call blocker device suggestions?

[Disguised]

On 29-Mar-2015 11:25, Big_Al wrote:

Meanie wrote on 3/29/2015 11:18 AM:
On 3/29/2015 9:12 AM, Frank wrote:



We just don't answer and let call go to voice mail where message is
seldom left.

Probably useless to try to block as numbers are often forged. I've had a
couple of calls that gave my number as the caller.

I do something similar as well but on my cellphone since we don't use
a land line anymore.

What I've been doing for years is I left a voice mail message which
clearly states I don't answer my phone unless I
recognize the number. Therefore, leave a message and I will return the
call. If you do not leave a message, you will
never reach me. Obviously, I input info for friends, family,
businesses and acquaintances so I know who is calling. I
also registered with the "Do Not Call" registry. Will it stop machine
auto-calls, most likely not since I have seen a
number from Florida and Oregon a few times, but infrequent. Overall, I
think it works well and I don't receive any
unwanted calls very often.

I just upgraded my old flip phone, pay as you go phone, do nothing phone
to a new android based v4.4.2 phone. Really nice upgrade. I got next
to zero calls on that phone, and now on the new phone (same number) I'm
starting to get 2 or so a week. So somewhere in contacting T-Mobile
and getting that sim card I needed and moving the plan from pay as you
go to monthly caused an trigger. I suspect I'm going to get more and
more junk calls as news travels that I have a new phone. So much for
privacy!

Would this help?

Fed up with getting nuisance calls from telemarketers or your
ex-boyfriend? You can automatically block unwanted calls.

- In Samsung's (this will vary slightly, depending on your Android
phone) , open the Phone app and tap Call Settings > Call Rejection >
Auto Reject List.

- In iOS 8, go to Settings > Phone > Blocked, or go to your list of
recent calls, click on the “Info” button next to the number and then
scroll down to "Block this caller".

 

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 3/29/2015 10:55 AM, OldGuy wrote:

OK, I see landline solutions but what about cell phone solutions
I am on Sprint. Samsung Galaxy S5 lollypop.
Is there a forum that will cover that if someone here has no good solution.
Thank you!

Not needed here.

Four cell phones in the house and none get unwanted calls. Maybe one in
a year. It is still illegal to call for telemarketing.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per bill ashford:

I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

I have heard good things about a service called NoMoRobo, but it
requires that you phone service support something called "Simultaneous
Ring". We have the most el-cheapo basic phone service and I am too
cheap to pay more, so I do not have experience.

Another option (which I am toying with) is going over to a VOIP provider
for phone service.

I already have all outgoing, except 800, calls going out on VOIP.

If I were to switch the incoming over, I could use a service provided by
my VOIP provider (CallCentric.com) that prefixes every incoming call
(except those on a GoldList that I maintain) with an announcement like
"Please press 3 to talk with somebody...".

I figure robocallers won't be able to deal with that challenge-response
situation... at least for a few years.
--
Pete Cresswell

 

[sharkman]

If you have digital voice through Verizon, go to NOMOROBO.com and sign up..
No charge and they are very good in blocking calls.. I've been using them 2
years and
they work great..

--


"bill ashford" <billa!x@top.com> wrote in message
news:mf8q6h$l0o$3@dont-email.me...

Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many. Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100. We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

Thanks-- bill

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per OldGuy:

OK, I see landline solutions but what about cell phone solutions
I am on Sprint. Samsung Galaxy S5 lollypop.

I have been using what my phone lists as "Call Control v3.1.18.2" for a
couple of years now and my cell phone telemarketing/robo calls have
dropped by at least 90%.

Just checked Google Play, and it looks like they have changed the name
to "Call Blocker - Blacklist App" viz
<>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flexaspect.android.everycallcontrol&hl=en
--
Pete Cresswell

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 08:12:53 -0400, bill ashford <billa!x@top.com>
wrote:

Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.

Something is wrong here. I may get a few "dead air" type of phone
calls, but most of them have a recorded robotic voice that appears
when I say something or when I pickup the line. Telemarketers might
be evil, but they're not stupid. They would not waste the cost of a
call just to deliver "dead air". Certainly not for 4 years of "dead
air". Something is wrong.

My guess(tm) is something is wrong with your Verizon POTS line that is
initiating a ring, but not completing the call. I've seen this with
some electronic phones, where there is sufficient crosstalk in the
wire bundle to pickup some of the ringing voltage from other lines in
the bundle. However, those don't also pass Caller ID numbers and only
ring a few phones in the house, so that's not a likely failure mode.
Unless the provisioning is mangled or the Verizon switch has gone
insane, I can't guess(tm) what might be causing the calls.

