Joe Auricchio

So I put my number on the Do Not Call registry this evening. I was not impressed by what I saw.

To register a phone number through donotcall.gov, you must enter your email address. Why? Turns out they have a FAQ on this:

22. Why do you need my email address?

When you use the registry’s website to put a phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, we collect your email address to confirm your request. We will send you an email and you will need to click on the link in the email within 72 hours to finalize your registration. We also collect your email address when you request to verify your registration online so that we can email you a response to your verification request. We will store your email address in a secure manner, separate from your telephone number. We will not share your email address with telemarketers.

So… they’re collecting my email address to “confirm my request”. They will send me a link to click. When I click on the link, then my number will be added.

The problem is, that technique of emailing a magical link is intended to verify ownership of that address, not the original action. It’s absolutely needless; all it does is slow the whole process down.

So I decided not to give them my email address. You can add your number to the registry by calling their 888 number. The automated voice says:

You must be calling from the number you want to register. If you are not, please call back from that number. Or, you may register now using our website at donotcall.gov.

Remember, you are registering for everyone in your household who uses this phone.

Beginning with the area code, please enter your ten-digit phone number.

(expectant pause)

Wait, what? I must be calling from the phone number I want to register… and yet, I still have to type it in? I admittedly haven’t tried entering a different number, but it just seems to be wasting everyone’s time. It should read off my caller ID. If it can’t be, then how do they know I’m calling from the phone number I want to register?

Here’s what that message should say:

You are about to register the number: five. five. five. one. two. one. two. If this is correct, press 1 to register your number. Otherwise, you will have to use our website at donotcall.gov.

Two separate systems; two groups of people aren’t thinking. No bueno.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 6th, 2006 at 21:25 and is filed under Doing, Thinking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.