OT Blocking telemarketers

[philoÂÂ]

I had a company cell phone when I was still working... I think I'd get maybe one or two robo calls a year.

[philoÂÂ]

I sure hope it works for you. If I got as many robo calls as you did I'd be pissed. It is disgusting that the " do not call" list is useless.

AT&T offered to give me another phone number (which of course would get the calls too)

If their call blocking service had "wild cards" it would be useful as the vast majority of the calls I get are from Card Services and they all have the same area code and prefix.

[philoÂÂ]

I never heard about that one...

[makolber]

Tracking down robocalls is something the NSA could actually help with.

Mark

[Dan Espen]

The question seemed to be about how Uverse is delivered, not where or when.

Anyway, I'm a FIOS customer which is always Fiber To The Premises (FTTP). I looked up Uverse and found that you may keep the copper, you may not:

U-verse service is delivered over a fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) or fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) communications network. In the more common FTTN deployment, all data (internet, IPTV, and voice over IP) between the service provider and a distribution node is carried by fiber-optic connections. The remaining run from the node to the network interface device in the customer's home using a copper-wire loop that was traditionally part of the PSTN (public switched telephone network). In subdivisions constructed more recently, an FTTP deployment is used, where the fiber-optic cable is run from the service-provider's DSLAM all the way to an optical network terminal in the customer's home.

[philoÂÂ]

What they do around here is just send the signal into the house using the existing phone wires. I'm sure it saves AT&T some time and money...and since it's a very short run does not hurt the bandwidth.

I run periodic speed tests and usually get what I'm paying for...but from time to time they don't throttle the speed and I get speeds about three times what I've signed up for.

BTW: As far as this "nomorobo" goes...it's now been 48 hours and only one robo call got through. I'd normally have had at least six by now.

[gfretwell]

If you have Dish (satellite) the caller ID pops up on the TV as long as you have a phone wire plugged into the set top box.

I am on the Florida and the federal DNC list and I still get plenty of calls. Filing a complaint seems to be a useless exercise. That is why I am considering sic'cing a lawyer on them.

I can understand how that would be far more effective than anything the government would be willing to do. I doubt the consumer would actually get any money tho.

Occasionally I even get a local business spamming me on the phone. Usually they stop if you tell them too. I did screw with one of them who wouldn't. I set my fax modem to call them every 3 minutes for an hour or so, then I called and told them to take me off of their call list again. That time they did.

[philoÂÂ]

I've gotten to the point where I almost do not need a phone at all since I talk to everyone on-line.

Except for the times I'm expecting a call, I could probably just turn the phone ringers off and let the answering machine just pick up the calls.

[gfretwell]

This is not rocket science. They are all selling something. Just figure out who it is and go after that company. In the case of the local HVAC company that wouldn't leave me alone, I just called the number they were paying for in the Yellow Pages and jammed that one up with junk calls. Your fax modem is a great robo caller. Put a note for them to leave you alone in the fax, in case they hook a fax machine up to it ... or just fax them on their fax line ... until they get the message. I get free long distance so that is not an issue either if it is a US number.

[tom]

This is how I discourage humans that call uninvited:

[bud--]

No reason the scams and jerks won't move to cell phones, and I assume they are.

Do-not-call has eliminated most of the calls from legitimate businesses

- I get very few of those calls. I think there is a loophole they can use - not trying to sell you anything on that call.

Some of the card services type operations have been taken down by the feds. More spring up.

[bud--]

That should work for legitimate businesses.

Side issue - a local help line for kids got their lines jammed up and useless as above. Someone wanted $500 to stop. Ended after about a day with no payment. This is helping elsewhere to lines that have to be open, like hospitals.

Might want to look at the law for faxes. I think a company can sue for each unsolicited fax.

[gfretwell]

When I screw with these people they try to say that we have a prior business relationship (one of the loopholes) but, usually I have never done anything but hang up on them

[Ed Pawlowski]

That makes sense to use copper to the house, but there is no fiber in our town. We cannot get the TV service either, just phone and internet.

[gfretwell]

If they called me first, it is not unsolicited. I would love to get one of these assholes in court. I would counter sue. Considering who usually sits on the jury, they would be lucky to get away for a million bucks. People have a higher opinion of child molesters than telemarketers.

[philoÂÂ]

That would be fine with me, I tossed my TV 25 years ago.

[John Albert]

Just wondering -- if ATT is selling the landline business, who are they selling it -TO- ??

[John Albert]

Yours is one of the best solutions.

I never was interested in caller ID -- UNTIL we got it by default with AT&T Uverse. Now I think it's great.

If you call my house, you talk to an answering machine, period. The only exception will be if I recognize your number or name on the caller ID (or tv screen, which displays incoming caller ID's as well). MAYBE I will call you back. A lot of times, I don't even bother. And that's even with folks I -know-.

I have Uverse set to block -ALL- calls from outside the USA. There won't be any foreign-generated calls even ringing at this house.

I use the Uverse "call forwarding" feature to direct some numbers I don't want to hear from, to a "dead number". Actually it's my cell phone number (read on).

By the way, I have a cheap ($30 for the entire year, you read that correctly) cell phone for emergencies. Neither you or anyone else on earth can call me on it, because it's ALWAYS turned off. That's why I can direct numbers to it, that will ring forever.

As you may understand by now, I don't want to speak to you (or very few others) on the phone... !!

[John]

Even get them on my cell. 'Do not call lists' are useless, nationwide or state. I'm beginning to believe the crooked politicians are selling the lists!

Frickin card services and robo calls that claim they are delivering 'a public service' !

John

[Ed Pawlowski]

You, if you can come up with $2Billion.

Otherwise Frontier