My landline phone is on the "Do Not Call" (DNC) list. That has stopped most of the phone spam. However, I know that the DNC list does not block political calls. With election time getting close, I'm getting more of these. I dont want them. Particularly those that want my opinion about candidates. This annoys me to no end.
I hate politics, and want no part of any of it. It's bad enough seeing all the TV commercials that make every candidate look bad. I wont vote for any *major party* candidate for any reason.
My choice of candidate is no one's business except my own, and I refuse to tell anyone other than family members who I choose.
They are flooding my answering machine with this garbage, which is causing me to lose important calls when the machine gets filled.
My phone is PRIVATE, and I dont want *anyone* calling it except persons to whom I give my phone number.
Must I allow political calls on my phone, or is there some way to stop them?
Until I do find a way to stop them, I will continue to be as rude and nasty as I can to those who do call. Doing that just makes me hope they get the message that I dont want them calling me.
Oren wrote in news:00ru485kvire48na392k5ujg5j48drl91e@
4ax.com:
When I have the time AND feel like it I engage them and tell them politely not to call again. Same thing with chritable or "charitable" organizations. Sometimes I do feed them my ultraleftist viewpoints ...
At least we only get the political calls during campaign season. We get the home remodelers/new roof/new windows/new kitchen phone calls ALL THE TIME. All small local companies perfectly willing to violate the DNC in hopes of finding some business.
After a hailstorm last year, we had roofing company salespeople all over the neighborhood badgering people to let them go up on their roofs to look for hail damage. I had to practically order one of them off my property. He was bound and determined to set up his ladder and get on my roof, 'cause he was so convinced he knew better than me.
My guess, is that the people who wrote the "anti obnoxious calls" laws, exempted themselves. Being rude will probably not reduce the calls. But, worth trying.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
formatting link
.
I hate politics, and want no part of any of it. It's bad enough seeing all the TV commercials that make every candidate look bad. I wont vote for any *major party* candidate for any reason.
My choice of candidate is no one's business except my own, and I refuse to tell anyone other than family members who I choose.
They are flooding my answering machine with this garbage, which is causing me to lose important calls when the machine gets filled.
My phone is PRIVATE, and I dont want *anyone* calling it except persons to whom I give my phone number.
Must I allow political calls on my phone, or is there some way to stop them?
Until I do find a way to stop them, I will continue to be as rude and nasty as I can to those who do call. Doing that just makes me hope they get the message that I dont want them calling me.
Let the phone ring. Most robo callers hang up by the 4th ring. By the second ring my caller ID on the TV has identified them anyway. Sometimes I just pick up and hang up.
I often wondered if the robo dialer was smart enough to hear a fax machine and remove the number from the list. Sending an unsolicited fax is a federal crime so I doubt they would do that.
It wasn't the politicians. First, the FCC exempted political calls to cell phones. Then the Federal Trade Commission said political and charitable calls were okay.
As an aside, while the politicians COULD legislate to overrule the FTC, they know that the courts have been very, very strict about anything interfering with political free speech.
Maybe you could program your answering machine to accept only ten seconds worth of message? Of course you should warn the caller about that, else you could get messages such as your daughter calling and saying: "Dad! The car broke down. I'm in a really bad part of town. There are some guys on the corner pointing at me and licking their lips! I'm at..."
The penalty for an unsolicited fax is a fine (up to $1500) only. Jail time is not possible. Further, the judgment is levied by your local Justice of the Peace.
Move to maryland or one of the other states where it's certain who will win. We don't get calls, we don't get tv or radio commercials, or more than a couple mailings. We barely know what's going on. When a famous political commercial is discussed, we don't know what it says.
You have to pay for this, but there are phone company options that only let some callers through. Wait, that's email. Maybe it's that you can get a second number that will ring the same phones but ring it differently. Then you have to give that number to people you like. Of course that takes time, and maybe the political callers just call phone numbers in numeric order, so they'll get you anyhow. (I don't thinkit's because you registered to vote. At least in Md. Ididnt' give them my phone number. )
Before the do not call list, there was a tone you could record on your phone machine that I believe told the robocall computer to erase you. First they sold this tone, but then it appeared on the web, and I was going to put it on my phone machine but the DNC list appeared.
I'm sure it's still on the web, and I think that I read it works.
Good point. Well, except they woudln't be sending a fax, just talking to the fax maachine.
