THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
What better way to complain to a phone company than to phone.
More than 1,000 people did last week, after it was revealed Bell Atlantic-Virginia planned to peddle customers' names, addresses and phone numbers. Angry callers complained that they would fall prey to annoying telemarketers, of whom there are too many already.
On Thursday, with protest calls coming in too fast to count, Bell Atlantic President and Chief Executive Officer H. R. Stallard said the lists would not be sold in Virginia after all.
``Customer lists will continue to abound from other sources,'' Stallard noted, ``including from those firms who copy our directories.'' He said marketers also can use computer and online services to obtain information about consumers.
The phone company has sold lists of new residential subscribers to outside marketers since May 1994, but now, rather than beginning to sell their entire residence customer lists, the company will stop all sales.
Del. George W. Grayson, D-James City, was one who wrote rather than call. In a letter to Stallard, he warned, ``I believe that the proliferation of unwanted calls that your intended action would spark would greatly improve the odds for an anti-junk-call legislation that my constituents, at least, favor by a 9-to-one ratio.''
And so the people spoke and were heard, with Delegate Grayson's assistance. The people are loud and effective when they want to be. We should want to be more often. by CNB