DawnM Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 We don't have call blocking (that would be an additional $120 per year) so I really don't know what to do. I don't answer, but it is SO annoying! I did answer once and it was a scammer asking me to give him some personal info. They call between 2-12 times PER DAY! The return number is always "Anonymous" or "000-000-0000" so there is no way to call back. Am I stuck paying the premium phone service or is there another way to get them to stop???? Thanks, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Check you phone service and see if they have an option to block calls that don't have a caller ID name attached to them. It can greatly reduce the calls, but will also catch calls like a neighbor who is legitimately calling with a blocked number. On Vonage it gives them the option to type in their number and get through. This helps to stop the robo calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 is your number on the do not call list ?https://www.donotcall.gov/ We never get calls :) Or maybe because it is a google voice number? so we are not in the phone companies list. You might want to consider that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Don't pick up. Many aren't scammers but people who sell bundles of phone numbers to telemarketers. They're just calling to see if the number is in service. If you pick up, they'll be selling your live number. Do Not Call lists do no good; there's no knowing who it is, the lists are unenforceable even if you do, and they're widely ignored. I used to pick up if the call was a local area code; but I'm starting to get more spoofed "local" numbers. Now if the number isn't in my contacts list, the caller had best leave a message and let me know it's a legitimate call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Ignore. Get caller ID. Do some more ignoring. EVENTUALLY they will give up. I never pick up now unless I KNOW who it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSDCY Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I feel your pain. We were getting on average 5 calls a day even though we were on the "Do Not Call" list. We finally ditched the landline and switched to Google voice. It's currently free if calling within US and to Canada, although you do need to purchase a box to link up to the computer and the conventional phone. We have not received any unwanted call ever since. Google voice has many many advantages (you'll see if you google it), but one thing you can't do is to use it to make emergency calls like 911. Look into it and see if it's something you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I hit the auto-answer button on my fax machine every time "Out of Area" or "000-000-0000" comes up on the caller ID. I have trained the rest of the household to do the same thing. It took a few weeks, but it really but down on the spam calls - probably only one a day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I get more spam calls on my google voice number than ever. I must have a setting that is incorrect. I disconnected my landline because I was so sick of the calls. I have only had one on my cell phone and that was today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 I don't pick up. I haven't even had my home phone plugged in for over a year. I just check my phone for voicemail online about once per week. I still see them calling several times per DAY! Last week we decided to plug it back in. They called again. I picked up for the first time ever and told them to stop calling. It hasn't stopped either way. Don't pick up. Many aren't scammers but people who sell bundles of phone numbers to telemarketers. They're just calling to see if the number is in service. If you pick up, they'll be selling your live number. Do Not Call lists do no good; there's no knowing who it is, the lists are unenforceable even if you do, and they're widely ignored. I used to pick up if the call was a local area code; but I'm starting to get more spoofed "local" numbers. Now if the number isn't in my contacts list, the caller had best leave a message and let me know it's a legitimate call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 I can't always get to it to do that, but not sure we have that feature anyway. The main phone portion and Ooma port is in the office, so not always easily accessible. I hit the auto-answer button on my fax machine every time "Out of Area" or "000-000-0000" comes up on the caller ID. I have trained the rest of the household to do the same thing. It took a few weeks, but it really but down on the spam calls - probably only one a day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 But they don't! As I said, our phone has not been plugged in for an entire year and I check weekly for messages online. They call and call and call, for months on end. Ignore. Get caller ID. Do some more ignoring. EVENTUALLY they will give up. I never pick up now unless I KNOW who it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 We have Ooma. Yes, this is a feature on the additional $120/year plan. We are not on that plan. We have basic. Unlimited calling Call waiting Caller ID Voicemail Nothing else. Everything else is an additional $10/mo, including blocking calls. Check you phone service and see if they have an option to block calls that don't have a caller ID name attached to them. It can greatly reduce the calls, but will also catch calls like a neighbor who is legitimately calling with a blocked number. On Vonage it gives them the option to type in their number and get through. This helps to stop the robo calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Yes, we are on the do not call list. Spammers don't care about that. I will look into google voice, could I port my number there? I may need to get rid of Ooma altogether. is your number on the do not call list ?https://www.donotcall.gov/ We never get calls :) Or maybe because it is a google voice number? so we are not in the phone companies list. You might want to consider that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 If the number keeps calling me, I've started by pressing every single number on the dial over and over until I hear a click. The latest is some scam about delivering my I've fallen and can't get up device from their phony shipping department. I've argued with them, and now I enjoy getting the live person and driving them a bit nutty. Typing this, I just realized they haven't phoned me this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Ignore. Get caller ID. Do some more ignoring. EVENTUALLY they will give up. I never pick up now unless I KNOW who it is. :iagree: Before I had caller ID, I just let the machine answer (perhaps I'm one of the few people in the world who still has an answering machine, lol). It doesn't bother me when they call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 But they don't seem to give up, even with ignoring. I can see the call logs for the year I didn't even have the phone plugged in. They would call daily. I just don't want the phone ringing constantly during school time, etc.....It DOES bother me. I just got an answer from Ooma.....yup, pay the $120 extra per year or deal with it. I think I will be looking in to google voice, transferring my number, and getting rid of Ooma completely. I obviously don't use my home phone much, but did want to keep my number. UGH. