# A Request To Sell My Phone Number **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 6, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273 "2006-03-06T18:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/1 "2006-03-06T18:07:11Z")
I have a Metro PCS account and was assigned a telephone number that happens to spell an easy way for a M.D.'s patients to remember the number. I received a call today asking me to sell the number for $500.00. I refused the offer and it was upped to $1000.00. I’m using a number that belongs to Metro PCS, I thought “scam”, and I said “goodbye” to the caller. A co-worker reminded me of the sale of web addresses in the 90’s and thinks it’s legal. I’m unable to reach a customer service representative for the comapny. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/2 "2006-03-06T18:09:56Z")
> [@jali](#): > > I have a Metro PCS account and was assigned a telephone number that happens to spell an easy way for a M.D.'s patients to remember the number. > > I received a call today asking me to sell the number for $500.00. I refused the offer and it was upped to $1000.00. > > I’m using a number that belongs to Metro PCS, I thought “scam”, and I said “goodbye” to the caller. > > A co-worker reminded me of the sale of web addresses in the 90’s and thinks it’s legal. > > I’m unable to reach a customer service representative for the comapny. > > Weird. What is Metro PCS? What bearing does it have on this matter? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/3 "2006-03-06T18:57:12Z")
You can sell your phone number as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/4 "2006-03-06T19:12:29Z")
Yes, it could have been legit. My husband used to work for a chain of restaurants that likes to use the same last 4 digits in all their phone numbers. One of his tasks was to try to obtain one of the desired numbers from their current owners if there wasn’t an unused version in a new location. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/5 "2006-03-06T21:20:40Z")
Thanks guys. I’ll call the person back and report the next steps. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/6 "2006-03-06T21:36:04Z")
I thought you couldn’t sell your number. Some guy was trying to auction off 867-5309 and the phone company said “No. We own the number.” ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/7 "2006-03-06T22:35:31Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I thought you couldn’t sell your number. Some guy was trying to auction off 867-5309 and the phone company said “No. We own the number.” I don’t think you can actually sell the number. What they probably will want the OP to do is take the money and have his/her number changed leaving the desired number free to be reassigned. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-request-to-sell-my-phone-number/347273/8 "2006-03-06T22:44:33Z")
That makes sense, provided who’s calling. BTW, Metro PCS is a cell phone provider that doesn’t use minutes, just per-month charge.