Do you still have a land line ?

[Harold Mansfield]

I think it's been at least 3 years since I had a land line for phone service.

Personally I have 3 wireless phones..one on a friends and family plan (with my family) that I have had for years, and then another unlimited plan with 2 lines on it.

In this day and age it seems that it's normal to expect people to have their own personal communication devices with them at all times...it's almost strange when people don't have a phone on them, you kinda expect them to have a good reason for not having one, like "the battery just died", or "I left it somewhere" ...or something.

I actually don't know anyone that doesn't have a wireless phone and many of my peers and associates use them exclusively...no home land line.

Just wondering is that the norm or how many of you still use your land line ?

[Spider]

I have a landline. My wife has a landline into her business. We both have cellphones - she uses hers to communicate with friends, I use mine to communicate with my wife.

Life is very simple when you are not tied to a telephone and are not constantly answering voice spam.

[Business Attorney]

I have a landline. When my wife and I get home, we often leave our cell phones in our coats, briefcase or purse, so that people still call us on our landline in the evening. However, now that even our youngest son has a cell phone, I suspect that the landline will be used less and less and that eventually we won't use it (or keep paying for it).

Of course at work we have a landline as well as an extensive telephone system with the ability to transfer calls internally, pick up calls from other lines, switch to intercom and other features that would be difficult or even impossible to do with separate cell phones.

[huggytree]

our land line is our fax machine.

we both have cell phones

[Evan]

I use my cell phone exclusively for everything, but have multiple numbers that ring to it, to keep track of what is what.

A few of my "older" co-workers do not use their cell phones often, and one does not own one. Then again, he doesn't have the internet at home either. His choice. Retirement will be nice! :)

[vangogh]

I do still have a landline, though I often question why. Like huggy I use it as a fax machine line. I've had the number for 12 years now and many people know so I want to keep it. It seems silly to me to transfer than number to a cell phone as I already have a cell phone.

My landline is the bare minimum. I can't even dial long distance on it. It's also attached to my satellite tv so between the two I save some money. I think in the end I pay about $15/month to keep the landline phone, which is fine for now.

[nighthawk]

Unfortunately I need to have a landline in order to get internet access. £13 a month for a phone line that doesnt even have a phone connected to it!

I have a mobile, and use that exclusively for calls.

[Harold Mansfield]

Unfortunately I need to have a landline in order to get internet access. £13 a month for a phone line that doesnt even have a phone connected to it!

I have a mobile, and use that exclusively for calls.

So there's only Dial Up access available where you are ? Or is it in conjunction with something like satellite internet access ?

[painperdu]

I have a cell and skype and hardly answer either one. I have a phone phobia and I will not answer a phone unless I know who it is. If people want to talk to me they have to email me first to let me know to either call them or expect a call. I also go nuts when someone knocks on my door.

Why do people still use fax machines?

[Business Attorney]

In the past three years, AT&T has lost more than 25 percent of its wired consumer access lines, [said AT&T spokesman Marty Richter].

[nealrm]

I still have a land line. The main reason is a land line has a clearer connection than a cell. We also have 2 cell phones that we use when we are out and about. AT&T has a nice product that ties all 3 into a single voice mailbox. So our customers can call any of the three and leave a message. I can then dial a single number and get all the messages.

[KristineS]

I have a landline, but I'm seriously considering getting rid of it. I don't use it for anything, and most of the calls I get on it are telemarketing or spam type calls. Anyone who knows me knows to e-mail me, as I'm not one to talk on the phone all that much.

Mostly I still have the landline because I didn't get a cell until recently. Now that I have the cell phone, a landline really seems redundant.

[Harold Mansfield]

I also go nuts when someone knocks on my door.

I don't 'Go Nuts' but I am always surprised and a little irritated that anyone would come by unannounced.

It used to happen a lot last summer, "friends" (one in particular) would just show up in the middle of the day, without calling first, to use the pool..WITH THEIR KIDS !

I mean who does that?



