topic Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls? in Electronics

Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

Seannie — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:27:44 GMT

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum but my landline rings dozens of times daily with anonymous, toll-free, survey, etc. and my nerves are jangled.

Who else besides do not call list and my phone/internet/direct tv provider should I call to reduce these disruptions?

My suspicion (not sure since I don't answer) is that these are criminals/scam artists because I was told that only legitimate businesses get the do not call list.

TIA, Seannie

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

deeva — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:30:57 GMT

We get them too. The Do Not Call registery is useless. We don't answer calls from people we don't know. I don't know of any way to reduce the number of calls other than not answering.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

2cockers1cat — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:43:45 GMT

There is a service, free, called NOMOROBO that blocks many of these calls. There is the risk that a call you want to receive will be stopped. The Federal Trade Commission awarded the developer a $50,000 prize for the technology. It's not in my area yet, so I can't comment on it's usefulness. The dropdown menu on their website lists the phone carriers that make the service available.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

DoneTryin — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:45:05 GMT

Some of those are robo-calls so there's not much you can do about it. Except it seems like I saw a link once, either here or somewhere else that had a place to go to stop those, too. I think it was nomorobo.com or something like that. You could probably Google it.

I absolutely do not pick up if I don't recognize the name or number. I have my phone programmed with a different ring tone for calls coming in from anyone I'll pick up for (family, friends, hairdresser, dr's ofc, etc).

Depending on what phone system you have, you might be able to block the calls by *60, then follow the prompts.

If you want to spend some $$, you can get a machine that blocks unwanted calls. I've seen them on Amazon.com.

Too bad we don't have an "ignore" button for those!

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

Mz iMac — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:56:50 GMT

I solved that problem by turning the ringer off my answering machine landline phone & doing the following...

My answering machine message is this: I SCREEN all calls. Leave a message if you want me to call you back.

I can't remember the last time I received a robo call. I am also on the "Do Not Call List."

Needless to say, all my fam & friends know that if they do not leave a message, as far as I am concerned, they never called!

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

VaBelle35 — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 20:01:26 GMT

I bought a set of phones from Costco (Panasonic). It has a Caller Block feature. It rings once and then stops. What the caller hears on the other end is a fast busy signal, as if the number is no longer in service.

If the person on the other end is a live body, they will note that the number is out of service and you get taken off their lift.

If it is a computer calling, it doesn't know the fast busy signal, so it will keep calling.

This phone system was the best $120 I've ever spent. It has drastically cut down on the number of junk calls I get.

I even got rid of Verizon ;O)

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

beckyb1012 — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 20:04:59 GMT

Did away with my landline about 5+ years ago and have not missed it. Cell phone so much better, when it is off it is off.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

sipp — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 20:36:38 GMT

The thing is- a landline is still more reliable in a real catastrophe in the world we live in now- a cell phone is not going to get through when all the towers are flooded with calls. Unfortunately the landline is expensive to keep- and the phone companies don't like them because of the upkeep. They made it too expensive for seniors to afford them ( like $50 for just LOCAL calls!) Disgusting.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

chickenbutt — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 20:46:41 GMT

I have some phones, probably very similar to those VaBelle has, and I like that 'block number' feature. After you have blocked one, the next time they call you it just rings once, as she said, and goes away.

The only negative is that it only holds 30 numbers so during heavy telemarketing seasons (read - during election cycles) I end up having to delete some so I can get new ones in there.

But it's better than nothing. I checked out the nomorobo deal and ATT doesn't have it here, either. Bummer, that.

It sure doesn't seem fair to me that I have to pay extra to have unlisted and private numbers, yet others can use my numbers at will. The robo calling thing should be against the law, or at least numbers that are unlisted and/or private should be precluded. I could see getting phone solicitations if I had my number in the phone book but if I pay extra to have it NOT published then I should be able to have more control. It's only right.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

Mz iMac — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:27:54 GMT

On 8/27/2014 dgluvr said:
They made it too expensive for seniors to afford them ( like $50 for just LOCAL calls!) Disgusting.

64 & retired....

Not if they ask for the senior rate. Most landline companies have SENIOR landline DISCOUNTS which ARE NOT advertised.

Ask firmly & politely to speak w/a manager instead of going through the regular CR route. It's how I got mine w/Comcast & Verizon. The latter is my current carrier.

In the case of Verizon, I couldn't get anywhere w/the sales manager so I went through their headquarters to get my discount.

I pay $25/month which includes taxes, long distance & all the bells & whistles. International calls is extra. Also, depending on your income, it's even cheaper and/or FREE!

Personally I feel safer w/a landline because of it's reliability over cell phones as well as I can always reach my town's 911 dept if necessary.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

RespectLife — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:30:48 GMT

My mom is 83 and still lives alone. The phone calls were just terrorizing us all. I handle all of her affairs and everything legit has my phone number not hers. Yet, with her dementia, I could not get through to her to JUST HANG UP! She would talk and talk and give out my name and number....