I was thinking it might be a fax machine trying to send a fax
repeatedly, but that would be from one phone number and certainly not
for 4 years. You would also hear a tone as the originating fax
machine tries to negotiate the call. Are the numbers shown on the
Caller ID all identical or perhaps similar as from a calling group?

I assume that you've contacted Verizon. Changing your phone number
might be an obvious option that I'm sure they would have suggested. If
the problem persists, it's a hardware or switch problem. If it goes
away, problem solved.

On the other hand, the vague problem description, improbable symptoms,
and odd selection of crossposted newsgroups leads me to suspect that
this is some manner bad joke or time burner. Please assure me this
problem is real by posting some details.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Susan Bugher]

On 3/29/2015 8:12 AM, bill ashford wrote:

Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many. Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100. We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

Thanks-- bill

Using a "SIT tone" might help:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_information_tones#Other_uses
"In telephony, a special information tone (SIT) is an in-band international standard signal consisting of three rising tones indicating a call has failed. It usually precedes a recorded announcement describing the problem
"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_information_tones#Other_uses
"Because many predictive dialers (used in telemarketing) respond to SITs, consumer devices such as the TeleZapper play an Intercept SIT to trick the telemarketer's equipment into flagging a called number as disconnected.

Alternatively, the above recordings of SITs could be used on a voicemail or answering machine, or played manually on a computer, to achieve a similar effect."

Susan
--

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

bill ashford wrote:

Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many. Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100. We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

Thanks-- bill

Assuming USA, assuming landline.
Add sit.wav to the beginning of your answer message.
It cut robo calls by about 30%. Some robo calls go right
to a recorded message and never hear the sit.wav though.
Or just use sit.wav as an answer message and nothing else.
Doing that not only confuses robo machines but confuses
humans, too, and they hang up.

 

[gonjah]

On 3/29/2015 8:12 AM, Frank wrote:
> We just don't answer

+1. Have the numbers you care about in "contacts." The phone buzzing can
be annoying but... better than dealing with them...


OP...Get on the do-not-call-list.

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 08:12 AM, Frank wrote:

[snip]

Probably useless to try to block as numbers are often forged. I've had a
couple of calls that gave my number as the caller.

I normally don't respond to calls with these on caller ID, since they
are usually junk calls: I do have an answering machine.

1. blocked.

2. NAME is the same as the number.

3. NAME is 'V' plus some number.

4. NAME is excessively ambiguous (such as "IEM", "CSW INC", or "cust
serv" if I don't know the company).

5. city and state (especially with unfamiliar are code).

6. unfamiliar business.

7. charities (they seem to think my money is theirs, and won't shut up
about it).

I've had a few in that 4th category, that were valid calls. I do listen
to the answering machine. Junk callers almost never leave a message.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 08:40 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:

[snip]

What advantage is that? The machines will call
the new number, also.

You'll have to tell some people the new number, and some people will
give it out so the junk callers will get it.


[sig with INCORRECT delimiter snipped]

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 08:48 AM, G. Ross wrote:

[snip]

It is in parallel with the other phones (I have 5 plus an answering
machine). When some call comes in that you want to block, hang up. Then
push the button on the blocker to "save" that number. The next time it
calls, it will ring once then the blocker will hang up on it.

Considering all the junk calls I've received in the last year, that
would be several hundred numbers. Many (most) of those won't be used
again. For this device to be of much use to me, I'd need this year's
list in advance. And then, since many of the numbers would be spoofed,
some important calls may be blocked.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 09:10 AM, Mayayana wrote:

[snip]

We actually have pretty good protection in the US,
in theory.
A few years ago there was a federal Do-Not-Call
list and also a state version where I could register
a complaint. Advertisers were not allowed to call
registered numbers. Now the state version is closed
and the federal version seems to be a joke, with no
enforcement. I probably get 2-3 junk calls per day.
I gave up complaining about them. I just use an
answering machine with Caller ID.

When the federal Do-Not-Call list was new, I registered for it, and
forawhile was getting almost no junk calls. Now, I get as many as before.

[here]

We have a similarly problematic sitution with
telephone service accounts. They're no longer regulated
as a utility for all practical purposes. My own phone
company is raising my rate next month. There's nothing
I can do. I checked into it last time they raised the rate.
They're free to set any rate they like. In theory I could
switch to another company, but that company is Verizon
and the two companies keep their offerings matched.
As with highspeed cable, there isn't any real competition.

