Topic 'Re: Junk calls' in forum 'Verizon Fiber Optics' - dslreports.com

Re: Junk calls

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:23:03 EDT

Rattler posted : The level of junk calls to our number has risen dramatically in the last month or so - from about 3 per week to 3 -4 per day. We normally screen through CID and most of them hang up by 3 - 4 rings (our answering machine is set to 6 and the V* voicemail is turned off). I recently re-registered out home number and both mobiles with DNC,

What really ticks me off is that this past week I decided to answer these calls within two rings to give the other end a piece of my mind and tell them not to call again. Out of the dozen or so calls I answered, on only one there was actually someone on the other end - all the rest were dead lines, not even a recorded message.

A while further back (a year ago) I filed a complaint with the FCC against one number that had been calling about once a day. The paperwork the FCC sent and the warnings about filing an inaccurate charge seemed to be geared more to the junk caller than to the wronged consumer so it went into the circular file.

The whole DNC system and its (alleged) remedies are fairly useless, in my estimation.
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Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. -- Red Buttons

Re: Junk calls

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 08:12:17 EDT

dmine45 posted : I recently re-registered my phone number on the DNC registry. The spam calls dropped dramatically. So it pays to re-register even though they say you don't need to.

It doesn't eliminate ALL calls, but it cut them down to next to nothing compared to what I used to get.

Re: Junk calls

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:40:09 EDT

jcondon8 posted : Funny I got two calls today no Voicemals. Both from CSC Holdings. Cablevision.

I guess not technically not junk calls since I was a customer. I think it has been 60 days to the day we switched. I guess we qualify for new customer promotions.

Re: Junk calls

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:17:23 EDT

jcondon8 posted : Well so far the calls have dropped off. So I have to think it was Verizon's business partners hounding me. I hope it sticks.

Re: Junk calls

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:23:13 EDT

danclan posted :

said by MiNdErAsR:

said by hobgoblin:

You need to re-register with DNC.

Wrong. Once a number is registered, you do not need to re-register.

Will My Registration Expire?

How long does my phone number stay registered?

Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when they are disconnected and reassigned, or when the consumer chooses to remove a number from the registry

Source: Do Not Call Registry: »www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/01···registry

It used to be the case you had re-register every few years (5) but that has since changed.

Re: Junk calls

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:54:39 EDT

wmcbrine posted : The DNC list is absolutely not useless. We saw a HUGE drop-off when we signed up, back when it was new. It's not invincible, but it does work.
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Re: Junk calls

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:51:42 EDT

bsangs posted :

said by jcondon8:

Here is a link with the Verizon phone numbers to call to opt out of some of their marketing.

Link doesn't seem to work right in Chrome for me anyway. Works fine in IE9

»www22.verizon.com/about/privacy/···honelist

Wanted to point out that I followed this link from jcondon8 here the day he posted it and since then - at least a few days after completing the requested info - I'm not exaggerating when I say the junk calls have almost completely stopped. We get a couple every now and then, but we were getting four or five PER DAY before I followed that link. So thanks for that jcondon8!

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:52:18 EDT

QuaffAPint posted : I get a slew everyday - the DNC list is useless.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:59:06 EDT

houkouonchi posted : With VZ this was horrible. every number I got from them.. 15 calls a day. I now use a voip which runs me $7/month and i never *ever* get spam calls.. EVER.
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300/150 mbit Bonded Verizon FiOS connection FTW!

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:59:01 EDT

birdfeedr posted : In case you wondered how is it possible for someone to make money with robocalls.

800notes.com is a good resource for checking a number before blocking. I stumbled on this post which led to a host of other info. Scroll half way down. Some folks might say TLDR, but it's worth it if you've been pestered by unsolicited calls. »800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-561-910-2593

And check out this blog which explains the details. »telemarketerspam.wordpress.com/

IMO it's worth the read.

Re: Junk calls

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:41:20 EDT

birdfeedr posted : If there is a procedure where registered phone numbers are culled from the active list, it would be useful for someone to verify their number is still listed.

»donotcall.gov has a verify step that will send you an email with the results. It will show whether the number is listed, and the date that it was listed.

Someone who was previously registered and had a number ported over could verify if the listing still holds. I know that my old VZ POTS number is still registered when it came over to FDV.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:44:41 EDT

MiNdErAsR posted :

said by hobgoblin:

You need to re-register with DNC.

