Community Chat

[Bird mama]

I don't know how to stop sales people, fundraising people, political people from calling my number. I am grateful for caller ID.

[dooBdoo]

It helps to realize the National Do Not Call Registry only works within limits. (Btw, yes, you only need to sign up one time. Also, you can sign up with your state’s DNCR.)

It’s designed to keep ethical businesses from calling you. And it doesn’t cover non-profit fund raising organizations, political groups (the non-profits), or calls from companies you've done business with.

Also, if you’ve signed up with any organization, the fine print often tells them you authorize calls from them and from any of their associated businesses.

Unscrupulous callers will not abide by the DNCR and in most cases today they don’t even look at it. They use computers to make the calls, so the numbers are random and in numeric order -- in other words, they have nothing to do with your number on the DNCR.

The robocalls simply sequence through a list of numbers and wait for someone to answer. And once you answer, you've just been marked as a "live number." Then you risk the chance your number will be shared or sold.

This is the reason security experts advise you NOT to answer, NOT to engage these unethical callers.

In addition, malicious callers usually are operating from countries outside the USA. It has become nearly impossible for our government to police those, and other countries aren’t doing anything substantial to help.

Our best defense is to answer ONLY if we recognize the number or the name on the caller ID. But keep in mind: some con artists are spoofing the caller ID and using names of reputable companies. I agree, it's a frustrating situation.

(I edited this post.)

[shoekitty]

Gloria and others

DO NOT call them back. That just lead to more calls. Especially is it is a robocall. Robocalls do not have your number. They push in phone numbers like a crup shoot. When one hits, and answers, they do not have your phone number, but they have you. From there they pump for information.

It can take up to 30 days for a reported call to stop. Some never do stop. They do it because they can. I have noticed more calls the last couple months than ever before. I get 3 or 3 a day. I take every number off the caller ID and go online and report it.

I was told to not answer the call unless you recognize the number.

[dooBdoo]

On 5/13/2014 shoekitty said:

Gloria and others

DO NOT call them back. That just lead to more calls. Especially is it is a robocall. Robocalls do not have your number. They push in phone numbers like a crup shoot. When one hits, and answers, they do not have your phone number, but they have you. From there they pump for information.

It can take up to 30 days for a reported call to stop. Some never do stop. They do it because they can. I have noticed more calls the last couple months than ever before. I get 3 or 3 a day. I take every number off the caller ID and go online and report it.

I was told to not answer the call unless you recognize the number.

That's so important, shoekitty.

Do NOT answer, and NEVER call them back. In some cases, calling them back can result in large, bogus long-distance charges added to your phone bill, especially with cell phone calls.

I'll repeat what I wrote:

"The robocalls simply sequence through a random list of numbers and wait for someone to answer.

And once you answer, you've just been marked as a "live number."

Then you risk the chance your number will be shared or sold.

This is the reason security experts advise you NOT to answer, NOT to engage these unethical callers."

[sylviahomeatlast]

I have caller ID but some of these annoying calls even leave messages on my answering machine. I pick up, see who it is and immediately hang up. if it's an area code i don't know, I hang up and I get junk on my cel too.________edit by me

[SharkE]

let the answering machine pick up, they hang up, The End...

[gloriajean]

I didn't know that it's for life. I thought I read on here some time ago that you should re-register every year! Ok - I agree - no answering - but they sure get annoying especially when I have to go from one room to another to get the phone, and here's it's them when I'm expecting an important call.

Thanks everyone - looks to me like we just have to put up with them forever and ever!

[JustJazzmom]

It's time to write our Congressional reps and ask that laws be passed that the telecommunications services companies we use allow us to block for starters 25 numbers not the original 10 they allow us (Verizon allows 10 numbers to block).

DNC List is only as good as the merchants who abide by it. Most who disregard it are not scrupulous and honest.

[ROMARY]

Wish I knew another language. I'm wondering ....... maybe buy a small recorder and record another language (maybe Greek or a language that they might not understand) and turn it on when they call? Just a thought. Anyway, I'm tired of running to the phone. So I don't answer my landline. I've already told everyone, and I'm sure they think I'm ____! I don't get many, if any, telemarketers on my cell phone.

[bells4me]

You are suppose to update every 5 years. I have been on the Do Not Call list for 10 years and don't get any calls.