Here I left the regular phone company (Verizon, formerly GTE) and
switched to cable (Suddenlink, formerly Cox) and saved about 50%. I'm
not sure if that's still true as it's part of a "bundle".

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[jetjock]

On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 09:48:31 -0400, "G. Ross" <gwr95@comwest.net>
wrote:

Big_Al wrote:
G. Ross wrote on 3/29/2015 9:06 AM:
bill ashford wrote:
Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many. Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100. We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

Thanks-- bill

I have been using This Pro Call Blocker for several years and it works as long as a phone number shows up on caller ID.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Call-Blocker-Caller-ID-Screener-NEWEST-VERSION-V2-2-N2-/181572369568?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a468e7ca0


I gotta ask, just how does a machine like this 'block' the call. If this unit is tied in parallel to the phone you
have then as the call comes in, it would ring on both your phone and this unit. Or do you plug your phone into it first?

And what about the 4 extensions in the rest of the house?

Just curious, I've thought about something like this too.
I've also seen the nomorobo http://www.nomorobo.com/signup for sign up and http://www.nomorobo.com/ for home page.

It is in parallel with the other phones (I have 5 plus an answering
machine). When some call comes in that you want to block, hang up.
Then push the button on the blocker to "save" that number. The next
time it calls, it will ring once then the blocker will hang up on it.

Call blocking devices are more of a placebo than anything useful. My
Panasonic phones have a feature that allows you to add numbers that
you want to block. As of today, I have 98 numbers blocked, at least 14
of these belong to "Consumer Services". If their robocaller doesn't
get an answer on one line, it just uses another of the hundreds of
lines they lease. They spoof their phone numbers also. I too, have
gotten calls from my own number.

I'm not saying to give up, but you will never stop these calls
completely.

 

[Leif Neland]

bill ashford frembragte:

I will not reccomend blocking callers with blocked ID.

It could be a technichian (cable/phone guy) who needs to talk to you
(perhaps when he is arrived or he is late), but don't want to be called
back, because all calls should go to customer service.

It could be the emergency doctor calling about a family member; he does
not want to be called back when not on duty, the phone might be the one
the hospital uses to call him 24/7 if need be.

There are a number of legitemate reason not to want to leave your
callerID.

--
https://www.paradiss.dk
Ting til konen eller kĂŚresten.
Eller begge.

 

[Zaidy036]

On 3/29/2015 9:40 AM, Big_Al wrote:

G. Ross wrote on 3/29/2015 9:06 AM:
bill ashford wrote:
Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers. We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before. For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many. Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100. We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

Thanks-- bill

I have been using This Pro Call Blocker for several years and it works
as long as a phone number shows up on caller ID.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Call-Blocker-Caller-ID-Screener-NEWEST-VERSION-V2-2-N2-/181572369568?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a468e7ca0



I gotta ask, just how does a machine like this 'block' the call. If
this unit is tied in parallel to the phone you have then as the call
comes in, it would ring on both your phone and this unit. Or do you
plug your phone into it first?

And what about the 4 extensions in the rest of the house?

Just curious, I've thought about something like this too.
I've also seen the nomorobo http://www.nomorobo.com/signup for sign up
and http://www.nomorobo.com/ for home page.

NoMoRobo allows one ring thru and then cancels the call for identified
calls of this type.

I have been using it for some time on Cablevision (Optonline).It is free
but only works with certain phone systems so try it if you can.

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 11:47 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

[snip]

If I were to switch the incoming over, I could use a service provided by
my VOIP provider (CallCentric.com) that prefixes every incoming call
(except those on a GoldList that I maintain) with an announcement like
"Please press 3 to talk with somebody...".

I figure robocallers won't be able to deal with that challenge-response
situation... at least for a few years.

I have had one of those challenge-response things. It didn't do much
better than just an answering machine.

A few of the people who called me would press the button. Most wouldn't,
so I would still need to have the phone ring so I could get the caller
ID and answer (pressing the key for them).

I didn't have an exception list like you did. It would still be a
problem (new important callers who won't press the key).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[Don Y]

Hi Bill,

On 3/29/2015 5:12 AM, bill ashford wrote:

Enough is enough. My wife is getting upwards of 10 calls daily where no
one is on the line when she answers.

Often, there is a delay (sometimes a few seconds) while the "dialer"
tries to track down a "human" to speak with you.

