OT Ask Why Their Caller ID Is Blocked!

That is a feature that is added to many voice services. The user may really not know they are using that feature without taking a good look at their bill.

A lot of business phone systems are using alternative phone providers and digital phone systems that are not set up to send Caller ID out - some are done unwittingly (nobody bothered to program it, or they didn't know how) but others do it purposely to fool or obfuscate.

Of course, if they couldn't do that, how did they program it properly for outgoing 911 calls? Hmmm...

I usually won't answer at home with an Unavailable or a business name I don't do business with, and if that's accompanied by a faked or

800/888/877 phone number it goes double. The answering machine gets to screen the call, and the outgoing message says "No Anonymous Caller ID calls, and no sales calls accepted".

Reason being, there are too many Non-Profits and Politicians out there with alleged exemptions from the Do Not Call List. And if they get through and protest that the DNC List doesn't apply to them, I remind them that they should check and respect it anyways - it just might contain people who DO NOT WANT SALES CALLS. Exempt or not.

And on the cellphone that gets some work calls I answer the phone "Hello, Unavailable Caller" and won't say who I am until they say who they are - They're knocking at the door, I decide whether to let them in. Then if it's a business with a mis-programmed phone system I tell them to get it fixed - It's simple to program it to send the company name and the 'pilot number' if they don't want people to know exactly which extension is calling.

In some cases I've been telling them over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

They may get a clue eventually, I doubt it - but I won't stop. ;-)

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I forgot to mention if someone uses a calling card it also will not show who is calling.