topic Re: Question about private number in Community Chat

Question about private number

hoosieroriginal — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:50:06 GMT

My phone showed I had a "missed call". Went to phone log and the person calling had a "private number" with no call back number. Has this person purposely blocked their number so I can't see it? What's the purpose of that? Never received one of these before. TIA.

Re: Question about private number

Lipstickdiva — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:54:25 GMT

I used to have a private number meaning my number wasn't printed in the phonebook or published to be looked up.

However, now I think many times solicitation calls also come across as private or unavailable.

Re: Question about private number

Zhills — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:55:33 GMT

Usually spam. Occasionally a second line in an office that is not published.

Re: Question about private number

Zhills — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:59:37 GMT

I don't think cell phone numbers are published publicly

. They are all private.

Re: Question about private number

Spurt — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:58:04 GMT

@hoosieroriginal

Its usually a telemarketer who try to hide or "spoof" their number so they arent blocked and/or so you are more likely to answer............

Re: Question about private number

Natasha218 — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:58:46 GMT

When I had a land line, my number was a private number. It wasn't in the phone book and with caller i.d., it said "private number". I just didn't want my number out there. No big deal.

Re: Question about private number

SandPiper — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:00:45 GMT

It's probably spam. But I think there is a way to put a code in your phone and your number will not show to someone you are calling.

Re: Question about private number

Annabellethecat66 — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:07:55 GMT

Yes, I got one this past week. My phone says it does not take blocked numbers. Remember, I have one of those phone like lots of you that makes it easy to block people from calling ME.

Re: Question about private number

Lipstickdiva — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:10:15 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
I don't think cell phone numbers are published publicly
. They are all private.

They may not be published but they aren't considered private numbers. We still have a landline so the numbers show up on our tv and cell numbers come across.

Re: Question about private number

millieshops — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:15:53 GMT

I have a friend whose number comes up that way. You have to know her to call her - or be a robo caller dialing thousands of numbers maybe.

Re: Question about private number

Allegheny — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:19:53 GMT

My out-of-state cousin has a private number. Even though I have his telephone number listed in my phone book his comes thru listed as private number. He told me he has the ability to switch it over so it would show up on my caller ID but he forgets.

I will agree that many solicitation calls will come thru as private number. I just wait for the answering machine to come on, usually they will disconnect.

Re: Question about private number

NickNack — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:32:05 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
I don't think cell phone numbers are published publicly
. They are all private.

In my area cell phone #'s do show up on caller id's. They usually (maybe always?) say Cell Phone instead of the person's name but show the number.

Re: Question about private number

Sage04 — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:35:40 GMT

Cell phones numbers are not published but still show the number if you call someone. Usually dialing #67 from any phone before dialing the number you are trying to reach, prevents the person you are calling, from seeing your number.

Re: Question about private number

sgraham30 — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:51:46 GMT

@hoosieroriginal, I have that issue with my phone. When I call someone using my landline, I show up as private, restricted, or unavailable. I don't know what the heck he did to cause this to happen, but it started doing this when AT&T replaced my cable box 2-3 years ago. I've had the issue with my phone number not showing up when I call somone since then.

Re: Question about private number

NickNack — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:55:46 GMT

@sgraham30 wrote:
@hoosieroriginal, I have that issue with my phone. When I call someone using my landline, I show up as private, restricted, or unavailable. I don't know what the heck he did to cause this to happen, but it started doing this when AT&T replaced my cable box 2-3 years ago. I've had the issue with my phone number not showing up when I call somone since then.

@sgraham30 Wow, that would be really irritating. No one would answer your calls until you leave a message. I'm sure you've called AT&T about this, haven't you?

Re: Question about private number

SilleeMee — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 20:59:25 GMT

It's probably some guy trying to sell you "little blue pills" from somewhere overseas.

Re: Question about private number

handygal2 — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:04:32 GMT

@sgraham30 wrote:
@hoosieroriginal, I have that issue with my phone. When I call someone using my landline, I show up as private, restricted, or unavailable. I don't know what the heck he did to cause this to happen, but it started doing this when AT&T replaced my cable box 2-3 years ago. I've had the issue with my phone number not showing up when I call somone since then.

@sgraham30: l have my number showing up as "private," b/c l prefer it that way. But when l want the person l'm calling to see my number, l press *82 before dialing, and that allows my number to show up on the recipient's caller ID.

Re: Question about private number

Zhills — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:07:33 GMT

Funny! Sometimes it is just the phone companies. I get Wireless and the number on my caller ID but no name. It will give the name on my cell if they are a contact.

Re: Question about private number

SharkE — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:08:58 GMT

I don't put up with it, just block 'em on my call blocker.

Re: Question about private number

Tukey — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:28:31 GMT

From my recollection you could either type in a special code (* something) to do this once for the call you were about to make or do another code to make this permanent on your line so anyone you'd call would see "private caller". I have always set my phones to block private callers - I figure if you really want to talk to me you can let my caller ID identify you. But seeing the comment from the poster whose cable box changed and makes her show up as unavailable maybe some people can't control. I personally started rejecting private callers years ago because of ex boyfriends calling or people who did telemarketing from their homes.

One time I had that set and the boyfriend I was living with at the time found out months later that his sister was never able to call us because her calls were getting rejected because she had her line set to "private caller". So I had to turn that feature off then :-)