Call Block?

zip2play

Does anyone with Verizon FIOS and Triple Play know the star-code to block a particular phone number? Is it possible?

A particular vendor is driving me NUTS with 5 calls a week.

PJL2

If you have Verizon Digital Voice, you can block up to ten numbers using the Digital Voice Account Manager. See http://www22.verizon.com/support/res.../ad/129036.htm.

tkurkowski

That's the only way I know of - no star code.

__________________
"Just because you don't understand something, doesn't mean it's wrong." Arthur Pendragon

zip2play

Thanks guys.
That's just what I need.

(Goodbye "The federal government has made provisions to save you money on your Con-Ed bill!")

tkurkowski

It's a rather clumsy implementation too- another example of software that if my company wrote that for our clients we'd be out of business. You have to manually delete one of the 10 then manually add another number. God forbid you could just open one for editing and change it.

Ted

zip2play

Ted,
I'm surprised they don't do Call Block with a *.

I love *78 (Do Not Disturb) and *79 (Disturb Me.) I use it every time I want to take a nap.

tkurkowski

Apparently they did in the past, as described here.

How to Use Call Block
Note This service is no longer available to new customers. If you currently subscribe to this service, you will continue to receive the service, but you will not be permitted to re-subscribe to it if you remove it or transfer it to another customer at your current location or to a new location.
Before you use Call Block, you must first set up the list of numbers you want to block and then activate Call Block. You can change your Call Block list at any time.
Setting up your Call Block list and activating Call Block
Lift the receiver and listen for the dial tone.
Press *60
etc.

The FIOS Digital Voice system isn't in the same league as their TV or Internet services (only 10 blocked numbers, no wildcards, no blocking of an entire area code especially 9XX, the list goes on). Maybe they just want everyone to get their cell phone service.

Ted

MisterEd

That's why I love my VOIPo voip service. Unlimited blocks, uses wildcards, free outgoing fax and a dozen of so other features to do rings around most of the providers out there for a pretty reasonable price (I have 2 dedicated lines/numbers for less than 1/2 the cost of what Fios charges for 1 line). Right now I have over 200 blocks in my list (most all of them are "Rachel from cardholder services" calls ). When my Fios gets installed I won't even be using their line. Hmmm, I guess I can use it as a dedicated fax line. Never thought of that, not that I send any faxes.

tkurkowski

IIRC you pay $96/year for 2 dedicated independent lines. That's $8 a month - I'm paying $30 a month for basically zero features. I may switch if I don't get jerked around too much by them for going from triple play to double play. I'd have to change the wiring - I assume the VOIPo is a router I could plug into my FIOS router.

Ted

MisterEd

Yea, I believe it was $185 (inc all taxes) on their buy 2 years for the price of one year deal +they include a 2nd rollover line which can be converted at no charge into a dedicated line through their control panel. It's the 3rd time I've renewed under that promo. They offer it every few months.

tkurkowski

I was looking at the Verizon Community and noticed that some folks talked about call-blocking boxes. I studied the options and bought one that I like a lot. It's a Digitone Call Blocker and you can get the Owner's manual here. It's $100 with shipping - I ordered it on a Wedesday and it arrived Priority Mail in 3 days, from Reno to Maryland.

It's a little box that you wire between the wall plug and your base phone. It listens to the first ring but blocks the call from going on to your phone (so you don't hear the first ring) while it decides whether to pass the call on or block it. It can store 80 blocked numbers but unlike FIOS it accepts wildcard entries (the # symbol) so you can tell it to block 800-###-#### or 123-456-####. You program it by pressing a "Program" key which tells it to listen to a command from your phone. Commands are 2-digit codes from your phone, then you add phone numbers to, for example, your blocked list. It automatically blocks Anonymous, Out Of Area, Private and Unknown callers showing no phone number unless you tell it not to.

As I said I like it a lot, and sure wish I had bought it before the last election.

Ted

ITALIAN926

Do you have more than one phone tk? as in multiple phone jacks, not wireless? The reason why I ask is callerID data comes in AFTER the first ring, so Im wondering if that device blocks the first ring from getting through to the phone.

Forget it, you answered it already !
LOL

tkurkowski

I wasn't sure how much info people wanted but to make this more clear, it blocks the first ring for the phone that's connected to it (you can tell it not to do that if you wish). If you have phones connected to other jacks they will ring once. But most folks I know are, like me, using a single base unit that feeds multiple phones wirelessly (is that a word?). So in that case no phone will ring once. If you have phones connected to other jacks, the unit still blocks calls for those phones because if the number is blocked the unit answers and immediately hangs up on the blocked call before the other phone jacks get a second ring.

It's pretty slick, and it has a lot of features I didn't mention, like an option for "after hours" blocking of all calls except numbers on a "VIP list".

Ironically I haven't received many annoying calls since I installed it, so it is apparently aware of Murphy's Law. Just as how my boss bought an expensive snow blower 2 years ago and we haven't had a significant snow fall since. Whatever works...

Ted

ITALIAN926

Definitely seems like a cool device, especially for around election day like you said.

MisterEd

I had a box like that many years ago. Worked great. Can these newer boxes also redirect calls to give caller "this number is disconnected" intercept or busy or force to voicemail or better yet forward calls to the "rejection hotline?" I forward some of my really annoying calls to the local PD (non-emergency number) or the FBI in DC depending on where they originate.

You have to check this one out:
773-509-5027 REJECTION HOTLINE
212-660-2245 " "