The worthless government, no longer "my" government has allowed the first telemarketers and now political hacks to overtake it and used it for their purposes, not mine. I basically try to screen calls. But one step ahead of me, they dishonestly lie and use a number from my neighborhood to disguise their evil intent. I don't make a list of the liars but I should. If government wanted to "serve" me instead of itself and its inmates, it would just make it illegal and then enforce it.

But their purpose is to perpetuate itself and expand help its friends even more solidify its hold on the money they so kindly allow me to consider mine. Guess it never crossed their crooked minds that the saturation point was reached long ago.

I just got my monthly bill that somehow increases on a regular basis. I now pay $182 a month to allow me to consider my number mine. Just like the crooks use it against me on "my" email. Yes, my internet connection is part of that bill. Today my wife answered the damn thing and held a 15 minute conversation at high volume (she's getting hard of hearing) before I woke up. OK, fully awake now.

We have a well financed campaign to unseat Mitch McConnell. The national demo-rats are financing the assault on my senses. It only makes me want to vote for Mitch more. I don't know of an effective retaliation other than to refuse to answer the phone I used to consider mine. Its a denial of use campaign. The last time I answered by mistake, there was a human on the end. Thanking me for voting for Amy. So I told him I would vote for anyone opposing her, and I would rather drink raw sewage than vote for her.

But you can't tell that to the computers that phone us randomly. Its just a way to harden my feelings against her. Guess I need to see if Mitch has a local campaign office that will give me a yard sign. With the number of black travelers wandering up and down the road these days, the sign wouldn't last one night. Their goin' into the city and take the main route.

I'm an unhappy voter, but their methods won't get my vote. I was even told once that the mis-named do not call list didn't cover annoying politicians because they exempted themselves from it. Go figure.

Voicemail. All my DiDs go straight to VM. I have not actually picked up a ringing phone in years.

Ah, but you say, nobody leaves VM anymore? Even better.

I don't answer the house phone unless I know who is calling. I block the number of the idiots who don't leave a message.

I just keep blocking them (marketers)each and every time. The political texts I do the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I just keep blocking them (marketers)each and every time. The political texts I do the same.

Me too. I got a recommendation from SF and use Hiya to block calls. Works really well. I used to look up the numbers before blocking, but not as much anymore.
Much happier.

I reply STOP to the text message and they will remove your name, so they say.

I found out that the political drives near me get volunteers to "man" a phone bank, where they use their number to send the robocalls and they use a computer to "text" from their cell.

Supposedly gives "legitimacy" to the drive to use local numbers.

I was called and texted by a number local to me, and I declined to engage I was met with disdain from the volunteer.

So what was I to do?

I called his number at 11pm that night, 4am the next morning, and texted him the most off the wall questions at any time I would think of them. He actually got to the point of begging me to stop, to which I told him I would, but only when I never got another political phone call.

I found the number was recently switched off... I hope it inconvenienced him greatly to do so. These idiots need to fully understand the consequenses of their actions.

When we reached our limit of available blocked calls, we simply stopped answering the phone unless the caller ID is someone we know.

I used to answer and ask the person to give me their home phone number and I'll call back at their dinner time. Dead silence, then I hung up.

We check messages after the call ends. Robo calls generally leave no message.

I never answer unless they are on my contact list. If I make a call to an unknown person (craigslist sale for example) and leave a voicemail I create a contact so I know it's that party returning my call. Then I delete it when it's ok to do so.

i only answer calls that are in my contact list.
all other calls to voicemail. If its important they will leave a message.

Calls to craigslist buy/selling are via my google voice number.

quote:

I just keep blocking them (marketers)each and every tim

I have a great audiophile on my cell that mocks them. Worth the few minutes.. Just did it yesterday for the "extended car warranty".

The Telemarketer Repellant Sound Machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e0WYF_USqw

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rscalzo,

I pay $6/month for number barn. It plays a message and requires folks to press a number to be connected. Any texts are forwarded to my email.

My "actual" number is set so that only calls forwarded to it, and those in my contacts ring.

Its annoying, but it works.

quote:

Originally posted by Vanwall:
Calls to craigslist buy/selling are via my google voice number.

That is specifically the reason I have a google voice number. too.

quote:

Originally posted by Vanwall:
i only answer calls that are in my contact list.
all other calls to voicemail. If its important they will leave a message.

Me, too, except I don't ever check my VM. If they really want me they'll send an e-mail. FWIW, more than half of my calls are now marked by the service as "Potential Spam". I don't answer any of those.

flashguy

Perhaps the telemarketers and political hacks can start paying for part of the bill every month since they feel free to use your number against your wishes.

I’d like to see air strikes on the telemarketers. Eliminate them once and for all. No second chance.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:

I pay $6/month for number barn.

Very annoying.

Pay a hefty monthly bill for phone service, then pay another monthly bill to deal with the bastages who abuse the service that you're paying for.

I refuse to pay more money for a service I already pay for.

I only answer when the caller ID identifies as someone I know, except when I am on hospital call, when I pick up every call as I don’t know every number of every nurse or hospitalist who might contact me.
A couple days ago ( my call week) picked up an unrecognized number and it was a robo call.
Can’t really do much about it that one week a month I am on call but the rest of the time I let almost everything go to voicemail

I don't answer calls from numbers I do not recognize. Period. Thanks, FCC and TelCo's, for destroying part of the utility of having a phone.

Text messaging is, for me, as big a problem. If I could, I'd just have it turned off.

I added the Verizon Call Filter app to my personal cell. It seems to catch a lot of them, and sometimes lets one ring through with a "potential spam" warning.

I haven't added it to my work cell yet (not sure I can since I am not the account owner) so that's a good comparator.


There was legislation being introduced to Congress to do something about this, not sure what happened to it. One of the Fed agencies found most of the robo calls were originating in India using VOIP, then getting into the US network by US residents with computers that functioned as repeaters, with number spoofing and all that. The US repeaters were given cease and desist orders and threats of prosecution.

Just like free email, free VOIP calls and unlimited US domestic service plans have dramatically increased the amount of spam because they have no cost to the spammer. I think a micropayment system that is insignificant to the average person (like 0.01 cents per call) but would add up to a lot for spammers might help.