On Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:07:23 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 2/20/2013 5:34 PM, micky wrote:
...

So I'm thinking they want this to get around the Do Not Call list.
...

If you do business with them, that already gets them around it.

Yeah, but without the phone number, they can't call me. So more
vendors seem to be pushing harder to get my phone number.

As much (or more than anything else) it's for the delivery folks--at
least FedEx, etc., will call if there's a foulup on address; have had it
more than once.

I've thought about that. When I shipped 27 cartons (all of her stuff)
to a friend who had moved to Swtizerland, I wrote her daytime phone
number there right on one or more cartons, so they'd have more than
her home address to find her, (if they didnt' tell her when they were
coming or arrived on a different day, etc. ) even though the shipper
hadn't asked for it. She got all her stuff with no problems.

This was before 9/11. Now the occasional shipper can only ship in the
US or from the US via the USPS, UPS, Fedex, and one or two more
shippers. But then I called shippers out of the yellow pages, and
found one that was right at the airport. As soon as I got there,
they put all the cartons** on one pallet and wrapped in Saran Wrap, or
something like that, They were much much cheaper than Mayflower Van
Lines, and much cheaper than Fedex iirc. Bu they had no idea who I
was or what was in the cartons (maybe a bomb) so one can't do that
anymore. In fact I had something else to ship and went looking for
their office and that was gone too, and other shippers next door etc.
said that an occasional shipper is limited to the companies above.

To save money, I piled all 27 cartons on to my convertible, going a
foot or more higher than my head was, and drove the quiet smooth route
to the airport. cargo terminal. At that point they told me they
would have picked it all up for $10. I lived 15 miles away and I
still can't believe pickup was that cheap. I would have done it had I
known.)

But I've never had a foulup delivering here, or a friend's store, so
Jon's convinced me. If I ever do, I suppose I'll start putting my
valid phone number.

Thanks to both of you.