Do you think it is ethical for telephone companys to sell our telephone numbers to marketers?

I don't think that the telephone company itself sells the phone number of their clients. It's the marketers who only dial it randomly or they are just guessing if that number is available or not. And once it rings, BINGO, they have to pass it to another.

I'm not sure if the company sells your phone number or not. But a Telemarketer can acquire a phone book and just go down the list starting at 000-0001, 000-0002 for example and eventually reach your number. Your number is not unique like a finger print is to you. several people have already had your number before you. that is maybe why you also get some wrong number looking for a certain person. Your best bet is when a telemarketer call comes thru pick up ant tell them to put you on a do not call list. If they keep calling then you call your phone company and tell them.

Ethics and business are not a good match. There are business ethics that need to be followed, but cutting off profits to make individual people feel better is not one of those.

No, it's really annoying.

its not ethical .... but they can make it as a pay service..... where if u opt for subscribing to their list you get some additional money so that u can rest assured that you are not robbed of your time..!!!

I believe that that is a most hateful practice among service providers. We chose to subscribe to their services and pay our bills they shouldn't make any more money off us by selling our information. When we filled up those application forms we were under the impression that the information we give them will be considered confidential. Even banks sell our information to credit card companies and you have to go out of your way to have your name removed from the list. They even have the gall to ask why I want my name removed from the solicitation list!

Well, I worked for a telephone company for seven years and they never "sold" any of their customer's phone numbers to outside parties but always kept them in house. Your number can appear on telemarketing lists a number of different ways, if you ever sign up for any service, or apply for any type of contest, loan, etc. and include your phone number it can show up on a list. you've already done the correct thing and signed up for the National Do Not Call list, but that may take a month before you stop receiving calls. Why is it that you assume that it's the Telephone Company that's "selling" your number and that you didn't inadvertantly give it out in some other way, form or fashion? The phone company won't sell your number to anyone, the money they would make off of that weighed against you potentially putting yourself on the DNC list and their not being able to market to you after that would be counterproductive.

It is not and they should be fined up the gazoo for doing it. If anyone calls me other than invited businesses I report them to the attorney General and I tell them I am going to do it. They usually don't call back. If they do I press charges for phone harassment.

its not exactly unethical though if u really put ur no on the Do not call list and someone did call, then its wrong.