We have caller ID and it shows
numbers never heard of before.

CID is a useless service. It is too easily spoofed. You need an
authentication method that *you* control, not one that TPC *poorly*
implements!

For about 4 years, we've both put up
with it but over the last couple of years, the calls have increased.
I'd like to add a phone call block if I can find the right kind. I see
many around the web for sale, but most of these have so-so reviews and
either end up not blocking enough numbers, or cutting off to many.

See above. Regardless of how "smart" it is, you're still relying on
the information provided by the CID service (or, dealing with "blocked").

Then
there is a tele device where a caller has to press 1 to reach the person
being called-- I like this, pretty foolproof, but the pricetag seems a
bit high at over $100.

Yes, if *all* it does is require a particular DTMF tone-pair, then
anything above $5 is ridiculous (e.g., DX.com sorts of prices)

We have Verizon but nothing special. I just use
DSL on copper and all wired phones. So whatever is used will have to
work with this existing system. Anyone have ideas? Are there any
number pressing devices cheaper than $100?

We've adopted a simple solution in the past: answering machine with
"factory default" outgoing message (so no information about our
identities is revealed, why we aren't answering the phone, etc.
Folks who know us don't need that information; folks that don't,
*shouldn't* need it!).

The ringer is also turned off (unless we are expecting a "call back"
from a friend, doctor, etc.). Every day or two, we notice if there
are any messages for us and screen them when we are in the mood.
Machine is digital (aren't they all, nowadays) so *if* a caller was
unsolicited, just pressing ERASE after the first two words is enough to
delete the message and advance to the next. Callers who don't leave
messages cost us nothing (time).

This approach works without incurring the cost of (spoofable and therefore
worthless) CID service. The downside is we don't see messages for hours
or days at a time. OTOH, friends know they can more promptly reach us via
other means.

If all of your callers are made aware of it, you can also eliminate the
outbound message entirely (IME, this makes callers very uneasy -- despite
the fact that they should instinctively *know* that the "beep" means
"leave your message, now"). Or, replace it with the "service disconnected"
message. Some robodialers will detect the pipe tones at the start of the
message and remove your name from their list automatically.

I've been trying to come up with an interactive scheme that would allow
the "attendant" to screen the calls in real time. I.e., quizzing callers
to verify their identities. Presumably, that would eliminate the
"automated" callers who wouldn't be able to comprehend the questions
asked of them:
"Press <random number> to be connected" as any "standardized" number
could easily be handled by a dialer knowing that number a priori

"Press <random number> to be disconnected, and <other number> to be
connected" as a trivial workaround would be to press *all* digits
in a quick burst to defeat the previous option.

"What's <some trivial arithmetic challenge>?" to try the patience of
a human solicitor.
etc.

For frequent callers, I am hoping to use speaker recognition techniques
to make *their* experience less tedious (like your secretary recognizing
your wife's voice and putting her through, automatically)

 

[Mark Lloyd]

On 03/29/2015 12:34 PM, Paul in Houston TX wrote:

[snip]

Assuming USA, assuming landline.
Add sit.wav to the beginning of your answer message.
It cut robo calls by about 30%. Some robo calls go right
to a recorded message and never hear the sit.wav though.
Or just use sit.wav as an answer message and nothing else.
Doing that not only confuses robo machines but confuses
humans, too, and they hang up.

And you don't get calls from real people you want or need to talk to.

Anyway, I've been hearing about this use of SIT for a long time now.
Wouldn't the robocaller machines been adapted already?

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in
philosophy only ridiculous." [David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature
(1739)]

 

[Ken Blake]

On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 13:52:43 -0500, Mark Lloyd <not@mail.invalid>
wrote:

On 03/29/2015 09:10 AM, Mayayana wrote:


We have a similarly problematic sitution with
telephone service accounts. They're no longer regulated
as a utility for all practical purposes. My own phone
company is raising my rate next month. There's nothing
I can do. I checked into it last time they raised the rate.
They're free to set any rate they like. In theory I could
switch to another company, but that company is Verizon
and the two companies keep their offerings matched.
As with highspeed cable, there isn't any real competition.

Here I left the regular phone company (Verizon, formerly GTE) and
switched to cable (Suddenlink, formerly Cox) and saved about 50%. I'm
not sure if that's still true as it's part of a "bundle".

But there are other choices, even less expensive than what you pay.
For example I use PhonePower and pay them about $5 a month.