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1981
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

byebye_cable

Member

[Home Phone] Call Privacy: 99% useless for telemarketers??

This is for TSI home phone which is resold Bell.

Here is the Bell description of how to use the "Call Privacy" feature;

»support.bell.ca/Home_Pho ··· e?step=3

This all hinges on "what is an unknown phone #".

Let's say a telemarketer calls you and the # that appears in your call display is 1 800 123 1234. According to the TSI rep - after several circles - this is *not* an unknown phone number. Basically they said unknown phone #'s were ones that appeared as "Private Caller" or "Unknown Caller" - ONLY these calls would be blocked.

That doesn't make sense though, because the Bell link above allows you to setup a "white list" of callers that don't need to enter a code to get through to you.

That said, it seems to be true though that Call Privacy *only* blocks private/unknown #'s. Since telemarketers all use a fake phone # (with actual digits) it's useless as a deterrent.

With "Call Screen" on the other hand, you have to know the #'s you want to block in advance - you don't - so again it's checkmate.

Am I missing something?

Is Bell deliberately enabling telemarketers?

I guess my question is this; could Bell be any dumber?

Seriously COULD BELL BE ANY STUPIDER????????? I'd laugh if it weren't so tragic!!

ShawnS
Business Solutions Agent
Premium Member
join:2012-11-22
Chatham, ON

ShawnS

Premium Member

Hello byebye_cable,

Thank you for your post.

We have looked further into this and it appears that what you say is true, the feature isn't as strong as it used to be.

There is an alternative way to exempt yourself from telemarketers.
Below is a link to the national do not call list. You can register for this here: »www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng

It may take around 1 month for it to take effect after registration. If you still receive any calls from unwanted telemarketers report them to the CRTC.

I hope this helps!

Take care,
Shawn S
onlinejunkie
Premium Member
join:2002-10-26
Orleans, ON

onlinejunkie to byebye_cable

Premium Member

to byebye_cable
the best service I have seen to eliminate telemarketers... scammers... vent cleaners... almost EVERYONE... is a service that voip ms offers....

basically you send all callers to a IVR and that IVR can be setup with a message that tells them to press one on their keypad if they are real otherwise the service disconnects the call after 7 seconds ... you can add numbers you know to a list as they come in and they don't need to press the one anymore, but all those automated dialers etc do not make it through...

I used to get TONS of calls and now... NONE...

im sure what could be done if you still want pots service vs voip is to have another pots service installed and then transfer your main number to the voip service and just hookup the service that if the person presses one (or is a bypass number) to forward to your pots service... that way you don't even need the voip modem etc.
onlinejunkie

onlinejunkie to ShawnS

Premium Member

to ShawnS
said by ShawnS:

Hello byebye_cable,

There is an alternative way to exempt yourself from telemarketers.
Below is a link to the national do not call list. You can register for this here: »www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng

DNC list is a scam.... I can buy it online for 12$ and now I have a list of good numbers.... the lsit I buy for 12$ is a service and is updated with new numbers every 30 days....

I found my old numbers on it... great idea CRTC.... it only applies to companies in Canada... all the calls that I get are not from Canada, and so being on the list is more of a liability then anything good.
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

4 edits

byebye_cable to ShawnS

Member

to ShawnS
I chatted Bell & after some confusion they are saying that the "white list" works, but only if you have voice mail (which I don't) on my TSI home phone.

Perhaps this is the problem - can you confirm?

Here's the transcript of the chat with the Bell rep;

Peter: Selective Acceptance screens incoming calls against a list of numbers you specify and then accepts calls from only those numbers on the list. All other incoming calls from unknown or private numbers that are not on the selective acceptance list will be redirected to voicemail.
You: ok, now the 1 million dollar question
You: what if i don't have voice mail?
Peter: I am afraid Voicemail is mandatory. There wouldn't be any other place to redirect other customers to.

Thanks junkie, I agree the do-not-call list is used to harvest phone #'s by telemarketers, putting your phone # on it basically guarantee's you'll be called.
byebye_cable

byebye_cable to ShawnS

Member

to ShawnS
I've opened a thread on the direct forum.
byebye_cable

byebye_cable to onlinejunkie

Member

to onlinejunkie
Seems I was right the first time, Call Privacy only blocks private/unknown #'s. Since telemarketers all use a fake phone # (with actual digits) it's useless as a deterrent.

Let me know your telemarketer strategy...or am I the only person left with a home phone :P
Expand your moderator at work
warza8
join:2010-03-08
North York, ON

warza8 to byebye_cable

Member

to byebye_cable

Re: [Home Phone] Call Privacy: 99% useless for telemarketers??

That could be fun.
»www.toao.net/595-lenny

I just received a call from some telemarketer when I typed this reply, funny isn't. Looks like lately the number of them just increased.
It's a shame, shame that no one want/can do something about it. And yes I'm pointing at you Teksavvy.

bbbc
join:2001-10-02
NorthAmerica

bbbc to byebye_cable

Member

to byebye_cable
The best means to block calls is with VoIP provider Callcentric's Telemarketer Block - »www.callcentric.com/feat ··· er_block .
btech805
join:2013-08-01
Canada

btech805 to byebye_cable

Member

to byebye_cable
Just about the only people who will call you from unknown numbers now a days are police officers and service technicians, both of which do so to not be bothered after dealing with their respective calls.

peatbognolog
@135.23.41.x

peatbognolog to onlinejunkie

Anon

to onlinejunkie
said by onlinejunkie:

the best service I have seen to eliminate telemarketers... scammers... vent cleaners... almost EVERYONE... is a service that voip ms offers....

basically you send all callers to a IVR and that IVR can be setup with a message that tells them to press one on their keypad if they are real otherwise the service disconnects the call after 7 seconds ... you can add numbers you know to a list as they come in and they don't need to press the one anymore, but all those automated dialers etc do not make it through...

