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Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,892
Registered: ‎07-03-2013

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@denisemb wrote:

Between sharke's suggestion (doing the State call registry along with the National) and purchasing a Panasonic DEC 6.0 cordless & corded (4 phones total) answering and call blocking system from another channel, we've pretty much gotten rid of most of our unwanted calls. 

 

Only drawback to the Panasonic system is that even when you block a call it will ring once and then say "caller blocked".  But my husband gets a kick out of "foiling" them, LOL.  It also has a call announcing system for family/friends after the second ring so you know who's calling.  We love it, best $100 ever spent.


I have a similar phone, but 3 handsets from Amazon.  It keeps unwanted calls at bay.  My only complaint is I wish I held more blocked numbers.  I have to clear out some once or twice a year to make room for new ones.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,874
Registered: ‎12-07-2012

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@GCR18 wrote:

@denisemb wrote:

Between sharke's suggestion (doing the State call registry along with the National) and purchasing a Panasonic DEC 6.0 cordless & corded (4 phones total) answering and call blocking system from another channel, we've pretty much gotten rid of most of our unwanted calls. 

 

Only drawback to the Panasonic system is that even when you block a call it will ring once and then say "caller blocked".  But my husband gets a kick out of "foiling" them, LOL.  It also has a call announcing system for family/friends after the second ring so you know who's calling.  We love it, best $100 ever spent.


I have a similar phone, but 3 handsets from Amazon.  It keeps unwanted calls at bay.  My only complaint is I wish I held more blocked numbers.  I have to clear out some once or twice a year to make room for new ones.


I hear you, it only blocks 250 numbers, but so far it's a good start!  We shall see when we hit our limit.

Denise
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,470
Registered: ‎01-01-2015

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@Jordan2 wrote:

My mother also pays a monthly fee to have her number unlisted, what a joke! My mother is too polite and doesn't know how to get rid of them, she lets them go on and on. Me, I don't care I hang right up on them! There are days these type of calls are all she gets.I don't know how these people live with themselves bilking money from unsuspecting victims.


You're right-it shouldn't happen even with an unlisted phone number, but it does. I have one too, but it doesn't matter.

 

Most of the phone calls that we get are either scam phone calls or charitable calls for charities that I have never even heard of before.

 

I am sorry that you/your Mom are still dealing with this this, too. It seems to be put on us as consumers unfortunately, to have to deal with this unpleasant situation.

 

Like I shared with you in the Electronics forum before, there are things that we can do to help with this problem. 

 

You can call your Mom's phone company provider, and see if they offer a call blocking service themselves. In some areas it is available, and in some areas it isn't.

 

You can also buy various phone brands that block the phone calls themselves. Panasonic is one popular phone brand, but there are others out there, too. 

 

Then there are devices that you can buy that block calls, too. 

 

Then there are the online call-blocking services like "nomorobo." I use this service, too. It doesn't cost anything.

 

In order to use it, you need to have VOIP service (Voice Over Internet Protocol). It doesn't work with cell. service, or traditional landline phone service.

 

We have not had any problems with this service, either. We still receive our normal phone calls. It just blocks the ones that we don't want. Those calls just ring once, and then stop. It does what it's designed to do. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,482
Registered: ‎04-17-2010

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls

We have an unlisted number and still receive these calls.  Computers generate numbers randomly. At one time or another, I've given out our number when I've purchased something online.  If one site has your number, hundreds of sites have your number.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@italia8140 wrote:

I signed up for nomorobo months ago and no longer get calls and have no issues with my landline.


 

Me too.  The Do Not Call Registry was useless, but Nomorobo has been great.  All of my calls get thru except robo calls.  It was very simple to sign up, and costs nothing.  It's been a few months for me too, and I'm so glad I did it.  

 

For years, I haven't answered the phone if I don't recognize the number.   And I've always let my voicemail pick up a lot of calls even if I do recognize the number.  Very often I'm busy with other things or don't have time to talk, so I just call back when I can.   I've never felt the need to drop everything just because the phone rings.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,389
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls

[ Edited ]

@curlywhitedog wrote:

The Do Not Call list is a joke.  The callers that respect it are few and far between. Charities (real and fake) are exempt, as are political calls.

