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Completely off topic but I'm a bit annoyed. I have Time Warner Cable as a phone provider. I have been getting beat up with telemarketer calls lately. In the past I would answer the call and ask to be taken off the calling list. However, one is never removed, answering only validates that the telemarketer is calling a good number and then they sell that info to other telemarketers who start the harassment. Then I learned a little trick, which is to record an automated sit-tone as the outgoing message on voicemail. Most automated dialers hear the tone and then flag the number as disconnected or invalid. Presto no more calls from that telemarketer for awhile. All good except this one telemarketer who apparently was unsure whether my number was truly disconnected or not. So they started calling me 8-10 times per day. Today a new number popped up on my caller id. I assumed it was them but I wasn't sure so I decided to call them back hours later to find out so I could file an FCC complaint again (this doesn't stop calls either). I have always used *67 before dialing an unknown number to block mine from displaying on their caller id. Well a person answered with the company name and as I was about to hang up, the woman on the other end said I see you're calling from xxx-xxx-xxxx. My number!!! I hadn't given her any information, how did she get my number I wondered. Well apparently *67 does not work with Time Warner anymore and I didn't get the memo (actually there was no memo). So now I have validated my number as active and I can expect the calls to increase. So if you use *67, just be warned, it may not work anymore.

That happened to me about a month ago with TXU. They wanted me to sign another contract. I was upset so I changed providers.

I'm already considering changing.

Any of those codes are optional implementation and always have been.

I use it all the time when contacting people about "work" from personal phone.

Even when you use *67 to block caller ID, it does not apply to 800 or other toll-free numbers. Never has applied regardless of who provides you the telephone service.

Time Warner is overpriced anyway. I used Vonage for about 6-7 years, and then switched a year ago to Magic Jack. Magic Jack works just fine, was $2.50 per month, and uses the same VOIP approach that Time Warner does anyway.

Jumping Frog wrote:Even when you use *67 to block caller ID, it does not apply to 800 or other toll-free numbers. Never has applied regardless of who provides you the telephone service.

Yep!

Jumping Frog wrote: switched a year ago to Magic Jack. Magic Jack works just fine, was $2.50 per month, and uses the same VOIP approach that Time Warner does anyway.

Love my Magic Jack!

Jumping Frog wrote:Even when you use *67 to block caller ID, it does not apply to 800 or other toll-free numbers. Never has applied regardless of who provides you the telephone service..

Correct. When you are calling on someone elses' dime, you don't get to demand privacy. When making a toll-free call, the owner of the toll-free number is paying for the call and gets to see who's calling, regardless of whether you asked to be anonymous. Little-known fact.

I use *67 frequently.

I use VoIPO.com as my phone provider...
If Magic Jack Plus (no computer required version) was available sooner, I'd have chosen that instead.

We no longer answer the phone personally and haven't for years - I screen all calls by using my answering machine using the robotic outgoing message built into the machine.

Is this why we're not plagued with sales/census/beggar calls? I'm not certain, but I do know that when we went this route, (even though prior to this policy we were on the "do not call list" we still got a number of nuisance calls) but after no longer personally answering most unwelcome calls ceased...

If Magic Jack Plus could use wifi it would be a winner. Instead I'm using a software solution on my mobile device and only give my "real" number to family and friends. Everyone else gets the virtual number, and can leave VM if they have something to say. And yes I can call out with the virtual number.

Google voice might be a good option for you. Of course if you value privacy google might not be the best company to deal with.