I used to get TONS of calls and now... NONE...

I use voip.ms that way and see the telemarketer calls in the log but the phone never rings when they call. A whitelist allows family and friends to get through without having to enter '1', but everyone else is requested to.

I have the system hang up if the caller does not enter '1' but you can have it send the call to voicemail if you like.
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

byebye_cable

Member

Thanks for the advice. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this voip.ms service apply only to IP phones?

jmck
formerly 'shaded'
join:2010-10-02
Ottawa, ON

jmck

Member

you can forward a call to a landline or cellphone, or make multiple phones (voip, cells, whatever) ring at once too.
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

byebye_cable

Member

How does that help me if someone dials my landline?
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs

Premium Member

You PORT your landline number to voip.

Bye-bye- Bell.
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

byebye_cable

Member

and then my phone becomes dependent on my internet, correct? I'm not there yet.

EUS
Kill cancer
Premium Member
join:2002-09-10
canada

EUS

Premium Member

said by byebye_cable:

and then my phone becomes dependent on my internet, correct? I'm not there yet.

That's right.
Added bonus, as soon as Bell loses your number to voip.ms, you'll no longer appear in the white pages.
But yes, solid internet connection a must for reliable voip service.
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs to byebye_cable

Premium Member

to byebye_cable
said by byebye_cable:

and then my phone becomes dependent on my internet, correct? I'm not there yet.

Or forward the voip number to your cell using the features built-in the voip user portal.

That way you have a voip provider's data centre providing the 'reliability' to the voip processing and you can have incoming calls forwarded to multiple numbers - you/wife/mistress.

Is that more palatable for you?
byebye_cable
join:2010-01-14
Scarborough, ON

byebye_cable

Member

said by MaynardKrebs:

Or forward the voip number to your cell using the features built-in the voip user portal.

Interesting...how much would that cost? (already have the cell phone obviously)
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs

Premium Member

voip.ms charges 1/2 cent per minute for inbound calls + 99 cents/month for the voip number (theirs or yours ported-in).

See their site for all the prices.
Also look @ callcentric.com

Go to the VOIP form on DSLREPORTS to hang out with people who can help.

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro

Member

said by MaynardKrebs:

voip.ms charges 1/2 cent per minute for inbound calls + 99 cents/month for the voip number (theirs or yours ported-in).

That's a bit incorrect.
Option 1: 99 cents/month for the number, 1 cent / min for inbound, 0.5 cents / min outbound
Option 2: 4.95 / month for the number with unlimited inbound, 0.5 cents / min outbound

DrZEUS
join:2004-01-13
Mississauga, ON

DrZEUS to byebye_cable

Member

to byebye_cable
best solution (which was already suggested by onlinejunkie) is voip.ms.

Period.
xero9
join:2001-11-29
Ajax, ON

xero9 to byebye_cable

Member

to byebye_cable
I've used both Callcentric and voip.ms. Hands down, voip.ms.

Callcentric isn't bad, but I had some very annoying issues with them with Asterisk. Things like they don't pass along the DID that was called. I had multiple phone numbers, so this was an issue. Trying to remember how if the calls appear to come form the 777 number they give you or not.

There were some very strange configuration changes I needed to make in order for it work.

It might work okay if you just have a standalone SIP device connecting to it.

sbrook
Mod
join:2001-12-14
Ottawa

sbrook to byebye_cable

Mod

to byebye_cable
There are two classes of Unknown Callers.

The common one is Name witheld, but displays the number
The less common one is Name and Number witheld

Since the spoofing of CID Name became popular, Call Privacy has changed to the more common name and number.

The only problem with this is telemarketers put in spoofed numbers because they have their own voip servers and hey presto, they can easily get past call privacy. Then you have to go with the whitelist.

The DNCL is a pretty neutral thing these days since most telemarketers call from offshore from voip servers so they can totally ignore the DNCL laws.

Some of the duct cleaning folk call from VOIP services in Canada and ignore the laws because they can't be traced easily. They often change their servers and numbers anyway.

Basically, it's just about impossible to escape scammy telemarketers.
aks_canada
join:2004-11-20
Oakville, ON

aks_canada to onlinejunkie

Member

to onlinejunkie
Hi onlinejunkie
This may be a wonderful solution, but I'm a little unsure exactly how this would work for me.
I have an existing pots number... (905-123-4567).
I would transfer this number to voip ms?
Then anyone dialing (905-123-4567) would go through either a white list or a "must dial 1" screen at voip ms.
How would a white list number then get through to my home?
Would I have to have another new phone number at home?
I would have to set up a new attachment at home to deal with voice over ip?
Would this work for all phones? ( i have a Panasonic base station with 6 cordless phones).
Any help would be appreciated.
AKS
onlinejunkie
Premium Member
join:2002-10-26
Orleans, ON

onlinejunkie

Premium Member

hi

I would transfer the 905-123-4567 to voip and not worry about having a voip modem... just use their web interface to setup the IVR part.. you will not actually have a physical connection (I believe this is possible because I can pull my voip modem off line and the IVR still answers)

so all calls would be answered by their IVR system and if on the whitelist or they press one then it forwards to a new number 905-765-4321 without end user knowing any different.

but I would check out the rates if you use the phone a lot... I do not use landline a lot anymore so for me its 99 cents a month and maybe another 2$ in usage... (mostly my kids on phone)