers call EVERY number in an exchange now, one right after another. They wait for somebody to say 'Hello?", and then it's supposed to transfer to an agent to talk to you.

If I ever am not paying attention and one gets through, I just tell them I NEVER buy anything from anybody that calls me first.
 
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I called in today to cancel the HD pack and rep asked me if I had a ATT cell and I said no. She didn't say anything else about it.
 
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