Electronics

[ceekay]

My elderly mom is no longer capable of checking her voice mail on her landline.  The majority of the voice mails she receives are robocalls.  We recently disconnected her voice mail so, if she is not at home, calls just ring and ring until the caller hangs up (I know, just like the olden days!).  I don't want to have my mom's neighbors annoyed by repeated ringing.  I think a human would give up after 6 or 7 rings.  Does anyone know how many times a call from a robocaller will ring before disconnecting?  (I don't have caller ID on my landline so cannot test this myself.)

I tried searching via Google for info several ways but no luck.  And my mom would not be able to use call block or other techniques to stop the robocalls.

[Kachina624]

I've discovered most robo/sales callers hang up before the 4th ring because that's when most most answering machines are set to activate.  They don't want to talk to a machine or waste time. listening to it.

Can't you adjust the ring on your mom's phone so it's very low and unlikely to be heard by others?

[x Hedge]

   @ceekay 

I have intentionally not set up my cell's voice mail. I'd guess my phone rings about 15-20 seconds before it sends the call to the dead zone.

And yes, you'd think a human would hang up after a reasonable number of rings.

When I had a landline my sister would call me and finally hang up after it'd rung 30 (30!!!) times. Then she'd call right back and go for 30 more.

So, now have a phone that goes with me.

[ceekay]

@Kachina624 - I can reduce the volume a little but she needs to be able to hear it too!!  I was thinking that about 4 rings, but given the number of voice mails she gets from robocalls, I think there must be some that ring longer.  Thanks for the volume suggestion.

[ceekay]

@x Hedge - When I was growing up we were taught to let the phone ring 10 times before hanging up.  That way if someone was running to get the phone they might have enough time to get there.  Thirty rings is rather excessive!  Gotta love siblings...  :-)

[phoenixbrd]

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@ceekay wrote:

My elderly mom is no longer capable of checking her voice mail on her landline.  The majority of the voice mails she receives are robocalls.  We recently disconnected her voice mail so, if she is not at home, calls just ring and ring until the caller hangs up (I know, just like the olden days!).  I don't want to have my mom's neighbors annoyed by repeated ringing.  I think a human would give up after 6 or 7 rings.  Does anyone know how many times a call from a robocaller will ring before disconnecting?  (I don't have caller ID on my landline so cannot test this myself.)

I tried searching via Google for info several ways but no luck.  And my mom would not be able to use call block or other techniques to stop the robocalls.

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@ceekay   The landline is set to "no answering message" and "silencing the rings" ...so I can check the machine and see who called without the abusive messages or having to hear the phone.  It takes about 3-4 rings before they hang up.  

Your mother can do the same and I've found the Robo/scam calls have lessened because the scammers can't activate that my phone is a "live" number because there is no message or answer ever.  I check to see who called periodically, but anyone that I want to talk to has my cell number and it is set to pick up "contact list only" phone calls. I am at peace and no longer think about these scammers.  

[Annabellethecat66]

My daughter gave me a Consumer Reports where almost the entire magazine is about Robo calls.

I stopped reading it because the magazine basically says “ good luck in getting ahead of them”.

Most of it is computerized.  My friends and I all have caller ID, call blocking...... Sometime the caller ID shows on our phone that it’s our own phone number calling us!

The ID says spam but it still rings and rings.  I’ve turned off the answering machine and given Drs, etc. my cell phone number.

I still get robo calls on my cell phone!  I block those numbers too.

It’s terrible that we have to put up with this.  My Congressman just sent an email saying they’re supposedly working on limiting or eliminating them.

Sure....I’ll believe it when it happens.  They have lots of lobbyists and throw a lot of money to these elected officials.

[RedTop]

@ceekay,

Telemarketers and scammers never ring more than 3x here.  

We set moms answering machine to come on with the first ring, and stressed to her to ignore the phone call unless she sees our name, period.   After a year of that, her phone rarely rings.   Moms phone number is only tied to her phone bill, nothing else.

[x Hedge]

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@phoenixbrd wrote:

. . . the Robo/scam calls have lessened because the scammers can't activate that my phone is a "live" number because there is no message or answer ever.  . . .

@phoenixbrd , that's exactly why I never activated the voice mail.

Set to "Do not Disturb", my phone screens out any call that isnt from someone listed in my contacts, and for those not listed my phone doesn't even ring. But I'd guess the caller hears a ringing 15-20 seconds.

They get sent to the dead zone = no answer and can't leave a message.  

[Foxxee]

What service provider does your mother use?  

Comcast offers a call blocker that can be set up on their website.  If she doesn't use Comcast, see if her provider does.  

I can see all the numbers of people who called me on the website.  Those I don't recognize, I block.  When I block one number, other numbers associated with it are also blocked.  Still the phone rings one time, but it's better than 4.  Because they know they are being blocked, I am getting fewer calls.  I was getting up to 3 a day.  Now, about 1-3 a week.