Caller ID is becoming moot!

[thebestMAX]

Anymore all I get on my caller ID is "call blocked' or " out of area" or "unavailable". All are solicitations (Living in Florida makes these people think you are old, stupid and likely to bite on their schemes or whatever)

I also screen with my answering machine and all these people just hang up. Just major PITAs. They never listen to your message either, no matter how nasty it is.

My friends arent unlisted/blocked and people who really want to talk to you leave messages.

How do you feel about this?

 

[loup garou]

I think they need to come up with a caller ID blocker blocker.

 

[cxim]

ditto... 8 calls yesterday.. no messages.. no numbers

sooner or later, you would think the SOBs would give up !!

 

[thebestMAX]

Yesterday, 17 calls in the AM alone and a lot of time when you answer the "out of area" calls, no one is there.

Funny thing but proves that they dont listen to answering machine messages. Ive said "This phones is never answered until a message is left. Leave one and Ill pick up or call you back" They stay on the line 10-15 sec after my message to see if Ill say hello.

Hate to be nasty as I know most are just trying to make a living but Im getting ready to become MR Hyde.

 

[tvman28]

Yeah, that -unavailable- sh*t is really getting on my nerves.
How do you get that status from the phone co?

 

[thebestMAX]

You probably pay extra for it just like you pay extra to Not be in the phone book or to Not have long distance available on a phone line.

Where else can you pay to NOT get something.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

It's not moot here, if the number calling is "unavailable" then so am I

 

[thebestMAX]

Yeah, me too but you still have to go look. If I dont know who you are, chances are I will never pick up that phone. Thought caller ID was wonderful before this nonsense, now just another money maker for the phone co.

 

[MrBond]

Yeah, telemarketers are getting better at blocking it. My older sister has it, and whenever I call her from here, she gets "Unavailable" on her CallID (and hense, never answeres the phone). I don't know if it's because I'm on a different TelCo then her or what. I doubt I'll pay for CallID anytime soon though. Actually, I make so few phone calls, I'll probably just get a cellular plan, and use that exclusivly. Telemarketers haven't gotten those numbers YET (although that day is coming. . . )

 

[JellyBaby]

<< Yesterday, 17 calls in the AM alone and a lot of time when you answer the &quot;out of area&quot; calls, no one is there. >>

A telemarketer's computer called your number. If the telemarketing company has a free soliciter available, he or she will start talking to you. Otherwise you hear nothing. The computer won't leave a message, dials your number at any time day or night and oftentimes expects you to sit tight until a free soliciter is ready to sell you something.

Basically, everyone needs two phone numbers. One for telemarketers with an answering machine (you may never get a message). And another for friends, family and big brother (though given the insecurity of government records I would bet that number finds its way to auction at some point).

 

[AndrewR]

I just don't answer Unavailable messages, unless I want to tell them to put me on their Do Not Call list.

Our phone is a Sony spread spectrum which has a great feature -- if the person calling is in the directory on the phone, it rings with a different tone. Otherwise, we can usually ignore it.

 

[thebestMAX]

Yeah, Jelly, thanks, I know that. Just years of conditioning to the bell.


Have 2 phone lines and the one that should never ring does. Gave NO ONE that number and amazing how often it rings when I am not on line. I just really grin then as I know Im not missing anything.

Tried the &quot;take me off your list like you are supposed to&quot; trick. Lasts a day or 2.

 

[reitz]

It costs nothing to have an 'unavailable' listing. Just press *67 before making a call, or order a &quot;line block&quot; from the phone company (it's free the first time).

If you're really tired of receiving those messages, call the telco and ask that all calls from people with caller ID blocked not ring on your line. The person will hear a recorded message telling him to hang up and call back without caller ID blocked. It won't block 'out of the area' people, though.

 

[Mday]

yeah, there is even an option to disable caller ID, without having that blocker installed... too... just press some buttons, and it is disabled. those little boxes are rendered stupid....

 

[JellyBaby]

&quot;Out of area&quot; is really suck. It could be a telemarketer from another state. It could be someone you know calling from a cell phone. Or it could even be a residential line only 2 counties away. There's just no sense to it. The freakin' phone companies have the damn number. Make caller id universal once and for all. Geez. :Q

 

[IBhacknU]

It seems so out of hand that it's almost an invasion of privacy issue

 

[beer]

Unlisted numbers are not the only ones unavailable.

If the caller calls from a phone inside a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) then the caller ID will not register it. Most companies do this.

They don't have to do anything to be read as unavaiable, it's just a natural byproduct of theem calling from a pbx.

 

[DrFatal]

Changed your number and get it to be unlisted, get a cell phone then everytime you do business with a company give them the cell phone # to contact if case of a problem and be sure to let them know it's a cell phone. That would solve your poblem.
It's illegal for them to use for solicitation.

 

[Fozzie]

No one mentioned Privacy Manager. I don't know what telco's have this feature, at least Ameritech does. Its $3 or so a month and basicly what it does is make all out-of-area, private, etc, etc calls record a message and then once they have it will ring you and play back the message. Then you can decide whether to take the call, hand up, or play a no-telemarketer recording.

I found it very very useful. Namely because I no longer get 15 or so &quot;hang-up&quot; calls a day, where the computer automatically dials multiple numbers and whoever answers first then it transfers to them and hangs up on everyone else. Plus most telemarketers don't know how to use it and they'll just hand up or think its voicemail. Also people you know can just punch in a code you set and have it ring directly through.