I finally changed her number to unlisted. That lasted 3 days. Robo calls get through anyways. SIGH. She is no longer able to function a cell phone so sadly a land line is necessary.

On my own land line, I now have groups tell me the NO CALL REGISTRY 'doesn't apply' to their organization. I ask to be removed and hang up. I wish I could turn off the ringer like Mz Imac, but w/ my mom...I can't take the chance she may need assistance.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

curlywhitedog — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:41:21 GMT

In absolutely desperation over all the calls I was getting I purchased the CPR call blocker from Amazon. I swear the word must have gone out because since Saturday I have only gotten 2 calls when I would normally average 3-5 a day. Of course I know the call blocker has nothing to do with the decrease in the calls, it's just coincidental, but I was so looking forward to pushing that red button with the "Block call" words on it...lol.

Was talking to my neighbor this morning and she told me her son (in his mid 20's) received the scam call on his cell phone about the caller being the Sheriff and her son owing over $2,000 to the IRS. The poor kid went into a panic and told the guy he didn't have $2,000 so the caller said to send $1,000 now or he'd be arrested at 6PM. My neighbor's son asked for and got the guy's number and said he'd call him back when he could get the $1,000 to send. In the meantime, he told his father who called the IRS who confirmed that this was a scam and the caller never called back but he did say, before he hung up, that he was willing to meet the kid at a local drug store where they sold money grams or something like that at 4 that afternoon so he would have time to stop the arrest at 6.

These people need to be stopped because being called by the IRS is a scary thing and I can see how senior and/or unsophisticated citizens or young kids might not know about this scam and send the money.

Maria

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

chickenbutt — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:50:18 GMT

I didn't know about these 'call blocker' units. Nice! But $80 seems like a lot. Might be worth it, though, to have the ability to block 1200 numbers! That would last about forever. With my Panasonics I can only block 30 numbers and that goes fast during the political season.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

Domestic Goddess — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:54:30 GMT

The Federal ""Do not Call"" number is 1-888-832-1222 Registering with this number will permenently restrict telmarketers from calling your home. You can also file a complaint with them if a company continues to call your home (after you ask them not too) by calling this number. Hope this helps!

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

knmt — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:56:04 GMT

I purchased an Ooma Telo (VOIP) over a year and half ago. I love it. One can blacklist individual phone numbers or whole area codes. I was getting tons of telemarketers calling. Did have a phone that did block up to a certain amount, where it would ring once and then disconnect. Not enough for me. However, with Ooma, if the nuisance call is in an area code where I know no one or do not do business(most of them), I block the entire area code. Nowadays it's blissfully quiet. Phone does not ring at all when these boneheads call. I might get a call once a month from yet another area code, which I do not answer and promptly block and add to the blacklist.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

CalminHeart — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:58:02 GMT

I cancelled my land line and rarely receive such calls on my cell.

I still signed up on the do not call list even though it exempts political calls.

When someone calls, tell them: Put me on your do not call list and never call me again. It won't solve all of this but might cut back on one or two of them.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

chickenbutt — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:09:22 GMT

On 8/27/2014 Domestic Goddess said: The Federal "Do not Call" number is 1-888-832-1222 Registering with this number will permenently restrict telmarketers from calling your home. You can also file a complaint with them if a company continues to call your home (after you ask them not too) by calling this number. Hope this helps!

Two things - 1) there are so many exemptions to the do not call list that you still have the potential to get scores of calls; and 2) one time I reported a company and they responded to the do not call people that I was a customer of one of their companies. Well, they listed those companies (dnc list forewarded this info on to me) and I had not even heard of ANY of them. So, they lied and they got away with it.

Sukks that the bad guys always are one step ahead of the good guys.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

NanaS — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:17:20 GMT

We get lots of daily land line calls also but we have caller ID......we just glance at the phone and just don't pick up.

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

geezerette — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:20:19 GMT

On 8/27/2014 chickenbutt said:
On 8/27/2014 Domestic Goddess said: The Federal "Do not Call" number is 1-888-832-1222 Registering with this number will permenently restrict telmarketers from calling your home. You can also file a complaint with them if a company continues to call your home (after you ask them not too) by calling this number. Hope this helps!

Two things - 1) there are so many exemptions to the do not call list that you still have the potential to get scores of calls; and 2) one time I reported a company and they responded to the do not call people that I was a customer of one of their companies. Well, they listed those companies (dnc list forewarded this info on to me) and I had not even heard of ANY of them. So, they lied and they got away with it.

Sukks that the bad guys always are one step ahead of the good guys.

We get many computerized calls, but most of ours are from companies that we have accounts with.

We did get one computerized scam call, though. I thought that was pretty brazen of them to not even use a real person to try to extort me!

Re: Any way I can get less junk phone calls?

GSPgirl — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:22:53 GMT

The Do Not Call registry needs to be updated yearly. Unfortunately, I still receive calls. I do not answer them. Just a pain.