 

Here's a tip...the 866 "area code" (which is not even a real area code) is a dead give away for a spam call.

 

Maria

 

 


@curlywhitedog   Not necessarily true on the 866 area codes.   I get all my medical appointment reminders and calls from my mail order pharmacy from 866 numbers.   I think they added them when they ran out of 800 numbers. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Regular Contributor
Posts: 176
Registered: ‎04-21-2013

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@curlywhitedog wrote:

The Do Not Call list is a joke.  The callers that respect it are few and far between. Charities (real and fake) are exempt, as are political calls. Anyone you've ever done business with in the past is also exempt, although if you ask them to remove your name from their list, most will oblige.

 

About a year ago I bought a Call Blocker from Amazon, best thing I ever did. Calls that get blocked don't get through a second time (although they do ring once) and then the call disconnects and what the caller on the other end hears is his own dial tone.  Problem is that these pieces of garbage just cycle on to the next of their phone numbers as if by call #10 you're finally going to give in and pick up.  Nothing makes me more insane than that.  I have a horn I'd love to use, problem is, most of these calls are robo calls with no one on the other end for 10 seconds or more and I'm not wasting that much time waiting for some cretin to pick up the phone.

 

Here's a tip...the 866 "area code" (which is not even a real area code) is a dead give away for a spam call.

 

Maria

 

 


 

Regular Contributor
Posts: 176
Registered: ‎04-21-2013

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@curlywhitedog wrote:

The Do Not Call list is a joke.  The callers that respect it are few and far between. Charities (real and fake) are exempt, as are political calls. Anyone you've ever done business with in the past is also exempt, although if you ask them to remove your name from their list, most will oblige.

 

About a year ago I bought a Call Blocker from Amazon, best thing I ever did. Calls that get blocked don't get through a second time (although they do ring once) and then the call disconnects and what the caller on the other end hears is his own dial tone.  Problem is that these pieces of garbage just cycle on to the next of their phone numbers as if by call #10 you're finally going to give in and pick up.  Nothing makes me more insane than that.  I have a horn I'd love to use, problem is, most of these calls are robo calls with no one on the other end for 10 seconds or more and I'm not wasting that much time waiting for some cretin to pick up the phone.

 

Here's a tip...the 866 "area code" (which is not even a real area code) is a dead give away for a spam call.

 

Maria

 

 


 Hi, I just signed to say that 866 area code is for WalMart Pharmacy here in Florida

Valued Contributor
Posts: 791
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@denisemb wrote:

Between sharke's suggestion (doing the State call registry along with the National) and purchasing a Panasonic DEC 6.0 cordless & corded (4 phones total) answering and call blocking system from another channel, we've pretty much gotten rid of most of our unwanted calls. 

 

Only drawback to the Panasonic system is that even when you block a call it will ring once and then say "caller blocked".  But my husband gets a kick out of "foiling" them, LOL.  It also has a call announcing system for family/friends after the second ring so you know who's calling.  We love it, best $100 ever spent.


 

For those w/Panasonic phones, there is a way to stop the one-ring alert for a blocked number.

Hit the Menu key, enter #173.  The screen will show FIRST RING ON/OFF.  Change the choice to "OFF" and hit save.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,874
Registered: ‎12-07-2012

Re: So Many Annoying Phone Calls


@2cockers1cat wrote:

@denisemb wrote:

Between sharke's suggestion (doing the State call registry along with the National) and purchasing a Panasonic DEC 6.0 cordless & corded (4 phones total) answering and call blocking system from another channel, we've pretty much gotten rid of most of our unwanted calls. 

 

Only drawback to the Panasonic system is that even when you block a call it will ring once and then say "caller blocked".  But my husband gets a kick out of "foiling" them, LOL.  It also has a call announcing system for family/friends after the second ring so you know who's calling.  We love it, best $100 ever spent.


 

For those w/Panasonic phones, there is a way to stop the one-ring alert for a blocked number.

Hit the Menu key, enter #173.  The screen will show FIRST RING ON/OFF.  Change the choice to "OFF" and hit save.


Great to know, thanks, I'll make note of that!  I'd do it in a heartbeat for myself, but I don't want to spoil DH's fun in knowing he blocked someone...LOL

Denise