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Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#81

Post by dredmorbius »

Symmetry wrote: post #59
dahart wrote: post #29

I'm fairly convinced that the only way this gets fixed is if enough people complain loudly to the phone companies & cancel accounts. Verizon / AT&T / T-mobile / etc. absolutely have the power to fix this, and they're choosing instead to largely ignore it, and productize the solutions for anyone who cares enough - let the spammers pay to create the problem, and let the consumers pay for the remedy. Telcos win on both…

My understanding is that the regulation of phone services in the US is fairly prescriptive and it would be a violation of FTC rules for a phone company to just go ahead and cancel accounts without legal authorization. Or to proactively screen your calls and not deliver the ones the phone company thinks are spammy. Though presumably the phone company could also tell your phone "Hey, we think this is spam" and let you…

The telcos write the rules.

AT&T's lobbyists include Joan Marsh and Robert Quinn, and a few others:

Wayne Watts, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, James W. Cicconi, Senior Executive Vice President—External and Legislative Affairs, Robert Quinn, Jr., Senior Vice President—Federal Regulatory, David Lawson, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Hank Hultquist, Vice President—Federal Regulatory, Michael Paradise, Vice President—Global IP Operations and Infrastructure Services, and Gary Phillips, General Attorney and Associate General Counsel, of AT&T; and Richard Rosen and Maureen Jeffreys, of Arnold & Porter LLP.

https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/60001116224.pdf

https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-342942A1.p...

https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1011263448484/Status%20ATT%20ex...

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7521067059

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#82

Post by spartas »

frikk wrote: post #61
spartas wrote: post #7

Answer the phone when they call and conference in the Jolly Roger telephone bot http://www.jollyrogertelco.com The bot will waste the telemarketers time, which is the most expensive thing that these companies are paying for. Do this enough times and the calls drop off rapidly.

I just signed up. Thank you. I don't even care if it works. I get up to 6/day, and if I can turn even just one of those into a bit of fun, it'll all be worth it. I've become irrationally irritable because of these calls. I have started subconsciously turning off my ringer, causing me to miss actual important calls. Jolly Roger may be my saving grace.

I have varying degrees of success with it. I do have a few recordings of calls (JR will email you an audio recording of the call after you hang up) that are quite hilarious.

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#83

Post by cimmanom »

greggarious wrote: post #33

Airplane mode when not expecting a call. Many of these services will only call "hot" numbers - numbers that pick up/give some interaction. Hitting "decline call" actually gives them an indication the line is hot, since the call went to VM earlier than if it had timed out, and will lead to more calls. So I let the calls ring until the other side ends the call. Having the spam call ringing is annoying though, so I've t…

On iOS, at least, you can silence a call without sending it to vmail by hitting the power button once. I assume there's something analogous on android.

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#84

Post by cimmanom »

sgdread wrote: post #67

Here's what you do to significantly reduce telemarketers calls: 1) Go to https://www.donotcall.gov/ and register in the National Do Not Call Registry 2) Wait 31 day (it takes some time to propagate this information to callers) 3) Start reporting unwanted calls via link above I have not received a single telemarketer call over a year since I started doing that. FTC is also very good at dealing with collection agency c…

There are some telemarketers who use the DNC registry as a source of lists of numbers to call. In particular, overseas call centers that are not subject to regulation. You're more likely to get scam calls this way.

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#85

Post by cimmanom »

ktosobcy wrote: post #53

I read the whole thread and... it seems that people are looking at the solutions at the wrong angle: we have lot's of unwanted marketing/spam calls so we need to find a way to block them. Then they spammers get smart and generate more and more spam - vicious circle. Wouldn't it be better to motion solving the problem at the other end - ban all non-personal calls that are made without your explicit consent? Something…

This can be difficult to manage, though.

Yesterday my doctor called because they had to reschedule an appointment. Would I have to have remembered to whitelist them? What if they have multiple outgoing numbers?

What about all the other businesses I interact with? The computer repair place saying my laptop is ready to pick up? The cable technician calling to let me know that he'll be 30 min late? The hotel I made reservations with calling to confirm?

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#86

Post by ktosobcy »

cimmanom wrote: post #85
ktosobcy wrote: post #53

I read the whole thread and... it seems that people are looking at the solutions at the wrong angle: we have lot's of unwanted marketing/spam calls so we need to find a way to block them. Then they spammers get smart and generate more and more spam - vicious circle. Wouldn't it be better to motion solving the problem at the other end - ban all non-personal calls that are made without your explicit consent? Something…

This can be difficult to manage, though. Yesterday my doctor called because they had to reschedule an appointment. Would I have to have remembered to whitelist them? What if they have multiple outgoing numbers? What about all the other businesses I interact with? The computer repair place saying my laptop is ready to pick up? The cable technician calling to let me know that he'll be 30 min late? The hotel I made rese…

Well, those are related with the business with have them (even informal 'word of mouth') - they provide you service and to comply with it they call you.

It's completely different for unsolicited calls - you don't have any business with them and they don't provide you any service.

Having severe fines for the latter should work just fine: they call you, you report them, they receive a fine that put them out of business.

It seems to work just fine in Europe so should be doable in US as well.

Imagine the "Do Not Call list" but with an angle that everyone are on that list (so no company can call you). You make an appointment with dentist - they ask you for your number and they call you to reschedule, you also provide the phone to the company/technician to install your cable.

It feels cleaner

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#87

Post by kwaldman »

Bud wrote: post #6
kwaldman wrote: post #3

Move your phone to ooma.com. service is fast and easy. My phone bill dropped compared to comcast and I have eliminated spam calls.

Please explain: why would Ooma service, in and of itself, reduce spam calls?

Many options including blocking anyone not in your contact list. Also include spammer blocking service nomorobo. Comcast also allows nomorobo service for free.

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#88

Post by Fire-Dragon-DoL »

I'll throw in a problem: I get periodically a robocall from a chinese speaking robot. I don't speak Chinese so I have no idea what it says or where it comes from. I cannot report it in any way because I don't understand anything and the phone number is spoofed. Suggestions?

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#89

Post by greggarious »

cimmanom wrote: post #83
greggarious wrote: post #33

Airplane mode when not expecting a call. Many of these services will only call "hot" numbers - numbers that pick up/give some interaction. Hitting "decline call" actually gives them an indication the line is hot, since the call went to VM earlier than if it had timed out, and will lead to more calls. So I let the calls ring until the other side ends the call. Having the spam call ringing is annoying though, so I've t…

On iOS, at least, you can silence a call without sending it to vmail by hitting the power button once. I assume there's something analogous on android.

Thanks for the tip!

Re: Ask HN: How do you reduce unsolicited phone calls?

#90

Post by kwaldman »

belltaco wrote: post #8
kwaldman wrote: post #3

Move your phone to ooma.com. service is fast and easy. My phone bill dropped compared to comcast and I have eliminated spam calls.

I have Ooma and I still get the local number(spoofed?) spam calls. What am I doing wrong?

Go to web page and configure max security including nomorobo. I was getting a great deal of spoofed calls. Seems to have worked
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