Why do people still use fax machines?
I guess a lot of people still send faxes.
I think I sent a fax last December 2008 for something...hardly worth any kind of service for just to have the option.

[Blessed]

We have a landline - our internet runs through it and I use it for the fax machine - which gets used a few times a year. Hubby's had the number for almost 20 years now and we still get a few calls on it but mostly it's redundant to our cell phones which get used a lot!

[cbscreative]

I work primarily at home so the cell number is known by very few people. It's only used when I or my wife are away and primarily between the two of us. The toughest part is finding a plan that allows for such limited use, but we did fortunately. We recently dropped another plan just because we use the cell so little, the old plan was costing us up to $1 a minute.

I use DSL, still send an occasional fax, and don't see the landline going away any time soon. It is annoying getting the unwelcomed calls on it though, especially the automated ones. What really burns me is when they call the cell or spam with text messages. I would fully support seeing companies getting busted and fined millions of dollars for this practice of unsolicited spam on cell phones. Because of the way I use my phone, I pay extra for their sludge. It may not be much, but the principle of the matter is what I find most annoying.

[Harold Mansfield]

What really burns me is when they call the cell or spam with text messages. I would fully support seeing companies getting busted and fined millions of dollars for this practice of unsolicited spam on cell phones. Because of the way I use my phone, I pay extra for their sludge. It may not be much, but the principle of the matter is what I find most annoying.

I thought the DNC (Do Not Call) list was expanded to include cell numbers.
Any U.S. based telemarketers are scared to death of that list; When I worked in the phone room, the system wouldn't even let you dial a number on the DNC list..even if they made initial contact.

All anyone on the phone had to say to send management into a state of frenzy and paranoia was "Why are you calling me, I'm on the DNC and I'm going to report you"..at $10k per violation, I can see why.

[cbscreative]

I thought the DNC (Do Not Call) list was expanded to include cell numbers.
Any U.S. based telemarketers are scared to death of that list; When I worked in the phone room, the system wouldn't even let you dial a number on the DNC list..even if they made initial contact.

All anyone on the phone had to say to send management into a state of frenzy and paranoia was "Why are you calling me, I'm on the DNC and I'm going to report you"..at $10k per violation, I can see why.

I was thinking back to the days when cell phones were automatically off limits, and it was the responsibility of the caller to be sure they weren't calling a cell phone. Now it becomes my responsibility to register with DNC instead of being protected by default. That's backwards IMO. Cell phone plans are still mostly based on by the minute charges, and I believe they should be off limits to telemarketers with no customer action required to make it that way.

[Harold Mansfield]

I was thinking back to the days when cell phones were automatically off limits, and it was the responsibility of the caller to be sure they weren't calling a cell phone. Now it becomes my responsibility to register with DNC instead of being protected by default. That's backwards IMO. Cell phone plans are still mostly based on by the minute charges, and I believe they should be off limits to telemarketers with no customer action required to make it that way.

I completely agree with you, but we have to deal with the reality of the way it is, not the way it should be.

I used to always wonder why when I called people ( working the phone room), even though they made first contact, and we were calling them back on the phone number that they gave us, some would get really PO'ed that we were calling their cell phone. It took me a while to figure out that a lot of people still have minute by minute plans and in some areas of the country they are still ridiculously expensive and people just have the minimum and don't use their mobiles exclusively.

I'm not used to that, my first phone was an old Motorola 'brick' and my first bill ( and last with that company) was $1500. Ever since then, when they started coming out with unlimited plans, I always have one.

So I can definitely understand people getting pissed about telemarketers calling and wasting their minutes. I'm pretty sure that you can register your mobile on the DNC (https://www.donotcall.gov/). It doesn't take but a minute.

[vangogh]

Both of my numbers are on the list, but I went ahead and re-registered them just in case.


Ever since then, when they started coming out with unlimited plans, I always have one.

I think of getting the unlimited plan for my cell, but I don't really need it at the moment. At first I needed to watch my calls at the end of the month, but I have rollover minutes and most months I'm not anywhere close to what I'm paying for.

