Anyone using the Telezapper (or similar device)?

[Tina]

Does it really work? How does it distinguish between telemarketers and legitimate callers? Will my legitimate callers hear anything out of the ordinary?

I'm really getting frustrated with telemarketing calls. We came home from a 3 day vacation and were surprised to see we had 10 messages on our answering machine. When we listened to them, we learned we really only had 2 real messages, the other 8 were hang-up from telemarketing calls.

On the funnier side of things, my DH loves when he's home to get these calls. He's found a funny way of getting rid of them. He starts asking them "What are you wearing?" "You sound really sexy" ETC ETC. He did that to someone today and then he hung up laughing really hard. As it turns out, it was a MALE caller. DH told him he sounded sexy and the guy yelled "What the H*** does that have to do with mortgage refinancing?" LOL

So, aside from DH's fun & games, I'd like to get rid of the callers all together. Tell me about your telezapper experiences!

 

[janette]

The telezapper sends a disconnect code to the computers used by telemarketing firms. It would help some but not be very effective. The best option is to get on a state list but VA doesn't have one. The Direct Marketing Association maintains a national list and that would help as much or more and if your register by mail only cost a stamp.

If your phone company offers a privacy manager that is another good option. It will put a message up front and callers will have to respond to get the phone to work. We don't have it available but from what I understand it is a very good option.

 

[Towncrier]

I found one at a second hand store for under $10, so I bought it. The truth is, I cannot tell whether or not we have fewer telemarketers calling our house. I don't suppose that it's hurting to have it on the phone line, but I wouldn't spend $50 on one.

 

[nativetxn]

I have one. Your callers will hear a quick beep when you answer the phone.

I believe we get fewer calls. The only problem with this system is that it will only stop computer generated calls. Telemarketers who dial the number themselves will still get through.

We are pleased with our results.

 

[Laurabearz]

I dont know about any of the above mentioned ones....... but we have caller ID and any call that is "out of area" is a telemarketer..... so we dont answer..... we still have to get up and check the phone..... but at least we dont have to talk to them.....

but I love the suggestion of askng them what they are wearing........ I also sometimes use Jerry Seinfelds line...... give me your home phone number and I will call you back!

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

We've been using ours for about two months now. I don't think that it's made any difference whatsoever.

 

[Virgo10]

We have something called Call Intercept. It's provided by the phone company for $5 a month. I love it. In the 4 months we've had it, our telemarketing calls have decrease by about 99%!

What it does is if a call comes thru with no number (unavailable, unknown, etc on caller ID) it doesn't even ring our phone. Instead the caller gets a message asking if they want to proceed. Telemarketers never want to proceed because it's a machine dialing. Now if it's a person with an unlisted number they usually do. In that case they press a number on the phone and the call will ring our phone. You know it's a Call Intercept because the phone rings differently... two short rings instead of one long one. You can pick it up and hear who's there or, as we do, just let it ring thru to the answering machine.

The only reason I was hesitant to get it is because I didn't want to miss any great credit card rates. What I've found though is the credit card companies are sending me their hot deals by snail mail now that they can't annoy me with the telemarketer calls.

Roberta

 

[sharbear]

I have the privacy manager through my phone company. We get a lot less telemarketer calls. The only problem is that if a person who has an unlisted number calls me. It's kind of a pain. They have to identify themselves. I'm not sure if I like it, my MIL has an unlisted number and it's a pain for her to call.

 

[Towncrier]

I think that it is obscene that we are forced to pay an extra amount to stop unsolicited phone calls. Imagine the uproar if you had to pay postage for all the junk mail that appears in your mailbox. I guess that it is fortunate that the phone companies provide a means to block calls. I have to admit to paying an outrageous amount for caller ID each month only to have my wife and kids answer the "Out of Area" calls anyway. I am tempted to remove the ringers from all our phones and let the answering machine filter ALL of our phone calls. What a mess. I guess that the other solution is for us to abandon our land line and go strictly cellular. Time will tell.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

Towncrier, I feel your pain.

When we purchased the telezapper, I instructed my DSs to hang up if it's one of the computerized calls. Do they? Not even close. They stay on the line...hello? hello? until they get a human. If there was any chance at all that the telezapper were going to work, they've probably killed it.

 

[DVC-Don]

I can not remember the last Telemarketer call we have gotten. In addition to caller ID, we have been on our states Do Not Call list for more than a year. The do not call list is free.

 

[Tina]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions, but it sounds like we don't have much of an alternative right now. Virginia does not have a Do Not Call List. I don't like the idea of legitimate callers having to identify themselves before my phone rings. We used to have Caller ID and that did us know good, because SO MANY callers came through as OUT OF AREA. Even my mom showed up that way and she was calling from a listed number. I don't think I'll spend the money on the Telezapper (or any other device) until its proven to work.

Thanks again everyone, I'll just let my DH continue to behave like a freak with telemarketers.

 

[MontanaCowgirl]

Lots of "out of area" calls on caller ID are from ordinary folks. Many are cell phones, unlisted numbers out of state, etc. We answer them but if we get a telemarketer we tell them to remove our number from their calling list. By law they have to do this once you ask. Be sure to jot down the time & date of when the call came in & when you told them to remove your number, cuz if they don't you have the right to sue. Not that that is any fun, but you do have the right. We also have the telemarketer & it does only cut off the calls that are computer dialed. We have noticed a difference. Trouble is most companies out there that like to annoy you with phone calls during dinner, realize that lots of us got the telemarketer. So they have changed over to manual dialing. The credit card companies are the worst culprits for this! I wish the phone companies would come up with something for us that we can all use without inconveniencing others we want calls from! The folks that make the phones also should put a cut-off switch on the TOP of the phone. I can't stand to listen to a phone ring over & over. I would like to just tap a button to stop the ringing if I see it is someone on the caller ID I don't want to talk to! House is to spread out to have it set for the answering machine to come on after only a couple rings. So that idea won't work.

OK enough rambling hahaha

 

[crazywig]

Originally posted by Virgo10
We have something called Call Intercept.

we have call intercept too and I LOVE IT. worth the $5, hell i'd pay more! the day we ordered it our phone virtually stopped ringing! no more annoying out of area, etc. i recommended it to everyone i know.

we've had it since august i think. i do notice now that some telemarketers are listing their numbers so they bypass the call intercept....but i just don't pick up.

 

[Tina]

I don't like Call Intercept for one reason. My uncle has this and I was unable to reach him due to this service. Here's the short version of what happened. I live in a different state from the rest of my family. I went home to take care of a mental problem with my mother (she was hospitalized). While I was home, I was staying with my aunt, who was not getting along with my uncle at the time. When I tried to call my uncle (he was the main person taking care of these issues with my mom) from my aunt's phone, I learned he had blocked her number. It wouldn't even ring through. Luckily (or so I thought) I had my cell phone with me. I called him on that, but since the number was unlisted, I had to go through the call intercept thing. When I got to the point where I could leave a message for him, the service told me his mailbox (or something like that) was full and I could not proceed. So in other words, this service would not allow me to call my uncle. I ended up having to drive more than an hour to his house to talk to him!!

So in summary, I would never use this service because it may prevent someone from reaching me in an emergency.