 

[reitz]

You could always just do what I do: shut the ringers off and let the machine take them all. Anyone with a legitimate reason to call me knows to leave a message, and I probably don't want to talk to anyone who won't.

Personally, I would like to see phone solicitation made illegal, or at least force all solicitors to use a special id code when making a call. The phone companies should then offer a free service to block any calls using that code. My phone would go days without ringing if that were the case.

 

[errrrr]

I don't get any marketers calling me, I wish they'd call once in a while just so I can f*ck around with them.

 

[PCAddict]

I don't answer it if the caller ID says unavailable. They get the answering machine. I have ACR (anonymous call rejection) turned on, so anyone who has their number blocked can't call me. So, the telemarketers do this thing where their number is &quot;unavailable&quot;. Either way, they never get me on the phone.

 

[Double Trouble]

I have a feature on my phone called &quot;privacy manager&quot; that's well worth the $3 per month. From the moment I got it, solicitation calls went from 7 or 8 per day to 0. Basically, what it does is block all calls to your number that do not have caller ID enabled. The phone never even rings for me, the clowns get a message saying &quot;go away&quot;. I have family overseas, and they come through as 'caller ID not available'. To deal with that, the privacy manager thingie allows me to set up a PIN number that when someone hears the 'privacy' message, they can punch up the pin number and have the phone ring through to me.

Another thing the service allows you to do is have the person calling say their name when the privacy manager answers the call, and it will then call me and play the recorded name. I can then choose to take the call or simply hang up -- without ever having any contact with the person on the other side.

Well worth the $3 I tell ya, never a solicitation call again.

 

[zippy]

If the &quot;take me off of your list&quot; doesn't work the first time, maybe threaten them with legal action? It is ILLEGAL in the US NOT to take someone off a list if they have requested it.

 

[Ornery]

• How to Make a Telemarketer Go Away
  
  1. If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed for
  bankruptcy and you could sure use some money. Ask, &quot;How long can I
  keep it? Do I have to ever pay it back, or is it like the other money
  I borrowed before my bankruptcy?&quot;
  
  2. If you get one of those pushy people who won't shut up, just
  listen to their sales pitch. When they try to close the sale, tell
  them that you'll need to go get your credit card. Then, just set the
  phone down and go do laundry, shopping or whatever. See how long
  that commission based scum waits for you to get your credit card.
  
  3. If they start out with, &quot;How are you today?&quot; say, &quot;Why do you want
  to know?&quot; Or you can say, &quot;I'm so glad you asked, because no one
  seems to care these days and I have all these problems, my sciatica
  is acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died....&quot; When they
  try to get back to the sales process, just continue on with telling
  about your problems.
  
  4. If the person says he's Joe Doe from the ABC Company, ask him to
  spell his name, then ask him to spell the company name, then ask
  where it is located. Continue asking personal questions or questions
  about the company for as long as necessary.
  
  5. This one works better if you are male: Telemarketer: &quot;Hi, my name
  is Julie and I'm with Dodger &amp; Peck Services.... You: &quot;Hang on a
  second.&quot; (few seconds pause) &quot;Okay, (in a really husky voice) what
  are you wearing?&quot;
  
  6. Crying out, in well-simulated tones of pleasure and surprise,
  &quot;Julie!! Is this really you? I can't believe it! Julie, how have you
  BEEN?&quot; Hopefully, this will give Julie a few brief moments of terror
  as she tries to figure out where the heck she could know you from.
  
  7. Say, &quot;No,&quot; over and over. Be sure to vary the sound of each no,
  and keep an even tempo even as they're trying to speak. This is the
  most fun if you can keep going until they hang up.
  
  8. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up with their Family and
  Friends plan, reply, in as sinister a voice as you can muster, &quot;I
  don't have any friends...would you be my friend?&quot;
  
  9. If they clean rugs: &quot;Can you get blood out, you can? Well, how
  about goat blood or HUMAN blood - chicken blood too?&quot;
  
  10. Let the person go through their spiel, providing minimal but
  necessary feedback in the form of an occasional &quot;Uh-huh, really, or,
  &quot;That's fascinating.&quot; Finally, when they ask you to buy, ask them to
  marry you. They get all flustered, but just tell them you couldn't
  give your credit card number to someone who's a complete stranger.
  
  11. Tell them you work for the same company they work for.
  Example:
  Telemarketer: &quot;This is Bill from Widget &amp; Associates.&quot;
  You: &quot;Widget &amp; Associates!! Hey I work for them too. Where are you
  calling from?&quot;
  Telemarketer: &quot;Uh, Dallas, Texas.&quot;
  You: &quot;Great, they have a group there too? How's business/the weather?
  
  Too bad the company has a policy against selling to employees! Oh
  well, see ya.&quot;
  
  12. Tell the Telemarketer you are busy and if they will give you
  their phone number you will call them back. If they say they are not
  allowed to give out their number, then ask them for their home number
  and tell them you will call them at home (this is usually the most
  effective method of getting rid of Telemarketers). If the person
  says, &quot;Well, I don't really want to get a call at home,&quot; say, &quot;Ya!
  Now you know how I feel.&quot; (smiling, of course...)

So... You want to Sue a Telemarketer

U.S. Laws on Telemarketing

I don't know about you, but I've found that these folks do react when you ask to be added to their don't call list. The spiel stops and they start explaining that you may recieve a call or two before it takes effect. Just make sure to get the person's name that's calling you. Then say, &quot;Zelda, please add me to your don't call list.&quot; I enjoy doing it