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 is your number on the do not call list ?https://www.donotcall.gov/ We never get calls :) Or maybe because it is a google voice number? so we are not in the phone companies list. You might want to consider that. How on Earth have you managed that feat? Seriously? We have been on the DNC list since its inception (with me regularly going in and relisting our number when the calls got worse). We still get tons of calls. Ignore. Get caller ID. Do some more ignoring. EVENTUALLY they will give up. I never pick up now unless I KNOW who it is. The calls I get are 99% robo calls. They don't give up. :glare: But they don't seem to give up, even with ignoring. I can see the call logs for the year I didn't even have the phone plugged in. They would call daily. I just don't want the phone ringing constantly during school time, etc.....It DOES bother me. I just got an answer from Ooma.....yup, pay the $120 extra per year or deal with it. I think I will be looking in to google voice, transferring my number, and getting rid of Ooma completely. I obviously don't use my home phone much, but did want to keep my number. UGH. Dawn Like. Like. Like. Like. I have had my phone number for 20+ years and I would like to keep it. Why, I'm not sure, as the only ones who call me are the scammers/telemarketers, but I'm fed up. Just the other day I had three robo calls in a row. Literally. Seriously. One was the one about the "I've fallen and can't get up" thing. I sat back down and the phone rang within 30 seconds. I got up and answered (to make the noise stop) and hung up as soon as I heard "wait, don't hang up". I sat back down and my butt literally hit the seat when the phone rang again!! This third time it was my congressman. He robo calls so much I want to give him a vote by ramming my foot up his arse. I hate when my phone rings. It makes an annoying sound and it makes the dog bark, which, in turn, makes me yell at the dog. I don't want to yell at my dog. I want to physically harm the people behind these calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Looking at switching completely to Google voice but need to understand it! I have started a new thread with those questions~! Thanks, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I get so many of those calls that I'm changing my number. It will be active by the end of the week. I've already added it to the DNC list, although my current number is on that list and it doesn't matter. I do know that on most land lines you can block anonymous calls simply by dialing *77. They will remain blocked until you unblock them by dialing *87. I don't think this stops calls that would come up on caller ID as "unknown" or "out of area", but they will stop the robo-calls that are all 0's or all 9's. It's worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 How on Earth have you managed that feat? Seriously? We have been on the DNC list since its inception (with me regularly going in and relisting our number when the calls got worse). We still get tons of calls. The calls I get are 99% robo calls. They don't give up. :glare: Like. Like. Like. Like. I have had my phone number for 20+ years and I would like to keep it. Why, I'm not sure, as the only ones who call me are the scammers/telemarketers, but I'm fed up. Just the other day I had three robo calls in a row. Literally. Seriously. One was the one about the "I've fallen and can't get up" thing. I sat back down and the phone rang within 30 seconds. I got up and answered (to make the noise stop) and hung up as soon as I heard "wait, don't hang up". I sat back down and my butt literally hit the seat when the phone rang again!! This third time it was my congressman. He robo calls so much I want to give him a vote by ramming my foot up his arse. I hate when my phone rings. It makes an annoying sound and it makes the dog bark, which, in turn, makes me yell at the dog. I don't want to yell at my dog. I want to physically harm the people behind these calls. This was one of the big factors in persuading us to drop our landline and switch to just our cell phones. My voicemail message explains that I don't answer the phone during lesson hours and will answer messages at the end of the day. Dh and Great Girl have their own distinctive ring tones; everyone else gets a quiet cricket chirp that doesn't interfere with lessons. The phone is in my pocket or on the kitchen counter, where I can check it unobtrusively. As my dear MIL pointed out, she didn't stop to answer the phone in the middle of a class when she taught school, so why should anyone expect me to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 I think that some of this may have more to do with whom you do business with and not just the Do Not call list. Companies selling you things that are somehow associated with a bank or cc company or mail order company you have done business with EVER are exempt from the DNC list UNLESS you specify otherwise. Meaning if you do business with Bank X, they usually send out one of those annual "forms" and somewhere there in small print is a "who may contact me?" question. If you don't call them or mail it back, 3rd parties can contact you and not be in trouble with the FCC. I ALWAYS look for that "form" and call or go online to select "only Bank x" as the contact option. If you are getting SCAMMERS calling, then it is too late and you probably need to change #s. Even if you port it to Google, they already have your number on some list that is being passed around the net and outside of any government regulation. Sorry. Google voice for those who wanted to know, was confusing to me at first. I got this box: http://www.amazon.com/OBi202-Phone-Adapter-Router-2-Phone/dp/B007D930YO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375316588&sr=8-2&keywords=obi200 It is really easy with the guide they include. You can also set up 2 numbers on it, so great if you want one for "business" calls and one for family. Also it can be used with other services besides google, so if google ever stops their service, I can switch. Oh and you can get one of the other services for 911 calls (cheap like $12/yr) and the box will recognize and use that line if 911 is dialed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Don't pick up. Many aren't scammers but people who sell bundles of phone numbers to telemarketers. They're just calling to see if the number is in service. If you pick up, they'll be selling your live number. Do Not Call lists do no good; there's no knowing who it is, the lists are unenforceable even if you do, and they're widely ignored. I used to pick up if the call was a local area code; but I'm starting to get more spoofed "local" numbers. Now if the number isn't in my contacts list, the caller had best leave a message and let me know it's a legitimate call. Yeah, they can't enforce because so many are from outside the US. And even inside the US no one enforces the DNC list. I'm sorry to say that the only way to stop telemarketers and scam artists is by invoking the dark arts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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