Unless something has changed recently, you can have a phone number
> "unlisted unpublished", which means that it won't be printed in the
> phone directory and directory assistance will not give it out. You
> can have an "unpublished" number, which means that DA will give it
> out, but it won't be printed in the directory. I don't know if the
> charges are/were different or not. I've always had mine "unlisted > unpublished".
I had a friend years ago who had the solution. He had his number listed as 'Jack Daniels' and only told people he wanted to call him about that. When he'd get telemarketing calls asking for Mr. Daniels, he knew to immediately hang up.
That was a way around paying extra for an unlisted number.
Regards,
Fred
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's not a bad idea; I have had my telephone listed in the name of one of my cats (under 'K' as in Katz, yet) for a long time. Occassionally, however, if the name is 'too ridiculous sounding' telco sometimes requires you to send them some proof of your name, such as a copy of driver's license, etc. I also knew someone, years ago, who would always ask for a 'default listed number' but do so a day or two after the directory publisher had closed the entries for another year. So, he would never manage to actually get himself listed in the phone directory, which was his intent. PAT]