What's the etiquette on returning phone calls?

[pearlieq]

Sorry, I'm just tired of people not being polite in just answering their phone.

There is nothing impolite about not answering the phone. A ringing phone is a request, not a demand.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Shortly after I sent the OP I had to go to work, so I'm just now getting back to the boards. I've read all the responses, and I do appreciate them. To answer some of the questions posed -

The person I was trying to call is a friend ... or so I thought until phone calls weren't returned.

This person would recognize my number as we talk often, or used to ... up until a few weeks ago when their phone was disconnected.

Since that time they have been using a prepaid phone through Sprint. Would that make a difference in whether or not the phone has caller ID and why there is no voicemail? Perhaps the phonecalls are intentionally not being answered to saved minutes...?

If the phone is shut off and there is no voicemail, would it just continue to ring? I have no idea because every other cell phone I have called when the phone is shut off, it goes straight to VM w/o ringing. This phone in particular just rings and rings.

Even so, if they see I've called a few times and know there's no voicemail, why not call back to see if I'm calling for a reason.

To ZULAYA - bad phone etiquette ticks me off too! But judging from the responses on this thread, people have different ideas of what good phone etiquette is, so perhaps we're ticked off for nothing.

I don't know, you guys have certainly given me a lot to think about. Maybe I'm not being ignored, maybe I am - who knows?

 

[clh2]

Anyway, I especially don't feel that a number displayed on Caller ID obligates me to try to contact the caller.

Yep. I totally agree. Plus, I never check caller ID if I have been out for a while. I do, check caller ID when I am home, and I pick up the phone for any caller that is identified on caller ID, even if I do know them. I do not pick up unidentifiable callers unless DH is out of town, because, I don't always know where he might be calling from.