(Vanity) Need help with overwhelming JUNK phone calls on land line.

1/3/13 | Mamzelle

[Mamzelle]

I need to keep my land line, but I'm about ready to turn the ringer off which means real calls won't get my attention. This all really started at the change of the year, and may have something to do with the small political donations. Maybe. I don't know. But it starts in the morning and ends in the early evening. One is particular is GE Capital and I do absolutely no business with them.

I went throught the "don't call" years ago.

Anyone else experiencing this?

[Resolute Conservative]

We got a new number last year and we get on the average 5-6 calls a day from bill collectors targeting someone who I assume had the number before us. No matter how many times we tell them they don’t own this number or email them we still get calls. I have gotten to where if they don’t call my cell I don’t answer.

[jennychase]

Two months back, I started telling callers that I am on “do not call” list, now I will report your company name to State AG. Then one caller told me, you may need to update your telephone no on “do not call list” and I did. After that, till now, zero calls for google list or GE or magazine subscription.

[Mamzelle]

I have looked up the do not call place but I am always very leary of clicking on a dot-gov address. I was hoping to find out all I could before I had to do that. Going to any dot-gov gives me the willies...

[RitaOK]

To fight back is a pain, but we are suppose to renew with DC every five years, and get caller numbers when we can and turn them in to Don’t Call. (I know the culprits change numbers like socks.)

Read where one poster tells them to call Santa Barry for money and business. They elected him.

We need to google up some articles on unso. licitedphone calls for the latest. Ping me if you learn anything

[cherry]

because I donate to politicians we get many calls thru out the year...if I can notice who is calling of course I don't pick up.....but their new trick is to have a non 800 or non 888 number show up so you're never quite sure who is calling....

I don't like being rude but honestly, you end up being rude.....

[50mm]

I’ve tried several methods to get rid of the calls, since the National Do Not Call list is generally ineffective (hey, it’s run by the government.)

The least effective method is answering the phone or calling the number they want you to call. This tells the scammers/spammers that you are home and answer the phone which is exactly what they are looking for. Using this method will lead to a vast increase in annoying calls.

In my experience, the best method is to get caller ID and don’t answer the phone if you don’t know who is calling. Make sure you turn off the answering machine as well. Most of these robodialing spammers/scammers have automated systems that will eventually consider the number useless if they never get an answer. Using this method, my spam/scam calls went from several daily down to a couple per month in just 6 month’s time.

Hope this helps.

[from occupied ga]

1. Change your number.
2. Link your new phone number to google voice
3. block the pest numbers on google voice
4. give out your google voice number to all of your contacts

Downside you're giving information to google.

One of the latest scams involves calls from prisoners. You answer the phone and hear some completely unintelligible mumbling, and then a voice comes on and tells you that this is a call form some jail or the other, and if you want to answer it will cost you at least $5. And they will persist for days before finally giving up.

[eyeamok]

Do like I do,

Yes Mr $#@^@^ is home, All I need from you is a Valid Credit Card to put you through to him, the cost is $85 for the first 5 minutes and $2 per minute or portion thereof after 5 minutes. That usually makes them Hang Up.

[OrangeHoof]

IIRC, the national Do Not Call registry is not forever and you have to renew it like every 3-5 years. First thing is to re-register (even if they aren’t expired) then politely but firmly tell each caller that they are violating the Do Not Call registry act and you will report them if you are called again. If a phone number displays on your Caller ID, tell them you are making note of the number displayed. DO NOT EVER call them back or you will give them the excuse that you invited their contact.

If you are low tech, a last resort is to buy one of those old answering machines (not voice mail) that plays the call as they leave the message and screen for calls you may want to answer. Don’t know who sells them but they were big sellers about 20-30 years ago.

[Buckeye McFrog]

My only issues are with Verizon. They call me at least five times per week trying to upsell me on internet packages. And they are my current phone and net provider, so Do Not Call list has no effect on them. (and since my alternative is Comcast, I’m damn well not switching)

[Dr. Sivana]

Don’t know who sells them but they were big sellers about 20-30 years ago.

It is ironic, but my last one was a GE, who still makes them. AT&T still sells them. We use it as I don't want the phone company recording my calls.

[joe fonebone]

Things I have done in the past...

1) If you have toddlers, simply hand the phone to them...

2) Pretend you are hard of hearing, and keep asking them to speak louder... when they start yelling ( and the people in the cubes around them get real quiet ) laugh hysterically and hang up.

3) Tell them business hours are monday thru friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and to call you back then.

4) Make up your own language, and speak that language to them.

5) Tell them to speak english, even if they are.

6) Just set the phone down on the counter, and go back every 5 minutes until they hang up.

these will at least allow you to have a little fun

[mosesdapoet]

Set your answering device on 6 rings most will drop off at 4 rings if a solicitation, If it’s someone you want to talk to pick up the phone before the tape starts recording.

[Mamzelle]

I have caller ID, and use it. It also presents on my TV screen when the screen is on. I also have voicemail and these people use it!! One time after I had been away I had a dozen calls with an Indian sing-song "Hello? Hello?" on voicemail and they have my name, not just my number.

I haven't called any numbers back, though I've been tempted. Thanks for that advice, I didn't know it would make the harassment worse.

[driftdiver]

You that tone you get when you call a number thats been disconnected? Put that into your answering machine. When the robocallers hear that they think the numbers been disconnected and will remove you from their database.

[50mm]

I had the same problem with my internet provider. After I told them I would cancel my account the next time they called me with another “exciting offer” they stopped calling. I’ve used this method successfully with several other companies I do business with. They don’t want to lose your business.

[molson209]

an answering machine helps or answer and use very loud whistle , LOL

[tiger-one]

I have the Black Box from Person-to-Person, works fullproof.
go to www.Person-to-Person.net.

[KGeorge]

We gave up & just unplugged our land line (It drops calls all the time, anyway)
But I had this bookmarked & it’s too funny not to share.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?s=575e74026b408ab6553ed3cd11e828f8&t=437989&page=5

The video on page 2 is priceless.