Suggestion for phone calls

[Granny]

Our local Bell company offers a personalized ring tone for a mere 5.00 per month. We use this personalized ring for the fax machine. It's a double ring with a pause and then a double ring. It is a different number from our main line and I could see where this could come in very handy for the bill collectors. You would continue to have your main line but give the personalized ring phone number to those you want to speak to and only answer when you hear the personalized ring. It doesn't stop the creditors calls, but it would work as a signal as to when you should and should not answer the phone. The number is not listed and it doesn't cost to have it not listed, if I remember correctly.

Good luck to you all.

Granny

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

why dont you just change your number and pay a one time fee .. instead of $5 a month ! that'll stop all the creditors !

Catchmeifyoucan

[SinkingFast]

why dont you just change your number and pay a one time fee .. instead of $5 a month ! that'll stop all the creditors !

Catchmeifyoucan

The distinctive ring is a whole seperate telephone number/line that Granny uses for their Fax machine. It has a distinctive ring so Granny knows it's an incoming Fax.

When Creditors started calling, Granny gave the 2nd phone number to family and friends to call in on. That way Granny knew whoever was calling was someone Granny wanted to speak to.

Getting a different phone number,......... Even an unlisted phone number,...... Won't stop the Creditors from calling you for long. Somehow, they always manage to get your phone number.

We changed ours to an unlisted phone number we did not give to our Creditors. They managed to get our phone number.

[Granny]

Sinking Fast Said "Getting a different phone number,......... Even an unlisted phone number,...... Won't stop the Creditors from calling you for long. Somehow, they always manage to get your phone number."

Absolutely right Sinking Fast, that's the whole point. You don't get a new number, you get an additional number that is unlisted at no additional cost and the creditors never know why you don't answer the phone. They can check all the criss cross directories etc and all they come up with is your original number, which after you give the new additional number to those you want to hear from, you never answer the original number.

Fortunately for us, I filed BK before we were behind on anything except the house, so we didn't get those harassing calls. But if it had been the other way around, I would have started using the main line for the fax and the creditors could have listened to the sick parakeet sound and I would have answered the personalized ring.

IMHO, $5 per month is a lot cheaper than a pay as you go cell phone

[SinkingFast]

And if you call your Creditors,........... Use a pay phone. A friend's cell phone. A phone number you do not wanna be tracked back on. Creditors can, and do, log incoming phone call numbers.

[Granny]

That's another cool thing about the personalized ring. The original number is what shows up on the caller id, not the personalized ring number. So if a creditor is tracking phone calls, they get your original number. You know, the one they keep calling that you now never answer. he he he

[Ch7Ted]

If one uses *67 to block the call when calling a creditor, I believe that the creditor will see nothing but "unknown caller" on the other end.

The phone company keeps track of the blocked call. I doubt that any phone technology exists which can "unblock" a blocked call.

[poorme]

Granny's idea for using *67 will work best when calling another nbr in the npa-nxx-4dig format, but not necessarily when calling a toll-free number. Some of the toll free technology brings the originating number with the call to the receiver's end equipment regardless of 'masking' used. So, if you can avoid calling them back on their 'convenient, toll-free number, at no cost to you!' line, do so.

[Granny]

It wasn't my idea to use *67. I've never used *67. My suggestion will allow them to see your number, your original number...the one that they already have....the one that rings normally...the one that you don't answer anymore because you only answer the personalized ring.

[SinkingFast]

Granny's idea for using *67 will work best when calling another nbr in the npa-nxx-4dig format, but not necessarily when calling a toll-free number. Some of the toll free technology brings the originating number with the call to the receiver's end equipment regardless of 'masking' used. So, if you can avoid calling them back on their 'convenient, toll-free number, at no cost to you!' line, do so.

That happened to me once.

We got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I called it back using *67 and the person who answered wouldn't tell me who the company was. So I hung up, did *67 and called back. The next person who answered said, "Our call log shows you just called us." But at least that person told me the name of the company that had called us and which Creditor they were representing.

[poorme]

Sorry Granny! Yes, I understand how you're using the extra number.

[lostinmich]

FYI,

Another way to call people and not let them know where you're calling from is to use a service like Skype. It's only $14.95 a year I believe and the number comes up as some number that will never be tracked back to you. In fact, you can't even receive calls on Skype unless you subscribe to that feature. Works very nicely.

[FilingOnMyOwn]

Why not just use caller ID?

[niteflytes]

Not everyone you may want to talk to shows up on caller ID. Some show up as as private number, for example, so caller ID isn't always useful for screening calls. Creditors can make anything they want to come up on caller ID in order to "trick" you into answering. I've had creditors call with the company name on caller ID and when I didn't answer they would call back later with "private caller" on the caller ID. It didn't take me long to quit falling for that one.

[GoingDown]

Thanks Granny! Your personalized ring number idea is a good one! And it is a lot cheaper than a pay as you go cell phone. I will definitely look into this locally and see if Qwest offers a similar plan.