Red Cross awarded 800 Number
Since Katrina hit, many people have called 1-800-RED-CROSS, what they assumed would be the number for the American Red Cross, to donate. But instead of the Red Cross, the number directs you to a recording for 800-Ideas.com and gives you another phone number to call.
800-RED-CROSS was owned by Steve Parker, chairman of 800-Ideas.com. Parker claims to have gotten the phone number after starting a company called Red Arms (which shares the same alphanumeric phone-pad translation as the Red Cross), but he has been charging local Red Cross chapters a small per-minute fee to receive the calls originating from their nearby calling area.
The Red Cross wanted to buy the number from Steve Parker, but couldn’t afford the 7 figure price tag that was placed on it. Last Friday they finally asked the FCC to intervene, and the commission noted its policies “against warehousing, hoarding and brokering of toll-free numbers” and the importance of the Red Cross, and ruled that day. They ordered Mr. Parker to give the number to the Red Cross for one year.
As of Tuesday the number hadn’t yet been transferred to the Red Cross, but they can still be reached by calling 1-800-Help-Now.
SOURCE:
Wired News
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