Community Chat

[fthunt]

Agree - lift up the phone and then push hang-up button.  Works for me.

[Kachina624]

Year's ago, my phone company, CenturyLink, pit a recording on my line.   Phone rings but I don't hear it.  Recording says, "This number doesn't accept sales calls.  If this is a sales call, hang up and add this number to your do not call list.  If this is not a sales call, press 1"  Then my phone rings.  This plus my not answering any unfamiliar calls has all but eliminated trash calls.  I may get one every 2 weeks or so.  Since they've been warned, I have carte Blanche to abuse any and all solicitors who might get through.

[KingstonsMom]

@kivah 

Cut to the chase and get a call blocker. Ours is made by Digitone and was the highest rated call blocker by Consumer Reports after their testing.

We love it!

It automatically blocks 'unknown', 'anonymous', calls by area code and you can block over 2,000 individual calls with the press of a button.

And it's not expensive, you may want to check it out. 

[Mz iMac]

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@kivah wrote:

For the last several months, I've been getting at least 3 to 7 SCAM calls a day.

I have a landline phone and don't think I'm able to block any phone numbers.

Any suggestions???

The other morning, the phone rang after 6AM and 2 days later, 8AM --- I was sleeping.

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@kivah 

**Turn your ringer off.**  The only thing you have to listen to are your messages.

Read your phone user manual to find out if it blocks calls.  No manual?  Use your favorite search engine to look it up.  You will need your phone's serial/model#.

[KingstonsMom]

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@Laura14 wrote:

If you have caller Id on the phone and can catch any unknown number when it rings, lift the receiver and hang up on it.  Works wonders on my landline and cell.  

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@Laura14 

Many experts advise against this, it confirms to the evil one that your number is an active number to use and sell to others.

[shopperqvc]

If it is a robo call, sign up for nomorobo dot com The phone will ring 1 ring and quit. It only works on the recorded calls that they know about, but it does work. It's free for a landline through Comcast and AT&T, I'm not sure about other carriers.

[Laura14]

@KingstonsMom Experts are wrong. It’s worked for me with both cell and land lines for years. Don’t answer. Just disconnect the call. They lose my number real quick.

[lovescats]

If I'm near the phone I hit the speaker button then disconnect without picking up the receiver.

otherwise I don't pick up the phone unless I see who it is or hear their voice.

For me I don't think it is worth the time to block calls

And I keep the ringer on low or turn it off

[KingstonsMom]

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@Laura14 wrote:
@KingstonsMomExperts are wrong. It’s worked for me with both cell and land lines for years. Don’t answer. Just disconnect the call. They lose my number real quick.

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Not being argumentative, but if you pick up the receiver you are in effect 'answering' the call, whether you say anything or not, telling them that a person does live at this number, otherwise the receiver wouldn't have been picked up.

But hey, you say it works for you so carry on, LOL!

But that method sure didn't work for me.

[mustang66lady]

We have a landline and we both have cellphones.   For me, my cell phone is for my use, not anyone else's.  It stays in my handbag and is only used in emergency by me.  My family knows to call it if I do not answer the landline at the house if they need me.  I rarely get calls from any other source. 

DH "bundled" our landline with cable and internet thru Spectrum.  I get calls all day from everyone on the planet it seems.  I have tried various methods already mentioned but the one thing that seems to dramatically reduce those calls was to pick up and immediately hang up.  Have no background noise.  Don't say a word.  I think when I allowed my answering machine to pick up, their system marked it as "someone" is home.  Not saying a word or allowing background noise to be picked up, for my thought process, is that their system can't record any type of respone-no human voice or recorded voice.  I still get calls but I would say those calls are reduced 90%.   

Years ago when I had AT&T, they offered a service called Privacy Manager for 10.00 a month.  I had it put on my phone and my mother's.   Best money I ever spent.  NOTHING got thru Privacy Manager.   I wasn't happy at first having to shell out for this service but it more than paid for itself.   If you have AT&T, you might want to see if it is still offered.  If Spectrum offered, it would be on our landlines now.