Options
Block Nuisance Callers
jthspace
Posts: 189
Forum Member
✭
Saw a post in the "general" section, but also posting my reply here as it is in respect of a landline issue - cold / unwanted callers.
Despite being on the TPS list to stop unwanted calls to my landline, I am getting, on average two or three calls a day from unwanted companies - most often a pre-recorded message saying I can recover X from Y by simply returning a call, or pressing 9 to collect my free holiday to Wombobo Game Reserve or fixing the virus on my Microsoft PC they can see on the web (I have a MAC), or . . . you probably get them too.
I had to phone a colleague on his landline the other day and the call was intercepted by a BT Call Minder - this basically makes you say your name and press # before the call is put through. The person answering can then accept the call once, accept the call forever, block it forever or send it to answerphone (key 1,2,3,4).
This stops the pre-recorded cold calls because no-one ever says their name and press #, so all they do is spend money calling you but you never know about it. Tonight's 5pm call simply did not happen - peace! Weird, but nice. We will get used to the silence.
You can get add-on boxes from £15 upwards, but you have to control the call from the box itself. I decided to get the system where it is built into the answerphone/base station so calls can be answered, montitored etc. from any handset.
BT have a 4500 / 6500 / 8500 set of models with one to four cordless phones, differing in price from £30 for a single base unit and one phone to the four phone package at £100 (Amazon). Although these are BT branded phones, they work on any supplier - I am with SKY - all you need is caller i.d. which comes, on Sky, within the line price. Some suppliers charge extra.
Anyway, I bought the BT8500 4 handset kit - the phone is set up - sod’s law that no-one "real" has called today to test it, but one lives in hope of a call so I can permanently block them! If you do answer a call (some virus checking calls now show a spoof UK number) once you have whistled loudly down the phone and hung up, you can then see the caller i.d. on the handset and choose "block" so that scam will only work the once.
It is IMPORTANT that you do not block "anonymous" calls (no caller i.d. / numbr withheld) automatically as Health Centres / Hospitals block their caller i.d. so that you do not see the callers DDI number. They could get the phone company to send a generic number, but that costs money . . . Anyway, if the Health Centre does call, they will simply say "Health Centre", press # and the call will be put through.
For other companies that do this, then "Paula" will leave her name and then when you get the call presented to you, you can send it to answerphone and monitor who it is, or accept the call and ask to be removed from their lists, or whatever you want (politely, of course).
Amazing amount of technology / options on such a small base unit - almost a complete switchboard system on a chip!
I thought I would share this as I expect everyone is getting more and more of these annoying calls.
Despite being on the TPS list to stop unwanted calls to my landline, I am getting, on average two or three calls a day from unwanted companies - most often a pre-recorded message saying I can recover X from Y by simply returning a call, or pressing 9 to collect my free holiday to Wombobo Game Reserve or fixing the virus on my Microsoft PC they can see on the web (I have a MAC), or . . . you probably get them too.
I had to phone a colleague on his landline the other day and the call was intercepted by a BT Call Minder - this basically makes you say your name and press # before the call is put through. The person answering can then accept the call once, accept the call forever, block it forever or send it to answerphone (key 1,2,3,4).
This stops the pre-recorded cold calls because no-one ever says their name and press #, so all they do is spend money calling you but you never know about it. Tonight's 5pm call simply did not happen - peace! Weird, but nice. We will get used to the silence.
You can get add-on boxes from £15 upwards, but you have to control the call from the box itself. I decided to get the system where it is built into the answerphone/base station so calls can be answered, montitored etc. from any handset.
BT have a 4500 / 6500 / 8500 set of models with one to four cordless phones, differing in price from £30 for a single base unit and one phone to the four phone package at £100 (Amazon). Although these are BT branded phones, they work on any supplier - I am with SKY - all you need is caller i.d. which comes, on Sky, within the line price. Some suppliers charge extra.
Anyway, I bought the BT8500 4 handset kit - the phone is set up - sod’s law that no-one "real" has called today to test it, but one lives in hope of a call so I can permanently block them! If you do answer a call (some virus checking calls now show a spoof UK number) once you have whistled loudly down the phone and hung up, you can then see the caller i.d. on the handset and choose "block" so that scam will only work the once.
It is IMPORTANT that you do not block "anonymous" calls (no caller i.d. / numbr withheld) automatically as Health Centres / Hospitals block their caller i.d. so that you do not see the callers DDI number. They could get the phone company to send a generic number, but that costs money . . . Anyway, if the Health Centre does call, they will simply say "Health Centre", press # and the call will be put through.
For other companies that do this, then "Paula" will leave her name and then when you get the call presented to you, you can send it to answerphone and monitor who it is, or accept the call and ask to be removed from their lists, or whatever you want (politely, of course).
Amazing amount of technology / options on such a small base unit - almost a complete switchboard system on a chip!
I thought I would share this as I expect everyone is getting more and more of these annoying calls.
0
Comments
Simple?
I used to use an answerphone but it got so many calls it took about five minutes to clear out every day. Plus I tended to miss genuine messages which needed a response.
I got a £30 blocker to use with my DECT system and that has worked brilliantly. As I often sleep through the morning due to insomnia I no longer get woken up by annoying calls.
One interesting thing I've noticed is that since I started blocking nuisance calls, they seem to have dried up. I used to get some smug satisfaction from checking the list of blocked calls, but recently there ain't any. My theory is that the nuisance callers generate random phone numbers using software (I'm ex-directory), and if the automatic calls are answered, they know it's a 'live' number and you go a sucker list, which is probably sold on to other scammers. When the call is blocked, it's seen as 'not a real number' and you don't go on the list. Well that's my theory anyhow.
BTW re: hospitals + large companies behind switchboards getting accidently blocked - if I'm expecting a call I just disable the blocking.
> my $0.02
A friend of mine bought the 6500 and then discovered that it would only block 10 specific phone numbers. Swapped it for an 8500 which does 1000.
BT6500 - £44.98 - old model
BT8500 - £ 39.99 - new model
Which seems arse about face , doesn't it ?
Also I see they offer to rent you the phone,for details you have to ring them,so how does that work ?