Wrong. Once a number is registered, you do not need to re-register.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:12:55 EDT

birdfeedr posted : I'd hate to have a job where my task results in annoying almost all of the people I call, some to the point of them responding with obscenity-laden invective, all with the goal of getting that *one* sale.

While employment is better than unemployed, honestly I think lawyers and telemarketers belong in same circle of hell, which needs to grow to accommodate the new members. Because it sure seems like it's getting worse.

Government intervention is a joke. Forget that illusion, because that's all it ever was. And because there's money to be made in that data, it's big business. More than ever.

So, in my opinion, based on some facts as well as empirical evidence:

1. The data is sold because the privacy rules are opt-out (with a 30 day window), not opt-in.
2. Because there's money to be made, and no real definition of limitations, any grey area will suffice to start the clock ticking new.
3. New technology allows operators to hide and duck behind obscurity to avoid accountability.
4. There's no incentive for VZ to provide real tools to prevent the invasion of privacy. (10 blocks on DV is a joke).
5. It will never go back to the way it was without some sort of calamity.

The solution is to either:
1. Accept it because it will never go away.
2. Use more (subscriber-provided) technology to block the worst of it.
3. Say no more and learn how to live without that telephone.

I'm at 2 with a Digitone Call Blocker. At $100, it's expensive but it works, at least for the time being, until sneaky tech catches up with it.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:04:54 EDT

PX Eliezer posted :

said by tnsprin:

And unfortunately new phone installs are public record....

Any proof of that? I surely never heard that.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:03:37 EDT

PX Eliezer posted :

said by hobgoblin:

No one is selling anything.

I disagree, they ARE selling your info, at least in the case of Cablevision/Optimum.

I recently moved my business a couple of miles, and had to move my Optimum phone and internet service.

Soon after I started getting junk mail, and because of the exact way the address is listed on the mail, the info definitely came from Cablevision/Optimum.

Also, the phone # we have with them is a fax number that we NEVER make public, and Optimum says that they do not do directory listings....

....But soon after the move, I started getting pseudo-bills from some of those phony Yellow Pages companies (not the real telco YP or YellowBook) wanting me to pay money to list that number with them.

So Cablevision/Optimum [does] sell your info at least in the case of business accounts, and I am sure that Verizon does the same.

And in fact, I believe that CV also gave the info to Verizon, because I'm getting bombarded from them too, and that started before any announcement was made of our new location.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 07:45:10 EDT

tnsprin posted : There's alway a surge in such calls at this time of year. And unfortunately new phone installs are public record, that don't need to buy them. Something we should ask the GOV to change. DNC, which is also public or how ask could some group no not to call, is of course ignored by these callers.

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:27:51 EDT

hobgoblin posted : No one is selling anything. You need to re-register with DNC.

Hob

Re: Junk calls

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:25:30 EDT

Zifnab posted :

said by PX Eliezer:

Porting your number such as from Cablevision to Verizon [may] be enough to wipe your # from the Do Not Call list. That's because the FTC (it's the FTC not the FCC that does the DNC list) tells phone companies to cull the lists for terminated numbers. As far as CV is concerned, you terminated.

This is it exactly. When you port your number, you disconnect your number from one provider and reconnect it at another. There's no continuity between those two states. This is enough to trigger the removal of the number from the DNC list and you have to re-add it.

Re: Junk calls

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:38:11 EDT

MiNdErAsR posted : When I switched from Comcast to FIOS (for internet) and they upgraded my copper lines on my wall phone (already a Verizon line), I started receiving a ton of junk calls. Very annoying. And I've been on the do not call list for years.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:59:05 EDT

PX Eliezer posted :

said by jcondon8:

Or did Verizon sell our number to their business partners?

They ALL do it.

Cablevision just did it to me.

ALSO:

Porting your number such as from Cablevision to Verizon [may] be enough to wipe your # from the Do Not Call list. That's because the FTC (it's the FTC not the FCC that does the DNC list) tells phone companies to cull the lists for terminated numbers. As far as CV is concerned, you terminated.

About 15 days after a port, check to see that your # is still on the list. Put it on again if need be (and in that case, telemarketers can call you for the first 30 days with the government's blessing!)

