Stopping Telemarketers

[CraigFL]

These devices are sold by Radio Shack and K-Mart and are said to block thes calls before they ring on your phone. It would seem that they would rely on Caller ID. Since I see so many telemarketers using call block, I wonder if these actually work and how they do. (If I were designing one, I'd have it listen for the 1 - 2 second pause after you answer and say something while the computer routes it to an available person)

[KatWoman]

I saw part of an informercial for one of these devices. Most telemarketers are on a system where a computer does the automated dialing. The device on your end is supposed to pick up that it is an automated call coming in, it intercepts the call and drops it. You never know they called or tried to.

[enginerd]

I just got out of town from a client phone company my employer does engineering work for and they had a system in place to prevent telemarketers. Before the computer systems used by telemarketers dials your number, a signal is sent. The equipment in the mainframe intercepts the signal and then only rings until the telemarketer hangs up. The phone company charges 2-3 dollars a month for the service.

[S Brake]

We got this thing for christmas, you just hook it up to your phones and when a telemarketer calls and you pick up you hear a beep, that sends the signal to the company and tells them that the number is disconnected. now our phone is basically telemarketer free. its awesome.

[kris]

I just pay th $1.50 to have a unlisted number, and I dont put my number on anything. So far, no problems.

[YogsVR4]

This is something that I need to look into. To bad it didn't send a small shock into the ass of the caller (I know it should go to the owner not the clerk, but you get the idea)