Caller ID Blocking: Your right to control who gets your phone number.
Your phone number may be transmitted to any person or business you call through a service known as Caller ID unless you take action to block it. Any person or business who subscribes Caller ID service can see the phone numbers of incoming calls on a display unit attached to their phone, even if you do not have the service yourself. Caller ID subscribers can also capture your phone number for future use. Caller ID works automatically. There is no way to tell if the number you are calling has Caller ID.
Two ways to block Caller ID
There are two ways you can block your phone number from being transmitted on most calls. However, blocking does not work when services that utilize Automatic Number Identification (ANI) are called (e.g., 0+, 0-, 700/800/866/877/888/900 and 911 Services).
The choice is yours and both options are free
There is no charge for your first request of blocking service. However, there will be a service charge for each subsequent change. Heres how each blocking option works:
1. Caller ID Blocking Complete (Outgoing). Also known as per-line blocking, this option offers maximum privacy protection. It automatically blocks your phone number from being transmitted to the person or business you are calling, unless you dial *82 before making the call.
2. Caller ID Blocking Selective (Outgoing). Also known as per-call blocking, this option offers less privacy protection. This option shows your number, or name and number, on Caller ID display units unless you dial *67 before making the call.
For information concerning your use of a blocking option, including which blocking option may accompany your service, and any necessary equipment programming, please contact us at the number located on your bill. It is important that you decide which free blocking option, if any, is best for you.
Reasons why you may want to transmit your phone number
The person or business you are calling might have Caller ID; and:
may only answer if they know it is you calling.
may refuse to serve anyone whose number they cannot see and/or capture.
may offer a product or service you want, which requires your number to be released for access to your records.
you are calling a friend or relative who already has your number.
Reasons why you may not want to transmit your phone number
The person or business you are calling might have Caller ID; and:
may obtain your private unlisted number without your permission.
may use your name and number to get other information about you, including your address, by using a reverse directory.
may use your phone number to learn where you are. (For instance, if you are a victim of
violence or a crime and want to keep your location private, you should protect your phone number from being released).
may capture your phone number, and then use it to call you back or sell it to others for marketing or other purposes.
may refuse to do business because of the neighborhood you live in.
may refuse to answer because they know it is you calling.
If you wish to complain about a company using information displayed on their Caller ID units, and if your complaint is not resolved by Verizon Business, you may write to: Office of the Attorney General-Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2550, http://caag.state.ca.us/consumers/mailform.htm Or, call 1-800-952-5225. You may contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at: Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB), 1919 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20544, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/. You may also contact the Consumer Affairs Branch of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2003, San Francisco, CA 94102. Or you can call them at 1-800-649-7570, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.