Blocking Numbers

[oddhack]

We are working toward anon call rejection and a system for blocking specific inbound tel numbers.

This is great news. I request that you allow blocking by caller ID as well as number, because the scammers are boiler-room operations that hop around continually, yet often use the same meaningless CID strings.

Register for donotcall.gov. This will block legitimate telemarketers working for companies that you do not have a relationship with.

DNC list isn't going to do any harm, but the real problem these days is an flood of criminal scammers preying on financially stressed and gullible people, who ignore DNC and the CA robocalling law as well. The FTC is in no position to do anything useful about this. Occasionally they will crack down on one of these insects and issue a press release, but they're not going to stop the problem. We need the full range of tools used to deal with email spam applied to phone lines too.

[jkroll]

I LOVE Sonic and tell all my friends to get Fusion too.

+1 for a blacklist. I'm getting a lot of calls from 951-289-4361, which is supposedly the Alzheimer's Association and therefore is not subject to the DNC restrictions.

Cheers,
Jeff

[virtualmike]

I suspect the entity calling with that number is an outsourced begging shop soliciting on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association. The AA is located in Lafayette, with a 925 number.

The 951-289-4xxx block of numbers belongs to a CLEC in Riverside, CA.

If it really was the number for the Alzheimer's Association, I'd wonder if they just forgot that you asked them not to call you.

[Pedinaut]

I am also waiting for some type of call blocking functions from Sonic, which would be a major benefit for me. For those who want the ability to block calls now, and if you have a PC that's on 24/7 (I have a file server) there is some help. You will need a voice modem, like this one, and the software like this one. The software is quite simple to up, and you can add "unlimited" numbers you want to block to the software database. The software also has different "greeting" that you can choose from (from AT&T "official" error messages to annoying one; you can add your own as well), or it can be set to just hang up on calls.

You can block individual numbers, or whole set of numbers (with wild cards), or whole area codes if you want to. And it's free.

The only downsize is that the software requires that your phone to ring once for it to get the caller ID, but other than that it works well for me. Or you can buy the Panasonic DEC 6 phone, which gives you 30 slots to block calls. (But I still miss AT&T block calls feature (*69) even though the feature only gives me 10 slots to add only 10 numbers.)

Hope this will help.

[Guest]

+1 for blocking unavailable numbers and specific caller ID numbers.

When I signed up with Fusion, I began receiving random telemarketer phone calls. This of course was annoying, but I was able to block it using a feature on my panasonic phone (I think I may almost at the ceiling though - 20 max).

Recently, over the past week, I have been receiving harassing phone calls at all hours of the day: 7am, 8am, 9am, 11am, 5pm, 8pm from an "unavailable" number, weekdays and weekends, sometimes within 10 minutes of the last call. I have been receiving these "unavailable" phone calls about 3-5 times per day all week. I cannot block this number using my phone features, and the only solution I have been able to come up with is to silence my home phone from 10pm to 915am. I am also registered on the do-not-call list. My hubby and I try to joke whenever we wake up or come home from work - "hmm did 'unavailable' call us today" but truly it is very frustrating.

Please come out with a blocking feature!

[Guest]

+1 to be able to block anon and specific #'s

/s/
N Madson
SF, CA

[dane]

Can I prevail upon you all to give us an outline of the capabilities you'd like to see? Anon call rejection as a basic toggle is pretty easy, if the calls are to simply go to a readback, "This customer rejects blocked calls" or somesuch.

Do you see wanting callers "blocked" to go direct to voicemail instead? Other routing? Selected numbers go "straight to VM", and others are rejected? What are your goals and expectations in this feature? Please share your thoughts and ideas - as well as links to others you think do it well. (ATT Privacy manager? Google Voice? etc)

-Dane

[thulium]

In a perfect world you could select certain # or area codes to block and/or anonymous call rejection, and there would be options for such things as;

-busy signal
-custom OGM
-fake fax initiate screech (or fake dial-up modem sound!)
-disconnected tone -"this number has been disconnected. please check the number and try again"
-ring endlessly, but only on callers side. Sonic customers line would remain available to make and receive unblocked calls.
-"This call has been rejected."
-"This call has been blocked, please unblock your number and try again"

But in the real world, any ONE or TWO of those would be awesome!
I guess if you guys could make the blocked call go to a custom OGM without ringing or too long of a delay, we could record any of the busy/disconnect/fax noises and recording we wanted...
So I would vote for direct to custom OGM for blocked numbers and a separate option for anonymous call rejection. That would be a great combo of functions for me, even if it was just one OGM for all blocked calls (but a custom OGM based on call id would be nice for both unblocked and blocked calls too ).

Thanks for the service!

[virtualmike]

... outline of the capabilities you'd like to see?

For anonymous calls, I would like the options:
a) Connect call as usual (default, like what happens now)
b) Send to system rejection message[1]
c) Send to voice mail

For a block list, I like the older Google Voice model, where each number in the list offers the options:
a) Send to voice mail
b) S-I-T, "You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you believe you have reached this recording in error, please hang up, check the number, and call again."

------------------------
[1] "The number you have dialed does not accept calls from blocked numbers. Please hang up and redial using your phone provider's 'unblocking code.'"

[Guest]

Features I'd like to see on my fusion line to deal with annoying callers (who ignore the do not call list):

1) block anonymous caller ID. ie "unavailable" caller ID hears an intercept that their call cannot be completed unless they unblock.

2) block individual numbers following spam calls, give them the intercept "the number you have dialed has been disconnected." This was a feature of GrandCentral but didn't make the transition to Google Voice. It is I believe the most assured way to get off a robocaller's list (and cut down on your number being sold to other robocallers).

2 would be most helpful dealing with the forever spamming "Card Services" caller that hits my number at least five times a week (despite my being on the national do not call list).

1 would be most helpful for the company with "Unavailable" caller id who keeps on calling and asking for Mr [Fake Name], which I use because I'm too cheap to get an anonymous listing. (I've never used that name anywhere, it only exists in the white pages.)