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:07:12 EDT

battleop posted : AT&T will sell your number when you establish a new number so I would bet Verizon does too.

Work installed a POTS line at my house so I could dial into equipment remotely and someone forgot to tell them to not share my number with "Partners". I started getting calls within 72 hours of establishing the new number. That number averages 4 to 5 calls a day by looking at the caller ID box.

I have another number in a data center that we use for checking caller ID (no hand set, just goes into a modem in a server) and that line gets at least 10 calls a day now.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:35:25 EDT

brianiscool posted : I love when collections calls me even though they have the wrong number.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:49:52 EDT

McBane posted : Another reason I've switched to Vonage and never looked back. Main reason was because they refuse to add Digital Voice to business FiOS accounts and their suckiness of international calling plans compared to Vonage even on the residential DV plans.

Verizon is a terrible company with a wonderful network. Unfortunately for most of us it's the only FTTP option and they know it so they get as many minimum wage type workers that they can pile on. I'm kind of surprised their customer support is not outsourced to India or somewhere like that yet, but what they have now is probably just as bad. Some of us stick around for the network, and a lot of others who are fed up wtih Verizon go right back to cable.

And they wonder why they are not meeting their "market penetration" in FiOS areas....

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:49:51 EDT

codydog posted : Could be a coincidence, but I had a pickup in junk calls on the number I gave Verizon after switching over. To me, its the little stuff like this that forms a consumer's impression of a company.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:28:09 EDT

jcondon8 posted :

said by JoeSchmoe007:

Most likely spammers just got around to setting up their robo-dialers to cover your area. They ignore DNC list. They don't need to purchase your number from anybody.

Possible. Pretty strange how it just started days after switching. I actually answered one of the calls last night and they had my name as well. Yes I know databases exist with all this stuff in it. Just wasn't much of an issue till I switched over.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:12:32 EDT

JoeSchmoe007 posted : Most likely spammers just got around to setting up their robo-dialers to cover your area. They ignore DNC list. They don't need to purchase your number from anybody.

I've experienced noticeable increase in junk calls recently too. I am with Anveo (switched to them from FIOS) and set up call flow so that only whitelisted numbers actually ring my phone, everyone else needs to press a button or else they are dropped to voicemail. Works like a charm - I know this because junk calls are still in my call records, each is 5-10 sec.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:00:26 EDT

jcondon8 posted :

said by brianiscool:

Put yourself on the no call list.

Did that yesterday. Not sure if I had done that in the past for this number or not.

The calls started with in days so I suspect it Verizon's business partners more then just random junk calls.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 09:58:07 EDT

jcondon8 posted : Here is a link with the Verizon phone numbers to call to opt out of some of their marketing.

Link doesn't seem to work right in Chrome for me anyway. Works fine in IE9

»www22.verizon.com/about/privacy/···honelist

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 09:42:51 EDT

brianiscool posted : Put yourself on the no call list.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:14:52 EDT

JackBauer posted : That is really eff'ed up.

Disgusting of VZ to do.

Re: Junk calls

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:26:17 EDT

jcondon8 posted :

said by wmcbrine:

Verizon did, indeed, sell your number to their business partners.

I did a Google search and found an older thread here about this. I called the toll free number and changed my preferences. What nonsense. I had to have my bill and go through a bunch of prompts. Takes 30 days.

Re: Junk calls

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:41:53 EDT

wmcbrine posted : Verizon did, indeed, sell your number to their business partners.
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Re: Junk calls

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:40:57 EDT

MuDvAyNe posted : Where do you go to block numbers?

edit : figured it out!
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Mets, Cowboys, Devils

Junk calls

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:16:33 EDT

jcondon8 posted : A month ago I switched from Cablevision to Verizon FIOS. I ported my number. We now get a few calls a day most days from telemarketers.

We pretty much never got junk calls before. I can't remember if we had our number listed in the National Do Not call registry but added it today to be sure. But that will take weeks if not months to take any affect. I had two different accounts with Cablevision for 5 or 6 years and never really got that many junk calls.

We chose not to pay the $3 or so for an unlisted number. Is this why we are getting junk calls? Or did Verizon sell our number to their business partners?

Has anyone recently ported a number to FIOS and experienced the same?

I have already used 7 of the 10 spots in my blocked callers list.