[billbenson]

Within the last 6 to 9 months the was a "to register by" time for cell phones for the do not call list. A friend sent me the link and I did it. Don't remember much more than that. Still get phone calls from politicians during election season. How do they avoid the list?

[vangogh]

Still get phone calls from politicians during election season. How do they avoid the list?

There are a variety of organizations for which do not call doesn't apply, political calls being one. I think if the call isn't trying to sell you anything they can technically call. So you might still get calls asking you to take a survey.

[Harold Mansfield]

Still get phone calls from politicians during election season. How do they avoid the list?

I get the occasional call from Political groups, but I know that I registered on the Obama website during the election (and started a blog on it) so I expect them every now and then.

A lot of the calls we get are the result of something we did, even if it was a while back.
I know that a lot of those sweepstakes and contests that you see at malls and such for giveaways to win a free trip, a cruise, a car, groceries for a year..what ever.. are list builders.

Some people get so exited about the possibility of winning that they put down their mobile numbers so not to miss the call, or in their infinite wisdom, give the mobile number in an attempt to protect the home number.

Companies either set up the promotion themselves or buy those lists to then warm call you about a vacation offer or timeshare deal.

It may be months later, but you agreed to it when you registered to win the prize.

And it's not just mall stuff and booths...car dealerships, The DMV, Insurance companies, County Taxation..they are all in on it. Lists (or leads) are big business.

Every time you put your name on a purchase or contract, you are most times signing up to be called or marketed to by someone selling something.

I am sure, most of us here can remember some point (since we have had our current phone numbers) that we signed up to win something. I know those contests to win trips to sporting events get me every time...I wanna go to the Superbowl, Probowl , or College Bowl Game. I enter them every year.

The bad thing is, if you just ignore the calls, your number gets sold again, and again..over and over. And based on how old your info is (as long as the number is still good), and things like if there was ever any contact, the price of your info as a lead can be as much as $80 (that's what people were paying for mortgage leads during the boom) and as low as $5 if say a year has gone by and no one has ever gotten you on the phone.

The DNC does not apply if you asked to be contacted, or filled out a form without reading the fine print.

For instance, I know we ( at my old job) paid for leads depending on how old they were,and how targeted. Since it was a Time Share company, obviously leads that came from Vegas Vacation giveaway or contest were the hottest and if they came from certain areas of the country they were even hotter and worth more.

Let me give you an example.
Anything from S.California, Arizona, Utah is gold because they drive to Vegas in 4-5 hours. They don't have to worry about airfare prices.

But another good one is people in WI and MN. They travel to Vegas in large numbers starting end of Jan- March, so...if you had leads from say...Mall of America where people filled out a sweepstakes card to win a free tip to Vegas back in Oct, and you got them by Jan...you had hot leads because they were more perceptive to listen, and you are going to get a lot of people on the phone that are coming to Vegas, wants to come to Vegas, or "was just talking about our annual trip to Vegas with the wife" and they will listen to the deal.

However leads from say, Boston in the winter, could still be good, but you have to take into consideration things like how high airfare is (if you aren't giving it away) and compare it to the probability of them actually being able to travel...but New Yorkers on the other hand give you a greater possibility of a bite because they like a good deal and like to barter. (It may be stereotyping and generalizing, but this is how the industry looks at certain demographics)

It's a whole amazing industry and we walk right into it most times.
Companies that are in this business only see us as leads and come up with some very ingenious ways to get us on their lists.

You ever wonder why some stores ask you for your phone number when you make a purchase ? Do you really think it's because they are accessing some kind of account of yours? No, because they ask you every time. If it were some kind of buyer rewards program, you could just log into your account with your phone number instead of being asked every time you visit that store.

[cbscreative]

I completely agree with you, but we have to deal with the reality of the way it is, not the way it should be.

Ain't that the truth, as well as my being guilty of bad English

[Paper Shredder Clay]

I haven't had a landline for about 2 years. I use Skype or AT&T (since I have the iPhone).