Non-Listed vs Non-published pricing

[gregmg]

I recently purchased Uverse phone. I requested to not be listed so that I would not receive any unsolicited phone calls. I was told I had to pay $2.25 per month to be non-listed. I was disappointed to lean that I had to pay anything to AT&T for a service to not list my phone number.  I really don't understand why not including my phone number needs to be an extra monthly charge. Despite the fact that this seems to be a completely bogus service and charge, I was given no other choice but to pay for this "service." 

I've had my phone service for 3 weeks now, and I have been receiving at least 3 telemarketing calls a day. I called customer support today to confirm that my non-listing service was actually happening. I was told that while my number was non-listed, it did not include being non-published. To be non-published, I would have to pay $4.95 per month, on top of the $2.25 I was paying to be non-listed. 

I asked for explenation on the difference between non-listed and non-published and the answer I received was that the non-listed is for the white pages, and the non-published is for directory assitance. 

These charges are absolutely insulting on so many levels:

1) How can AT&T call this a service, and justify a monthly charge. Do they have to do anything on a monthly basis, or just not list the number one time? That's not a service

2) I was told when I signed up that I would not receive any telemarketing calls by selecting the non-listed number and paying the $2.25. The reality is I have to $2.25 + $4.95 = $7.20 per month or $86.40 a year. That's 29% of my total phone bill for this so-called service. 

3) I'm not certain these charges are legal. Congress passed a bill for the National Do Not Call Registry which means that we have a right not to be listed if we ask for it. 

I did escalate this to customer service supervisor named Jeff. His employee id is jc993c. He said that there was nothing he could do for me, and offered that I call AT&T main phone number which he gave me as 210-821-4105

I really thought AT&T would be a better company than this. I probably should have stayed on Comcast, I'm really not saving all that much. I hope someone at AT&T realizes how ridiculous this is for their business, and starts doing more for customer satisfaction. 

[aviewer ACE - Master]

gregmg - I have to say you may not like it, but it has been that way for the last 100 years or so. Approved by every regulatory body.

[skeeterintexas]

Google "non-listed" vs. "no-published".  Perhaps that will clarify things.

P.S.  If you do business with a company (credit card/utility/retailer), they can call you whether you are on a 'no call list' or not.

[oufanindallas]

Doesn't matter whether you use AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or any telephone service, you want your number unlisted you are going to pay more. 

[gregzoll_1]

You cannot stop people from calling you. Just either let it go to voice mail, or pick up the phone and politely tell them to remove you from their calling list.

Also the DNC has been proven to be broken like the GOP & DNC that runs our country.

[MicCheck]

A non-published/non-listed number is not a way to get unsolicited phone calls. It is designed so people can't look you up in the phone book/411 (e.g. crazy exes, convicts (helpful for judges and law enforcement)).

The default is to publish every landline number; requesting them to do something different is a special request, hence the charge.

The $4.95 is instead of the $2.25, not on top of it.