Still, that tone might have been the fax machine tone.
Right. Political speech is traditionally considered one of the most protected, and even though blocking the calls would not be a violation of the first amendment, since they can say whatever they want somewhere else
I haven't got time to read this right now, It's 100 dollars but seems to do several things.
formatting link
This is what I referred to in another post It wasn't a fax tone. It was the squeal that it makes when you call a disconnected number. If this does't work, you can probably call a disconnected number and record the tone. Put the tone at the start of your phone machine's message. People may wonder what it is but at least the second time your friend's call they[ll wait on the line past the tone.
formatting link
Margaret writes
Here's the answer to all our prayers. Telemarketers almost exclusively use "autodialers" to make their calls. One out of a thousand will have live reps doing the dialing. When these dialers connect (you answer the phone) they listen for any "tones" generated. If no "tones" are detected they then transfer the call to one of the reps in a call center. "IF" the autodialer hears the 3 beeps from
-- I wouldn't call them beeps. I think they were like oooeeeooo. And I don't know which sound on that page is the one you want, because I'm too in a hurry to read them all. Let us know which is the right one. --
dialing a "DISCONNECTED" number, the number that was just dialed is automatically "REMOVED" from their list. Below is a link that has this "tone" plus the verbal message. You DO NOT need the verbal message. Download or copy the "DISCONNECTED" MP3 or WAV file to your desktop. Create or change the greeting you have when someone calls you and you're not available. At the VERY BEGINNING of your message place the 3 tones (NOT THE VOICE MESSAGE) then continue with your usual or normal greeting. The autodialer will hear the tones and BINGO, your number will be removed since they think it's a disconnected number. DONE. In a few weeks you will be removed from all the lists. Of course you may have to explain the tones to the callers you DO want to speak to but that's a small tradeoff. Pass this info on to anyone you know that gets junk calls or even help post this on these websites. GET RID OF JUNK / SPAM CALLS.
The phone company WILL let you block calls that don't provide a return call number. I don't know if there's a charge for this or not, or if you can turn it on and off yourself or not
There are loads of new options, that used to be listed in the front of hte white pages, but in MD aren't anymore.
This is one of the features of the $100 thing I posted about, but you don't need there machine to do it (of course if there's a monthly charge from the phone company, but paying 100 will be a one-time charge, it's probably worth it. It says
"How it works
The Digitone Call Blocker 10 comes from the factory preset to allow all callers with a valid phone number displayed to ring through just like normal. Block unwanted calls are Unknown, Unavailable, Out of Area, Anonymous, Private or any name without a phone number and will be hung up on. Also, the phones throughout your home or office will continue to ring on Invited calls until the seventh ring, when the call blocker will answer the call and hang up to prevent a caller from tying up the line. Alternatively, if you miss your Invited caller, your OWN, IF YOU HAVE ONE combo phone/answer machine or your phone company's voice mail service will take a message for you. "
If the caller doesn't allow their number to be displayed with caller ID I let it roll to voicemail. If the call comes from an area code that is out of my area I let that go to voicemail, too. Cuts down on the annoyances.
I'll play along. What is the capacity of your machine, how often do you check it, how long are the messages, typically, and how many of them do you get in a day, or however long it is you go without checking / deleting?
I'm asking because I'm thinking you could by hyperbolizing, or perhaps you just need a machine with longer recording time, or you need to check it more often. I've never heard of anyone's machine actually being "filled up" with political calls. I'd have to get 20 times the call volume I get, for that to happen to me.
"(3) Private Right of Action. A person or entity may, if otherwise permitted by the laws or rules of court of a State, bring in an appropriate court of that State - (A) an action based on a violation of this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection to enjoin such violation, (B) an action to recover for actual monetary loss from such a violation, or to receive $500 in damages for each such violation, whichever is greater, or (C) both such actions.
If the court finds that the defendant willfully or knowingly violated this subsection or the regulations prescribed under this subsection, the court may, in its discretion, increase the amount of the award to an amount equal to not more than 3 times the amount available under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph."
formatting link
"Under the [Telephone Consumer Protection Act], recipients of unsolicited fax advertisements can file suit in state court to collect the greater of $500 or actual damages for each violation, and/or obtain an injunction (a single junk fax can, and often does, contain multiple violations). If a court determines that the violations were willful or knowing, the damages can be tripled at the discretion of the court."
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.