OT: BT8500 Call Blocker Phones

I seem to recall that one or two folks in here have got the BT8500 cordless phones that have TruCall technology built in and can block unwanted calls.

I know that it can be set up to answer a call, ask the caller to say their name, then it rings your phone and says something like "It's Fred's Double Glazing Company" at which point you zap the caller or whatever. My question is, what happens if you have a corded phone plugged in as an extension? Presumably it would ring immediately upon receipt of the incoming call whereas the 8500 will remain silent while it does its bit, but do they work alright 'together'?

We told my in-laws that they should have a corded phone in the bedroom in case of power cuts but they're now to infirm to mess about plugging/unplugging as and when needed and the corded phone needs to stay plugged in. Unfortunately though, they're getting quite a few junk calls, hence the need for something like the 8500.

Reply to
Dave
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They would need to have caller ID enabled on the line, for it to be any use, but...

It is able to reject all callers where no caller ID is presented. Those numbers list in its callbook will get straight through. Those calls where a caller ID is presented, but not in its list are asked to state their name and press #, the phone then rings, the name is played back, you then get the chance to answer the call, send it to the built in voicemail or reject the call. Most nuisance calls are ones which play a pre-recorded message - so they cannot press #, thus get rejected.

While it is doing what it does, the phone is silent, but all calls are logged with time and number, or no number - shown on its screen.

I have a standard (none wireless) phone plugged for emergencies, the ringer of which can be switched to off.

In the weeks since installing these phones, the number of nuisance calls have steadily gone down to none. How or why I don't know. Maybe their computers which generate the calls are bright enough to realise they will not get through and no longer try to ring our number, but what ever it is 100% effective.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

I've just tried plugging in a corded (old style) phone into a circuit with a BT 8600 trucall facility. I than rang my own landline from my mobile but witholding the mobile number (dial 141 first before the number)

I block withheld numbers

The corded phone rang once and then stopped as trucall/call_guardian intercepted the call with it's message about leaving a name and pressing hash.

If you search around you may find the better featured BT8600 the same or cheaper than the BT8500.

Reply to
alan_m

Dave explained :

Thanks very much Harry and Alan, that's exactly what I needed to know, cheers.

Reply to
Dave

Oddly enough I'm just looking through the answers on Amazon to questions about the 8600. There was a specific question but I can't find it now.

ISTM that (only) the corded phone will ring and then stop at some point as the 8500 answers the call and plays its message. Then either that'll be it or the 8500 will ring its phones and you pick one up (ringing stops) and press whichever button to speak or hangup.

The phones should work together. We have one corded phone and an older version of the BT phones (Diverse 6250).

I'm looking at replacing ours as they are about 14 years old and are getting flaky.

Reply to
Tim Streater

I have the BT8500 cordless phones, not on the master socket. I have wired phones, also not on the master socket, in the kitchen and bedroom, both permanently plugged in. I have an old computer modem connected to the master socket. The BT Phones work as they should. Haven't noticed the wired phones ringing prior to the 8500 but then I am not often in the kitchen or bedroom when the phone rings

If the caller is in the address book all the phones ring. If the caller is not in the address book the base phone tinkles, the caller is asked to give their name and press hash. The phones then ring and the caller is "announced", this seems to stop all unwanted calls. We haven't had any since installing these phones some months ago. I have an ex colleague who reports exactly the same experience. Haven't got around to actually blocking any calls, doesn't appear necessary.

I would recommend these phones and suggest they are just right for your in-laws.

Reply to
Old Codger

Yes. We have a corded phone in the cupboard under the stairs as a "sentinel" to let us know about blocked calls and to enable calls during a power cut.

It could be anywhere with the ringer turned off until a power cut when they might want to turn the ringer on again.

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

With BT you can get caller ID for 'free' if you sign up for yearly line rental with their privacy package. After a year they start charging a monthly fee for caller ID UNLESS you remember to sign up again for another year.

It's the same with some of the other services that BT offer for free for a year. Some of these 'free' contract are renewable for another year but they will not tell you when they expire and until you renew or cancel they charge a monthly fee.

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Reply to
alan_m

Dave has brought this to us :

Thanks again, to Tim, Old Codger and Tim+ I'm going to order the 8600 system for them today because it sounds just perfect for their situation - and I may just get one for us too :')

Reply to
Dave

Well this is why I went for the true call device as it is simply put between the incoming line and all extensions even if they are cordless and the system then can be controlled from any of them you choose. I'm not sure that getting it in a cordless phone is of any use at all. Some of the new features of the truecall devices are that you can set it so the caller has to say their name and press hash. This stops all recorded message type junk as well. I've yet to find any cold caller willing to stay on and wait for me to hear the name and then respond because I suppose time is money lost and there are still plenty of other mugs to ring. What I really like about the version I bought from comproom services is that every single option is spoken and can be operated on the keypad and it even comes with a cd with instructions on it so those with poor sight don't need to squint at lcd screens etc on mobile phone walk about thingies to figure out whats going on. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

AFAIK yes; a friend has one downstairs and a wired phone upstairs.

On unknown callers the wired phone will ring briefly then the cordless answ ers and vets the call. If friend hears the cordless handset ringing (ie the caller has left a name and pressed #, which gets rid of almost all spam ca lls) he picks up the wired phone and speaks to the caller; the 8500 recogni ses the parellel phone is picked up and removes itself from the call.

On known callers the cordless doesn't trip the ringing immediately, so the wired phones will ring until the call is answered humanly or by the answeri ng machine.

The cordless phones don't work 1. if the power fails, 2. if the rechargeabl e batteries die, or 3. if the calls register fills up - my friend experienc ed 2 and 3 last week and if it wasn't for the wired phone would have been l eft stuck. He too can't manage plugging phones in and out.

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

alan_m has brought this to us :

On Talktalk Caller ID is free, you just tick the box to enable it, as is caller filtering. The latter is less than 100% effective, hence my buying the BT8500 system.

I'm in the process of moving to Plusnet - they make a charge £0.99 per month for Caller ID, but it is essential so the BT8500 TruCall can work its magic.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Brian Gaff formulated on Thursday :

I knew about the stand alone Trucall unit, but avoided buying it because it would be yet another gadget to be plugged in. As soon as I realised there was a phone which included TruCall and needing some new phones anyway, I bought a set of four.

The one thing I do miss on the BT8500, is the ability to quickly/easily redial a number. Normally, just pressing the green button twice redials the last number you tried to call. On this unit you have to press 'Calls' to list all the calls, then the green button to dial it.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Thing that put me off the self contained units was having to enter the numbers you want to go straight through manually.

The stand alone allows you to copy and paste them from your phone book or contact list online. Only took a couple of moments.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Wellyou can do it on the web site with the stand alone unit its free for ayear, and in any case you only have the disadvantage of the person having to give their name once and you just mark it in the call or afterwards if you record the calls as i do.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Dave Plowman (News) brought next idea :

It was no great hardship - a dozen essentials, another dozen less essentials, then add others as they ring and get through the filter.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

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